JACK and JILL
(Investigator 220, 2025 January)
(Investigator 220, 2025 January)
Jack and Jill went up a hill
To fetch a bucket of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
To fetch a bucket of water;
Jack fell down and broke his crown
And Jill came tumbling after.
Illustration from: Jack And Gill And Old Dame Gill 1806, Published by J. Aldis
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/24465/24465-h/images/i003
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/24465/24465-h/images/i003
Investigator #28 published an "Exegesis of Jack and Jill".
It was a satire to ridicule theological works that analyze biblical phrases or individual words at great length and complexity, in a process called exegesis, but produce no clear conclusions after dozens of pages.
"Investigator" may now have discovered where or how the idea to use Jack and Jill for this purpose originated.
American author and journalist Joseph Dennie (1768-1812), one of the "foremost men of letters" in the 1790s, authored Jack and Gill—A Mock Criticism in 1801.
Although marginal to Investigator's themes of religion and the paranormal, Dennie is reprinted in the current edition for readers' enjoyment. Note, however, that Dennie regards Gill as a male not female but seems alone in this view.
Jack and Jill (or Gill) is an 18th century English nursery rhyme, but the proverb "Every Jack must have his Jill" is much older. Some versions of the rhyme have extra verses in which Jack and Jill meet multiple accidents not just one. Some analysts claim the rhyme is based on real people and real events.
American author and journalist Joseph Dennie (1768-1812), one of the "foremost men of letters" in the 1790s, authored Jack and Gill—A Mock Criticism in 1801.
Although marginal to Investigator's themes of religion and the paranormal, Dennie is reprinted in the current edition for readers' enjoyment. Note, however, that Dennie regards Gill as a male not female but seems alone in this view.
Jack and Jill (or Gill) is an 18th century English nursery rhyme, but the proverb "Every Jack must have his Jill" is much older. Some versions of the rhyme have extra verses in which Jack and Jill meet multiple accidents not just one. Some analysts claim the rhyme is based on real people and real events.
A cautionary adaptation for teenage readers is:
Jack and Jill went up a hill
To fetch a bucket of water;
But got distracted and produced
An unplanned baby daughter.
To fetch a bucket of water;
But got distracted and produced
An unplanned baby daughter.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_and_Jill
Dennie, J. Jack and Jill—A Mock Criticism
The Philadelphia Book (1836), Key & Biddle, pages 20-29
https://www.loc.gov/resource/gdcmassbookdig.philadelphiabook00phil/?st=gallery