Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 18.djvu/194

180 as I do, rather than suffer his learning to look asquint as it does, and make so frightful a figure from the press. I am master of the stochastick art; and by virtue of that I divine, that those Greek words in that discourse have crept from the margin into the text, otherwise than the author intended; and indeed some of those Greek maggots are so uneasy in, and ashamed of, their place, that they seem to be upon the crawl backward.

I hope what has been offered will clear this case of conscience, and is sufficient to show any man of candour, and who loves and searches after truth as I do, the importance of place and precedency among men; that the peace, and order, and honour, of society is owing to it: and, as women have been remarkably strenuous in asserting these rights, I do hereby take upon me to return them the thanks of mankind (asking pardon for the professor's misbehaviour), and do wish them perseverance and success in all their laudable attempts of that nature. Let them enjoy the wall and the right hand of us from this day forward: not in consideration of their weakness, or out of our courtesy, but in their own righf, as patriots, and stout defenders of the privileges of their own and our sex.

But to proceed. It were perhaps a proper method, in this, as in other debates concerning precedency, to appeal to the herald's office, and be determined by usual and stated rules there, how place in this case is to be given or taken; but a certain lord has assured me upon his honour, that nothing concerning the present question is there taken notice of; and whatever orders may be delivered in heraldry about personal precedence, there is nothing said as to ties