Mr. Badcock resumed—
"For the understanding speculative there are some general maxims and notions in the mind of man, which are the rules of discourse and the basis of all philosophy."
"As, for instance, never to beg the question," snapped my father, who from this point let scarce a sentence pass without pishing and pshawing.
"Now it was Adam's happiness in the state of innocence to have these clear and unsullied. He came into the world a philosopher—"
("Instead of which he went and ate an apple.")
"He could see consequents yet dormant in their principles, and effects yet unborn and in the womb of their causes."
("'Tis a pity, then, he took not the trouble to warn Eve.")
"His understanding could almost pierce to future contingencies.
. . ."
("Ay, 'almost.' The fellow begins to scent mischief, and thinks to set himself right with a saving clause. Why 'almost'?" )
"his conjectures improving even to prophecy, or to certainties of prediction. Till his fall he was ignorant of nothing but sin; or, at least, it rested in the notion without the smart of the experiment."