An Island in the Moon/Chapter V

Chap 5 Obtuse Angle, Scopprell, Aradobo, & Tilly Lally are all met in Obtuse Angle’s study.

“Pray,” said Aradobo, “is Chatterton a Mathematician?”

“No,” said Obtuse Angle. “How can you be so foolish as to think he was?”

“Oh, I did not think he was–I only ask’d,” said Aradobo.

“How could you think he was not, & ask if he was?” said Obtuse Angle.

“Oh no, Sir. I did think he was, before you told me, but afterwards I thought he was not.”

Obtuse Angle said, “In the first place you thought he was & then afterwards when I said he was not you thought he was not. Why I know that––”

“Oh no, sir, I thought that lie was not, but I ask’d t to know whether he was.”

“How can that be?” said Obtuse Angle. “How could you ask & think that he was not?”

“Why,” said he, “it came into my bead that he was not.”

“Why then,” said Obtuse Angle, “you said that he was?”

“Did I say so? Law! I did not think I said that.”

“Did not he?” said Obtuse Angle.

“Yes,” said Scopprell.

“But I meant–––” said Aradobo, “I–-I–-I can’t think. Law! Sir, I wish you’d tell me, how it is.”

Then Obtuse Angle put his chin in his hand & said, “Whenever you think, you must always think for yourself.”

“How Sir!” said Aradobo. “Whenever I think, I must think myself? I think I do. In the first place–––” said he with a grin.

“Poo! Poo!” said Obtuse Angle. “Don’t be a fool.” Then Tilly Lally took up a Quadrant & ask’d, “[what is this gim crank for]. Is not this a sun dial?”

“Yes,” said Scopprell, “but it’s broke.”

At this moment the three Philosophers enter’d and low’ring darkness hover’d o’er th’ assembly.

“Come,” said the Epicurean, “let’s have some rum & water, & hang the mathematics! Come Aradobo! Say some thing.” Then Aradobo began, “In the first place I think, I think in the first place that Chatterton was clever at Fissic, Follogy, Pistinology, Aridology, Arography, Transmography, Phizography, Hogamy, Hatomy, & hall that, but in the first place he eat wery little, wickly–that is, he slept very little which he brought into a consumsion; & what was that that he took? [Cha] Fissic or somethink,––& so died! So all the people in the book enter’d into the room & they could not talk any more to the present purpose.