The Caxtons, Complete

r, it i

g up from his book, and evident

y what is a boy, must be able to ascertain "what is a man." But for aught I know, my father may have been satisfied with Buffon on that score, or he may have sided with Monboddo. He may have agreed with Bishop Berkeley; he may have contented himself with Professor Combe; he may have regarded the genus spiritually, like Zeno, or materially, like Epicurus. Grant that boy is the male young of man, and he would have had plenty of definitions to choose from. He might have said, "Man is a stomach,-ergo, boy a male young stoma

llads, done into Greek by divers hands, and finally selected, compiled, and reduced into a whole by a Committee of Taste, under that elegant old tyrant Pisistratus; and the su

. Primmins, "what is

rising. "What, you don't mean

opping a courtesy; "and as fine a l

"So soon, too-so rapidly," he resumed, in a tone of musing

rs. Primmins, much scandalize

complete,-hands, feet, eyes, ears, and nose!-and not like this poor Infant of Mind," and my father pathetically placed his hand on the treatise, "of which nothing is formed and s

? Come, sir!" and Mrs. Primmins laid

"look at it, certainly: it is but fair to poor Mrs

und him in more stately folds, followed Mrs. Prim

ther, with compassionate tendernes

immins pulled my father away, lifted a coverlid from a small cradle, and holding a

duty to bless it-Bless It! And this, then, is the way we come into the wor

und him. He continued to gaze on the contents of the cradle,

ty of the candle to his visual organs-Homer's infant li

r," observed Mr. Squills, the accoucheur, who was

a great noise," said he, philosophically; "and the

ds that no doubt charmed and soothed the ear that heard them, for that pale hand was suddenly drawn from

quills, in rebuke, "you agitat

apologetically, brushed his eyes with the bac

at Mr. Caxton might have shown more joy,-more natural feeling, I may say,-at the sight of the ba

mother, feebly; "how li

room," said Mr. Squills.

see that Mr. Caxton does not set himself on fire. And, Mr. Squills, tel

urself easy, yo

so. And,

, ma

," and my mother's lips approached close to Mrs. Primm

Mrs. Primmins and the nurse, he took his way towards my father's study. Encountering the footman in the p