an essay on comedy-第6部分

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they　have　not　yet　attained　to：　　sentimentalism　waylays　them　in　the

flight。　　Here　and　there　a　Volkslied　or　Marchen　shows　a　national

aptitude　for　stout　animal　laughter；　and　we　see　that　the　literature

is　built　on　it；　which　is　hopeful　so　far；　but　to　enjoy　it；　to　enter

into　the　philosophy　of　the　Broad　Grin；　that　seems　to　hesitate

between　the　skull　and　the　embryo；　and　reaches　its　perfection　in

breadth　from　the　pulling　of　two　square　fingers　at　the　corners　of　the

mouth；　one　must　have　aid　of　'the　good　Rhine　wine；'　and　be　of　German

blood　unmixed　besides。　　This　treble…Dutch　lumbersomeness　of　the

Comic　spirit　is　of　itself　exclusive　of　the　idea　of　Comedy；　and　the

poor　voice　allowed　to　women　in　German　domestic　life　will　account　for

the　absence　of　comic　dialogues　reflecting　upon　life　in　that　land。　　I

shall　speak　of　it　again　in　the　second　section　of　this　lecture。



Eastward　you　have　total　silence　of　Comedy　among　a　people　intensely

susceptible　to　laughter；　as　the　Arabian　Nights　will　testify。　　Where

the　veil　is　over　women's…faces；　you　cannot　have　society；　without

which　the　senses　are　barbarous　and　the　Comic　spirit　is　driven　to　the

gutters　of　grossness　to　slake　its　thirst。　　Arabs　in　this　respect　are

worse　than　Italiansmuch　worse　than　Germans；　just　in　the　degree

that　their　system　of　treating　women　is　worse。



M。　Saint…Marc　Girardin；　the　excellent　French　essayist　and　master　of

critical　style；　tells　of　a　conversation　he　had　once　with　an　Arab

gentleman　on　the　topic　of　the　different　management　of　these

difficult　creatures　in　Orient　and　in　Occident：　　and　the　Arab　spoke

in　praise　of　many　good　results　of　the　greater　freedom　enjoyed　by

Western　ladies；　and　the　charm　of　conversing　with　them。　　He　was

questioned　why　his　countrymen　took　no　measures　to　grant　them

something　of　that　kind　of　liberty。　　He　jumped　out　of　his

individuality　in　a　twinkling；　and　entered　into　the　sentiments　of　his

race；　replying；　from　the　pinnacle　of　a　splendid　conceit；　with

affected　humility　of　manner：　　'YOU　can　look　on　them　without

perturbationbut　WE！'　。　。　。　And　after　this　profoundly　comic

interjection；　he　added；　in　deep　tones；　'The　very　face　of　a　woman！'

Our　representative　of　temperate　notions　demurely　consented　that　the

Arab's　pride　of　inflammability　should　insist　on　the　prudery　of　the

veil　as　the　civilizing　medium　of　his　race。



There　has　been　fun　in　Bagdad。　　But　there　never　will　be　civilization

where　Comedy　is　not　possible；　and　that　comes　of　some　degree　of

social　equality　of　the　sexes。　　I　am　not　quoting　the　Arab　to　exhort

and　disturb　the　somnolent　East；　rather　for　cultivated　women　to

recognize　that　the　Comic　Muse　is　one　of　their　best　friends。　　They

are　blind　to　their　interests　in　swelling　the　ranks　of　the

sentimentalists。　　Let　them　look　with　their　clearest　vision　abroad

and　at　home。　　They　will　see　that　where　they　have　no　social　freedom；

Comedy　is　absent：　　where　they　are　household　drudges；　the　form　of

Comedy　is　primitive：　　where　they　are　tolerably　independent；　but

uncultivated；　exciting　melodrama　takes　its　place　and　a　sentimental

version　of　them。　　Yet　the　Comic　will　out；　as　they　would　know　if　they

listened　to　some　of　the　private　conversations　of　men　whose　minds　are

undirected　by　the　Comic　Muse：　　as　the　sentimental　man；　to　his

astonishment；　would　know　likewise；　if　he　in　similar　fashion　could

receive　a　lesson。　　But　where　women　are　on　the　road　to　an　equal

footing　with　men；　in　attainments　and　in　libertyin　what　they　have

won　for　themselves；　and　what　has　been　granted　them　by　a　fair

civilizationthere；　and　only　waiting　to　be　transplanted　from　life

to　the　stage；　or　the　novel；　or　the　poem；　pure　Comedy　flourishes；　and

is；　as　it　would　help　them　to　be；　the　sweetest　of　diversions；　the

wisest　of　delightful　companions。



Now；　to　look　about　us　in　the　present　time；　I　think　it　will　be

acknowledged　that　in　neglecting　the　cultivation　of　the　Comic　idea；

we　are　losing　the　aid　of　a　powerful　auxiliar。　　You　see　Folly

perpetually　sliding　into　new　shapes　in　a　society　possessed　of　wealth

and　leisure；　with　many　whims；　many　strange　ailments　and　strange

doctors。　　Plenty　of　common…sense　is　in　the　world　to　thrust　her　back

when　she　pretends　to　empire。　　But　the　first…born　of　common…sense；

the　vigilant　Comic；　which　is　the　genius　of　thoughtful　laughter；

which　would　readily　extinguish　her　at　the　outset；　is　not　serving　as

a　public　advocate。



You　will　have　noticed　the　disposition　of　common…sense；　under

pressure　of　some　pertinacious　piece　of　light…headedness；　to　grow

impatient　and　angry。　　That　is　a　sign　of　the　absence；　or　at　least　of

the　dormancy；　of　the　Comic　idea。　　For　Folly　is　the　natural　prey　of

the　Comic；　known　to　it　in　all　her　transformations；　in　every

disguise；　and　it　is　with　the　springing　delight　of　hawk　over　heron；

hound　after　fox；　that　it　gives　her　chase；　never　fretting；　never

tiring；　sure　of　having　her；　allowing　her　no　rest。



Contempt　is　a　sentiment　that　cannot　be　entertained　by　comic

intelligence。　　What　is　it　but　an　excuse　to　be　idly　minded；　or

personally　lofty；　or　comfortably　narrow；　not　perfectly　humane？　　If

we　do　not　feign　when　we　say　that　we　despise　Folly；　we　shut　the

brain。　　There　is　a　disdainful　attitude　in　the　presence　of　Folly；

partaking　of　the　foolishness　to　Comic　perception：　　and　anger　is　not

much　less　foolish　than　disdain。　　The　struggle　we　have　to　conduct　is

essence　against　essence。　　Let　no　one　doubt　of　the　sequel　when　this

emanation　of　what　is　firmest　in　us　is　launched　to　strike　down　the

daughter　of　Unreason　and　Sentimentalism：　　such　being　Folly's

parentage；　when　it　is　respectable。



Our　modern　system　of　combating　her　is　too　long　defensive；　and

carried　on　too　ploddingly　with　concrete　engines　of　war　in　the

attack。　　She　has　time　to　get　behind　entrenchments。　　She　is　ready　to

stand　a　siege；　before　the　heavily　armed　man　of　science　and　the

writer　of　the　leading　article　or　elaborate　essay　have　primed　their

big　guns。　　It　should　be　remembered　that　she　has　charms　for　the

multitude；　and　an　English　multitude　seeing　her　make　a　gallant　fight

of　it　will　be　half　in　love　with　her；　certainly　willing　to　lend　her　a

cheer。　　Benevolent　subscriptions　assist　her　to　hire　her　own　man　of

science；　her　own　organ　in　the　Press。　　If　ultimately　she　is　cast　out

and　overthrown；　she　can　stretch　a　finger　at　gaps　in　our　ranks。　　She

can　say　that　she　commanded　an　army　and　seduced　men；　whom　we　thought

sober　men　and　safe；　to　act　as　her　lieutenants。　　We　learn　rather

gloomily；　after　she　has　flashed　her　lantern；　that　we　have　in　our

midst　able　men　and　men　with　minds　for　whom　there　is　no　pole…star　in

intellectual　navigation。　　Comedy；　or　the　Comic　element；　is　the

specific　for　the　poison　of　delusion　while　Folly　is　passing　from　the

state　of　vapour　to　substantial　form。



O　for　a　breath　of　Aristophanes；　Rabelais；　Voltaire；　Cervantes；

Fielding；　Moliere！　　These　are　spirits　that；　if　you　know　them　well；

will　come　when　you　do　call。　　You　will　find　the　very　invocation　of

them　act　on　you　like　a　renovating　airthe　South…west　coming　off　the

sea；　or　a　cry　in　the　Alps。



No　one　would　presume　to　say　that　we　are　deficient　in　jokers。　　They

abound；　and　the　organisation　directing　their　machinery　to　shoot　them

in　the　wake　of　the　leading　article　and　the　popular　sentiment　is

good。



But　the　Comic　differs　from　them　in　addressing　the　wits　for　laughter；

and　the　sluggish　wits　want　some　training　to　respond　to　it；　whether

in　public　life　or　private；　and　particularly　when　the　feelings　are

excited。



The　sense　of　the　Comic　is　much　blunted　by　habits　of　punning　and　of

using　humouristic　phrase：　　the　trick　of　employing　Johnsonian

polysyllables　to　treat　of　the　infinitely　little。　　And　it　really　may

be　humorous；　of　a　kind；　yet　it　will　miss　the　point　by　going　too　much

round　about　it。



A　certain　French　Duke　Pasquier　died；　some　years　back；　at　a　very

advanced　age。　　He　had　been　the　venerable　Duke　Pasquier　in　his　later

years　up　to　the　period　of　his　death。　　There　was　a　report　of　Duke

Pasquier　that　he　was　a　man　of　profound　egoism。　　Hence　an　argument

arose；　and　was　warmly　sustained；　upon　the　excessive　selfishness　of

those　who；　in　a　world　of　troubles；　and　calls　to　action；　and

innumerable　duties；　husband　their　strength　for　the　sake　of　living

on。　　Can　it　be　possible；　the　argument　ran；　for　a　truly　generous

heart　to　continue　beating　up　to　the　age　of　a　hundred？　　Duke　Pasquier

was　not　without　his　defenders；　who　likened　him　to　the　oak　of　the

foresta　venerable　comparison。



The　argument　was　conducted　on　both　sides　with　spirit　and

earnestness；　lightened　here　and　there　by　frisky　touches　of　the

polysyllabic　playful；　reminding　one　of　the　serious　pursuit　of　their

fun　by　truant　boys；　that　are　assured　they　are　out　of　the　eye　of

their　master；　and　now　and　then　indulge　in　an　imitation　of　him。　　And

well　might　it　be　supposed　that　the　Comic　idea　was　asleep；　not

overlooking　them！　　It　resolved　at　last　to　this；　that　either　Duke

Pasquier　was　a　scandal　on　our　humanity　in　clinging　to　life　so　long；

or　that　he　honoured　it　by　so　sturdy　a　resistance　to　the　enemy。　　As

one　who　has　entangled　himself　in　a　labyrinth　is　glad　to　get　out

again　at　the　entrance；　the　argument　ran　about　to　conclude　with　its

commencement。



Now；　imagine　a　master　of　the　Comic　treating　this　theme；　and

particularly　the　argument　on　it。　　Imagine　an　Aristophanic　comedy　of

THE　CENTENARIAN；　with　choric　praises　of　heroical　early　death；　and

the　same　of　a　stubborn　vitality；　and　the　poet　laughing　at　the

chorus；　and　the　grand　question　for　contention　in　dialogue；　as　to　the

exact　age　when　a　man　should　die；　to　the　identical　minute；　that　he

may　preserve　the　respect　of　his　fellows；　followed　by　a　systematic

attempt　to　make　an　accurate　measurement　in　parallel　lines；　with　a

tough　rope…yarn　by　one　party；　and　a　string　of　yawns　by　the　other；　of

the　veteran's　power　of　enduring　life；　and　our　capacity　for　enduring

HIM；　with　tremendous　pulling　on　both　sides。



Would　not　the　Comic　view　of　the　discussion　i