"In a sense, yes--possibly more like your Colonial Dames, and
Daughters of the Revolution. For instance, great organizations
are in process of formation--people are beginning to flock
together for purposes of protection. Charles the First and
Henry the Eighth and Louis the Fourteenth have established Ye
Ancient and Honorable Order of Kings, to which only those who
have actually worn crowns shall be eligible. The painters have
gotten together with a Society of Fine Arts, the sculptors have
formed a Society of Chisellers, and all the authors from Homer
down to myself have got up an Authors' Club where we have a
lovely time talking about ourselves, no man to be eligible
who hasn't written something that has lasted a hundred
years. Perhaps, if you are thinking of coming over soon,
you'll let me put you on our waiting-list?"

I smiled at his seeming inconsistency and let myself into
his snare.

"I haven't written anything that has lasted a hundred years
yet," said I.

"Oh, yes, I think you have," replied Boswell, and the machine
seemed to laugh as he wrote out his answer. "I saw a joke of
yours the other day that's two hundred centuries old. Diogenes
showed it to me and said that it was a great favorite with
his grandfather, who had inherited it from one of his remote
ancestors."

A hot retort was on my lips, but I had no wish to offend my