Arbuthnot was an active member of the Scriblerus Club, and wrote the larger portion of the _Memoirs of Martin Scriblerus_ (1741), the design of which was, as Pope said, to ridicule false tastes in learning, in the character of a man 'that had dipped into every art and science, but injudiciously in each.' Dr. Johnson says of this work that no man can be wiser, better, or merrier for remembering it. Perhaps he is right; but the _Memoirs_ contain some humorous points which, if they do not create merriment, may yield some slight amusement. The pedant's endeavours to make a philosopher of his child are sufficiently ludicrous. He is delighted to find that the infant has the wart of Cicero and the very neck of Alexander, and hopes that he may come to stammer like Demosthenes, 'and in time arrive at many other defects of famous men.' As the boy grows up his father invents for him a geographical suit of clothes, and stamps his gingerbread with the letters of the Greek alphabet, which proved so successful a mode of teaching the language, that on the very first day the child 'ate as far as iota.' He also taught him as a diversion 'an odd and secret manner of stealing, according to the custom of the Lacedemonians, wherein he succeeded so well that he practised it till the day of his death.' Martin studies logic, philosophy, and medicine, and discovers that the seat of the soul is not confined to one place in all persons, but resides in the stomach of epicures, in the brain of philosophers, in the fingers of fiddlers, and in the toes of rope-dancers. His discoveries, it may be added, are made 'without the trivial help of experiments or observations.' FOOTNOTES: [43] _Life of Jonathan Swift_, by John Forster, vol. i., pp. 164-174. Mr. Forster did not live to produce more than one volume of a work to which for many years he had given 'much labour and time.' [44] _English Men of Letters--Jonathan Swift_, by Leslie Stephen, p. 43. [45] Mrs. Pendarves writes (1733) 'The day before we came out of town we dined at Doctor Delany's, and met the usual company. The Dean of St. Patrick's was there _in very good humour_, he calls himself "_my master_," and corrects me when I speak bad English or do not pronounce my words distinctly. I wish he lived in England, I should not only have a great deal of entertainment from him, but improvement.'--_Life and Correspondence of Mrs Delany_, vol. i., p. 407. [46] _Life of Swift_, p. 299. [47] _Jonathan Swift, a Biographical and Critical Study_, by J. Churton Collins, p. 267. [48] See _The Life and Works of Dr. Arbuthnot_, by George A. Aitken. Oxford, Clarendon Press. CHAPTER VI. DANIEL DEFOE--JOHN DENNIS--COLLEY CIBBER--LADY MARY WORTLEY MONTAGU--EARL OF CHESTERFIELD--LORD LYTTELTON--JOSEPH SPENCE. [Sidenote: Daniel Defoe (1661-1731).]