32967-0001

[inside cover of book, showing mottled brown design of cover on left and beige binding, or masking tape, on right]

[price of book in top-left corner] 2/9 [2 shillings and 9 pence]

2

[centred] Ab

Charles Joseph Trundle.

With his mother's most undying affection.

3

[centred] Ac

[the rest of page blank]

Joseph

Index Rerum

Caroli Stewart

cœptus

quarto decimo die ante Kalendas Martias

M D C C C X L V

1 [centred] Ab

Absurdities - When the Greeks w'd [would] convey the idea that a man was absurdly, foolishly ^ [added above] (or improperly) employed, they said: --- He ploughs the air - washes the Ethiopian - holds the serpent by the tail & takes the bull by the horns ... He catches the wind [with] a net - changes a fly into an elephant & takes the spring from the gear ... He is making ropes of sand - ploughing on a rock & taking oil to extinguish fire, He puts a rope to the eye of a needle - drains water with a sieve - numbers the waves, paves the meadows - fans with a father [feather] - strikes with a straw & clears [cleaves?] the clouds ... He takes a spear to kill a fly - speak[s] of things more ancient than chaos - roasts snow in a furnace, & holds a looking glass to a mole. - He is building a bridge over the sea - making clothes for fishes - writing on the surface of the water - takes a post to kill a bee - setting an ox to catch a hare - doing what is done & seeking figs where only brambles grow. - He is teaching iron the swim, - a dog to bark - a cock to crow ... a wasp to sting & a fish to bite.

[illegible, 3-4 words crossed out]