an essay on comedy-第7部分

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HIM；　with　tremendous　pulling　on　both　sides。



Would　not　the　Comic　view　of　the　discussion　illumine　it　and　the

disputants　like　very　lightning？　　There　are　questions；　as　well　as

persons；　that　only　the　Comic　can　fitly　touch。



Aristophanes　would　probably　have　crowned　the　ancient　tree；　with　the

consolatory　observation　to　the　haggard　line　of　long…expectant　heirs

of　the　Centenarian；　that　they　live　to　see　the　blessedness　of　coming

of　a　strong　stock。　　The　shafts　of　his　ridicule　would　mainly　have

been　aimed　at　the　disputants。　　For　the　sole　ground　of　the　argument

was　the　old　man's　character；　and　sophists　are　not　needed　to

demonstrate　that　we　can　very　soon　have　too　much　of　a　bad　thing。　　A

Centenarian　does　not　necessarily　provoke　the　Comic　idea；　nor　does

the　corpse　of　a　duke。　　It　is　not　provoked　in　the　order　of　nature；

until　we　draw　its　penetrating　attentiveness　to　some　circumstance

with　which　we　have　been　mixing　our　private　interests；　or　our

speculative　obfuscation。　　Dulness；　insensible　to　the　Comic；　has　the

privilege　of　arousing　it；　and　the　laying　of　a　dull　finger　on　matters

of　human　life　is　the　surest　method　of　establishing　electrical

communications　with　a　battery　of　laughterwhere　the　Comic　idea　is

prevalent。



But　if　the　Comic　idea　prevailed　with　us；　and　we　had　an　Aristophanes

to　barb　and　wing　it；　we　should　be　breathing　air　of　Athens。　　Prosers

now　pouring　forth　on　us　like　public　fountains　would　be　cut　short　in

the　street　and　left　blinking；　dumb　as　pillar…posts；　with　letters

thrust　into　their　mouths。　　We　should　throw　off　incubus；　our　dreadful

familiarby　some　called　boredomwhom　it　is　our　present　humiliation


to　be　just　alive　enough　to　loathe；　never　quick　enough　to　foil。

There　would　be　a　bright　and　positive；　clear　Hellenic　perception　of

facts。　　The　vapours　of　Unreason　and　Sentimentalism　would　be　blown

away　before　they　were　productive。　　Where　would　Pessimist　and

Optimist　be？　　They　would　in　any　case　have　a　diminished　audience。

Yet　possibly　the　change　of　despots；　from　good…natured　old　obtuseness

to　keen…edged　intelligence；　which　is　by　nature　merciless；　would　be

more　than　we　could　bear。　　The　rupture　of　the　link　between　dull

people；　consisting　in　the　fraternal　agreement　that　something　is　too

clever　for　them；　and　a　shot　beyond　them；　is　not　to　be　thought　of

lightly；　for；　slender　though　the　link　may　seem；　it　is　equivalent　to

a　cement　forming　a　concrete　of　dense　cohesion；　very　desirable　in　the

estimation　of　the　statesman。



A　political　Aristophanes；　taking　advantage　of　his　lyrical　Bacchic

licence；　was　found　too　much　for　political　Athens。　　I　would　not　ask

to　have　him　revived；　but　that　the　sharp　light　of　such　a　spirit　as

his　might　be　with　us　to　strike　now　and　then　on　public　affairs；

public　themes；　to　make　them　spin　along　more　briskly。



He　hated　with　the　politician's　fervour　the　sophist　who　corrupted

simplicity　of　thought；　the　poet　who　destroyed　purity　of　style；　the

demagogue；　'the　saw…toothed　monster；'　who；　as　he　conceived；　chicaned

the　mob；　and　he　held　his　own　against　them　by　strength　of　laughter；

until　fines；　the　curtailing　of　his　Comic　licence　in　the　chorus；　and

ultimately　the　ruin　of　Athens；　which　could　no　longer　support　the

expense　of　the　chorus；　threw　him　altogether　on　dialogue；　and　brought

him　under　the　law。　　After　the　catastrophe；　the　poet；　who　had　ever

been　gazing　back　at　the　men　of　Marathon　and　Salamis；　must　have　felt

that　he　had　foreseen　it；　and　that　he　was　wise　when　he　pleaded　for

peace；　and　derided　military　coxcombry；　and　the　captious　old　creature

Demus；　we　can　admit。　　He　had　the　Comic　poet's　gift　of　common…sense

which　does　not　always　include　political　intelligence；　yet　his

political　tendency　raised　him　above　the　Old　Comedy　turn　for

uproarious　farce。　　He　abused　Socrates；　but　Xenophon；　the　disciple　of

Socrates；　by　his　trained　rhetoric　saved　the　Ten　Thousand。

Aristophanes　might　say　that　if　his　warnings　had　been　followed　there

would　have　been　no　such　thing　as　a　mercenary　Greek　expedition　under

Cyrus。　　Athens；　however；　was　on　a　landslip；　falling；　none　could

arrest　it。　　To　gaze　back；　to　uphold　the　old　times；　was　a　most

natural　conservatism；　and　fruitless。　　The　aloe　had　bloomed。　　Whether

right　or　wrong　in　his　politics　and　his　criticisms；　and　bearing　in

mind　the　instruments　he　played　on　and　the　audience　he　had　to　win；

there　is　an　idea　in　his　comedies：　　it　is　the　Idea　of　Good

Citizenship。



He　is　not　likely　to　be　revived。　　He　stands；　like　Shakespeare；　an

unapproachable。　　Swift　says　of　him；　with　a　loving　chuckle：





'But　as　for　Comic　Aristophanes；

The　dog　too　witty　and　too　profane　is。'





Aristophanes　was　'profane；'　under　satiric　direction；　unlike　his

rivals　Cratinus；　Phrynichus；　Ameipsias；　Eupolis；　and　others；　if　we

are　to　believe　him；　who　in　their　extraordinary　Donnybrook　Fair　of

the　day　of　Comedy；　thumped　one　another　and　everybody　else　with

absolute　heartiness；　as　he　did；　but　aimed　at　small　game；　and　dragged

forth　particular　women；　which　he　did　not。　　He　is　an　aggregate　of

many　men；　all　of　a　certain　greatness。　　We　may　build　up　a　conception

of　his　powers　if　we　mount　Rabelais　upon　Hudibras；　lift　him　with　the

songfulness　of　Shelley；　give　him　a　vein　of　Heinrich　Heine；　and　cover

him　with　the　mantle　of　the　Anti…Jacobin；　adding　（that　there　may　be

some　Irish　in　him）　a　dash　of　Grattan；　before　he　is　in　motion。



But　such　efforts　at　conceiving　one　great　one　by　incorporation　of

minors　are　vain；　and　cry　for　excuse。　　Supposing　Wilkes　for　leading

man　in　a　country　constantly　plunging　into　war　under　some　plumed

Lamachus；　with　enemies　periodically　firing　the　land　up　to　the　gates

of　London；　and　a　Samuel　Foote；　of　prodigious　genius；　attacking　him

with　ridicule；　I　think　it　gives　a　notion　of　the　conflict　engaged　in

by　Aristophanes。　　This　laughing　bald…pate；　as　he　calls　himself；　was

a　Titanic　pamphleteer；　using　laughter　for　his　political　weapon；　a

laughter　without　scruple；　the　laughter　of　Hercules。　　He　was　primed

with　wit；　as　with　the　garlic　he　speaks　of　giving　to　the　game…cocks；

to　make　them　fight　the　better。　　And　he　was　a　lyric　poet　of　aerial

delicacy；　with　the　homely　song　of　a　jolly　national　poet；　and　a　poet

of　such　feeling　that　the　comic　mask　is　at　times　no　broader　than　a

cloth　on　a　face　to　show　the　serious　features　of　our　common　likeness。

He　is　not　to　be　revived；　but　if　his　method　were　studied；　some　of　the

fire　in　him　would　come　to　us；　and　we　might　be　revived。



Taking　them　generally；　the　English　public　are　most　in　sympathy　with

this　primitive　Aristophanic　comedy；　wherein　the　comic　is　capped　by

the　grotesque；　irony　tips　the　wit；　and　satire　is　a　naked　sword。

They　have　the　basis　of　the　Comic　in　them：　　an　esteem　for　common…

sense。　　They　cordially　dislike　the　reverse　of　it。　　They　have　a　rich

laugh；　though　it　is　not　the　gros　rire　of　the　Gaul　tossing　gros　sel；

nor　the　polished　Frenchman's　mentally　digestive　laugh。　　And　if　they

have　now；　like　a　monarch　with　a　troop　of　dwarfs；　too　many　jesters

kicking　the　dictionary　about；　to　let　them　reflect　that　they　are

dull；　occasionally；　like　the　pensive　monarch　surprising　himself　with

an　idea　of　an　idea　of　his　own；　they　look　so。　　And　they　are　given　to

looking　in　the　glass。　　They　must　see　that　something　ails　them。　　How

much　even　the　better　order　of　them　will　endure；　without　a　thought　of

the　defensive；　when　the　person　afflicting　them　is　protected　from

satire；　we　read　in　Memoirs　of　a　Preceding　Age；　where　the　vulgarly

tyrannous　hostess　of　a　great　house　of　reception　shuffled　the　guests

and　played　them　like　a　pack　of　cards；　with　her　exact　estimate　of　the

strength　of　each　one　printed　on　them：　　and　still　this　house

continued　to　be　the　most　popular　in　England；　nor　did　the　lady　ever

appear　in　print　or　on　the　boards　as　the　comic　type　that　she　was。



It　has　been　suggested　that　they　have　not　yet　spiritually

comprehended　the　signification　of　living　in　society；　for　who　are

cheerfuller；　brisker　of　wit；　in　the　fields；　and　as　explorers；

colonisers；　backwoodsmen？　　They　are　happy　in　rough　exercise；　and

also　in　complete　repose。　　The　intermediate　condition；　when　they　are

called　upon　to　talk　to　one　another；　upon　other　than　affairs　of

business　or　their　hobbies；　reveals　them　wearing　a　curious　look　of

vacancy；　as　it　were　the　socket　of　an　eye　wanting。　　The　Comic　is

perpetually　springing　up　in　social　life；　and；　it　oppresses　them　from

not　being　perceived。



Thus；　at　a　dinner…party；　one　of　the　guests；　who　happens　to　have

enrolled　himself　in　a　Burial　Company；　politely　entreats　the　others

to　inscribe　their　names　as　shareholders；　expatiating　on　the

advantages　accruing　to　them　in　the　event　of　their　very　possible

speedy　death；　the　salubrity　of　the　site；　the　aptitude　of　the　soil

for　a　quick　consumption　of　their　remains；　etc。；　and　they　drink

sadness　from　the　incongruous　man；　and　conceive　indigestion；　not

seeing　him　in　a　sharply　defined　light；　that　would　bid　them　taste　the

comic　of　him。　　Or　it　is　mentioned　that　a　newly　elected　member　of　our

Parliament　celebrates　his　arrival　at　eminence　by　the　publication　of

a　book　on　cab…fares；　dedicated　to　a　beloved　female　relative

deceased；　and　the　comment　on　it　is　the　word　'Indeed。'　　But；　merely

for　a　contrast；　turn　to　a　not　uncommon　scene　of　yesterday　in　the

hunting…field；　where　a　brilliant　young　rider；　having　broken　his

collar…bone；　trots　away　very　soon　after；　against　medical　interdict；

half　put　together　in　splinters；　to　the　most　distant　meet　of　his

neighbourhood；　sure　of　escaping　his　doctor；　who　is　the　first　person

he　encounters。　　'I　came　here　purposely　to　avoid　you；'　says　the

patient。　　'I　came　here　purposely　to　take　care　of　you；'　says　the

doctor。　　Off　they　go；　and　come　to　a　swollen　brook。　　The　patient

clears　it　handsomely：　　the　doctor　tumbles　in。　　All　the　field　are

alive　with　the　heartiest　relish　of　every　incident　and　every　cross…

light　on　it；　and　dull　would　the　man　have　been　thought　who　had　not

his　word　to　say　about　it　when　riding　home。



In　our　prose　li