Tuesday 24 December 2013

The Butcher's algebraic formula & The Bellman rings his bell


The Butcher's algebraic formula, an illustration by JVL in Lewis Carroll's 
The Hunting of the Snark, Artists' Choice Editions, 2006.

The Text:

 90
So engrossed was the Butcher, he heeded them not,
 As he wrote with a pen in each hand,
 And explained all the while in a popular style
 Which the Beaver could well understand.

 91
"Taking Three as the subject to reason about--
 A convenient number to state--
 We add Seven, and Ten, and then multiply out
 By One Thousand diminished by Eight.

 92
"The result we proceed to divide, as you see,
 By Nine Hundred and Ninety Two:
 Then subtract Seventeen, and the answer must be
 Exactly and perfectly true.

 93
"The method employed I would gladly explain,
 While I have it so clear in my head,
 If I had but the time and you had but the brain--
 But much yet remains to be said.


The Bellman rings his bell, an illustration by JVL in Lewis Carroll's 
The Hunting of the Snark, Artists' Choice Editions, 2006.




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