heir_ spirits fall occasionally into writing which looks as if minds in
the higher state were not always impervious to nonsense.

The following joke is attributed to Sir John Hill. I cannot honestly say I
believe it; but it shows that his contemporaries did not believe he had no
humor. Good stories are always in some sort of keeping with the characters
on which they are fastened. Sir John Hill contrived a communication to the
Royal Society from Portsmouth, to the effect that a sailor had broken his
leg in a fall from the mast-head; that bandages and a plentiful application
of tarwater had made him, in three days, able to use his leg as well as
ever. While this communication was under grave discussion--it must be
remembered that many then thought tarwater had extraordinary remedial
properties--the joker contrived that a second letter should be delivered,
which stated that the writer had forgotten, in his previous communication,
to mention that the leg was a wooden leg! Horace Walpole told this story, I
suppose for the first time; he is good authority for the fact of
circulation, but for nothing more.

Sir John Hill's book is droll and cutting satire. Dr. Maty, (Sec. Royal
Society) wrote thus of it in the _Journal Britannique_ (Feb. 1751), of
which he was editor:

"Il est facheux que cet ingenieux Naturaliste, qui nous a deja donne et qui
nous prepare encore des ouvrages plus utiles, emploie a cette odieuse tache
une plume qu'il trempe dans le fiel et dans l'absinthe. Il est vrai que
plusieurs de ses remarques sont fondees, et qu'a l'erreur qu'il indique, il
joint en meme tems la correction. Mais il n'est pas toujours equitable, et
ne manque jamais d'insulter. Que peut {24} apres tout prouver son livre, si
ce n'est que la quarante-cinquieme partie d'un tres-ample et tres-utile
Recueil n'est pas exempte d'erreurs? Devoit-il confondre avec des Ecrivains
superficiels, dont la Liberte du Corps ne permet pas de restreindre la
fertilite, cette foule de savans du Premier ordre, dont les Ecrits ont orne
et ornent encore les Transactions? A-t-il oublie qu'on y a vu frequemment
les noms des Boyle, des Newton, des Halley, des De Moivres, des Hans
Sloane, etc.? Et qu'on y trouve encore ceux des Ward, des Bradley, des
Graham, des Ellicot, des Watson, et d'un Auteur que Mr. Hill prefere a tous
les autres, je veux dire de Mr. Hill lui-meme?"[7]

This was the only answer; but it was no answer at all. Hill's object was to
expose the abs