Erroneous opinions in religion being promulgated in this country by
women as well as men, the teachers of such false doctrines may be
divided into
Heresiarchs and Sheresiarchs,
so that we should speak of
the Heresy of the Quakers
the Sheresy of Joanna Southcote's people.
The troublesome affection of the diaphragm, which every person has
experienced, is upon the same principle to be called according to the
sex of the patient
Hecups or Shecups,
which upon the principle of making our language truly British is
better than the more classical form of
Hiccups and Hæccups.
In its objective use the word becomes
Hiscups or Hercups,
and in like manner Histerics should be altered into Herterics, the
complaint never being masculine.
So also instead of making such words as agreeable, comfortable, &c.
adjectives of one termination, I would propose,
Masculine agreabeau, Feminine agreabelle
comfortabeau comfortabelle
miserabeau miserabelle,
&c. &c.
These things are suggested as hints to Mr. Pytches, to be by him
perpended in his improvement of our Dictionary. I beg leave also to
point out for his critical notice the remarkable difference in the
meaning of the word misfortune, as applied to man, woman, or child: a
peculiarity for which perhaps no parallel is to be found in any other
language.
But to return from these philological speculations to the Anti-Jacobin
by whom we have been led to them, how is it that this critic, great
master as he is of the vulgar tongue, should affirm that breeches is
the only word by which this part of a man's dress can be expressed.
Had he forgotten that there was such a word as galligaskins?—to say
nothing of inexpressibles and dont-mention 'ems. Why also did he
forget pantaloons?—and thus the Chapter like a rondeau comes round to
St. Pantaleon with whom it began,
_Sancte Pantaleon, ora pro nobis!_
“Here is another Chapter without a heading,”—the Compositor would have
said when he came to this part of the Manuscript, if he had not seen
at a glance, that in my great consideration I had said it for him.
Yes, Mr. Compositor! Because of the matter whereon it has to treat, we
must, if you please, entitle this an
ARCH-CHAPTER.
A Frenchman once, who was not ashamed of appearing ignorant on such a
subject, asked another who with some reputation for classical
attainments had not the same rare virtue, what was the difference
between Dryads and Hamadryads; and the man of erudition gravely
replied that it was much the same as that between Bishops and
Archbishops.
I have dignified this Arch-Chapter in its designation, because it
relates to the King.
Dr. Gooch, you are hereby requested to order this book for his
Majesty's library,
_C'est une rare pièce, et digne sur ma foi,
Qu'on en fasse présent au cabinet d'un roi._[1]
[Footnote 1: MOLIERE.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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