g enough," said King, "it would have made an
excellent publisher of Philosophical Transactions!"

Sloane presented the Royal Society with "a figure of a
Chinese, representing one of that nation using an ear-picker,
and expressing great satisfaction therein."--"Whatever
pleasure," said that learned physician, "the Chinese may take
in thus picking their ears, I am certain most people in these
parts, who have had their hearing impaired, have had such
misfortune first come to them by picking their ears too
much."--He is so _curious_, says King, that the secretary took
as much satisfaction in looking upon the ear-picker, as the
Chinese could do in picking their ears!

But "What drowning is"--that "Hanging is only apoplexy!" that
"Men cannot swallow when they are dead!" that "No fish die of
fevers!" that "Hogs s--t soap, and cows s--t fire!" that the
secretary had "Shells, called _Blackmoor's-teeth_, I suppose
from their _whiteness_!" and the learned RAY'S, that grave
naturalist, incredible description of "a very curious little
instrument!" I leave to the reader and Dr. King.

[279] Sir Hans Sloane was unhappily not insensible to these ludicrous
assaults, and in the preface to his "History of Jamaica,"
1707, a work so highly prized for its botanical researches,
absolutely anticipated this fatal facetiousness, for thus he
delivers himself:--"Those who strive to make ridiculous
anything of this kind, and think themselves great wits, but
are very ignorant, and understand nothing of the argument,
these, if one were afraid of them, and consulted his own ease,
might possibly hinder the publication of any such work, the
efforts to be expected from them, making possibly some
impression upon persons of equal dispositions; but considering
that I have the approbation of others, whose judgment,
knowledge, &c., I have great reason to value; and considering
that these sorts of men have been in all ages ready to do the
like, not only to ordinary persons and their equals, but even
to abuse their prince and blaspheme their Maker, I shall, as I
have ever since I seriously considered this matter, think of
and treat them with the greatest contempt."

[280] Dr. Ki