“O no! thanks to my clerical helmet, I have escaped the danger which threatened me: but, tell me, what new game is engaging your attention?”
Mr. Seymour said that he had been explaining the scientific principle of the sling, and that he hoped the vicar was prepared to afford them some information respecting its invention and history.
“The sling?” repeated the vicar; “why, bless me! I left you discoursing upon elasticity; you really stride over province after province as rapidly as if you were gifted with the seven-leagued boots of the Ogre:--but to the point in question. The art of slinging, or casting stones, is one of the highest antiquity, and was carried to a great degree of perfection amongst the Asiatic nations. It was well known and practised at a very early period in Europe; and our Saxon ancestors appear to have been very expert in the use of this missile.”
Mr. Twaddleton, being desirous of communicating history of Major Snapwell, begged that Mr. and Mrs. Seymour would allow him a few minutes’ conversation; observing that the attention of the children would be agreeably occupied during their absence by their newly-acquired amusement.
“We will then, if you please, vicar,” replied Mr. Seymour, “walk to the Geological Temple, where I have lately deposited some specimens which you have not yet seen.”
“To speak sincerely,” said the vicar, “I cannot participate in that high satisfaction which you appear to feel in collecting such hoards of broken rocks and pebbles: where can lie the utility of such labour? unless, indeed, in pursuance of your Utopian plans, you intend to Mac-adamise all the roads of science.”
“Is it nothing, my dear Mr. Twaddleton, to discover the structure of different countries?”
“Which the geologist infers,” replied the vicar, “from a few patterns, picked up at random on the road side!”
“Mr. Twaddleton,” said Mr. Seymour, “I will meet you on your own ground: you are an antiquary; if an ancient monument of art be so inestimable, is not a knowledge of the antiquity of the globe itself, at least, of equal interest?”
“I understand you: you would infer that the scriptural account of the Deluge is disproved by those Sciolists, who pretend to discover the antiquity of the globe by penetrating its caverns, with as much ease as the jockey ascertains the age of a horse by looking into its jaws.”