Peter Pindar's parodies of Boswell and Johnson I tried to be a jackass and a calf; So vile I brayed and bellowed, I was hissed; Yet all who knew me wondered that I missed. Blair whispered me,' You 've lost your credit now; Stick, Boswell, for the future, to the cow.' Burlesque brings about the clash of dignity and vulgarity in the opposite manner from travesty. It is the application of low terms to high subjects: which is a very easy effort of art, being often produced when not intended. It generally requires a great artist to make either of these modes at all endurable. made so. discovery have been reserved for these modern and degenerate times? Besides, sir, if the measure itself is good, I ask the honorable gentleman if this is the time for carrying it into execution?-whether, in fact, a more unfortunate period could have been selected than that which he has chosen? If this were an ordinary measure, I should not oppose it with so much vehemence; but, sir, it calls in question the wisdom of an irrevocable law-of a law passed at the memorable period of the revolution. What right have we, sir, to break down this firm column, on which the great men of that day stampt a character of eternity? Are not all authorities against this measure-Pitt, Fox, Cicero, and the attorney and solicitor-general? The proposition is new, sir; it is the first time it was ever heard of in this house. I am not prepared, sir-this house is not prepared to receive it. The measure implies a distrust of his majesty's government: their disapproval is sufficient to warrant opposition. Precaution only is requisite where danger is apprehended. Here, the high character of the individuals in question is a sufficient guarantee against any ground of alarm. Give not, then, your sanction to this measure; for, whatever may be its character, if you do give your sanction to it, the same man by whom it is proposed will propose to you others, to which it will be impossible to give your consent. I care very little, sir, for the ostensible measure; but what is there behind? What are the honorable gentleman's future schemes? If we pass this bill, what fresh concessions may he not require? What further degradation is he planning for his country? Talk of evil and inconvenience, sir-look to other countries-study other aggregations and societies Irony is not necessarily ludicrous, but it is often The great power of this mode of address lies in its embarrassing an opponent's reply; the meaning to be conveyed being given intelligibly enough, but not being contained in the language used, it becomes hard to grapple with it. The of men, and then see whether the laws of this counmaster of well sustained irony is Swift, and probably his masterpiece is the "Modest Proposal for preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from being a Burden to their Parents or the Country, and for making them beneficial to the Country." Never was there so much coolness and gravity maintained in an exposition of a monstrous project; and the effect of the whole as a severe rebuke is tremendous, while every now and then there occurs an uncontrollable burst of the ludi Crous. Lest the details of a cannibal project, although only a jest, should be too coarse for the present age, we prefer to give, as a good example of irony, Sydney Smith's exhibition of the common-place attacks made upon political innovations and new measures in general. It is a happy aggregation of the fallacies so well dissected and exposed by Bentham. We may suppose it pronounced in parliament as NOODLE'S ORATION. "What would our ancestors say to this, sir? How does this measure tally with their institutions? How does it agree with their experience? Are we to put the wisdom of yesterday in competition with the wisdom of centuries? (Hear, hear!) Is beardless youth to show no respect for the decisions of mature age? (Loud cries of hear! hear!) If this measure is right, would it have escaped the wisdom of these Saxon progenitors, to whom we are indebted for so many of our best political institutions? Would the Dane have passed it over? Would the Norman have rejected it? Would such a notable try demand a remedy or deserve a panegyric. Was the honorable gentleman (let me ask him) always he was the advocate in this house of very opposite of this way of thinking? Do I not remember when opinions? I not only quarrel with his present sentiments, sir; but I declare very frankly I do not like the party with which he acts. If his own motives were as pure as possible, they cannot but suffer contamination from those with whom he is politically associated. This measure may be a boon constitution from such hands. (Loud cries of hear! to the constitution, but I will accept no favor to the hear!) I profess myself, sir, an honest and upright member of the British parliament, and I am not afraid to profess myself an enemy to all change and all innovation. I am satisfied with things as they are; and it will be my pride and pleasure to hand down this country to my children as I received it from those who preceded me. The honorable gentleman pretends to justify the severity with which he has attacked the noble lord who presides in the court of chancery; but I say such attacks are pregnant with mischief to government itself. Oppose ministers, you oppose government; disgrace ministers, you disgrace government; bring ministers into contempt, you bring government into contempt; and anarchy and civil war are the consequences. Besides, sir, the measure is unnecessary. Nobody complains of disorder in that shape in which it is the aim of your measure to propose a remedy to it. The business is one of the greatest importance; there is need of the greatest caution and circumspection. Do not let us be precipitate, sir; it is impossible to foresee all the consequences. Everything should be gradual; the example of a neighboring nation should fill us with alarm! The honorable gentleman has taxed me with illiberality, sir. I deny the charge. I hate innovation, but I love gether; to find fault without giving offence; to improvement. I am an enemy to the corruption of be affectionate and authoritative at the same time; government, but I defend its influence. I dread to exhibit in conduct both the fortiter and the reform, but I dread it only when it is intemperate. suaviter. Laughter is from its nature more easily I consider the liberty of the press as the great allied to contempt and egotism than to affection palladium of the constitution; but, at the same time, I hold the licentiousness of the press in the and devotedness. greatest abhorrence. Nobody is more conscious Mr. Carlyle, in his various critiques on Jean than I am of the splendid abilities of the honorable Paul Richter, (an admirable subject to study humover; but I tell him at once, his scheme is too mor on,) has presented this view of the essence good to be practicable. It savors of Utopia. It of humor in all variety of phrases. "In Richter's looks well in theory, but it won't do in practice. smile itself a touching pathos may lie hidden, a It will not do, I repeat, sir, in practice; and so the advocates of the measure will find, if, unfortunately, pity too deep for tears." "The essence of hu Don Quixote we would place at the head of humorous creations. The hero, with all his ludicrousness, is so continually radiant with true good feeling; a chivalric devotion sits so naturally and genially upon him, that the picture of a kind heart is ever before us. Knight-errantry is taken down by the exhibition, but not ridiculed; we have a feeling for it far different from what is given by the heartless mockeries of Voltaire. it should find its way through parliament. (Cheers.) mor is sensibility; warm, tender fellow-feeling The source of that corruption to which the honora- with all forms of existence," and the power of ble gentleman alludes is in the minds of the peo- exhibiting this in sportful ways. ple;-so rank and extensive is that corruption, that no political reform can have any effect in removing it. Instead of reforming others-instead of reforming the state, the constitution, and everything that is most excellent, let each man reform himself! let him look at home;-he will find there enough to do, without looking abroad, and aiming at what is out of his power. (Loud cheers.) And now, sir, as it is frequently the custom in this house to end with a quotation, and as the gentleman who preceded me in the debate has anticipated me in my favorite quotation of the Strong pull and the long pull,' I shall end with the memorable words of the assembled barons- Nolumus leges Anglia mu tari.'" "The merchant's opinion of wives," in Chaucer, is irony of the keenest character. Butler also produces it of a rare quality, sometimes laughable, sometimes not. One instance we shall give from him, which has the genuine ludicrous infusion "This we among ourselves may speak, But to the wicked or the weak We must be cautious to declare Perfection truths, such as these are." The ludicrous, mixed up with contempt, hatred, or dislike, becomes ridicule, derision, scorn, and mockery; and of these unamiable kinds the genius of man has produced great examples. But we turn from them to the consideration of a mixture of a very different character, that is to say, Hu mor. Humor is felt to be a higher, finer, and more genial thing than wit, or the mere ludicrous; but the exact definition of it has occasioned some dif "The reason, Sancho," said his master, 66 why thou feelest that pain all down thy back, is, that the stick which gave it thee was of length to that ex tent." The sympathetic feeling of Quixote is on every occasion real and strong, but his manner of expressing it makes it highly ludicrous. Addison is among our greatest English humorists. Sir Roger de Coverley is a noble example of genuine humor; for while he is making fun to us by his simplicity and his irrelevance, he maintains a warm kindliness of manner, that would make him a delightful character apart from his Addison writes we discern the fit and perfect exincongruous features. But in everything that pression of a genial and loving turn of mind, which We shall quote a few paragraphs from the delinconverts ridicule into raillery and wit into humor. eation of the worthy knight. "I was this morning surprised with a great knocking at the door, when my landlady's daughter came up to me and told me that there was a man below desired to speak to me. I immediately went down to him, and found him to be the coachman of my ficulty. It is the combination of the laughable worthy friend, Sir Roger de Coverley. He told me with an element of love, tenderness, sympathy, his master came to town last night, and would be warm-heartedness, or affection. Wit, sweetened glad to take a turn with me in Gray's Inn walks. by a kind, loving expression, becomes humor. As I was wondering with myself what had brought Men who have little love to their fellows, or whose Sir Roger to town, not having lately received any language and manner are destitute of affectionate letter from him, he told me his master was come ness and soft, tender feeling, cannot be humorists, up to get a sight of Prince Eugene, and that he desired I would immediately meet him. however witty they may be. There is no humor in Butler, Pope, Swift, Dryden, Ben Jonson, or Voltaire. It is, in fact, very difficult to unite the warm glowing sympathies with mirthful creations. Even when the laughing mood is also a loving mood, the embodiment of such a compound in expression or creation would not be easy. There are many points of character that it is hard to combine to "I was not a little pleased with the curiosity of the old knight, though I did not much wonder at it, having heard him say more than once in private discourse, that he looked upon Prince Eugenio (for so the knight always calls him) to be a greater man than Scanderberg. "I was no sooner come into Gray's Inn walks, but I heard my friend upon the terrace hemming twice or thrice to himself with great vigor, for he loves to clear his pipes in good air, (to use his own phrase,) and is not a little pleased with any one who takes notice of the strength which he still exerts in his morning hems. "Our salutations were very hearty on both sides, consisting of many kind shakes of the hand, and several affectionate looks which we cast upon one another. After which the knight told me my good friend his chaplain was very well, and much at my service, and that the Sunday before he had made a most incomparable sermon out of Dr. Barrow. "He then proceeded to acquaint me with the welfare of Will Wimble, upon which he put his hand into his fob and presented me in his name with a tobacco-stopper, telling me that Will had been busy all the beginning of the winter in turning great quantities of them; and that he made a present of one to every gentleman in the country who has good principles, and smokes. He added that poor Will was at present under great tribulation, for that Tom Touchy had taken the law of him for cutting some hazel sticks out of one of his hedges. "Among other pieces of news which the knight brought from his country seat, he informed me that Moll White was dead, and that about a month after her death the wind was so very high, that it blew down the end of one of his barns. But for my part, says Sir Roger, I do not think the old woman had any hand in it. had a hand in the pope's procession? But without giving me time to answer him, well, well, says he, I know you are a wary man, and do not care to talk of public matters. "The knight then asked me, if I had seen Prince Eugenio, and made me promise to get him a stand in some convenient place where he might have a full sight of that extraordinary man, whose presence does so much honor to the British nation. He dwelt very long upon the praises of this general, and I found that since I was with him in the country, he had drawn many observations together out of his reading in Baker's Chronicle and other authors, who always lie in his hall window, which very much redound to the honor of this prince. 66 Having passed away the greatest part of the morning in hearing the knight's reflections, which were partly private and partly political, he asked me if I would smoke a pipe with him over a dish of coffee at Squires'. As I love the old man, I take delight in complying with everything that is agreeable to him, and accordingly waited on him to the coffee-house, where his venerable figure drew upon us the eyes of the whole room. He had no sooner seated himself at the upper end of the high table, but he called for a clean pipe, a paper of tobacco, a dish of coffee, a wax candle, and the Supplement, with such an air of cheerfulness and good-humor, that all the boys in the coffee-room (who seemed to take a pleasure in serving him) were at once employed on his several errands, insomuch that nobody else could come at a dish of tea, until the knight had got all his conveniences about him." Sir Walter Scott has given us humorous char "He afterwards fell into an account of the diversions which had passed in his house during the holidays; for Sir Roger, after the laudable custom of his ancestors, always keeps open house at Christmas. I learned from him that he had killed eight fat hogs for this season, that he had dealt about his chines very liberally amongst his neighbors, and that in particular he had sent a string of hog-pud-acters; and Galt's novels abound with exquisite dings with a pack of cards to every poor family in specimens: but Burns represents, perhaps, the the parish. I have often thought, says Sir Roger, best that Scotland can show in this region of art. it happens very well that Christmas should fall out His intense feelings both of tenderness and mirth. in the middle of winter. It is the most dead, un- and his creative force of intellect, acting through comfortable time of the year, when the poor people the Scotch dialect, produced the intense humor would suffer very much from their poverty and cold, "The if they had not good cheer, warm fires, and Christ- that we find in "The Jolly Beggars," mas gambols to support them. I love to rejoice Address to the Mouse," "The Farmer's Mare," their poor hearts at this season, and to see the whole and "Tam o' Shanter." The opening stanzas village merry in my great hall. I allow a double of "The Jolly Beggars" may be quoted (if not quantity of malt to my small-beer, and set it a run- too Scotch for many readers) to show how the ning for twelve days to every one that calls for it. I have always a piece of cold beef and a mince-pie most disgusting objects can receive a loving as well as a ludicrous color :upon the table, and am wonderfully pleased to see my tenants pass away a whole evening in playing their innocent tricks, and smutting one another. Our friend Will Wimble is as merry as any of them, and shows a thousand roguish tricks upon these occasions. "I was very much pleased with the reflection of my old friend, which carried so much goodness in it. He then launched out into the praise of the late act of parliament for securing the church of England, and told me with great satisfaction, that he believed it already began to take effect, for that a rigid dissenter who chanced to dine at his house on Christmas day, had been observed to eat very plentifully of his plum-porridge. "After having dispatched all our country matters, Sir Roger made several inquiries concerning the Club, and particularly of his old antagonist, Sir Andrew Freeport. He asked me with a kind of smile, whether Sir Andrew had not taken advantage of his absence to vent among them some of his republican doctrines; but soon after gathering up his countenance into a more than ordinary seriousness, tell me truly, says he, don't you think Sir Andrew "When lyart leaves bestrew the yird, In hoary cranreugh† drest; O'randie gangrel bodies, "First, neist the fire, in auld red rags, And knapsack a' in order; O Tam! had'st thou been but sae wise, Ah! gentle dames! it gars me greet, Falstaff must be set down as a humorous character; the kindly, loving ingredient being shown in his resigning himself with such good heart and good grace to be the butt of all his merry companions. Justice Shallow has also well-marked traces of humor. The finest poetic harmony is so much akin to love, which is the harmony of human souls, that it may constitute the sweetening element of humor. Of this we know no better example than Chaucer's "Disappearance of the Fairies" * A wooden bowl or platter, which the beggars carried with them to receive their alms in, these usually consisting of meal. + Corn sent to the miller. "In oldě dayes of the King Artoùr, Of which that Bretons speken great honour, It is more easy to produce a humorous effect by bodily expression and manner than in writings. A warm, beaming countenance, an affectionate smile, and tones mirthful and soft, are more common than the power of combining wit and endearment in words. Hence, we find many humorists in common life, and on the stage; and hence painters and sketchers have been more successful in this region than poets. In our own day the sketches of George Cruickshank often exhibit the most genuine humor. With regard to Wit and Humor generally we have to remark that they are most effective in small doses, or with a large mixture of sterling matter of the serious kind. Interesting information, strong good sense, vivid pictures, powerful eloquence or pathos, with a touch of wit occurring now and then, give the effect with the greatest degree of relish. If Swift, Addison, and Sydney Smith, had not possessed intellects that would have made them great without their wit, they never would have been great with it. Nothing but a certain amount of sensible remark, and a few touches of character, keeps Sam Slick's writings from being unendurable. But in our greatest artists, who pour forth thought, imagery, and harmony, in grand profusion, and touch every chord of humanı nature, the ludicrous cannot easily be overdone; and when it does occur its effect is enchanting. This is finely illustrated by a famous passage in the "Birds" of Aristophanes, where the birds expound their pretensions to illustrious descent, and their superiority to gods and men. It is a piece of lofty and vigorous poetry, yielding the ludicrous from the purpose it is made to serve :"Ye children of man, whose life is a span, Protracted with sorrow from day to day, Naked and featherless, feeble and querulous, Sickly, calamitous creatures of clay! Attend to the words of the sovereign Birds, (Immortal, illustrious, lords of the air,) Who survey from on high, with a merciful eye, Your struggles of misery, labor, and care. Whence you may learn and clearly discern Such truths as attract your inquisitive turn; Which is busied of late with a mighty debate, A profound speculation about the creation, And sources of fountains, and meteors on high, at once. Before the creation of Æther and Light, nished. He soon, in the murky Tartarean recesses, lover; And, when other means fail, we are found to prevail, the masters of this weapon are not always qualified or careful to descriminate the false from the true, the best things have often to endure the ordeal of being laughed at. It was at one time said that ridicule is a test of truth; which can only mean, that what cannot be dethroned from the respect and worship of men by derision, and alliance with degrading ideas, is at least well established, and has probably some truth on its side. But the opinions that defy ridicule in one age often sink under it in another. We cannot refrain from repeating, that the great object that an artist must seek, in gratifying men through their sense of the ludicrous, is to arrest and delay the outburst of laughter, or so to interweave the mirthful occasion with other feelings and actions, that the enjoyment may be prolonged and tranquil rather than brief and violent. The laughable should be converted into a seasoning of the serious purposes, the weighty actions and the elevated pleasures of existence. This is exactly what we mean by refinement; it is the application of intellect to husband and control the animal impulses. He that can use the stimulus of mirth to send home a truth, to impress a moral. to rouse to useful activity, is both a great artist and a benefactor of the species; and he that can enliven without fatiguing an assembly through a long evening by gentle and variegated touches of this one string, is a valuable agent in human life. The strong animal feelings are of themselves sudden and exhausting; but it is possible so to interrupt and dam their current that they may run slowly and sweetly, and with a gradual effusion. Out of the most unpromising of passions, the feeling of terror, Mrs. Radcliffe has distilled the most exquisite fascination, by keeping the actual objects always at a distance, and merely suggesting them indirectly to the imaginations of her readers. Abruptly to present to us a man in a mad fit of jealousy, would be simply to torture our sympa When a peacock or pheasant is sent as a pres-thies and give unmixed pain; but to work up the ent." Of the uses and benefits of man's risible faculty in human life we should speak largely, if we had the power to express them. The amount of enjoyment that it causes is only to be described by those that can paint the blessings of sunshine, or the value of repose. In how many situations does it not smooth the intercourse of life? When we are thrown among strangers, when we encounter our fellows without the means of sympathizing with them, a stroke of merriment is the "touch of nature that makes the whole world kin." The greatest case into a complicated tale of circumstance and Laughter is a source of prodigious moral power; it is a weapon that can inflict pain and torture, and largely influence the actions of men. It keeps vanity, affectation, and singularity in check; and can sometimes exterminate dignities, and abol- The greatest formal device for allying the ludiish their worship. When opinions have been dis- crous with the panoramas and pictures of the living proved to the satisfaction of all men that can judge world is the superstructure of comedy. Here the of truth, their last hold of the human mind is action and reaction of man on man, in business. in generally dissolved in floods of ridicule, But, as pleasure, in ambitious pursuits and inglorious vices, |