an essay on comedy-第9部分

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

interpretation；　and　any　intellectual　pleading　of　a　doubtful　cause

contains　germs　of　an　Idea　of　Comedy。



The　laughter　of　satire　is　a　blow　in　the　back　or　the　face。　　The

laughter　of　Comedy　is　impersonal　and　of　unrivalled　politeness；

nearer　a　smile；　often　no　more　than　a　smile。　　It　laughs　through　the

mind；　for　the　mind　directs　it；　and　it　might　be　called　the　humour　of

the　mind。



One　excellent　test　of　the　civilization　of　a　country；　as　I　have　said；

I　take　to　be　the　flourishing　of　the　Comic　idea　and　Comedy；　and　the

test　of　true　Comedy　is　that　it　shall　awaken　thoughtful　laughter。



If　you　believe　that　our　civilization　is　founded　in　common…sense　（and

it　is　the　first　condition　of　sanity　to　believe　it）；　you　will；　when

contemplating　men；　discern　a　Spirit　overhead；　not　more　heavenly　than

the　light　flashed　upward　from　glassy　surfaces；　but　luminous　and

watchful；　never　shooting　beyond　them；　nor　lagging　in　the　rear；　so

closely　attached　to　them　that　it　may　be　taken　for　a　slavish　reflex；

until　its　features　are　studied。　　It　has　the　sage's　brows；　and　the

sunny　malice　of　a　faun　lurks　at　the　corners　of　the　half…closed　lips

drawn　in　an　idle　wariness　of　half　tension。　　That　slim　feasting

smile；　shaped　like　the　long…bow；　was　once　a　big　round　satyr's　laugh；

that　flung　up　the　brows　like　a　fortress　lifted　by　gunpowder。　　The

laugh　will　come　again；　but　it　will　be　of　the　order　of　the　smile；

finely　tempered；　showing　sunlight　of　the　mind；　mental　richness

rather　than　noisy　enormity。　　Its　common　aspect　is　one　of

unsolicitous　observation；　as　if　surveying　a　full　field　and　having

leisure　to　dart　on　its　chosen　morsels；　without　any　fluttering

eagerness。　　Men's　future　upon　earth　does　not　attract　it；　their

honesty　and　shapeliness　in　the　present　does；　and　whenever　they　wax

out　of　proportion；　overblown；　affected；　pretentious；　bombastical；

hypocritical；　pedantic；　fantastically　delicate；　whenever　it　sees

them　self…deceived　or　hoodwinked；　given　to　run　riot　in　idolatries；

drifting　into　vanities；　congregating　in　absurdities；　planning　short…

sightedly；　plotting　dementedly；　whenever　they　are　at　variance　with

their　professions；　and　violate　the　unwritten　but　perceptible　laws

binding　them　in　consideration　one　to　another；　whenever　they　offend

sound　reason；　fair　justice；　are　false　in　humility　or　mined　with

conceit；　individually；　or　in　the　bulkthe　Spirit　overhead　will　look

humanely　malign　and　cast　an　oblique　light　on　them；　followed　by

volleys　of　silvery　laughter。　　That　is　the　Comic　Spirit。



Not　to　distinguish　it　is　to　be　bull…blind　to　the　spiritual；　and　to

deny　the　existence　of　a　mind　of　man　where　minds　of　men　are　in

working　conjunction。



You　must；　as　I　have　said；　believe　that　our　state　of　society　is

founded　in　common…sense；　otherwise　you　will　not　be　struck　by　the

contrasts　the　Comic　Spirit　perceives；　or　have　it　to　look　to　for　your

consolation。　　You　will；　in　fact；　be　standing　in　that　peculiar

oblique　beam　of　light；　yourself　illuminated　to　the　general　eye　as

the　very　object　of　chase　and　doomed　quarry　of　the　thing　obscure　to

you。　　But　to　feel　its　presence　and　to　see　it　is　your　assurance　that

many　sane　and　solid　minds　are　with　you　in　what　you　are　experiencing：

and　this　of　itself　spares　you　the　pain　of　satirical　heat；　and　the

bitter　craving　to　strike　heavy　blows。　　You　share　the　sublime　of

wrath；　that　would　not　have　hurt　the　foolish；　but　merely　demonstrate

their　foolishness。　　Moliere　was　contented　to　revenge　himself　on　the

critics　of　the　Ecole　des　Femmes；　by　writing　the　Critique　de　l'Ecole

des　Femmes；　one　of　the　wisest　as　well　as　the　playfullest　of　studies

in　criticism。　　A　perception　of　the　comic　spirit　gives　high

fellowship。　　You　become　a　citizen　of　the　selecter　world；　the　highest

we　know　of　in　connection　with　our　old　world；　which　is　not

supermundane。　　Look　there　for　your　unchallengeable　upper　class！　　You

feel　that　you　are　one　of　this　our　civilized　community；　that　you

cannot　escape　from　it；　and　would　not　if　you　could。　　Good　hope

sustains　you；　weariness　does　not　overwhelm　you；　in　isolation　you　see

no　charms　for　vanity；　personal　pride　is　greatly　moderated。　　Nor

shall　your　title　of　citizenship　exclude　you　from　worlds　of

imagination　or　of　devotion。　　The　Comic　spirit　is　not　hostile　to　the

sweetest　songfully　poetic。　　Chaucer　bubbles　with　it：　　Shakespeare

overflows：　　there　is　a　mild　moon's　ray　of　it　（pale　with　super…

refinement　through　distance　from　our　flesh　and　blood　planet）　in

Comus。　　Pope　has　it；　and　it　is　the　daylight　side　of　the　night　half

obscuring　Cowper。　　It　is　only　hostile　to　the　priestly　element；　when

that；　by　baleful　swelling；　transcends　and　overlaps　the　bounds　of　its

office：　　and　then；　in　extreme　cases；　it　is　too　true　to　itself　to

speak；　and　veils　the　lamp：　　as；　for　example；　the　spectacle　of

Bossuet　over　the　dead　body　of　Moliere：　　at　which　the　dark　angels

may；　but　men　do　not　laugh。



We　have　had　comic　pulpits；　for　a　sign　that　the　laughter…moving　and

the　worshipful　may　be　in　alliance：　　I　know　not　how　far　comic；　or　how

much　assisted　in　seeming　so　by　the　unexpectedness　and　the　relief　of

its　appearance：　　at　least　they　are　popular；　they　are　said　to　win　the

ear。　　Laughter　is　open　to　perversion；　like　other　good　things；　the

scornful　and　the　brutal　sorts　are　not　unknown　to　us；　but　the

laughter　directed　by　the　Comic　spirit　is　a　harmless　wine；　conducing

to　sobriety　in　the　degree　that　it　enlivens。　　It　enters　you　like

fresh　air　into　a　study；　as　when　one　of　the　sudden　contrasts　of　the

comic　idea　floods　the　brain　like　reassuring　daylight。　　You　are

cognizant　of　the　true　kind　by　feeling　that　you　take　it　in；　savour

it；　and　have　what　flowers　live　on；　natural　air　for　food。　　That　which

you　give　outthe　joyful　roaris　not　the　better　part；　let　that　go

to　good　fellowship　and　the　benefit　of　the　lungs。　　Aristophanes

promises　his　auditors　that　if　they　will　retain　the　ideas　of　the

comic　poet　carefully；　as　they　keep　dried　fruits　in　boxes；　their

garments　shall　smell　odoriferous　of　wisdom　throughout　the　year。　　The

boast　will　not　be　thought　an　empty　one　by　those　who　have　choice

friends　that　have　stocked　themselves　according　to　his　directions。

Such　treasuries　of　sparkling　laughter　are　wells　in　our　desert。

Sensitiveness　to　the　comic　laugh　is　a　step　in　civilization。　　To

shrink　from　being　an　object　of　it　is　a　step　in　cultivation。　　We　know

the　degree　of　refinement　in　men　by　the　matter　they　will　laugh　at；

and　the　ring　of　the　laugh；　but　we　know　likewise　that　the　larger

natures　are　distinguished　by　the　great　breadth　of　their　power　of

laughter；　and　no　one　really　loving　Moliere　is　refined　by　that　love

to　despise　or　be　dense　to　Aristophanes；　though　it　may　be　that　the

lover　of　Aristophanes　will　not　have　risen　to　the　height　of　Moliere。

Embrace　them　both；　and　you　have　the　whole　scale　of　laughter　in　your

breast。　　Nothing　in　the　world　surpasses　in　stormy　fun　the　scene　in

The　Frogs；　when　Bacchus　and　Xanthias　receive　their　thrashings　from

the　hands　of　businesslike　OEacus；　to　discover　which　is　the　divinity

of　the　two；　by　his　imperviousness　to　the　mortal　condition　of　pain；

and　each；　under　the　obligation　of　not　crying　out；　makes　believe　that

his　horrible　bellowthe　god's　iou　iou　being　the　lustiermeans　only

the　stopping　of　a　sneeze；　or　horseman　sighted；　or　the　prelude　to　an

invocation　to　some　deity：　　and　the　slave　contrives　that　the　god

shall　get　the　bigger　lot　of　blows。　　Passages　of　Rabelais；　one　or　two

in　Don　Quixote；　and　the　Supper　in　the　Manner　of　the　Ancients；　in

Peregrine　Pickle；　are　of　a　similar　cataract　of　laughter。　　But　it　is

not　illuminating；　it　is　not　the　laughter　of　the　mind。　　Moliere's

laughter；　in　his　purest　comedies；　is　ethereal；　as　light　to　our

nature；　as　colour　to　our　thoughts。　　The　Misanthrope　and　the　Tartuffe

have　no　audible　laughter；　but　the　characters　are　steeped　in　the

comic　spirit。　　They　quicken　the　mind　through　laughter；　from　coming

out　of　the　mind；　and　the　mind　accepts　them　because　they　are　clear

interpretations　of　certain　chapters　of　the　Book　lying　open　before　us

all。　　Between　these　two　stand　Shakespeare　and　Cervantes；　with　the

richer　laugh　of　heart　and　mind　in　one；　with　much　of　the　Aristophanic

robustness；　something　of　Moliere's　delicacy。





The　laughter　heard　in　circles　not　pervaded　by　the　Comic　idea；　will

sound　harsh　and　soulless；　like　versified　prose；　if　you　step　into

them　with　a　sense　of　the　distinction。　　You　will　fancy　you　have

changed　your　habitation　to　a　planet　remoter　from　the　sun。　　You　may

be　among　powerful　brains　too。　　You　will　not　find　poetsor　but　a

stray　one；　over…worshipped。　　You　will　find　learned　men　undoubtedly；

professors；　reputed　philosophers；　and　illustrious　dilettanti。　　They

have　in　them；　perhaps；　every　element　composing　light；　except　the

Comic。　　They　read　verse；　they　discourse　of　art；　but　their　eminent

faculties　are　not　under　that　vigilant　sense　of　a　collective

supervision；　spiritual　and　present；　which　we　have　taken　note　of。

They　build　a　temple　of　arrogance；　they　speak　much　in　the　voice　of

oracles；　their　hilarity；　if　it　does　not　dip　in　grossness；　is　usually

a　form　of　pugnacity。



Insufficiency　of　sight　in　the　eye　looking　outward　has　deprived　them

of　the　eye　that　should　look　inward。　　They　have　never　weighed

themselves　in　the　delicate　balance　of　the　Comic　idea　so　as　to　obtain

a　suspicion　of　the　rights　and　dues　of　the　world；　and　they　have；　in

consequence；　an　irritable　personality。　　A　very　learned　English

professor　crushed　an　argument　in　a　political　discussion；　by　asking

his　adversary　angrily：　　'Are　you　aware；　sir；　that　I　am　a

philologer？'



The　practice　of　polite　society　will　help　in　training　them；　and　the

professor　on　a　sofa　with　beautiful　ladies　on　each　side　of　him；　may

become　their　pupil　and　a　scholar　in　manners　without　knowing　it：　　he

is　at　least　a　fair　and　pleasing　spectacle　to　the　Comic　Muse。　　But

the　society　named　polite　is　volatile　in　its　adorations；　and　to…

mor