The Toy Shop (1735) The King and the Miller of Mansfield (1737) — John Stuart Mill — John Shaqi
The Toy Shop (1735) The King and the Miller of Mansfield (1737)
John Stuart Mill · en
_Mast._ It is indeed. And that you may not want Encouragement to
proceed in so useful a Study, I will let you have the Scales for Ten
Shillings. If you make a right Use of them, they will be worth more to
you than Ten Thousand Pounds.
_4 Gent._ I confess I am struck with the Beauty and Usefulness of this
Kind of moral Staticks, and believe I shall apply myself to make
Experiments with great Delight. There's your Money, Sir: You shall hear
shortly what Discoveries I make; in the mean Time, I am your humble
Servant. [_Exit._
_Mast._ Sir, I am yours.
_Enter a second_ Old Man.
_2 Old Man._ Sir, I understand you deal in Curiosities. Have you any
Thing in your Shop, at present, that's pretty and curious?
_Mast._ Yes, Sir, I have a great many Things. But the most ancient
Curiosity I have got, is a small Brass Plate, on which is engrav'd the
Speech which _Adam_ made to his Wife, on their first Meeting, together
with her Answer. The Characters, thro' Age, are grown unintelligible;
but for that 'tis the more to be valued. What is remarkable in this
ancient Piece is, that _Eve_'s Speech is about three Times as long as
her Husband's. I have a Ram's Horn, one of those which help'd to blow
down the Walls of _Jericho._ A Lock of _Sampson_'s Hair, tied up in a
Shred of _Joseph_'s Garment. With several other _Jewish_ Antiquities,
which I purchas'd of that People at a very great Price. Then I have the
Tune which _Orpheus_ play'd to the Devil, when he charm'd back his
Wife.
_Gent._ That was thought to be a silly Tune, I believe, for no Body has
over car'd to learn it since.
_Mast._ Close cork'd up in a Thumb Phial, I have some Drops of Tears
which _Alexander_ wept, because he could do no more Mischief. I have a
Snuff-box made out of the Tub in which _Diogenes_ liv'd, and took Snuff
at all the World. I have the Net in which _Vulcan_ caught his Spouse
and her Gallant; but our modern Wives are now grown so exceeding
chaste, that there has not been an Opportunity of casting it these many
Years.
_Gent._ [_Aside to the Ladies._] Some would be so malicious now as
instead of chaste to think he meant cunning.
_Mast._ I have the Pitch Pipe of _Gracchus_, the _Roman_ Orator, who,
being apt, in Dispute, to raise his Voice too high, by touching a
certain soft Note in this Pipe, would regulate and keep it in a
moderate Key.
_2 La._ Such a Pipe as that, if it could be heard, would be very useful
in Coffee-houses, and other publick Places of Debate and modern
Disputation.
_Gent._ Yes, Madam, and, I believe, many a poor Husband would be glad
of such a Regulator of the Voice in his own private Family too.