[157] This reminds one of Alice's subtraction sum. "Take a bone from a dog. What remains?... The dog's temper would remain" (Through the Looking-Glass, chap. ix.). A somewhat different and more sombre turn of thought than the above was suggested to Southey's Dr Dove by the resemblance between the words. "Woman," he says, "evidently meaning either man's woe—or abbreviated from woe to man, because by woman was woe brought into the world" (The Doctor, chap. ccviii.).
[158] The title is as follows:—"Ten Books of Epigrams: the Curiositie whereof, for Conception, stile, instruction, and Other mixtures of show and substance, being no lesse fruitfull then [than] pleasing to the diligent Peruser, are entitled Apollo and the Muses. Written by the Right Worshipfull Sir Thomas Urchard, Knight." The volume is now in the possession of Professor Ferguson, of Glasgow University. From it our specimen of his handwriting is taken.
[159] The title-page, according to the custom of the time, gives a somewhat elaborate account of the contents of the volume. It runs as follows:—"The Trissotetras; Or, A most Exquisite Table for Resolving all manner of Triangles, whether plain or sphericall, Rectangular or Obliquangular, with greater facility, then [than] ever hitherto hath been practised: Most necessary for all such as would attaine to the exact knowledge of Fortification, Dyaling, Navigation, Surveying, Architecture, the Art of Shadowing, taking of Heights and Distances, the use of both the Globes, Perspective, the skill of making Maps, the Theory of the Planets, the calculating of their motions, and all other Astronomicall Computations whatsoever. Now lately invented, and perfected, explained, commented on, and, with all possible brevity and perspicuity, in the hiddest and most researched mysteries, from the very first grounds of the Science it selfe, proved, and convincingly demonstrated. By Sir Thomas Urquhart of Cromartie, Knight. Published for the benefit of those that are mathematically affected. London, Printed by James Young. 1645."
[160] Advancement of Learning.
[161] The italics are ours.
[162] Sir Theodore Martin remarks that this conclusion nearly resembles that of Socrates, upon being asked his opinion of the book of Heraclitus the Obscure. "Those things," he said, "which I understood were excellent; I imagine so were those I understood not; but they require a diver of Delos" (Rabelais, p. xviii.).
[163] Works, p. xvi.
[164] Works, pp. 55-57.
[165] Ibid. p. 131.
[166] The author of the above sentences is one of the very few persons in history or fiction known to us who would have been qualified to join in the conversation of the pleasant company in Illyria, when they began "to speak of Pigrogromitus, and of the Vapians passing the equinoctial of Queubus" (Twelfth Night, Act II. Sc. iii.)—the allusion to which has caused so many German commentators on Shakespeare to spend sleepless nights in their libraries.