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readily　resigned　up　all　the　merit　of　his　own　works　to　him。　　Upon

which　Addison　gave　him　a　gracious　smile；　and；　clapping　him　on　the

back　with　much　solemnity；　cried　out；　〃Well　said；　Dick！〃



I　then　observed　Shakespeare　standing　between　Betterton　and　Booth；

and　deciding　a　difference　between　those　two　great　actors

concerning　the　placing　an　accent　in　one　of　his　lines：　　this　was

disputed　on　both　sides　with　a　warmth　which　surprised　me　in

Elysium；　till　I　discovered　by　intuition　that　every　soul　retained

its　principal　characteristic；　being；　indeed；　its　very　essence。　

The　line　was　that　celebrated　one　in　Othello

PUT　OUT　THE　LIGHT；　AND　THEN　PUT　OUT　THE　LIGHT。　　according　to

Betterton。　　Mr。　Booth　contended　to　have　it　thus：

Put　out　the　light；　and　then　put　out　THE　light。　　I　could　not　help

offering　my　conjecture　on　this　occasion；　and　suggested　it　might

perhaps　be

Put　out　the　light；　and　then　put　out　THY　light。　　Another　hinted　a

reading　very　sophisticated　in　my　opinion

　　　　　Put　out　the　light；　and　then　put　out　THEE；　light；　making

light　to　be　the　vocative　case。　　Another　would　have　altered　the

last　word；　and　read

　　　　　PUT　OUT　THY　LIGHT；　AND　THEN　PUT　OUT　THY　SIGHT。　　But

Betterton　said；　if　the　text　was　to　be　disturbed；　he　saw　no　reason

why　a　word　might　not　be　changed　as　well　as　a　letter；　and；　instead

of　〃put　out　thy　light；〃　you　may　read　〃put　out　thy　eyes。〃　　At　last

it　was　agreed　on　all　sides　to　refer　the　matter　to　the　decision　of

Shakespeare　himself；　who　delivered　his　sentiments　as　follows：

〃Faith；　gentlemen；　it　is　so　long　since　I　wrote　the　line；　I　have

forgot　my　meaning。　　This　I　know；　could　I　have　dreamed　so　much

nonsense　would　have　been　talked　and　writ　about　it；　I　would　have

blotted　it　out　of　my　works；　for　I　am　sure；　if　any　of　these　be　my

meaning；　it　doth　me　very　little　honor。〃



He　was　then　interrogated　concerning　some　other　ambiguous　passages

in　his　works；　but　he　declined　any　satisfactory　answer；　saying；　if

Mr。　Theobald　had　not　writ　about　it　sufficiently；　there　were　three

or　four　more　new　editions　of　his　plays　coming　out；　which　he　hoped

would　satisfy　every　one：　　concluding；　〃I　marvel　nothing　so　much

as　that　men　will　gird　themselves　at　discovering　obscure　beauties

in　an　author。　　Certes　the　greatest　and　most　pregnant　beauties　are

ever　the　plainest　and　most　evidently　striking；　and　when　two

meanings　of　a　passage　can　in　the　least　balance　our　judgments

which　to　prefer；　I　hold　it　matter　of　unquestionable　certainty

that　neither　of　them　is　worth　a　farthing。〃　　From　his　works　our

conversation　turned　on　his　monument；　upon　which；　Shakespeare；

shaking　his　sides；　and　addressing　himself　to　Milton；　cried　out；

〃On　my　word；　brother　Milton；　they　have　brought　a　noble　set　of

poets　together；　they　would　have　been　hanged　erst　have　＇ere　they

had＇　convened　such　a　company　at　their　tables　when　alive。〃　　〃True；

brother；〃　answered　Milton；　〃unless　we　had　been　as　incapable　of

eating　then　as　we　are　now。〃





CHAPTER　IX



More　adventures　in　Elysium。



A　crowd　of　spirits　now　joined　us；　whom　I　soon　perceived　to　be　the

heroes；　who　here　frequently　pay　their　respects　to　the　several

bards　the　recorders　of　their　actions。　　I　now　saw　Achilles　and

Ulysses　addressing　themselves　to　Homer；　and　Aeneas　and　Julius

Caesar　to　Virgil：　　Adam　went　up　to　Milton；　upon　which　I　whispered

Mr。　Dryden　that　I　thought　the　devil　should　have　paid　his

compliments　there；　according　to　his　opinion。　　Dryden　only

answered；　〃I　believe　the　devil　was　in　me　when　I　said　so。〃　

Several　applied　themselves　to　Shakespeare；　amongst　whom　Henry　V

made　a　very　distinguishing　appearance。　　While　my　eyes　were　fixed

on　that　monarch　a　very　small　spirit　came　up　to　me；　shook　me

heartily　by　the　hand；　and　told　me　his　name　was　THOMAS　THUMB。　　I

expressed　great　satisfaction　in　seeing　him；　nor　could　I　help

speaking　my　resentment　against　the　historian；　who　had　done　such

injustice　to　the　stature　of　this　great　little　man；　which　he

represented　to　be　no　bigger　than　a　span；　whereas　I　plainly

perceived　at　first　sight　he　was　full　a　foot　and　a　half　（and　the

37th　part　of　an　inch　more；　as　he　himself　informed　me）；　being

indeed　little　shorter　than　some　considerable　beaux　of　the　present

age。　　I　asked　this　little　hero　concerning　the　truth　of　those

stories　related　of　him；　viz。；　of　the　pudding；　and　the　cow's

belly。　　As　to　the　former；　he　said　it　was　a　ridiculous　legend；

worthy　to　be　laughed　at；　but　as　to　the　latter；　he　could　not　help

owning　there　was　some　truth　in　it：　　nor　had　he　any　reason　to　be　

ashamed　of　it；　as　he　was　swallowed　by　surprise；　adding；　with

great　fierceness；　that　if　he　had　had　any　weapon　in　his　hand　the

cow　should　have　as　soon　swallowed　the　devil。



He　spoke　the　last　word　with　so　much　fury；　and　seemed　so

confounded；　that；　perceiving　the　effect　it　had　on　him；　I

immediately　waived　the　story；　and；　passing　to　other　matters；　we

had　much　conversation　touching　giants。　　He　said；　so　far　from

killing　any；　he　had　never　seen　one　alive；　that　he　believed　those

actions　were　by　mistake　recorded　of　him；　instead　of　Jack　the

giant…killer；　whom　he　knew　very　well；　and　who　had；　he　fancied；

extirpated　the　race。　　I　assured　him　to　the　contrary；　and　told　him

I　had　myself　seen　a　huge　tame　giant；　who　very　complacently　stayed

in　London　a　whole　winter；　at　the　special　request　of　several

gentlemen　and　ladies；　though　the　affairs　of　his　family　called　him

home　to　Sweden。



I　now　beheld　a　stern…looking　spirit　leaning　on　the　shoulder　of

another　spirit；　and　presently　discerned　the　former　to　be　Oliver

Cromwell；　and　the　latter　Charles　Martel。　　I　own　I　was　a　little

surprised　at　seeing　Cromwell　here；　for　I　had　been　taught　by　my

grandmother　that　he　was　carried　away　by　the　devil　himself　in　a

tempest；　but　he　assured　me；　on　his　honor；　there　was　not　the　least

truth　in　that　story。　　However；　he　confessed　he　had　narrowly

escaped　the　bottomless　pit；　and；　if　the　former　part　of　his

conduct　had　not　been　more　to　his　honor　than　the　latter；　he　had

been　certainly　soused　into　it。　　He　was；　nevertheless；　sent　back

to　the　upper　world　with　this　lot：ARMY；　CAVALIER；　DISTRESS。



He　was　born；　for　the　second　time；　the　day　of　Charles　II's

restoration；　into　a　family　which　had　lost　a　very　considerable

fortune　in　the　service　of　that　prince　and　his　father；　for　which

they　received　the　reward　very　often　conferred　by　princes　on　real

merit；　viz。000。　　At　16　his　father　bought　a　small　commission　for

him　in　the　army；　in　which　he　served　without　any　promotion　all　the

reigns　of　Charles　II　and　of　his　brother。　　At　the　Revolution　he

quitted　his　regiment；　and　followed　the　fortunes　of　his　former

master；　and　was　in　his　service　dangerously　wounded　at　the　famous

battle　of　the　Boyne；　where　he　fought　in　the　capacity　of　a　private

soldier。　　He　recovered　of　this　wound；　and　retired　after　the

unfortunate　king　to　Paris；　where　he　was　reduced　to　support　a　wife

and　seven　children　（for　his　lot　had　horns　in　it）　by　cleaning

shoes　and　snuffing　candles　at　the　opera。　　In　which　situation；

after　he　had　spent　a　few　miserable　years；　he　died　half…starved

and　broken…hearted。　　He　then　revisited　Minos；　who；

compassionating　his　sufferings　by　means　of　that　family；　to　whom

he　had　been　in　his　former　capacity　so　bitter　an　enemy；　suffered

him　to　enter　here。



My　curiosity　would　not　refrain　asking　him　one　question；　i。　e。；

whether　in　reality　he　had　any　desire　to　obtain　the　crown？　　He

smiled；　and　said；　〃No　more　than　an　ecclesiastic　hath　to　the

miter；　when　he　cries　Nolo　episcopari。〃　　Indeed；　he　seemed　to

express　some　contempt　at　the　question；　and　presently　turned　away。



A　venerable　spirit　appeared　next；　whom　I　found　to　be　the　great

historian　Livy。　　Alexander　the　Great；　who　was　just　arrived　from

the　palace　of　death；　passed　by　him　with　a　frown。　　The　historian；

observing　it；　said；　〃Ay；　you　may　frown；　but　those　troops　which

conquered　the　base　Asiatic　slaves　would　have　made　no　figure

against　the　Romans。〃　　We　then　privately　lamented　the　loss　of　the

most　valuable　part　of　his　history；　after　which　he　took　occasion

to　commend　the　judicious　collection　made　by　Mr。　Hook；　which；　he

said；　was　infinitely　preferable　to　all　others；　and　at　my

mentioning　Echard's　he　gave　a　bounce；　not　unlike　the　going　off　of

a　squib；　and　was　departing　from　me；　when　I　begged　him　to　satisfy

my　curiosity　in　one　pointwhether　he　was　really　superstitious　or

no？　For　I　had　always　believed　he　was　till　Mr。　Leibnitz　had

assured　me　to　the　contrary。　　He　answered　sullenly；　〃Doth　Mr。

Leibnitz　know　my　mind　better　than　myself？〃　and　then　walked　away。





CHAPTER　X



The　author　is　surprised　at　meeting　Julian　the　apostate　in

Elysium；　but　is　satisfied　by　him　by　what　means　he　procured　his

entrance　there。　　Julian　relates　his　adventures　in　the　character

of　a　slave。



As　he　was　departing　I　heard　him　salute　a　spirit　by　the　name　of

Mr。　Julian　the　apostate。　　This　exceedingly　amazed　me；　for　I　had

concluded　that　no　man　ever　had　a　better　title　to　the　bottomless

pit　than　he。　　But　I　soon　found　that　this　same　Julian　the　apostate

was　also　the　very　individual　archbishop　Latimer。　　He　told　me　that

several　lies　had　been　raised　on　him　in　his　former　capacity；　nor

was　he　so　bad　a　man　as　he　had　been　represented。　　However；　he　had

been　denied　admittance；　and　forced　to　undergo　several　subsequent

pilgrimages　on　earth；　and　to　act　in　the　different　characters　of　a

slave；　a　Jew；　a　general；　an　heir；　a　carpenter；　a　beau；　a　monk；　a

fiddler；　a　wise　man；　a　king；　a　fool；　a　beggar；　a　prince；　a

statesman；　a　soldier；　a　tailor；　an　alderman；　a　poet；　a　knight；　a

dancing…master；　and　three　times　a　bishop；　before　his　martyrdom；

which；　together　with　his　other　behavior　in　this　last　character；

satisfied　the　judge；　and　procured　him　a　passage　to　the　blessed

regions。



I　told　him　such　various　characters　must　have　produced　incidents

extremely　entertaining；　and　if　he　remembered　all；　as　I　supposed

he　did；　and　had　leisure；　I　should　be　obliged　to　him　for　the

recital。　　He　answered　he