HISTORY OF ENGLISH HUMOUR.

VOL. I.

HISTORY OF ENGLISH HUMOUR

WITH AN

INTRODUCTION UPON ANCIENT HUMOUR.

66

BY THE

STRANGE

REV. A. G. L'ESTRANGE,

AUTHOR OF

THE LIFE OF THE REV. WILLIAM HARNESS,"

66 FROM THE THAMES TO THE TAMAR,"

ETC.

IN TWO VOLUMES.

VOL. I.

LONDON:

HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS,
13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.

1878.

All rights reserved.

CONTENTS

OF

THE FIRST VOLUME.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

Subjective Character of the Ludicrous-The Subject little

Studied-Obstacles to the Investigation-Evanescence

-Mental Character of the Ludicrous-Distinction be-

tween Humour and the Ludicrous

1

INTRODUCTION.

PART I.

ORIGIN OF HUMOUR.

Pleasure in Humour-What is Laughter?-Sympathy-

First Phases-Gradual Development-Emotional Phase

-Laughter of Pleasure-Hostile Laughter-Is there

any sense of the Ludicrous in the Lower Animals ?-Sam-

son-David-Solomon-Proverbs-Fables

13