"And protoplasm was inorganic and undifferentiated, containing all
things in potential energy: and a spirit of evolution moved upon
the fluid mass.
"And atoms caused other atoms to attract: and their contact begat
light, heat, and electricity.
"And the unconditioned differentiated the atoms, each after its
kind and their combination begat rocks, air, and water.
"And there went out a spirit of evolution and working in protoplasm
by accretion and absorption produced the organic cell.
"And the cell by nutrition evolved primordial germ, and germ
devolved protogene, and protogene begat eozoon and eozoon begat
monad and monad begot animalcule ..."
We are at first somewhat at a loss to understand what made the "Splendid
Shilling" so celebrated: it is called by Steele the finest burlesque in
the English language. Although far from being, as Dr. Johnson asserts,
the first parody, it is undoubtedly a work of talent, and was more
appreciated in 1703 than it can be now, being recognised as an imitation
of Milton's poems which were then becoming celebrated.[3] Reading it at
the present day, we should scarcely recognise any parody; but blank
verse was at that time uncommon, although the Italians were beginning to
protest against the gothic barbarity of rhyme, and Surrey had given in
his translation of the first and fourth books of Virgil a specimen of
the freer versification.
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