meet with many Obfervations to confirm us in his Opinion. Every one laughs at fome Body that is in an inferior State of Folly to himself. It was formerly the Cuftom for every great Houfe in England to keep a tame Fool dreffed in Petticoats, that the Heir of the Family might have an opportunity of joking upon him and diverting himfelf with his Abfurdities. For the fame Reafon Idiots are still in request in most of the Courts of Germany, where there is not a Prince of any great Magnificence who has not two or three dreffed, diftinguished, undifputed Fools in his Retinue, whom the reft of the Courtiers are always breaking their Jefts up

on.

THE Dutch, who are more famous for their Industry and Application, than for Wit and Humour, hang up in feveral of their Streets what they call the Sign of the Gaper, that is, the Head of an Idiot dreffed in a Cap and Bells, and gaping in a moft immoderate manner: This is a standing Jeft at Amfterdam.

THUS every one diverts himself with fome Perfon or other that is below him in Point of Understanding, and triumphs in the Superiority of his Genius,

whilft he has fuch Objects of Derifion before his Eyes. Mr. Dennis has very well expreffed this in a Couple of humourous Lines, which are part of a Tranflation of a Satyr in Monfieur Boileau.

Thus one Fool lolls his Tongue out at another, And fhakes his empty Noddle at his Brother.

Mr. Hobbs's Reflection gives us the Reason why the infignificant People above-mentioned are Stirrers up of Laughter among Men of a gross Taste : But as the more understanding Part of Mankind do not find their Rifibility affected by fuch ordinary Objects, it may be worth the while to examine into the feveral Provocatives of Laughter in Men of fuperior Senfe and Knowledge.

IN the firft Place I muft obferve, that there is a Set of merry Drolls, whom the common People of all Countries admire, and feem to love fo well, that they could eat them, according to the old Proverb: I mean thofe circumforaneous Wits whom every Nation calls by the Name of that Difh of Meat which it loves beft. In Holland they are termed Pickled Herrings; in France, D 2

Jean

Jean Pottages; in Italy, Maccaronies; and in Great Britain, Jack Puddings. Thefe merry Wags, from whatsoever Food they receive their Titles, that they may make their Audiences laugh, always appear in a Fool's Coat, and commit fuch Blunders and Miftakes in every Step they take, and every Word they utter, as those who liften to them would be afhamed of.

BUT this little Triumph of the Understanding, under the Disguise of Laughter, is no where more visible than in that Custom which prevails every where among us on the First Day of the Prefent Month, when every Body takes it in his Head to make as many Fools as he can. In proportion as there are more Follies difcovered, fo there is more Laughter raised on this Day 'than on any other in the whole Year. A Neighbour of mine, who is a Haberdafher by Trade, and a very shallow conceited Fellow, makes his Boafts that for these Ten Years fucceffively he has not made less than an Hundred April Fools. My Landlady had a falling out with him about a Fortnight ago, for fending every one of her Children upon fome Sleeveless Errand, as the terms it.

Her

Her eldest Son went to buy a Halfpenny worth of Inkle at a Shoemaker's;: the eldest Daughter was dispatched half a Mile to fee a Monster; and in short, the whole Family of innocent Children made April Fools. Nay my Landlady her felf did not escape him. This empty Fellow has laughed upon these Conceits ever fince.

THIS Art of Wit is well enough, when confined to one Day in a Twelvemonth; but there is an ingenious Tribe of Men fprung up of late Years, who are for making April Fools every Day in the Year. Thefe Gentlemen are commonly diftinguish'd by the Name of Biters; a Race of Men that are perpetually employed in laughing at those Miftakes which are of their own Production.

7

THUS we fee, in proportion as one Man is more refined than another, he chufes his Fool out of a lower or higher Class of Mankind; or, to speak in a more Philofophical Language, That secret Elation and Pride of Heart which is generally called Laughter, arifes inhim from his comparing himself with an Object below him, whether it fo happens that it be a Natural or an Artificial

D3

ficial Fool.

It is indeed very poffible, that the Perfons we laugh at may in the main of their Characters be much wifer Men than our felves; but if they would have us laugh at them, they muft fall fhort of us in those Respects which this Paffion.

ftir

up

I am afraid I fhall appear too Abftra&ted in my Speculations, if I fhew that when a Man of Wit makes us laugh, it is by betraying fome Oddnefs or Infirmity in his own Character, or in the Representation which he makes of others; and that when we laugh atas Brute or even at an inanimate thing, it is at fome Action or Incident that bears a remote Analogy to any Blunder or Abfurdity in reasonable Creatures.

• BUT to come into common Life: I fhall pass by the Confideration of those Stage Coxcombs that are able to fhake a whole Audience, and take Notice of a particular fort of Men who are fuch Provokers of Mirth in Conversation, that is impoffible for a Club or Merrymeeting to fubfift without them: I mean thofe honeft Gentlemen that are always expofed to the Wit and Rallery of their Well-wifhers and Companions; that are pelted by Men, Women, and