An Essay towards Fixing the True Standards of Wit, Humour, Railery, Satire, and Ridicule (1744) by Corbyn Morris
page 55 of 88 (62%)
page 55 of 88 (62%)
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_Dye_ of the _Humourist_, it seem'd not improper to insist the longer
upon this Character; However, let none be too fond of it; For though an _Humourist_ with his Roughness is greatly to be preferr'd to a smooth _Insipid_, yet the Extremes of both are equally wretched: _Ideots_ being only the lowest Scale of _Insipids_, as _Madmen_ are no other than _Humourists_ in Excess. It may be proper to observe in this place, that though all _Ostentation_, _Affectation_, and _Imitation_ are excluded from the Composition of a perfect _Humourist_; yet as they are the obvious _Foibles_ of some Persons in Life, they may justly be made the Subject of _Humour_. For HUMOUR extensively and fully understood, is _any remarkable_ Oddity _or_ Foible _belonging to a_ Person _in_ real Life; _whether this_ Foible _be constitutional, habitual_, or _only affected; whether partial in one or two Circumstances; or tinging the whole Temper and Conduct of the_ Person. It has from hence been observ'd, that there is more HUMOUR in the _English_ Comedies than in others; as we have more various odd _Characters_ in real Life, than any other Nation, or perhaps than all other Nations together. That HUMOUR gives more Delight, and leaves a more pleasurable Impression behind it, than WIT, is universally felt and established; Though the Reasons for this have not yet been assign'd.--I shall therefore beg Leave to submit the following. 1. HUMOUR is more _interesting_ than WIT in general, as the _Oddities_ |
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