great service in the closure of the pylorus1. Hence another reason may be deduced for his want of sleep, this instrument not being in him situated near enough to act a part in this affair. Throughout the whole tract of the intestines there was nothing very remarkable, besides an exceeding flatulency, and great guts of vitiated bile: there were also large quantities of oil floating about, undigested and unaltered. At the anus was a ficus of an uncommon magnitude. To the rectum, near the verge of the cloaca, adhered a pouch full of a glandulous juice, much like what the naturalists describe in the hyaena odorifera, the rattlesnake, and the polecat; and which, no doubt, imparted that fragrancy he used to remark in his very excrements though when the discharge was more than usual, this extraordinary perfume might possibly turn to a common stink, as has been observed in other animals. The caecum, as happens always in a certain race of creatures, was entirely wanting. The mesentery was very strumose, and the lacteals obstructed to that degree, as to be visible: one of them, which seemed to be the last allotted for the period of this great man's life, had its orifice impacted by three or four large globules of the biliose salts. The liver was immensely big, divided into seven lobes and tinged with bile; the gall-bladder was of a size proportionable, indeed very near equalling that of an ox. From the ductus chodelochus, beside the branch that enters the duodenum, we discovered, upon a nicer enquiry, another inserted immediately into the stomach itself. The spleen was of a triangular figure', large, tense, and in some places schirrose; abounding with a thick heavy atra bilis. In the thorax, the thymus was found to be as big as usually it is in a calf. The heart was very flabby, and for the most part unsound and rotten: upon the left ventricle appeared a very virulent ulcer. The lungs were cramped, straitened, and much incommoded by the bearing up of the diaphragm, occasioned, Dr. Tyson, Phil. Transact. n. 153. Anatom. Brutor. 4 Blasius. by the great inflation of the stomach. Upon the same account, the back, during the last days of his illness, was very up, and appeared somewhat gibbose and humped. Upon opening the brain, there were evident marks of the cruel ravages and depredations of the biliose principles. The dura mater was fretted, and wholly unstrung; the circumvolutions in the cerebrum all obliterated, and the surface quite plain and even; which Doctor Willis has observed to be the case of some particular persons'. The vacuities in his venter were large to an uncommon degree. The pineal gland was perfectly flaccid, so that it seemed to have been incapable for some time of giving any proper directions to the will. However, the nervous system was tense, and peculiarly adapted for vibration. I thought this account would be acceptable to you, both as it might give some light to mankind into the causes of distempers, and more particularly likewise, as it might be of great use to confirm the doctrines laid down by our late dear departed friend. April 4th, 1719. 1 Anat, Cereb. c. x. I am, yours &c. IT CANNOT RAIN BUT IT POURS, OR LONDON STROWED WITH RARITIES; BEING An account of the arrival of a white bear at the house of Mr. Ratcliff in Bishopsgate Street: as also of Faustina, the celebrated Italian singing woman; and of the copperfarthing Dean from Ireland. AND LASTLY, Of the wonderful wild man that was nursed in the woods of Germany by a wild beast, hunted and taken in toils; how he behaveth himself like a dumb creature, and is a Christian like one of us, being called Peter; and how he was brought to Court all in green, to the great astonishment of the quality and gentry, 17261. WE shall begin with a description of Peter the savage, deferring our other curiosities to some following papers. Romulus and Remus, the two famous wild men of antiquity, and Orsin that of the moderns, have been justly the admiration of all mankind; nor can we presage less of this wild youth, as may be gathered from that famous and well-known prophecy of Lilly's, which, being now accomplished, is most easily interpreted: When Rome shall wend to Benevento, And Espagne break the Assiento; 1 See page 107. the Young Forester lately brought to Town from Germany; with a dissertation on the usefulness and necessity of Fools, whether political or natural,' 1726. The Pope is now going to Benevento; the Spaniards have broke their treaty; the Emperor trades to China; and Lilly, were he alive, must be convinced that it was not the Empress Faustina that was meant in the prophecy. It is evident by several tokens about this wild gentleman, that he had a father and mother like one of us; but, there being no register of his christening, his age is only to be guessed at by his stature and countenance, and appeareth to be about twelve or thirteen. His being so young was the occasion of the great disappointment of the ladies, who came to the drawing-room in full expectation of some attempt upon their chastity: so far is true, that he endeavoured to kiss the young Lady Walpole, who for that reason is become the envy of the circle; this being a declaration of nature in favour of her superior beauty. Aristotle saith, that man is the most mimic of all animals; which opinion of that great philosopher is strongly confirmed by the behaviour of this wild gentleman, who is endowed with that quality to an extreme degree. He received his first impressions at court: his manners are first to lick people's hands, and then turn his breech upon them; to thrust his hand into everybody's pocket; to climb over people's heads; and even to make use of the royal hand to take what he has a mind to. At his first appearance he seized on the Lord Chamberlain's staff, and put on his hat before the King; from whence some have conjectured, that he is either descended from a grandee of Spain, or the Earls of Kinsale in Ireland. However, these are manifest tokens of his innate ambition ; he is extremely tenacious of his own property, and ready to invade that of other people. By this mimic quality he discovered what wild beast had nursed him; observing children to ask blessing of their mothers, one day he fell down upon his knees to a sow, and muttered some sounds in that humble posture. It has been commonly thought that he is Ulric's natural brother, because of some resemblance of manners, and the officious care of Ulric about him; but the superiority of parts and genius in Peter demonstrates this to be impossible. Though he is ignorant both of ancient and modern languages, (that care being left to the ingenious physician, who is entrusted with his education) yet he distinguishes objects by certain sounds framed to himself, which Mr. Rotenberg, who brought him over, understands perfectly. Beholding one day the shambles with great fear and astonishment, ever since he calls man by the same sound, which expresseth wolf. A young lady is a peacock, old women magpies and owls; a beau with a toupee, a monkey; glass, ice; blue, red, and green ribbons, he calls rainbow; an heap of gold, a turd. The first ship he saw he took to be a great beast swimming on her back, and her feet tied above her; the men that came out of the hold he took to be her cubs, and wondered they were so unlike their dam. He understands perfectly the language of all beasts and birds, and is not, like them, confined to that of one species. He can bring any beast what he calls for, and no doubt is much missed now in his native woods, where he used to do good offices among his fellow-citizens, and served as a mediator to reconcile their differences. One day he warned a flock of sheep, that were driving to the shambles, of their danger; and, upon uttering some sounds, they all He takes vast pleasure in conversation with horses; and going to the mews to converse with two of his intimate acquaintances in the king's stables, as he passed by, he neighed to the horse at Charing Cross, being as it were surprised to see him so high he seemed to take it ill that the horse did not answer him; but I think nobody can value his understanding for not being skilled in statuary. He expresseth his joy most commonly by neighing, and, whatever the philosophers may talk of their risibility, neighing is a more noble expression of that passion than laughing, which seems to me to have something silly in it; and, besides, is often attended with tears. Other animals are sensible they debase themselves by mimicking laughter; and I take it to be a general observation, that the top felicity of mankind is to imitate monkeys and birds; witness harlequins, scaramouches, and masqueraders: on the other hand, monkeys, when they would look extremely silly, endeavour to bring themselves down to mankind. Love he expresseth by the cooing of a dove, and anger by the croaking of a raven; and it is not doubted but that he will serve in time as an interpreter between us and other animals. Great instruction is to be had from this wild youth in the knowledge of simples; and I am of opinion, that he ought |