Ignoramous

§ 22. II. Secondly, Nor do they determine of any ones final Eſtate, be he never ſo wicked. Well may ſome ſenſual Ignoramous, or Enemy to Religion, who hath no more Skill in Scripture, than a Beaſt hath in Muſick, do ſo, calling others that are leſs civil, or more vitious than himſelf, Reprobates: But I never heard, a knowing Chriſtian uſe the Phraſe in ſuch a Senſe, of any particular Perſon.T

An IGNORAMOUS, ſ. (a fool or dolt) un ignorante, un ſimple.

I wiſh you had ſent with your bill a few minutes of your life of faith, you might have inſtructed me while you are cloathing others; for indeed, I am one of thoſe ſtrange folks who ſet up for journey-men, without knowing their maſter’s buſineſs; and offer many precious wares to ſale, without underſtanding their full value—I have got to market for a moſt extraordinary perſon, whom I am ſuppoſed to be well acquainted with, becauſe he employs me as a riding pedler to ſerve near forty ſhops in the country, beſides my own Pariſh; yet I know much beſt of my maſter than I do of his wares; often is my tongue deſcribing him as the faireſt of men, while my heart is painting him as the witch of Endor; and many big words have I ſpoke to his credit, yea, I am frequently beſeeching people to truſt him with their all, while my heart has been afraid to truſt him with a groat—neither, madam, is this all, for ſuch a profound ignoramous am I, that I know nothing of myſelf as I ought to know, having frequently miſtaken rank pride for deep humility, and the work of ſelf love for the love of Jeſus.

If you this worthy man would meet, / Go Hunt for him in Titchfield-ſtreet; / And if the ſermon ſhould be over, / Enquire particulars of Tall Gover, / The Cobler; who is very famous, / And in his way no ignoramous; / And be aſſured this Godly Don, / Will well beſpatter Wilkinson.

Now you are dissatisfied when I call you ignoramouses, and clodpoles; just out of an anxiety to get you to take care of your interests.

Mud This is a very specious piece of business; and above my implication—Dear me—dear me—what a thing it is, that one never can disgust one’s meals in peace—but one must be torn piecemeal with defamations—convocations—and other informalities—If I’d any of the fees and requisites of office for my pains—it would be a different thing—but every body knows I’m an ignoramous, and commit justice gratis—I must disperse the complaint.

Lady B⸺T⸺ was one of the numerous company at the house of a certain nobleman, remarkable for a large collection of books, but who had a mere ignoramous of a fellow for his librarian.

He reflects upon them as “those squeeze-farthings, and hoard-penny ignoramous Doctors, with several great personages, who found excuses for not accepting my books; or, they would receive them, but give nothing for them; or else deny they had them, or remembered any thing of them; and so gave me nothing for my last present of books, though they kept them gratis et ingratiis.