Page:The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift, Volume 18.djvu/198

184 ancient has observed, magister artis ingeniique largitor venter;" which, if it be true, I will take upon me to declare our vulgar saying, "that men have guts in their brains," is a vulgar errour, and should be rectified, and that rather their brains are in their guts; and when we see some men less courageous, witty, or learned, than others, we should pity their bad stomachs or indigestion, rather than their incapacity or indisposition of brain: I am so sensible of this, that I have of many years disused, as an absurdity, that saying to a simple fellow, "God help your head!" but I wish him, with more propriety, a good stomach, or a better dinner.

I could here chemico-mechanically resolve men's parts into their feeding, and show what sort of humours and genius must necessarily proceed from particular sorts of meats, and explain a great deal of the heathen mythology by it; but this I reserve for a treatise by itself. Yet this I will say, that a writer's stomach, appetite, and victuals, may be judged from his method, style, and subject, as certainly as if you were his messfellow, and sat at table with him. Hence we call a subject dry, a writer insipid, notions crude and indigested, a pamphlet empty or hungry, a style jejune, and many such like expressions, plainly alluding to the diet of an author; and I make no manner of doubt but Tully grounded that saying of "helluo librorum" upon the same observation.

Now, I say, it is evident, if this be true, that every man at meat is most honoured when he is most humoured, or when he sits nearest to that which pleases his palate best; and consequently that is the first place to him upon that principle, and such men must be