stor of ours by the mother's
side, Mr. Justice Overdo (whose history is written by Ben Jonson),[343]
met with more enormities by walking _incog._ than he was capable of
correcting; and found great mortifications in observing also persons of
eminence, whom he before knew nothing of. Thus it fared with me, even in
a place so near the town as this. When I came into the
coffee-house,[344] I had not time to salute the company, before my eye
was diverted by ten thousand gimcracks round the room and on the
ceiling. When my first astonishment was over, comes to me a sage of a
thin and meagre countenance; which aspect made me doubt, whether reading
or fretting had made it so philosophic: but I very soon perceived him to
be of that sect which the ancients call Gingivistae,[345] in our
language, tooth-drawers. I immediately had a respect for the man; for
these practical philosophers go upon a very rational hypothesis, not to
cure, but take away the part affected. My love of mankind made me very
benevolent to Mr. Salter, for such is the name of this eminent barber
and antiquary. Men are usually, but unjustly, distinguished rather by
their fortunes, than their talents, otherwise this personage would make
a great figure in that class of men which I distinguish under the title
of Odd Fellows. But it is the misfortune of persons of great genius, to
have their faculties dissipated by attention to too many things at once.
Mr. Salter is an instance of this: if he would wholly give himself up to
the string,[346] instead of playing twenty beginnings to tunes, he might
before he dies play "Roger de Caubly"[347] quite out. I heard him go
through his whole round, and indeed I think he does play the "Merry
Christ-Church Bells"[348] pretty justly; but he confessed to me, he did
that rather to show he was orthodox, than that he valued himself upon
the music itself. Or if he did proceed in his anatomy, why might not he
hope in time to cut off legs, as well as draw teeth? The particularity
of this man put me into a deep thought, whence it should proceed, that
of all the lower order barbers should go farther in hitting the
ridiculous, than any other set of men. Watermen brawl, cobblers sing;
but why must a barber be for ever a politician, a musician, an
anatomist, a poet, and a physician? The learned Vossus says,[349] his
barber used to comb his head in iambics. And indeed in all ages, one of
this useful profession, this order of cosmetic philosophers