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ed purpose to make his readers laugh, he may be styled a ludicrous writer; but is

scarce intitled to be styled a writer of bumour. This quality belongs to an author, who, affecting to be grave and serious, paints his objects in such colours as to provoke mirth and laughter. A writer that is really an humorist in character, does this without design. If not, he must affect the character in order to succeed. Swift and Fontaine were humorists in character, and their writings are full of humour. Addison was not an humorist in character; and yet in his prose writings a most delicate and refined humour prevails. Arbuthnot exceeds them all in drollery and humorous painting; which shows a great genius, because, if I am not misinformed, he had nothing of this peculiarity in his character.

There remains to show, by examples, the manner of treating subjects so as to give them a ridiculous appearance.

Il ne dit jamais, je vous donne, mais, je vous prete le bon jour.

Moliere.

Orleans, Orleans. I know him to be valiant.

Constable. I was told that by one that knows him

better than you.

Orleans. What's he?

Constable. Marry, he told me so himself; and

he faid, he car'd not who knew it.

Henry V. Skakespear.

He never broke any man's head but his own, and that was against a post when he was drunk.

Ibid.

Millament. Sententious Mirabell! pr'ythee don't look with that violent and inflexible wife face, like Solomon at the dividing of the child in an old tapeftry hanging.

Way of the world.

A true critic in the perufal of a book, is like a dog at a feaft, whose thoughts and stomach are wholly set upon what the guests fling away, and confequently is apt to snarl most when there are the feweft bones.

Tale of a Tub.

In the following instances the ridicule is made to appear from the behaviour of the persons introduced.

Mascarille. Mascarille. Te souvient-il, vicomte, de cette demi-lune, que nous emportâmes sur les ennemis au siege d'Arras?

Fodelet. Que veux tu dire avec ta demi-lune? c'etoit bien une lune toute entiere.

Moliere les Precieuses Ridicules, fc. 11.

Slender. I came yonder at Eaton to marry Mrs Anne Page; and she's a great lubberly boy. Page. Upon my life then you took the wrong. Slender. What need you tell me that? I think so, when I took a boy for a girl: if I had been marry'd to him, for all he was in woman's apparel, I would not have had him.

Merry Wives of Windsor.

Valentine. Your blessing, Sir,

Sir Sampson. You've had it already, Sir: I think I sent it you to day in a bill for four thousand pound; a great deal of money, Brother Forefight.

Forefight. Ay indeed, Sir Sampson, a great deal of money for a young man; I wonder what can he do with it.

Love for Love, act 2. fc.7.

Millamant. I nauseate walking; 'tis a countrydiversion; I lothe the country, and every thing that relates to it.

Sir

Sir Wilful. Indeed! hah! look ye, look ye, you do? nay, 'tis like you may here are choice of pastimes here in town, as plays and the like; that must be confefs'd indeed.

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Millamant. Ah l'etourdie! I hate the town too. Sir Wilful. Dear heart, that's much that you should hate 'em both! hah! 'tis like you may; there are some can't relish the town, and others can't away with the country'tis like you may be one of those, Coufine.

Way of the world, act 4. fc. 4.

Lord Froth. I affure you, Sir Paul, I lau. at no body's jeft but my own, or a lady's: I assure you, Sir Paul.

Brisk. How? how, my Lord? what, affront my wit! Let me perish, do I never say any thing worthy to be laugh'd at ?

Lord Froth. O foy, don't misapprehend me, I don't say fo, for I often smile at your conceptions. But there is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality, than to laugh; 'tis such a vulgar exprefsion of the passion! every body can laugh. Then especially to laugh at the jest of an inferior person, or when any body else of the fame quality does not laugh with one; ridiculous! To be pleas'd with what pleases the crowd! Now, when I laugh I always laugh alone.

Double Dealer, act 1. Sc. 4.

So

!

So sharp-fighted is pride in blemishes, and fo willing to be gratified, that it will take up with the very flightest improprieties; such as a blunder by a foreigner in speaking our language, especially if the blunder can bear a sense that reflects upon the speaker:

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Quickly. The young man is an honest man, Caius. What shall de honeft man do in my clos set? dere is no honeft man dat shall come in my clofet.

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Quoth he, My faith as adamantine,
As chains of destiny, I'll maintain;
True as Apollo ever spoke,
Or oracle from heart of oak;

And if you'll give my flame but vent,

Now in close hugger-mugger pent,

"

And shine upon me but benignly,
With that one, and that other pigsneye,

The fun and day shall fooner part,
Than love, or you, shake off my heart;

The fun that shall no more dispense
His own, but your bright influence:
VOL. II.

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