burlesque a great or lofty fubject. Such irregular ufe made of a talent for wit or ridicule, cannot long impofe upon mankind. It cannot ftand the teft of correct and delicatè tafte; and truth will at laft prevail even with the vulgar. To condemn a talent for ridicule because it may be perverted to wrong purposes, is not a little ridiculous. Could one forbear to fmile, if a talent for reasoning were condemned because it alfo may be perverted? And yet the conclufion in the latter cafe, would be not lefs juft than in the former; perhaps more juft, for no talent is so often perverted as that of reason.

We had beft leave Nature to her own o¬ perations. The most valuable talents may be abused, and fo may that of ridicule. Let us bring it under proper culture if we can, without endeavouring to pull it up by the root. Were we deftitute of this teft of truth, I know not what might be the confequences: I fee not what rule would be left us to prevent fplendid trifles paffing for matters of importance, fhow and form for substance, and fuperftition or enthusiasm for

pure

reli

gion. VOL. II.

H

CHAP

58

С Н А Р.

XIII.

WH

W IT.

'IT is a quality of certain thoughts and expreffions. The term is never applied to an action or a paffion, and as little to an external object. However difficult it may be in every particular inftance to diftinguith a witty thought or expreffion from one that is not fo, yet in general it may be laid down, that the term wit is appropriated to fuch thoughts and expreffions as are ludicrous, and alfo occafion fome degree of furprise by their fingularity. Wit alfo in a figurative fenfe expreffes that talent which fome men have of inventing ludicrous thoughts or expreffions. We fay commonly, a witty man, or a man of wit.

Wit in its proper fenfe, as fuggefted above, is distinguishable into two kinds; wit in the thought, and wit in the words or expreffion. Again, wit in the thought is of

two

two kinds; ludicrous images, and ludicrous combinations of things that have little or no natural relation.

Ludicrous images that occafion surprise by their fingularity, as having little or no foundation in nature, are fabricated by the imagination. And the imagination is well qualified for the office; being of all our faculties the most active, and the leaft under reftraint. Take the following example.

Shylock. You knew (none fo well, none fo well as you) of my daughter's flight.

Salino. That's certain; I, for my part, knew the tailor that made the wings fhe flew withal.

Merchant of Venice, act 3. fc. 1.

The image here is undoubtedly witty. It is ludicrous and it muft occafion furprise; for having no natural foundation, it is altogether unexpected.

The other branch of wit in the thought, is that only which is taken notice of by Addifon, following Locke, who defines it "to "lie in the affemblage of ideas; and put

ting thofe together with quickness and variety, wherein can be found any refem« blance

H 2

"blance or congruity, thereby to make up "pleasant pictures and agreeable vifions in "the fancy *." It may be defined more curtly, and perhaps more accurately, “A junction of things by diftant and fanciful "relations, which surprise because they are "unexpected +." The following is a proper example.

We grant although he had much wit,
H' was very fhie of using it,

As being loth to wear it out;
And therefore bore it not about,
Unless on holidays, or fo,

As men their best apparel do.

Hudibras, canto 1.

Wit is of all the most elegant recreation. The image enters the mind with gaiety, and gives a fudden flash which is extremely pleafant. Wit thereby gently elevates without ftraining, raises mirth without diffolutenefs, and relaxes while it entertains.

Wit in the expreffion, commonly called a play of words, being a bastard fort of wit,

B. 2. ch. II. § 2.

+ See chap. I.

is referved for the laft place. I proceed to examples of wit in the thought. And first of ludicrous images.

Falstaff, fpeaking of his taking Sir John Colevile of the Dale:

Here he is, and here I yield him; and I befeech your Grace, let it be book'd with the rest of this day's deeds; or, by the Lord, I will have it in a particular ballad elfe, with mine own picture on the top of it, Colevile kiffing my foot: to the which courfe if I be inforc'd, if you do not all fhew like gilt twopences to me; and I, in the clear fky of fame, o'er-fhine you as much as the full moon doth the cinders of the element, which fhew like pins' heads to her; believe not the word of the Noble. Therefore let me have right, and let defert mount.

Second part, Henry IV. at 4. fc. 6.

I knew, when seven justices could not take up a quarrel, but when the parties were met themfelves, one of them thought but of an if; as, if you faid fo, then I faid fo; and they fhook hands, and fwore brothers. Your if is the only peacemaker; much virtue is in if.

Shakespear.

For