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principles here laid down, it might be prefumed a priori, that to those who thoroughly understand them, they would be apt to appear ludicrous; especially when either the fubject, or the condition of the speaker, gave ground to expect a more polite ftyle. And this is fo much the cafe, that in North Britain it is no uncommon thing to fee a man obtain a character for jocularity, merely by speaking the vulgar broad Scotch. To write in that tongue, and yet to write feriously, is now impoffible; fuch is the effect of mean expreflions applied to an important fubject: fo that if a Scotch merchant, or man of business, were to write to his countryman in his native dialect, the other would conclude that he was in jeft. Not that this language is naturally more ridiculous than others. While spoken and written at the court of Scotland, and by the most polite perfons in the kingdom, it had all the dignity that any other tongue, equally fcanty and uncultivated, could poffefs; and was a dialect of English, as the Dutch is of German, or the Portuguese of Spanish, that is, it was a language derived from and like

may too so far diveft himself of his national accent as to be perfectly intelligible, where-ever the English language is underftood. But the niceties of English pronunciation he cannot acquire, without an early and long refidence among English people who speak well. It is however to be hoped, that in the next century this will not be fo difficult. From the attention that has of late been paid to the ftudy of the English tongue, the Scots have greatly improved both their pronunciation and their ftyle within these last thirty years.

another,

another, but fubject to its own laws, and regulated by the practice of those who writ and spoke it. But, for more than half a century past, it has, even by the Scots themselves, been confidered as the dialect of the vulgar; the learned and polite having, for the most part, adopted the English in its ftead; a preference juftly due to the fuperior genius of that noble language, and the natural effect of the present conftitution of Great Britain. And now, in Scotland, there is no fuch thing as a standard of the native tongue; nothing paffes for good language, but what is believed to be English; every county thinks its own speech preferable to its neighbour's, without entertaining any partiality for that of the chief town: and the populace of Edinburgh speak a dialect not more intelligible, nor less disagreeable, to a native of Buchan, than the dialect of Buchan is to a native of Edinburgh.

The greater part of Ramfay's Gentle Shepherd is written in a broad Scotch dialect. The fentiments of that piece are natural, the circumftances interefting; the characters well drawn, well diftinguished, and well contrafted; and the fable has more probability than any other pastoral drama I am acquainted with. To an Englishman, who had never conversed with the common people of Scotland, the language would appear only antiquated, obfcure, or unintelligible; but to a Scotchman who thoroughly understands it, and is aware of its vulgarity, it appears ludicrous; from the contraft between meanness of phrafe, and

dignity

4

dignity or ferioufnefs of fentiment. This gives a farcical air even to the most affecting parts of the poem; and occafions an impropriety of a peculiar kind, which is very obfervable in the reprefentation. And accordingly, this play, with all its merit, and with a strong national partiality in its favour, has never given general fatisfaction upon the stage.

I have finished a pretty full enumeration of examples; but am very far from fuppofing it fo complete, as to exhibit every fpecies of ludicrous abfurdity. Nor am I certain, that the reader will be pleased with my arrangement, or even admit that all my examples have the ludicrous character. But flight inaccuracies, in an inquiry fo little connected with practice, will perhaps be overlooked as not very material; efpecially when it is confidered, that the fubject, though familiar, is both copious and delicate, and though frequently spoken of by philofophers in general terms, has never before been attempted, fo far as I know, in the way of induction. At any rate, it will appear from what has been said, that the theory here adopted is plaufible at least; and that the philosophy of Laughter is not wholly unfufceptible of method. And they who may think fit to amuse themselves at any time with this fpeculation, whatever ftrefs they may lay upon my reafoning, will perhaps find their account in my collection of examples. And, provided they substitute a more perfect theory of their own in its stead, I shall not be offended, if by means of thefe very examples they should find out and demonstrate the imperfection of mine.

С НА Р. III.

Limitations of the preceding doctrine. Incongruity not Ludicrous, I. When cuftomary and common; nor, II. When it excites any powerful emotion in the beholder, as, 1. Moral Difapprobation, 2. Indignation or Difguft, 3. Pity; or, 4. Fear; III. Influence of Good-breeding upon Laughter; IV. Of Similitudes, as connected with this fubject; V. Recapitulation.

TH

THAT an oppofition of relation and contrariety is often difcernible in those things which we call Ludicrous, feems now to be fufficiently proved. But does every such oppofition or mixture of contrariety and relation, of fuitableness and incongruity, of likeness and diffimilitude, provoke laughter? This requires further difquifition.

I. If an old Greek or Roman were to rife from his grave, and fee the human head and shoulders overshadowed with a vast periwig; or were he to contemplate the native hairs of a fine gentleman arranged in the prefent form *, part ftanding

In the year 1764.

erect,

erect, as if their owner were befet with hobgoblins, and part by means of greafe and meal confolidated into pafte: he could hardly fail to be ftruck with the appearance; and I question, whether the features even of Heraclitus himself, or of the younger Cato, would not relax a little upon the occafion. For in this abfurd imitation of nature, we have likeness coupled with diffimilitude, and imaginary grace with real déformity, and inconvenience fought after with eagerness, and at confiderable expence. Yet in these fashions they who are accustomed to them do not perceive any thing ridiculous. Nay, were we to see a fine lady dreffed according to the mode ftill extant in fome old pictures, with her treffes all hanging about her eyes, in diftinct and equal portions, like a bunch of candles, and twisted into a hundred strange curls, we fhould certainly think her a laughable phenomenon; though the same object two centuries ago would have been gazed at with admiration and delight. There are few incongruities to which custom will not reconcile us*.

Nay,

*In the age of James the First, when fashion had confe crated the Pun and Paronomafia, the hearers of a quibbling preacher, were, I doubt not, both attentive and serious; as the univerfal prevalence of witticism, even on folemn occafions, would almost annihilate its ludicrous effect. But it may be doubted, whether any audience in Great Britain would now maintain their gravity, if they were to be entertained with fuch a fermon, as Sulton's Caution for the Credulous; from which, for the reader's amufement, I tranfcribe the following paffages: "Here

CC

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