"'In the first place, they consider the reasons why they should not people the earth, but emigrate this very day, the one into the old world, the other into the new; and "'In the second place, the reasons why they should do nothing of the kind, but marry. "'After which a short elench, or _usus epanorthoticus_, will be adduced, and will conclude the lecture and the night.' IN THE FIRST PLACE "'My dearly beloved! "'Here, in my sheepskin, as I appear before you, grave, thoughtful, and wise, it is nevertheless the fact that I am full to the very brim of--not so much follies as _fools_, with a good many wise men stuck in here and there between them by way of parentheses. I am of short stature, it is true, and the ocean[29] came a good deal above my ancles, and besprinkled my new beasts' skin; and yet, as I walk up and down here, I am girt about with a seed cloth, containing the seeds of all nations, and carrying the repertory of the whole human race, an entire world in miniature and _orbis pictus_, round my middle like a pedlar's stock in trade. For BONNET, who is in me among the rest, will sit down at his desk (when he comes out), and prove that they are all one inside the other, like a nest of boxes or a set of parentheses, that the father contains the son, that the grandfather contains them both, the great-grandfather consequently the grandfather and all the contents of him, the great-great-grandfather the great-grandfather and the contents of his contents and all his episodes, all sitting waiting one inside the other. Are there not then here embodied in thy bridegroom--this is a point, dear bride, which cannot be made _too_ intelligible to you--all religious sects, excepting the Preadamites, but including the Adamites,[30] and all giants, the great Christopher himself among them every individual of every nation of all the earth--all the shiploads of negroes destined for America, and the packets marked with red containing the soldiers promised by England to Anspach and Bayreuth? Eve, am I not, as I stand here before you, a whole Jews'-quarter--a Louvre of all the crowned heads of the earth--since I can bring them all into existence if I please, and if I am not induced by this first head of my discourse to refrain from doing so? You will admire me, and yet laugh at me at the same time if you but look at me well, lay your hand on my shoulder, and say to yourself: "Now, in this man and protoplast are contained all mankind, all the learned faculties, all schools of philosophy, and of sewing and spinning, cheek by jowl in peace and harmony, the highest and noblest royal families and princely houses (though not yet sorted out from among the common ship's company), all free imperial orders of knighthood, packed higgledy-piggledy with their vassals, cottiers, and tenants, it is true--monasteries and nunneries next door to each other--barracks and members of Parliament, to say nothing of cathedral