_Foss._ Perhaps you might. I am not at present dispos'd for experiments.
_Plot._ This bite wont take to send him out of the way, I'll change my subject. [_Aside._] Do you deal in longitudes, Sir?
_Foss._ I deal not in impossibilities. I search only for the grand elixir.
_Plot._ Vat do you tink of de new metode of fluxion?
_Plot._ Ha, ha. Me mean de fluxion of de quantity.
_Foss._ The greatest quantity I ever knew, was three quarts a day.
_Plot._ Be dere any secret in the hydrology, zoology, minerology, hydraulicks, acausticks, pneumaticks, logarithmatechny, dat you do want de explanation of?
_Foss._ This is all out of my way. Do you know of any hermaphrodites, monstrous twins, antediluvivian shells, bones, and vegetables?
_Plot._ Vat tink you of an antediluvian knife, spoon, and fork, with the mark of Tubal Cain in Hebrew, dug out of the mine of Babylon?
_Plot._ De spoon be bigger dan de modern ladle; de fork, like de great fire-fork; and de knife, like de cleaver.
_Foss._ Bless me! this shows the stature and magnitude of those antidiluvians!
_Plot._ To make you convinced that I tell not de lie, dey are in de Turkey ship at Vapping, just going to be disposed of. Me would go there vid you, but de businss vil not let me.
_Foss._ An extraordinary man this! I'll examine him further. [_Aside._] How could your country lose so great a man as you?
_Plot._ Dat be de secret. But because me vil have de fair correspondence with de illustrious doctor Fossile, me vil not deny dat Orpheus and me had near run de same fate for different reason. I was hunted out of my country by de general insurrection of de women.
_Plot._ Because me have prepare a certain liquor which discover whether a woman be a virgin or no.
_Foss._ A curious discovery! have you any of it still?
_Plot._ Dere it is, Sir. It be commonly called de _Lapis Lydius Virginitatis_, or touch-stone of virginity.
_Foss._ It has the smell of your common hart's-horn. But all your volatile spirits have a near resemblance.
_Plot._ Right, Sir. De distillation be made from the _Hippomanes_ of a young mare. When a deflower'd virgin take ten drops, she will faint and sneeze, and de large red spot appear on the cheek; which we call de spot of infamy. All de young bridegroom make de experiment. De archbishop did make obligation to de nun to take it every ninth month. And I fly for the hurlyburly it make.