45 R.Cooper sculpt TYCHO BRAKE. From a surce Frint.?. PUBLISHED BY CHARLES & HENKY BADWY,NEWGATE STREET. Whate'er the crabbed'st author hath," 130 135 That which was which he could not tell;" 140 For th' other, as great clerks have done. › Whate'er the crabbedst author hath,] If any copy would warrant it, I should read "author saith." For every WHY he had a WHEREFORE :] That is, he could elude one difficulty by proposing another, or answer one question by proposing another. 7 His notions fitted things so well, That which was which he could not tell;] He had a jumble of many confused notions in his head, which he could not apply to any useful purpose: or perhaps the poet alludes to those philosophers who took their ideas of substances to be the combinations of nature, and not the arbitrary workmanship of the human mind. He could reduce all things to acts, And knew their natures by abstracts;] A thing is in potentia, when it is possible, but does not actually exist; a thing is in act, when it is not only possible, but does exist. A thing is said to be reduced from power into act, when that which was only possible, begins really to exist: how far we can know the nature of things by abstracts, has long been a dispute. See Locke's Essay on the Where entity and quiddity, 1 Like words congeal'd in northern air.2 He knew what's what, and that's as high In school-divinity as able As he that hight irrefragable ;* 145 150 human understanding; and consult the old metaphysicians if you think it worth while. 9 Where entity and quiddity, The ghost of defunct bodies fly ;] A fine satire upon the abstracted notions of the metaphysicians, calling the metaphysical natures the ghosts or shadows of real substances. 1 Where Truth in person does appear,] Some authors have mistaken truth for a real thing or person, whereas it is nothing but a right method of putting those notions or images of things (in the understanding of man) into the same state and order, that their originals hold in nature. Thus Aristotle, Met. lib. 2. Unumquodque sicut se habet secundum esse, ita se habet secundum veritatem. 2 Like words congeal'd in northern air.] See Rabelais's Pantagruel, livre 4. ch. 56. which hint is improved, and drawn into a paper in the Tatler, No. 254. In Rabelais, Pantagruel throws upon deck three or four handfuls of frozen words, il en jecta sus le tillac trois ou quatre poignées: et y veids des parolles bien piquantes. He knew what's what, and that's as high As metaphysic wit can fly.] The jest here is, giving, by a low and vulgar expression, an apt description of the science. In the old systems of logic, quid est quid was a common question. As he that hight irrefragable;] Two lines originally followed in this place, which were afterwards omitted by the author in his corrected copy, viz. A second Thomas; or at once To name them all, another Duns. Perhaps, upon recollection, he thought this great man, Aquinas, deserving of better treatment, or perhaps he was ashamed of the pun. A second Thomas, or at once, 6 He could raise scruples dark and nice, As if Divinity had catch'd 155 160 165 The itch, on purpose to be scratch'd; The sores of Faith are cur'd again; 170 However, as the passage now stands, it is an inimitable satire upon the old school divines, who were many of them honoured with some extravagant epithet, and as well known by it as by their proper names thus Alexander Hales, was called doctor irrefragable, or invincible; Thomas Aquinas, the angelic doctor, or eagle of divines; Dun Scotus, the subtle doctor. This last was father of the Reals, and William Ocham of the Nominals. They were both of Merton college in Oxford, where they gave rise to an odd custom. See Plott's Oxfordshire, page 285.-Hight, a Saxon and old English participle passive, signifying called. Could twist as tough a rope of sand;] A proverbial saying, when men lose their labour by busying themselves in trifles, or attempting things impossible. And weave fine cobwebs, fit for scull That's empty when the moon is full;] That is, subtle questions or foolish conceits, fit for the brain of a madman or lunatic. |