or ridicule. A grave fubject in which there is no impropriety, may be brought down by a certain colouring fo as to be rifible; which is the cafe of Virgil Traveftie * ; and alfo the cafe of the Secchia Rapitat: the authors laugh first at every turn, in order to make their readers laugh. The Lutrin is a burlefque poem of the other fort, laying hold of a low and trifling incident, to expose the luxury, indolence, and contentious fpirit of a fet of monks. Boileau the author turns the subject into ridicule, by dreffing it in the heroic ftyle, and affecting to confider it as of the utmost dignity and importance; and though ridicule is the poet's aim, he himself carries all along a grave face, and never once bewrays a fmile: the oppofition between the fubject and the manner of handling it, is what produces the ridicule; and therefore, in a compofition of this kind, no image profeffedly ludicrous ought to have quarter, becaufe fuch images deftroy the contraft. Though the burlefque that aims at ridicule, produces its effect by elevating the ftyle far above the fubject, yet it has limits beyond which the elevation ought not to be carried: the poet, confulting the imagination of his readers, ought to confine himself to fuch images as are lively, and readily apprehended: a ftrained elevation, foaring above an ordinary reach of fancy, makes not Scarron, + Taffoni. a a pleasant impreffion: the mind, fatigued with being always upon the stretch, is foon difgufted; and if it perfevere, becomes thoughtless and indifferent. Further, a fiction gives no pleasure, unless it be painted in fo lively colours as to produce fome perception of reality; which never can be done effectually, where the images are formed with labour or difficulty. For thefe reafons, I cannot avoid condemning the Batrachomuomachia, faid to be the compofition of Homer it is beyond the power of imagination, to form a clear and lively image of frogs and mice, acting with the dignity of the highest of our fpecies; nor can we form a conception of the reality of fuch an action, in any manner so distinct as to intereft our affections even in the flighteft degree. The Rape of the Lock, in its character, is clearly distinguishable from those now mentioned: it is not properly a burlefque performance, but what may rather be termed an heroi-comical poem: it treats a gay and familiar fubject, with pleafantry, and with a moderate degree of dignity: the author puts not on a mask like Boileau, nor profeffes to make us laugh like Taffoni. The Rape of the Lock is a genteel fpecies of writing, lefs ftrained than the others mentioned: and is pleasant or ludicrous without having ridicule for its chief aim; giving way however to ridicule where it arifes naturally from a particular character, fuch as that of Sir Plume. Addifon's Spectator Spectator upon the exercife of the fan is extremely gay and ludicrous, refembling in its fubject the Rape of the Lock. Humour belongs to the prefent chapter, becaufe it is connected with ridicule. Congreve defines humour to be "a fingular and unavoida"ble manner of doing or faying any thing, peculiar "and natural to one man only, by which his fpeech " and actions are diftinguished from those of other "men." Were this definition juft, a majestic and commanding air, which is a fingular property, is humour; as also that natural flow of eloquence and correct elocution, which is a rare talent. Nothing juft or proper is denominated humour; nor any fingularity of character, words, or actions, that is valued or respected. When we attend to the character of an humorift, we find that the peculiarity of this character leffens the man in our esteem: we find that this character arifes from circumstances both rifible and improper, and therefore in fome measure ridiculous. Humour in writing is very different from humour in character. When an author infists upon ludicrous fubjects, with a profeffed purpose to make his readers laugh, he may be styled a ludicrous writer; but is fcarce intitled to be styled a writer of humour. This quality belongs to an author, who, affecting to be grave and serious, paints his objects in fuch colours as to provoke N° 102. VOL. I. Ꮓ mirth mirth and laughter. A writer that is really an humorist in character, does this without defign: if not, he must affect the character in order to fucceed. 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 profe-writings a moft delicate and refined humour prevails. Arbuthnot exceeds them all in drollery and humorous painting; which shows a great genius, because, if I am not mifinformed, he had nothing of this peculiarity in his character. There remains to fhow, by examples, the manner of treating fubjects, fo as to give them a ridiculous appearance. Il ne dit jamais, je vous donne, mais, je vous prete le bon jour. Orleans. I know him to be valiant. Moliere, Conftable. I was told that by one that knows him better than you, Orleans. What's he? Conftable. Marry, he told me fo himself; and he faid, he car'd not who knew it. Henry V. Shakespear. He never broke any man's head but his own, and that was against a poft 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 tapestry hanging." Way of the world. A true critic in the perufal of a book, is like a dog at a feaft, whofe thoughts and ftomach are wholly fet upon what the guests fling away, and confequently is apt to fnarl moft when there are the feweft bones. Tale of a Tub. In the following inftances, the ridicule is made from the behaviour of the perfons in to appear, troduced. Mafcarille. Te fouvient-il, vicomte, de cette demilune, que nous emportâmes fur les ennemis au fiege d'Arras ? Jodelet. Que veux tu dire avec ta demi-lune? c'etoit bien une lune tout entiere. Moliere les Precieufes 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 fo 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. Valentine. Your bleffing, Sir. Merry Wives of Windfor. Sir Sampfon. You've had it already, Sir: I think I fent it you to day in a bill for four thousand pound; a great deal of money, Brother Forefight, Z 2 Forefight. |