an essay on comedy-第3部分

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of　Comedy　they　have　a　shivering　dread；　for　Comedy　enfolds　them　with

the　wretched　host　of　the　world；　huddles　them　with　us　all　in　an

ignoble　assimilation；　and　cannot　be　used　by　any　exalted　variety　as　a

scourge　and　a　broom。　　Nay；　to　be　an　exalted　variety　is　to　come　under

the　calm　curious　eye　of　the　Comic　spirit；　and　be　probed　for　what　you

are。　　Men　are　seen　among　them；　and　very　many　cultivated　women。　　You

may　distinguish　them　by　a　favourite　phrase：　　'Surely　we　are　not　so

bad！'　and　the　remark：　　'If　that　is　human　nature；　save　us　from　it！'

as　if　it　could　be　done：　　but　in　the　peculiar　Paradise　of　the　wilful

people　who　will　not　see；　the　exclamation　assumes　the　saving　grace。



Yet　should　you　ask　them　whether　they　dislike　sound　sense；　they　vow

they　do　not。　　And　question　cultivated　women　whether　it　pleases　them

to　be　shown　moving　on　an　intellectual　level　with　men；　they　will

answer　that　it　does；　numbers　of　them　claim　the　situation。　　Now；

Comedy　is　the　fountain　of　sound　sense；　not　the　less　perfectly　sound

on　account　of　the　sparkle：　　and　Comedy　lifts　women　to　a　station

offering　them　free　play　for　their　wit；　as　they　usually　show　it；　when

they　have　it；　on　the　side　of　sound　sense。　　The　higher　the　Comedy；

the　more　prominent　the　part　they　enjoy　in　it。　　Dorine　in　the

Tartuffe　is　common…sense　incarnate；　though　palpably　a　waiting…maid。

Celimene　is　undisputed　mistress　of　the　same　attribute　in　the

Misanthrope；　wiser　as　a　woman　than　Alceste　as　man。　　In　Congreve's

Way　of　the　World；　Millamant　overshadows　Mirabel；　the　sprightliest

male　figure　of　English　comedy。



But　those　two　ravishing　women；　so　copious　and　so　choice　of　speech；

who　fence　with　men　and　pass　their　guard；　are　heartless！　　Is　it　not

preferable　to　be　the　pretty　idiot；　the　passive　beauty；　the　adorable

bundle　of　caprices；　very　feminine；　very　sympathetic；　of　romantic　and

sentimental　fiction？　　Our　women　are　taught　to　think　so。　　The　Agnes

of　the　Ecole　des　Femmes　should　be　a　lesson　for　men。　　The　heroines　of

Comedy　are　like　women　of　the　world；　not　necessarily　heartless　from

being　clear…sighted：　　they　seem　so　to　the　sentimentally…reared　only

for　the　reason　that　they　use　their　wits；　and　are　not　wandering

vessels　crying　for　a　captain　or　a　pilot。　　Comedy　is　an　exhibition　of

their　battle　with　men；　and　that　of　men　with　them：　　and　as　the　two；

however　divergent；　both　look　on　one　object；　namely；　Life；　the

gradual　similarity　of　their　impressions　must　bring　them　to　some

resemblance。　　The　Comic　poet　dares　to　show　us　men　and　women　coming

to　this　mutual　likeness；　he　is　for　saying　that　when　they　draw

together　in　social　life　their　minds　grow　liker；　just　as　the

philosopher　discerns　the　similarity　of　boy　and　girl；　until　the　girl

is　marched　away　to　the　nursery。　　Philosopher　and　Comic　poet　are　of　a

cousinship　in　the　eye　they　cast　on　life：　　and　they　are　equally

unpopular　with　our　wilful　English　of　the　hazy　region　and　the　ideal

that　is　not　to　be　disturbed。



Thus；　for　want　of　instruction　in　the　Comic　idea；　we　lose　a　large

audience　among　our　cultivated　middle　class　that　we　should　expect　to

support　Comedy。　　The　sentimentalist　is　as　averse　as　the　Puritan　and

as　the　Bacchanalian。



Our　traditions　are　unfortunate。　　The　public　taste　is　with　the　idle

laughers；　and　still　inclines　to　follow　them。　　It　may　be　shown　by　an

analysis　of　Wycherley's　Plain　Dealer；　a　coarse　prose　adaption　of　the

Misanthrope；　stuffed　with　lumps　of　realism　in　a　vulgarized　theme　to

hit　the　mark　of　English　appetite；　that　we　have　in　it　the　keynote　of

the　Comedy　of　our　stage。　　It　is　Moliere　travestied；　with　the　hoof　to

his　foot　and　hair　on　the　pointed　tip　of　his　ear。　　And　how　difficult

it　is　for　writers　to　disentangle　themselves　from　bad　traditions　is

noticeable　when　we　find　Goldsmith；　who　had　grave　command　of　the

Comic　in　narrative；　producing　an　elegant　farce　for　a　Comedy；　and

Fielding；　who　was　a　master　of　the　Comic　both　in　narrative　and　in

dialogue；　not　even　approaching　to　the　presentable　in　farce。



These　bad　traditions　of　Comedy　affect　us　not　only　on　the　stage；　but

in　our　literature；　and　may　be　tracked　into　our　social　life。　　They

are　the　ground　of　the　heavy　moralizings　by　which　we　are　outwearied；

about　Life　as　a　Comedy；　and　Comedy　as　a　jade；　｛4｝　when　popular

writers；　conscious　of　fatigue　in　creativeness；　desire　to　be　cogent

in　a　modish　cynicism：　　perversions　of　the　idea　of　life；　and　of　the

proper　esteem　for　the　society　we　have　wrested　from　brutishness；　and

would　carry　higher。　　Stock　images　of　this　description　are　accepted

by　the　timid　and　the　sensitive；　as　well　as　by　the　saturnine；　quite

seriously；　for　not　many　look　abroad　with　their　own　eyes；　fewer　still

have　the　habit　of　thinking　for　themselves。　　Life；　we　know　too　well；

is　not　a　Comedy；　but　something　strangely　mixed；　nor　is　Comedy　a　vile

mask。　　The　corrupted　importation　from　France　was　noxious；　a　noble

entertainment　spoilt　to　suit　the　wretched　taste　of　a　villanous　age；

and　the　later　imitations　of　it；　partly　drained　of　its　poison　and

made　decorous；　became　tiresome；　notwithstanding　their　fun；　in　the

perpetual　recurring　of　the　same　situations；　owing　to　the　absence　of

original　study　and　vigour　of　conception。　　Scene　v。　Act　2　of　the

Misanthrope；　owing；　no　doubt；　to　the　fact　of　our　not　producing

matter　for　original　study；　is　repeated　in　succession　by　Wycherley；

Congreve；　and　Sheridan；　and　as　it　is　at　second　hand；　we　have　it　done

cynicallyor　such　is　the　tone；　in　the　manner　of　'below　stairs。'

Comedy　thus　treated　may　be　accepted　as　a　version　of　the　ordinary

worldly　understanding　of　our　social　life；　at　least；　in　accord　with

the　current　dicta　concerning　it。　　The　epigrams　can　be　made；　but　it

is　uninstructive；　rather　tending　to　do　disservice。　　Comedy　justly

treated；　as　you　find　it　in　Moliere；　whom　we　so　clownishly

mishandled；　the　Comedy　of　Moliere　throws　no　infamous　reflection　upon

life。　　It　is　deeply　conceived；　in　the　first　place；　and　therefore　it

cannot　be　impure。　　Meditate　on　that　statement。　　Never　did　man　wield

so　shrieking　a　scourge　upon　vice；　but　his　consummate　self…mastery　is

not　shaken　while　administering　it。　　Tartuffe　and　Harpagon；　in　fact；

are　made　each　to　whip　himself　and　his　class；　the　false　pietists；　and

the　insanely　covetous。　　Moliere　has　only　set　them　in　motion。　　He

strips　Folly　to　the　skin；　displays　the　imposture　of　the　creature；

and　is　content　to　offer　her　better　clothing；　with　the　lesson

Chrysale　reads　to　Philaminte　and　Belise。　　He　conceives　purely；　and

he　writes　purely；　in　the　simplest　language；　the　simplest　of　French

verse。　　The　source　of　his　wit　is　clear　reason：　　it　is　a　fountain　of

that　soil；　and　it　springs　to　vindicate　reason；　common…sense；

rightness　and　justice；　for　no　vain　purpose　ever。　　The　wit　is　of　such

pervading　spirit　that　it　inspires　a　pun　with　meaning　and　interest。

｛5｝　　His　moral　does　not　hang　like　a　tail；　or　preach　from　one

character　incessantly　cocking　an　eye　at　the　audience；　as　in　recent

realistic　French　Plays：　　but　is　in　the　heart　of　his　work；　throbbing

with　every　pulsation　of　an　organic　structure。　　If　Life　is　likened　to

the　comedy　of　Moliere；　there　is　no　scandal　in　the　comparison。



Congreve's　Way　of　the　World　is　an　exception　to　our　other　comedies；

his　own　among　them；　by　virtue　of　the　remarkable　brilliancy　of　the

writing；　and　the　figure　of　Millamant。　　The　comedy　has　no　idea　in　it；

beyond　the　stale　one；　that　so　the　world　goes；　and　it　concludes　with

the　jaded　discovery　of　a　document　at　a　convenient　season　for　the

descent　of　the　curtain。　　A　plot　was　an　afterthought　with　Congreve。

By　the　help　of　a　wooden　villain　（Maskwell）　marked　Gallows　to　the

flattest　eye；　he　gets　a　sort　of　plot　in　The　Double　Dealer。　｛6｝　　His

Way　of　the　World　might　be　called　The　Conquest　of　a　Town　Coquette；

and　Millamant　is　a　perfect　portrait　of　a　coquette；　both　in　her

resistance　to　Mirabel　and　the　manner　of　her　surrender；　and　also　in

her　tongue。　　The　wit　here　is　not　so　salient　as　in　certain　passages

of　Love　for　Love；　where　Valentine　feigns　madness　or　retorts　on　his

father；　or　Mrs。　Frail　rejoices　in　the　harmlessness　of　wounds　to　a

woman's　virtue；　if　she　'keeps　them　from　air。'　　In　The　Way　of　the

World；　it　appears　less　prepared　in　the　smartness；　and　is　more

diffused　in　the　more　characteristic　style　of　the　speakers。　　Here；

however；　as　elsewhere；　his　famous　wit　is　like　a　bully…fencer；　not

ashamed　to　lay　traps　for　its　exhibition；　transparently　petulant　for

the　train　between　certain　ordinary　words　and　the　powder…magazine　of

the　improprieties　to　be　fired。　　Contrast　the　wit　of　Congreve　with

Moliere's。　　That　of　the　first　is　a　Toledo　blade；　sharp；　and

wonderfully　supple　for　steel；　cast　for　duelling；　restless　in　the

scabbard；　being　so　pretty　when　out　of　it。　　To　shine；　it　must　have　an

adversary。　　Moliere's　wit　is　like　a　running　brook；　with　innumerable

fresh　lights　on　it　at　every　turn　of　the　wood　through　which　its

business　is　to　find　a　way。　　It　does　not　run　in　search　of

obstructions；　to　be　noisy　over　them；　but　when　dead　leaves　and　viler

substances　are　heaped　along　the　course；　its　natural　song　is

heightened。　　Without　effort；　and　with　no　dazzling　flashes　of

achievement；　it　is　full　of　healing；　the　wit　of　good　breeding；　the

wit　of　wisdom。



'Genuine　humour　and　true　wit；'　says　Landor；　｛7｝　'require　a　sound　and

capacious　mind；　which　is　always　a　grave　one。　　Rabelais　and　La

Fontaine　are　recorded　by　their　countrymen　to　have　been　reveurs。　　Few

men　have　been　graver　than　Pascal。　　Few　men　have　been　wittier。'



To　apply　the　citation　of　so　great　a　brain　as　Pascal's　to　our

countryman　would　be　unfair。　　Congreve　had　a　certain　soundness　of

mind；　of　capacity；　in　the　sense　intended　by　Landor；　he　had　little。

Judging　him　by　his　wit；　he　performed　some　happy　thrusts；　and　taking

it　for　genuine；　it　is　a　surface　wit；　neither　rising　from　a　depth　nor

flowing　from　a　spring。





'On　voit　qu'il　se　travaille　e　dire　de　bons　mots。'





He　drives　the　poor　hack　word；　'fool；'　as　cruelly　to　the　market　for

wit　as　any