An Essay towards Fixing the True Standards of Wit, Humour, Railery, Satire, and Ridicule (1744) Part 3

It may be observed, that the _quick_ Introduction and _Arrangement_ of any former Conquest of _Italy_ by the _French_, with the Expedition then threaten'd, would have exhibited WIT; whatever the Issue had been of such former Conquest; But in this Instance, there sits couched under the WIT, a very _severe Rebuke_ upon the _French_ Monarch.

2.

_Alexander_ the VIth was very busily questioning the Amba.s.sador of _Venice_, Of whom his Masters held their Customs and Prerogatives of the Sea? To which the Amba.s.sador readily answer'd; _If your_ HOLINESS _will only please to examine your Charter of St._ PETER's _Patrimony, you will find upon the Back of it, the Grant made to the_ VENETIANS _of the_ ADRIATIC.

The Authority of the _Grant_ to the _Venetians_ is in this Instance the _original_ Subject, which is thus suddenly _elucidated_ to the _Pope_, by _arranging_, and connecting it with the holy _Charter_ of St. _Peter_'s Patrimony; There is a peculiar Happiness in the Address of this Answer to the _Pope_, as he was obliged to receive it as a satisfactory Account of the Truth of the _Grant_, and a clear _Elucidation_ of its sacred Authority.

In this Instance, besides the WIT which s.h.i.+nes forth, the _Pope_ is severely expos'd to your _Raillery_, from the Sc.r.a.pe into which he has brought the _Charter_ of St. _Peter's_ Patrimony, by his Attack of the _Amba.s.sador_; The _fict.i.tious_ Existence of both the _Charter_ and _Grant_ being sarcastically pointed out, under this respectable Air of _Authenticity_.

3.

Upon the Restoration Mr. _Waller_ presented a congratulatory Copy of Verses to King _Charles_; His Majesty, after reading them, said,-- _Mr_. Waller, _these are very good, but not so fine as you made upon the_ PROTECTOR.--To which Mr. _Waller_ return'd,--_Your Majesty will please to recollect, that we Poets always write best upon_ FICTIONS.

The _original_ Subject in this Instance is _the superior Excellence of Mr_. WALLER's _Verses upon_ Cromwell; This he most happily excuses, by starting at once, and _arranging_ along with them, the Remark, that _Poets have always excell'd upon Fiction_; whereby he unexpectedly exhibits his _more excellent_ Verses to _Cromwell_, as a plain _Elucidation_ of the _fict.i.tious_ Glory of the Protector; And intimates at the same time, that the _Inferiority_ of his present Performance was a natural _Ill.u.s.tration_ of his Majesty's _real_ Glory;--Never was a deep Reproach averted by a more happy Reply; which comprehends both the highest Compliment to his Majesty, and a very firm poetical Excuse of the different Performances.

4.

_Leonidas_ the _Spartan_ General, when he advanced near the _Persian_ Army, was told by one of his own Captains, that _their Enemies were so numerous, it was impossible to see the Sun for the Mult.i.tude of their Arrows_; To which he gallantly reply'd, _We shall then have the Pleasure of fighting in the Shade_.

The vast Cope of _Persian_ Arrows is here the _original_ Subject; which instead of being observed by _Leonidas_ with Terror, presents to his Fancy the pleasant Idea of a cool _Canopy_. There is an _Agreement_ and Affinity between the two Objects, in regard to the _Shelter from the Sun_, which is at once obvious, and _unexpected_; And the Cloud of the Enemies Arrows is thus gaily _elucidated_, by the _Arrangement_ and Comparison of it with so desirable an Object as _shady Covering_.

This Saying of the _Spartan_ General has been handed through many Ages to the present Time; But the chief Part of the Pleasure it gives us, results not so much from the WIT it contains, as from the _Gallantry_, and _chearful Spirit_, discover'd in Danger, by _Leonidas_.

5.

An Instance of WIT in the _Opposition_, I remember to have read somewhere in the _Spectators_; where Sir _Roger de Coverley_ intimating the Splendor which the perverse Widow should have appear'd in, if she had commenced Lady _Coverley_, says:

_That he would have given her a_ Coalpit _to have kept her in_ clean Linnen: _And that her Finger should have_ sparkled _with one hundred of his richest_ Acres.

The joint Introduction of these _opposite_ Objects, as a _Coalpit_ with _clean Linnen_, and _dirty Acres_ with the _l.u.s.tre_ of a _Jewel_, is _just_ in this Instance, as they really produce each other in their Consequences; The _natural Opposition_ between them, which is strongly _elucidated_ by their _Arrangement_ together, and at the same time their _unexpected Connexion_ in their Consequences, strike us with a _Surprize_, which exhibits the _Brilliancy_ and _Sparkling_ of WIT.

There is also in this Instance, besides the WIT, a Spirit of _Generosity_, and _Magnificence_, discover'd by Sir _Roger_, from the known Value of a _Coalpit_, and of so many rich _Acres_.

This Kind of WIT, resulting from the sudden _Arrangement_ together of two _opposite_ Objects, is rarer, than that which is obtained from two _similar_ Objects; It abounds with a high _Surprize_, and _Brilliancy_; and also strongly _elucidates_ the _original_ Object, from the _Contrast_ presented between _this_, and the _auxiliary_ one; In the same manner as _White_ is more clearly set _off_, by being arranged with _Black_.

It may be proper to observe, that WIT, besides being struck out by _just_, and _direct_ Introductions of _auxiliary_ Subjects, is also sometimes obtain'd by _Transitions_ from one Subject to another, by the Help of an _equivocal Word_; which like a _Bridge_, with two Roads meeting at the End of it, leads to two different Places.

_Transitions_, thus made from the right Course, have indeed the Pretence of being _natural_; but they ought always to lead us to something _brilliant_ or poignant, in order to justify their _Deviation_; and not to end only at a ridiculous PUN, void of all Spirit and Poignancy.

The WIT, in such Instances, results, as in all others, from the quick _Arrangement_ together of two Subjects; But that, which was first intended for the _original_ one, is dropped; And a new _original_ Subject is started, through the _double Meaning_ of a Word, and suddenly _enlighten'd_.

To give a _trite_ Instance of this kind of WIT.

A PEER coming out of the House of Lords, and wanting his Servant, called out, _Where's my Fellow?_ To which another PEER, who stood by him, returned, _Faith, my Lord, not in_ England.

A Transition is here unexpededly made from the Sense intended in the Question to another Point, through the double Meaning of the word _Fellow_; it being obvious, that his Lords.h.i.+p's _Servant_ is the Sense of the Word in the Question; and what Person is _like_ to his Lords.h.i.+p, the Construction put upon it in the Answer: Thus a new _original_ Subject is started, and being suddenly _arranged_ with all that appear _similar_ to it, is _enlighten'd_ thereby, being found to have no _equal_ in _England_.

However, though WIT may be _thus_ struck out, and also appears in the _Contrast_ with great _Brilliancy_, yet the highest and most perfect Instances of it result from the sudden and _direct Arrangement_ together of two Objects, which hold a perspicuous and splendid _Agreement_ with each other; It is then adorn'd with the Charms of _Propriety_, _Clearness_ and _Ill.u.s.tration_; It dispels the Darkness around an Object, and presents it diftinctly and perfectly to our View; chearing us with its _l.u.s.tre_, and at the same time informing us with its _Light_.

Thus, a Gentleman was observing, that _there was_ somewhat _extremely pleasing in an excellent_ Understanding, _when it appeared in a beautiful_ Person; To which another returned, _It is like a fine_ Jewel _well set_; You are here pleased with the Happiness, Propriety, and Splendor of this _new_ Object, which finely _elucidates_ the original Sentiment;--In short, it is the Excellence of WIT, _to present the_ first Image _again to your mind, with new unexpected_ Clearness _and_ Advantage.

It is also proper to add, that there may be WIT in a _Picture_, _Landscape_, or in any _Prospect_, where a gay unexpected _a.s.semblage_ of _similar_, or _opposite_ Objects, is presented.

JUDGMENT, is the Faculty of discerning the various _Dimensions_, and _Differences_, of Subjects.

INVENTION is the Faculty of finding out new _a.s.sortments_, and _Combinations_, of _Ideas_.

HUMOUR is any _whimsical Oddity_ or _Foible_, appearing in the _Temper_ or _Conduct_ of a _Person_ in _real Life_.

This _whimsical Oddity_ of Conduct, which generally arises from the strange _Cast_, or _Turn_ of Mind of a _queer_ Person, may also result from _accidental_ Mistakes and Embarra.s.sments between other Persons; who being misled by a wrong Information and Suspicion in regard to a Circ.u.mstance, shall act towards each other upon this Occasion, in the same _odd whimsical_ manner, as _queer_ Persons.

If a _Person_ in real Life, discovers any odd and remarkable _Features_ of Temper or Conduct, I call such a Person in the _Book_ of _Mankind_, a _Character_. So that the chief Subjects of HUMOUR are Persons in real Life, who are _Characters_.

It is easy to be perceived, that HUMOUR, and WIT are extremely different.

HUMOUR appears only in the _Foibles_ and _whimsical Conduct_ of _Persons_ in real Life; WIT appears in _Comparisons_, either between _Persons_ in real Life, or between _other Subjects_.

HUMOUR is the _whimsical Oddity_, or _Foible_, which fairly appears in its Subject, of itself; whereas WIT, is the _l.u.s.tre_ which is thrown upon _one_ Subject, by the _sudden Introduction_ of another Subject.

To const.i.tute HUMOUR, there need be no more than _one_ Object concern'd, and this must be always some _Person_ in _real Life_;-- whereas to produce WIT, there must be always _two_ Objects _arranged_ together, and either or both of these may be _inanimate_.

However, though HUMOUR and WIT are thus absolutely different in themselves, yet we frequently see them blended together.

Thus if any _Foible_ of a _Character_ in real Life is _directly_ attacked, by pointing out the unexpected and ridiculous _Affinity_ it bears to some _inanimate_ Circ.u.mstances, this Foible is then ridiculed with WIT, from the _Comparison_ which is made.--At the same time, as the _whimsical Oddity_ of a _Character_ in real Life is the _Ground_ of the whole, there is also _Humour_ contain'd in the Attack.

If instead of referring the _Foible_ of a Person to any _inanimate_ Circ.u.mstance, the _Allusion_ had been made to any other ridiculous _Person_ in _real Life_; As a _conceited Fellow_, perpetually recommending his own Whims, to a _Quack-Doctor_;--This _Foible_ will then be ridiculed with HUMOUR; which is likewise the original _Ground_: At the same Time, from the _Comparison_ which is made, there is apparently WIT in the Description.

So that where-ever the _Foible_ of a _Character_ in real Life is concern'd, there HUMOUR comes in; and wherever a sprightly unexpected _Arrangement_ is presented of two _similar_, or _opposite_ Subjects, whether animate or inanimate, there WIT is exhibited.

HUMOUR and WIT, as they may thus both be united in the same Subject, may also separately appear without the least Mixture together; that is, there may be HUMOUR without WIT, and WIT without HUMOUR.

Thus, if in order to expose the _Foible_ of a _Character_, a _real Person_ is introduc'd, abounding in this _Foible_, gravely persisting in it, and valuing himself upon the Merit of it, with great Self- sufficiency, and Disdain of others; this _Foible_ is then solely ridiculed with HUMOUR.

Again, if a gay unexpected _Allusion_ is made from one _inanimate_ Object to another, or from one _Person_ in _real_ Life to another, without any Reference to their whimsical _Oddities_ or _Foibles_; there WIT only appears.--Various Instances of which, independent of HUMOUR, have been already exhibited.

A _Man_ of WIT is he, who is happy in _elucidating_ any Subject, _by a just and unexpected Arrangement_ and _Comparison_ of it with another Subject.

It may be also proper to describe a _Man_ of HUMOUR, and an HUMOURIST, which are very different Persons.

A _Man_ of HUMOUR is one, who can happily exhibit a weak and ridiculous _Character_ in real Life, either by a.s.suming it himself, or representing another in it, so naturally, that the _whimsical Oddities,_ and _Foibles,_ of that _Character,_ shall be palpably expos'd.

Whereas an HUMOURIST is a _Person_ in real Life, obstinately attached to sensible peculiar _Oddities_ of his own genuine Growth, which appear in his Temper and Conduct.

In short, a _Man_ of _Humour_ is one, who can happily exhibit and expose the Oddities and Foibles of an _Humourist_, or of other _Characters_.

The _Features_ of an HUMOURIST being very remarkable and singular, seem justly to deserve an explicit Description. It is then to be observ'd, that an _Humourist_, at the same time that he is guided in his Manners and Actions by his own genuine original Fancy and Temper, disdains all _Ostentation_; excepting that alone of his _Freedom_ and _Independency_, which he is forward of shewing upon every Occasion, without Ceremony; he is quite superior to the _Affectation_ of a Virtue or Accomplishment, which he thinks does not belong to him; scorns all _Imitation_ of others; and contemns the rest of the World for being servilely obedient to Forms and Customs; disclaiming all such Submission himself, and regulating his Conduct in general by his own _Conviction_,