Hudibras beats Sidrophel and his man Whacum (Twelve Large Illustrations for Samuel Butler's Hudibras, Plate 8) 1725 - 1726

This print, made by William Hogarth, depicts a scene of chaos and the downfall of false knowledge. Here, symbols of pseudo-science, astrology, and alchemy are ridiculed through caricature. Note the array of objects: globes, astrological charts, and even a suspended crocodile, all meant to signify erudition, yet here they become emblems of folly. The crocodile, often associated with ancient Egyptian wisdom, is here a grotesque parody. Similar depictions appear in cabinets of curiosities across Europe, where the exotic animal embodies human attempts to categorize and understand the world. Consider how the alchemist, Sidrophel, cowers in fear, his knowledge rendered useless against brute force. This scene is not merely comical, but a commentary on the transience of intellectual authority. It serves as a reminder that symbols and their meanings are ever-shifting, subject to the whims of time and the interpretations of those who wield them.