Minds, and raise themselves above Persons of more laudable Characters, much No. 249. Saturday, Dec. 15, If the Talent of Ridicule were employed to laugh Men out of Vice and Folly, it might be of some Use C to the World; but instead of this, we find that it is =generally made Use of to laugh Men out of Virtue and good Sense, by attacking every thing that is Solemn and Serious, Decent and Praise-worthy in human Life, We may observe, that in the First Ages of the World, when the great Souls and Master pieces of human Nature were produced, Men shined by a noble Sim plicity of Behaviour, and were Strangers to those little Embellishments which are so fashionable in our present Conversation. And it is very remarkable, that not withstanding we fall short at present of the Ancients in Poetry, Painting, Oratory, History, Architecture, and = all the noble Arts and Sciences which depend more upon Genius than Experience, we exceed them as much in Doggerel, Humour, Burlesque, and all the trivial Arts of Ridicule, We meet with more Raillery among the Moderns, but more good Sense among the Ancients. The two great Branches of Ridicule in Writing are Comedy and Burlesque, The first ridicules Persons by drawing them in their proper Characters, the other by drawing them quite unlike themselves. Burlesque is therefore of two kinds, the first represents mean Persons in the Accoutrements of Heroes; the other describes great Persons acting and speaking, like the basest among the People. Don Quixote is an Instance of the first, and Lucían's Gods of the second. It is a Dispute among the Criticks, whether Burlesque Poetry runs best in Heroic Verse, like that of the Dispensary, or in Doggerel, like that of Hudibras. I think where the low Character is to be raised the Heroic is the proper Measure, but when an Hero is to be pulled down and degraded, it is done best in Doggerel. If Hudibras had been set out with as much Wit and Humour in Heroic Verse as he is in Doggerel, he would have made a much more agreeable Figure than he does; tho' the generality of his Readers are so wonderfully 1711 No. 249. wonderfully pleased with the double Rhimes, that I do Saturday, not expect many will be of my Opinion in this Particular, Dec. 15, 1711. I shall conclude this Essay upon Laughter with observing that the Metaphor of Laughing, applied to Fields and Meadows when they are in Flower, or to Trees when they are in Blossom, runs through all Languages; which I have not observed of any other Metaphor, excepting that of Fire, and Burning, when they are applied to Love. This shews that we naturally regard Laughter, as what is both in it self amiable and beautiful. For this Reason likewise Venus has gained the Title of iλoppads, the Laughter-loving Dame, as Waller has translated it, and is represented by Horace as the Goddess who delights in Laughter. Milton, in a joyous Assembly of imaginary Persons, has given us a very poetical Figure of Laughter. His whole Band of Mirth is so finely described that I shall set down the Passage at length. But come thou Goddess fair and free, Haste thee Nymph, and bring with thee Quips and Cranks, and Wanton Wiles, Nods, and Becks, and wreathed Smiles, Such as hang on Hebe's Cheek, And love to live in dimple sleek, And in thy right Hand lead with thee, Monday No. 250, Monday, December 17, Disce, docendus adhuc quae censet amiculus, ut si 'Mr. SPECTATOR, YOU OU see the Nature of my Request by the Latin Motto which I address to you: I am very sensible I ought not to use many Words to you, who are one of but few; but the following Piece, as it relates to Speculation in Propriety of Speech, being a Curiosity in its Kind, begs your Patience: It was found in a Poetical Virtuoso's Closet among his Rarities; and since I the several Treaties of Thumbs, Ears and Noses have obliged the World, this of Eyes is at your Service, The first Eye of Consequence (under the invisible Author of all) is the visible Luminary of the Universe: This glorious Spectator is said never to open his Eyes at his Rising in a Morning, without having a whole Kingdom of Adorers in Persian Silk waiting at his Levée. Millions of Creatures derive their Sight from this Original, who, besides his being the great Director of Opticks, is the surest Test whether Eyes be of the same Species with that of an Eagle or that of an Owls The one he emboldens with a manly Assurance to look, speak, act or plead before the Faces of a numerous Assembly; the other he dazzles out of Countenance into a sheepish Dejectedness. The Sun-Proof Eye dares lead up a Dance in a full Court; and without blinking at the Lustre of Beauty, can distribute an Eye of proper Complaisance to a Room crowded with Company, each of which deserves particular Regard; while the other sneaks from Conversation, like a fearful Debtor, who never dares to look out, but when he can see no Body, and no Body him. The next Instance of Opticks is the famous Argus, who (to speak the Language of Cambridge) was one of an hundred; and being us'd as a Spy in the Affairs of Jealousie, was obliged to have all his Eyes about him. We have no Account of the particular Colours, Casts No. 250. 1711. Dec. 17, 1711 No. 250. Casts, and Turns of this Body of Eyes; but as he was Monday, Pimp for his Mistress Juno, 'tis probable he us'd all the modern Leers, sly Glances, and other ocular Activities to serve his Purpose. Some look upon him as the then King at Arms to the Heathenish Deities, and make no more of his Eyes than as so many Spangles of his Herald's Coat, The next upon the Optick List is old Janus, who stood in a double-sighted Capacity like a Person placed betwixt two opposite Looking-Glasses, and so took a sort of Retrospective Cast at one View. Copies of this double-faced Way are not yet out of Fashion with many Professions, and the ingenious Artists pretend to keep up this Species by double-headed Canes and Spoons; but there is no Mark of this Faculty except in the emblematical Way of a wise General having an Eye to both Front and Rear, or a pious Man taking a Review and Prospect of his Past and Future State at the same Time, I must own that the Names, Colours, Qualities, and Turns of Eyes vary almost in every Head; for, not to mention the common Appellations of the Black, the Blue, the White, the Grey, and the like, the most re markable are those that borrow their Title from Animals, by Vertue of some particular Quality or Resemblance they bear to the Eyes of the respective Creature; as that of a greedy rapacious Aspect takes its Name from the Cat, that of a sharp piercing Nature from the Hawk, those of an amorous roguish Look derive their Title even from the Sheep, and we say such a one has a Sheep's Eye, not so much to denote the Innocence as the simple Slyness of the Cast: Nor is this metaphorical Inoculation_a_modern Invention, for we find Homer taking the Freedom to place the Eye of an Ox, Bull, or Cow in one of his principal Goddesses, by that frequent Expression of Βοῶπις πότνια "Ηρη Now as to the peculiar Qualities of the Eye, that fine Part of our Constitution seems as much the Receptacle and Seat of our Passions, Appetites, and Inclinations, as the the Mind it self; at least 'tis as the outward Portal to No. 250, introduce them to the House within, or rather the Monday, common Thorough-fare to let our Affections pass in and Dec. 17, 1711. out; Love, Anger, Pride, and Avarice all visibly move in those little Orbs. I know a young Lady that can't see a certain Gentleman pass by, without shewing a secret Desire of seeing him again by a Dance in her Eye-balls; nay, she can't for the Heart of her help looking half a Street's Length after any Man in a gay Dress. You cannot behold a covetous Spirit walk by a Goldsmith's Shop, without casting a wishful Eye at the Heaps upon the Counter. Does not a haughty Person shew the Temper of his Soul in the supercilious Rowl of his Eye? and how frequently in the Height of Passion does that moving Picture in our Head start and stare, gather a Redness and quick Flashes of Lightning, and makes all its Humours sparkle with Fire, as Virgil finely de scribes it, Ardentís ab ore Scintillae absistunt: oculis micat acríbus ignis. As for the various Turns of the Eye-sight, such as the voluntary or involuntary, the half or the whole Leer, I shall not enter into a very particular Account of them but let me observe, that oblique Vision, when natural, was anciently the Mark of Bewitchery and magical Fascination, and to this Day 'tis a malignant ill Look; but when 'tis forc'd and affected it carries a wanton Design, and in Play-houses, and other publick Places, this ocular Intimation is often an Assignation for bad Practices: But this Irregularity in Vision, together with such Enormities as tipping the Wink, the circumspective Rowl, the Side-Peep thro' a thin Hood or Fan, must be put in the Class of Heter-opticks, as all wrong Notions of Religion are rank'd under the general Name of Heterodox, All the pernicious Applications of Sight are more immediately under the Direction of a SPECTATOR; and I hope you will arm your Readers against the Mischiefs which are daily done by killing Eyes, in which you will highly oblige your wounded unknown Friend, T. B. 'Mr. |