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Article CURIOUS ACCOUNT OF A DUMB PHILOPHER . ← Page 2 of 3 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Curious Account Of A Dumb Philopher .
from England , Holland , France , Italy , and other parts , which he is so careful of , that I am cautioned not to trust them in any one ' s hands but my own , and am obliged , on such occasions , to take horse or coach , and to go out to him myself , for which he pays me generously . When I am admitted to his presence , which is not always , I find him immured with books , in the midst oC a copious library , with great numbers of mathematicalastronomicaland other
instru-, , ments , many of them not known in this country , about him . He is a single man , but has a large family of servants , of both sexes , most of them foreigners , who are seldom seen-abroad , and converse verylittle but among themselves . His singular but expensive manner of living , his extensive generosity and charity , his great knowledge and success in physic , he having a person for that end in the housa with
him , who goes by the name of Doctor , and who not only gives his advice , but dispenses medicines to all that come , and have the appearance of want , gratis—these circumstances , I say , with that of his not being possessed of any known real estate , but the house and garden where he lives , and following no business to support this great expenceive occasion to the common le to think him " a
con-, g peop jurer , and that he deals with the devil : aud others , not quite so ignorant , imagine he has found the grand secret , or the philosopher ' s stone . He comes constantly every Saturday to my house , and havin » - performed his devotion , at one of the Lutheran churches of this citv , on Sunday , returns in the evening , or Monday morning , and he was butjust gone when you came to my house . In good weather he rides ,
and sometimes walks , and in bad comes in his coach ; but hardly ever misses coming . When he has done his business in town , on Saturday evening , he ahvays takes his seat in my public drinking room , at a small table , hardly big enough for more than one , where he smoaks his pipe , and drinks his bottle , without speaking a word to any one : and if , by chance , any of the other company drink his health , or
direft their discourse to him , they are sure to meet with no other return but a nod , a shake of the head , or a shrug , for which reason he is generally distinguished by the name of the dumb man , and is never disturbed unless now and then by a stranger . He is observed to be very attentive to all public discourse , and sometimes to take out his pocket-book , and write . But if he finds the company upon ,
business , or cautious of being over-heard , he takes a book out of his pocket and reads . He never calls for any thing , but has its winks and signs , which my sen-ants understand ; and when he is disposed to retire , at the signal given , the boy takes his candle , and he follows , without taking the least notice of any one . He never asks for any reckoning ; but when he goes away , lays down a ducket , and a
sixteen-penny piece for the servants , which is generally double what he has spent . I give him an account of what I lay out for him once a month , and he ahvays adds a present to the payment . With these singularities , ' added my landlord , ' you will probably take him to be a surly , morose philosopher , or a man-hater : but he is the very reverse of it ; he is certainly a great lover of all mankind , seems always pleased , and looks . upon every one with a beneficent smile . He enjoys a perfect state of health , and the vigour of youth in an advanced age . '
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Curious Account Of A Dumb Philopher .
from England , Holland , France , Italy , and other parts , which he is so careful of , that I am cautioned not to trust them in any one ' s hands but my own , and am obliged , on such occasions , to take horse or coach , and to go out to him myself , for which he pays me generously . When I am admitted to his presence , which is not always , I find him immured with books , in the midst oC a copious library , with great numbers of mathematicalastronomicaland other
instru-, , ments , many of them not known in this country , about him . He is a single man , but has a large family of servants , of both sexes , most of them foreigners , who are seldom seen-abroad , and converse verylittle but among themselves . His singular but expensive manner of living , his extensive generosity and charity , his great knowledge and success in physic , he having a person for that end in the housa with
him , who goes by the name of Doctor , and who not only gives his advice , but dispenses medicines to all that come , and have the appearance of want , gratis—these circumstances , I say , with that of his not being possessed of any known real estate , but the house and garden where he lives , and following no business to support this great expenceive occasion to the common le to think him " a
con-, g peop jurer , and that he deals with the devil : aud others , not quite so ignorant , imagine he has found the grand secret , or the philosopher ' s stone . He comes constantly every Saturday to my house , and havin » - performed his devotion , at one of the Lutheran churches of this citv , on Sunday , returns in the evening , or Monday morning , and he was butjust gone when you came to my house . In good weather he rides ,
and sometimes walks , and in bad comes in his coach ; but hardly ever misses coming . When he has done his business in town , on Saturday evening , he ahvays takes his seat in my public drinking room , at a small table , hardly big enough for more than one , where he smoaks his pipe , and drinks his bottle , without speaking a word to any one : and if , by chance , any of the other company drink his health , or
direft their discourse to him , they are sure to meet with no other return but a nod , a shake of the head , or a shrug , for which reason he is generally distinguished by the name of the dumb man , and is never disturbed unless now and then by a stranger . He is observed to be very attentive to all public discourse , and sometimes to take out his pocket-book , and write . But if he finds the company upon ,
business , or cautious of being over-heard , he takes a book out of his pocket and reads . He never calls for any thing , but has its winks and signs , which my sen-ants understand ; and when he is disposed to retire , at the signal given , the boy takes his candle , and he follows , without taking the least notice of any one . He never asks for any reckoning ; but when he goes away , lays down a ducket , and a
sixteen-penny piece for the servants , which is generally double what he has spent . I give him an account of what I lay out for him once a month , and he ahvays adds a present to the payment . With these singularities , ' added my landlord , ' you will probably take him to be a surly , morose philosopher , or a man-hater : but he is the very reverse of it ; he is certainly a great lover of all mankind , seems always pleased , and looks . upon every one with a beneficent smile . He enjoys a perfect state of health , and the vigour of youth in an advanced age . '