John Arbuthnot
John Arbuthnot
John Arbuthnot, often known simply as Dr Arbuthnot, was a Scottish physician, satirist and polymath in London. He is best remembered for his contributions to mathematics, his membership in the Scriblerus Club, and for inventing the figure of John Bull...
NationalityScottish
ProfessionPhysicist
Date of Birth29 April 1667
passion men opposites
The Mathematics are Friends to Religion, inasmuch as they charm the Passions, restrain the Impetuosity of the Imagination, and purge the Mind from Error and Prejudice. Vice is Error, Confusion, and false Reasoning; and all Truth is more or less opposite to it. Besides, Mathematical Studies may serve for a pleasant Entertainment for those Hours which young Men are apt to throw away upon their Vices; the Delightfulness of them being such as to make Solitude not only easy, but desirable.
people historical green
Hocus was an old cunning attorney. The words of consecration, "Hoc est corpus," were travestied into a nickname for jugglery, as "Hocus-pocus." - John Richard Green, A Short History of the English People, 1874. see Charles Macklin.
mean men numbers
Among innumerable footsteps of divine providence to be found in the works of nature, there is a very remarkable one to be observed in the exact balance that is maintained, between the numbers of men and women; for by this means is provided, that the species never may fail, nor perish, since every male may have its female, and of proportionable age. This equality of males and females is not the effect of chance but divine providence, working for a good end.
law pits
Law is a bottomless pit.
truth way rays
O truth divine! enlightened by thy ray, I grope and guess no more, but see my way.
art fall want
It is impossible for a Die, with such determin'd force and direction, not to fall on such determin'd side, only I don't know the force and direction which makes it fall on such determin'd side, and therefore I call it Chance, which is nothing but the want of art.... .
happy-life secret apologizing
Never contradict. Never explain. Never apologize. (Those are the secrets of a happy life!)
lying party believe
He warns the heads of parties against believing their own lies.
truth eye understanding
Truth is the same thing to the understanding, as Music to the ear, and Beauty to the eye.
analysis world politics
All the politics in the world are nothing else but a kind of analysis of the quantity of probability in casual events, and a good politician signifies no more but one who is dexterous at such calculations.
kings law degrees
King is a title which translated into several languages, signifies a magistrate with as many different degrees of power as there are kingdoms in the world, and he can have no power but what is given him by law; yea, even the supreme or legislative power is bound by the rules of equity, to govern by laws enacted, and published in due form; for what is not legal is arbitrary.
soul desire bliss
To bliss unknown by lofty soul aspires, My lot unequal to my vast desires.
science pairs biographies
John looked ruddy and plump, with a pair of cheeks like a trumpeter.
cities together care
The first Care in building of Cities, is to make them airy and well perflated; infectious Distempers must necessarily be propagated amongst Mankind living close together.