COMIC ARITHMETIC
Arithmetic is the art or science of computing bj numbers. It is national, political, military, and commercial. It is of the highest importance to the community ; because it pre-eminently teaches us to take care of Number I. Our ministers succeed according to their knowledge of the science of numbers. Witness the skilful management of majorities of the lower house. He who understands the true art of Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication^ and Division, as here laid down, will not be considered a mere cipher in tlie world; but will, in all probability, make a considerable /^wre ; and in the figurative words of Horace, be "Dives agris dives positis in foenore nummis." Let us, therefore, under the guidance and protection of that god of honest men, the light-heeled and light-fingered Mercury, be diligent so to add to our store by subtracting from the stores of others, that we may add to our importance. Let us so multiply our resources, by encouraging dimsion among our contemporaries, that we may see their reduction in the perfection of our own practice.
Arithmetic is the art or science of computing
bj numbers. It is national, political, military,
and commercial. It is of the highest importance
to the community ; because it pre-eminently
teaches us to take care of Number I. Our ministers
succeed according to their knowledge of the
science of numbers. Witness the skilful management
of majorities of the lower house.
He who understands the true art of Addition,
Subtraction, Multiplication^ and Division, as here
laid down, will not be considered a mere cipher in
tlie world; but will, in all probability, make a
considerable /^wre ; and in the figurative words of
Horace, be "Dives agris dives positis in foenore
nummis."
Let us, therefore, under the guidance and protection
of that god of honest men, the light-heeled
and light-fingered Mercury, be diligent so to add
to our store by subtracting from the stores of
others, that we may add to our importance. Let
us so multiply our resources, by encouraging dimsion
among our contemporaries, that we may see
their reduction in the perfection of our own practice.
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DUODECIMALS. 123<br />
something, neither woman nor man; possessing all<br />
the superficial of either, and the substantial of<br />
neither: such as numbsculls, lordlings, quacks,<br />
empirics, &c.<br />
Duodecimals also teach the mensuration of plastering,<br />
painting and glazing ; which comprehend the<br />
arts of palaver and gammon, and the science of<br />
Flattery in general.<br />
This is, above all others, a " superficial age,"<br />
:uid the mensuration of superficies is characteristic<br />
of the modern era— the age of meretricious<br />
flummery. Our science is superficial thinking;<br />
our morality, superficial blinking.<br />
Every thing is<br />
made now-a-days for the "surface," which, like<br />
the gilded wooden organ pipes, placed in front of<br />
that instrument, are not made to blow, but for<br />
the sake of show. In learning, we get a smattering<br />
instead of the real thing ; and we drop the<br />
meat for the sake of the shadow. The deep and the<br />
solid have long ago been discarded : in short, this<br />
is the age of gammon, and society is like a quire<br />
of " outsid^s foolscap."<br />
Of Flat Surfaces.—A plane or flat surface has<br />
lenffth and breadth witl without thickness. Flat<br />
G 2
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