an essay on comedy-第8部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



his　word　to　say　about　it　when　riding　home。



In　our　prose　literature　we　have　had　delightful　Comic　writers。

Besides　Fielding　and　Goldsmith；　there　is　Miss　Austen；　whose　Emma　and

Mr。　Elton　might　walk　straight　into　a　comedy；　were　the　plot　arranged

for　them。　　Galt's　neglected　novels　have　some　characters　and　strokes

of　shrewd　comedy。　　In　our　poetic　literature　the　comic　is　delicate

and　graceful　above　the　touch　of　Italian　and　French。　　Generally；

however；　the　English　elect　excel　in　satire；　and　they　are　noble

humourists。　　The　national　disposition　is　for　hard…hitting；　with　a

moral　purpose　to　sanction　it；　or　for　a　rosy；　sometimes　a　larmoyant；

geniality；　not　unmanly　in　its　verging　upon　tenderness；　and　with　a

singular　attraction　for　thick…headedness；　to　decorate　it　with　asses'

ears　and　the　most　beautiful　sylvan　haloes。　　But　the　Comic　is　a

different　spirit。



You　may　estimate　your　capacity　for　Comic　perception　by　being　able　to

detect　the　ridicule　of　them　you　love；　without　loving　them　less：　　and

more　by　being　able　to　see　yourself　somewhat　ridiculous　in　dear　eyes；

and　accepting　the　correction　their　image　of　you　proposes。



Each　one　of　an　affectionate　couple　may　be　willing；　as　we　say；　to　die

for　the　other；　yet　unwilling　to　utter　the　agreeable　word　at　the

right　moment；　but　if　the　wits　were　sufficiently　quick　for　them　to

perceive　that　they　are　in　a　comic　situation；　as　affectionate　couples

must　be　when　they　quarrel；　they　would　not　wait　for　the　moon　or　the

almanac；　or　a　Dorine；　to　bring　back　the　flood…tide　of　tender

feelings；　that　they　should　join　hands　and　lips。



If　you　detect　the　ridicule；　and　your　kindliness　is　chilled　by　it；

you　are　slipping　into　the　grasp　of　Satire。



If　instead　of　falling　foul　of　the　ridiculous　person　with　a　satiric

rod；　to　make　him　writhe　and　shriek　aloud；　you　prefer　to　sting　him

under　a　semi…caress；　by　which　he　shall　in　his　anguish　be　rendered

dubious　whether　indeed　anything　has　hurt　him；　you　are　an　engine　of

Irony。



If　you　laugh　all　round　him；　tumble　him；　roll　him　about；　deal　him　a

smack；　and　drop　a　tear　on　him；　own　his　likeness　to　you　and　yours　to

your　neighbour；　spare　him　as　little　as　you　shun；　pity　him　as　much　as

you　expose；　it　is　a　spirit　of　Humour　that　is　moving　you。



The　Comic；　which　is　the　perceptive；　is　the　governing　spirit；

awakening　and　giving　aim　to　these　powers　of　laughter；　but　it　is　not

to　be　confounded　with　them：　　it　enfolds　a　thinner　form　of　them；

differing　from　satire；　in　not　sharply　driving　into　the　quivering

sensibilities；　and　from　humour；　in　not　comforting　them　and　tucking

them　up；　or　indicating　a　broader　than　the　range　of　this　bustling

world　to　them。



Fielding's　Jonathan　Wild　presents　a　case　of　this　peculiar

distinction；　when　that　man　of　eminent　greatness　remarks　upon　the

unfairness　of　a　trial　in　which　the　condemnation　has　been　brought

about　by　twelve　men　of　the　opposite　party；　for　it　is　not　satiric；　it

is　not　humorous；　yet　it　is　immensely　comic　to　hear　a　guilty　villain

protesting　that　his　own　'party'　should　have　a　voice　in　the　Law。　　It

opens　an　avenue　into　villains'　ratiocination。　｛9｝　　And　the　Comic　is

not　cancelled　though　we　should　suppose　Jonathan　to　be　giving　play　to

his　humour。　　I　may　have　dreamed　this　or　had　it　suggested　to　me；　for

on　referring　to　Jonathan　Wild；　I　do　not　find　it。



Apply　the　case　to　the　man　of　deep　wit；　who　is　ever　certain　of　his

condemnation　by　the　opposite　party；　and　then　it　ceases　to　be　comic；

and　will　be　satiric。



The　look　of　Fielding　upon　Richardson　is　essentially　comic。　　His

method　of　correcting　the　sentimental　writer　is　a　mixture　of　the

comic　and　the　humorous。　　Parson　Adams　is　a　creation　of　humour。　　But

both　the　conception　and　the　presentation　of　Alceste　and　of　Tartuffe；

of　Celimene　and　Philaminte；　are　purely　comic；　addressed　to　the

intellect：　　there　is　no　humour　in　them；　and　they　refresh　the

intellect　they　quicken　to　detect　their　comedy；　by　force　of　the

contrast　they　offer　between　themselves　and　the　wiser　world　about

them；　that　is　to　say；　society；　or　that　assemblage　of　minds　whereof

the　Comic　spirit　has　its　origin。



Byron　had　splendid　powers　of　humour；　and　the　most　poetic　satire　that

we　have　example　of；　fusing　at　times　to　hard　irony。　　He　had　no　strong

comic　sense；　or　he　would　not　have　taken　an　anti…social　position；

which　is　directly　opposed　to　the　Comic；　and　in　his　philosophy；

judged　by　philosophers；　he　is　a　comic　figure；　by　reason　of　this

deficiency。　　'So　bald　er　philosophirt　ist　er　ein　Kind；'　Goethe　says

of　him。　　Carlyle　sees　him　in　this　comic　light；　treats　him　in　the

humorous　manner。



The　Satirist　is　a　moral　agent；　often　a　social　scavenger；　working　on

a　storage　of　bile。



The　Ironeist　is　one　thing　or　another；　according　to　his　caprice。

Irony　is　the　humour　of　satire；　it　may　be　savage　as　in　Swift；　with　a

moral　object；　or　sedate；　as　in　Gibbon；　with　a　malicious。　　The

foppish　irony　fretting　to　be　seen；　and　the　irony　which　leers；　that

you　shall　not　mistake　its　intention；　are　failures　in　satiric　effort

pretending　to　the　treasures　of　ambiguity。



The　Humourist　of　mean　order　is　a　refreshing　laugher；　giving　tone　to

the　feelings　and　sometimes　allowing　the　feelings　to　be　too　much　for

him。　　But　the　humourist　of　high　has　an　embrace　of　contrasts　beyond

the　scope　of　the　Comic　poet。



Heart　and　mind　laugh　out　at　Don　Quixote；　and　still　you　brood　on　him。

The　juxtaposition　of　the　knight　and　squire　is　a　Comic　conception；

the　opposition　of　their　natures　most　humorous。　　They　are　as

different　as　the　two　hemispheres　in　the　time　of　Columbus；　yet　they

touch　and　are　bound　in　one　by　laughter。　　The　knight's　great　aims　and

constant　mishaps；　his　chivalrous　valiancy　exercised　on　absurd

objects；　his　good　sense　along　the　highroad　of　the　craziest　of

expeditions；　the　compassion　he　plucks　out　of　derision；　and　the

admirable　figure　he　preserves　while　stalking　through　the　frantically

grotesque　and　burlesque　assailing　him；　are　in　the　loftiest　moods　of

humour；　fusing　the　Tragic　sentiment　with　the　Comic　narrative。



The　stroke　of　the　great　humourist　is　world…wide；　with　lights　of

Tragedy　in　his　laughter。



Taking　a　living　great；　though　not　creative；　humourist　to　guide　our

description：　　the　skull　of　Yorick　is　in　his　hands　in　our　seasons　of

festival；　he　sees　visions　of　primitive　man　capering　preposterously

under　the　gorgeous　robes　of　ceremonial。　　Our　souls　must　be　on　fire

when　we　wear　solemnity；　if　we　would　not　press　upon　his　shrewdest

nerve。　　Finite　and　infinite　flash　from　one　to　the　other　with　him；

lending　him　a　two…edged　thought　that　peeps　out　of　his　peacefullest

lines　by　fits；　like　the　lantern　of　the　fire…watcher　at　windows；

going　the　rounds　at　night。　　The　comportment　and　performances　of　men

in　society　are　to　him；　by　the　vivid　comparison　with　their　mortality；

more　grotesque　than　respectable。　　But　ask　yourself；　Is　he　always　to

be　relied　on　for　justness？　　He　will　fly　straight　as　the　emissary

eagle　back　to　Jove　at　the　true　Hero。　　He　will　also　make　as

determined　a　swift　descent　upon　the　man　of　his　wilful　choice；　whom

we　cannot　distinguish　as　a　true　one。　　This　vast　power　of　his；　built

up　of　the　feelings　and　the　intellect　in　union；　is　often　wanting　in

proportion　and　in　discretion。　　Humourists　touching　upon　History　or

Society　are　given　to　be　capricious。　　They　are；　as　in　the　case　of

Sterne；　given　to　be　sentimental；　for　with　them　the　feelings　are

primary；　as　with　singers。　　Comedy；　on　the　other　hand；　is　an

interpretation　of　the　general　mind；　and　is　for　that　reason　of

necessity　kept　in　restraint。　　The　French　lay　marked　stress　on　mesure

et　gout；　and　they　own　how　much　they　owe　to　Moliere　for　leading　them

in　simple　justness　and　taste。　　We　can　teach　them　many　things；　they

can　teach　us　in　this。



The　Comic　poet　is　in　the　narrow　field；　or　enclosed　square；　of　the

society　he　depicts；　and　he　addresses　the　still　narrower　enclosure　of

men's　intellects；　with　reference　to　the　operation　of　the　social

world　upon　their　characters。　　He　is　not　concerned　with　beginnings　or

endings　or　surroundings；　but　with　what　you　are　now　weaving。　　To

understand　his　work　and　value　it；　you　must　have　a　sober　liking　of

your　kind　and　a　sober　estimate　of　our　civilized　qualities。　　The　aim

and　business　of　the　Comic　poet　are　misunderstood；　his　meaning　is　not

seized　nor　his　point　of　view　taken；　when　he　is　accused　of

dishonouring　our　nature　and　being　hostile　to　sentiment；　tending　to

spitefulness　and　making　an　unfair　use　of　laughter。　　Those　who　detect

irony　in　Comedy　do　so　because　they　choose　to　see　it　in　life。

Poverty；　says　the　satirist；　has　nothing　harder　in　itself　than　that

it　makes　men　ridiculous。　　But　poverty　is　never　ridiculous　to　Comic

perception　until　it　attempts　to　make　its　rags　conceal　its　bareness

in　a　forlorn　attempt　at　decency；　or　foolishly　to　rival　ostentation。

Caleb　Balderstone；　in　his　endeavour　to　keep　up　the　honour　of　a　noble

household　in　a　state　of　beggary；　is　an　exquisitely　comic　character。

In　the　case　of　'poor　relatives；'　on　the　other　hand；　it　is　the　rich；

whom　they　perplex；　that　are　really　comic；　and　to　laugh　at　the

former；　not　seeing　the　comedy　of　the　latter；　is　to　betray　dulness　of

vision。　　Humourist　and　Satirist　frequently　hunt　together　as

Ironeists　in　pursuit　of　the　grotesque；　to　the　exclusion　of　the

Comic。　　That　was　an　affecting　moment　in　the　history　of　the　Prince

Regent；　when　the　First　Gentleman　of　Europe　burst　into　tears　at　a

sarcastic　remark　of　Beau　Brummell's　on　the　cut　of　his　coat。　　Humour；

Satire；　Irony；　pounce　on　it　altogether　as　their　common　prey。　　The

Comic　spirit　eyes　but　does　not　touch　it。　　Put　into　action；　it　would

be　farcical。　　It　is　too　gross　for　Comedy。



Incidents　of　a　kind　casting　ridicule　on　our　unfortunate　nature

instead　of　our　conventional　life；　provoke　derisive　laughter；　which

thwarts　the　Comic　idea。　　But　derision　is　foiled　by　the　play　of　the

intellect。　　Most　of　doubtful　causes　in　contest　are　open　to　Comic

interpretation；　and　any