in matters of literature, is that species of writing which excites contempt with laughter.

The ridiculous, however, differs from the risible, (see Risible). A risible object produceth an emotion of laughter merely: a ridiculous object is improper as well as risible; and produceth a mixed emotion, which is vented by a laugh of derision or scorn.

Burlesque, though a great engine of ridicule, is not confined to that subject; for it is clearly distinguishable into burlesque that excites laughter merely, and burlesque that provokes derision or ridicule. A grave subject in which there is no impropriety, may be brought down by a certain colouring so as to be risible; which is the case of Virgil's Travesty, and also the case of the Secchia Rapita; the authors laugh first, in order to make their readers laugh. The Lutrin is a burlesque poem of the other sort, laying hold of a low and trifling incident, to expose the luxury, indolence, and contentious spirit of a set of monks. Boileau, the author, gives a ridiculous air to the subject, by dressing it in the heroic style, and affecting to consider it as of the utmost dignity and importance. In a composition of this kind, no image professedly ludicrous ought to find quarter, because such images destroy the contrast; and accordingly the author shows always the grave face, and never once betrays a smile.

Though the burlesque that aims at ridicule produces its effects by elevating the style far above the subject, yet it has limits beyond which the elevation ought not to be carried: the poet, consulting the imagination of his readers, ought to confine himself to such images as are lively and readily apprehended: a strained elevation, soaring above an ordinary reach of fancy, makes not a pleasant impression: the reader, fatigued with ridicule, being always upon the stretch, is soon disgusted; and, if he persevere, becomes thoughtless and indifferent.—Further, a fiction gives no pleasure unless it be painted in colours so lively as to produce some perception of reality; which never can be done effectually where the images are formed with labour or difficulty. For these reasons, we cannot avoid condemning the Batrachomyomachia, said to be the composition of Homer: it is beyond the power of imagination to form a clear and lively image of frogs and mice acting with the dignity of the highest of our species; nor can we form a conception of the reality of such an action, in any manner so distinct as to interest our affections even in the slightest degree.

The Rape of the Lock is of a character clearly distinguishable from those now mentioned; it is not properly a burlesque performance, but what may rather be termed an hero-comical poem: it treats a gay and familiar subject with pleasantry, and with a moderate degree of dignity: the author puts not on a mask like Boileau, nor professes to make us laugh like Tasso. The Rape of the Lock is a gentler species of writing, less strained than those mentioned; and is pleasant or ludicrous without having ridicule for its chief aim; giving way, however, to ridicule, where it naturally arises from a particular character, such as that of Sir Plume. Addison's Spectator*, upon the exercise of the fan, is ext. No. 102, extremely gay and ludicrous, resembling in its subject the Rape of the Lock.

There remains to show, by examples, the manner of treating subjects so as to give them a ridiculous appearance.

Il ne dit jamais, je vous donne, mais, je vous prete le bon jour.

Orleans, I know him to be valiant.

Confiable, I was told that by one that knows him better than you.

Orleans. What's he?

Confiable. Marry, he told me so himself; and he said, he car'd not who knew it.

He never broke any man's head but his own, and that was against a post when he was drunk.

Millamant, Sententious Mirabel! prithee don't look with that violent and inflexible wise face, like Solomon at the dividing of the child in an old tapestry-hanging.

A true critic, in the perusal of a book, is like a dog at a feast, whose thoughts and stomach are wholly set upon what the guests fling away, and consequently is apt to snarl most when there are the fewest bones.

In the following instances, the ridicule arises from absurd conceptions in the persons introduced.

Mafescaille. Te souvient-il, vicomte, de cette demi-lune, que nous emportames sur les ennemis au siege d'Afras?

Jodellet. Que veux-tu dire avec ta demi-lune! c'etoit bien une lune toute entiere.

Slender. I came yonder at Eaton to marry Mrs Anne Page; and she's a great lubberly boy. Page. Upon my life then you took the wrong— Slander. What need you tell me that? I think so when I took a boy for a girl; if I had been married to him, for all he was in woman's apparel, I would not have had him.

Valentine. Your bleffing, Sir. Sir Sampson. You've had it already, Sir; I think I fent it you to-day in a bill for four thousand pounds; a great deal of money, brother Forefight. Forefight. Ay, indeed, Sir Sampson, a great deal of money for a young man; I wonder what he can do with it.

Millament. I naufete walking; 'tis a country diver- tion; I lothe the country, and every thing that relates to it. Sir Wilfull. Indeed, hah! look ye, look ye, you do! nay, 'tis like you may—here are choice of pastimes here in town, as plays and the like; that must be con- fes'd, indeed. Millament. Ah l'etourdie! I hate the town too. Sir Wilfull. Dear heart, that's much—hah! that you should hate 'em both! hah! 'tis like you may; there are some cannot relish the town, and others can't away with the country—'tis like you may be one of these, Cousin.

Way of the World, act iv. sc. 4.

Lord Froth. I affuse you, Sir Paul, I laugh at no- body's jefts but my own, or a lady's: I affuse you, Sir Paul. Brikt. How? how, my Lord? what, affront my wit? Let me perifh, do I never fay any thing worthy to be laugh'd at? Lord Froth. O foy, don't misapprehend me, I don't fay fo, for I often smile at your conceptions. But there is nothing more unbecoming a man of quality than to laugh; 'tis such a vulgar exprefion of the passions! every body can laugh. Then efpecially to laugh at the jeft of an inferior perfon, or when any body elfe of the fame quality does not laugh with one; ridiculous! To be pleas'd with what pleafes the crowd! Now, when I laugh I always laugh alone.

Double Dealer, act i. sc. 4.

So sharp-fighted is pride in blemifhes, and fo willing to be gratified, that it takes up with the very slightest improprieties: fuch as a blunder by a foreigner in speak- ing our language, efpecially if the blunder can bear a fenfe that reflects on the speaker: Quickly. The young man is an honest man. Caius. What fhall de honest man do in my closet? dere is no honest man dat fhall come in my closet.

Merry Wives of Windsor.

Love speeches are finely ridiculed in the following passage:

Quoth he, My faith as adamantine, As chains of destiny, I'll maintain; True as Apollo ever spoke, Or oracle from heart of oak; And if you'll give my flame but vent, Now in clofe hugger-mugger pent, And shine upon me but benignly, With that one and that other pigney, The sun and day fhall sooner part Than love, or you, fhake off my heart;

The fun, that fhall no more dispence His own, but your bright influence: I'll carve your name on barks of trees, With true love notes and flourishes; That fhall infufe eternal spring, And everlasting flourifhing: Drink every letter on't in flum, And make it brikt champaigne become. Where'er you tread, your foot fhall fet The primrose and the violet; All spices, perfumes, and fweet powders Shall borrow from your breath their odours; Nature her charter fhall renew And take all lives of things from you; The world depend upon your eye, And, when you frown upon it, die, Only our loves fhall still survive, New worlds and natures to outlive; And, like to herald moons, remain All crescents, without change or wane.

Hudibras, part 2. canto 1.

Thofo who have a talent for ridicule, which is fel- dom united with a tafte for delicate and refined beau- ties, are quick-fighted in improprieties; and thofe they eagerly grafs, in order to gratify their favourite propen- fity. Perfons galled are provoked to maintain that ri- dicule is improper for grave subjects. Subjects really grave are by no means fit for ridicule; but then it is urged againft them, that, when called in queftion whe- ther a certain fubject be really grave, ridicule is the only means of determining the controvery. Hence a celebrated queftion, Whether ridicule be or be not a teft of truth?

On one fide, it is observed, that the objects of ridi- cule are falfehood, incongruity, impropriety, or turpi- tude of certain kinds: but as the object of every exci- ted paflion muft be examined by reafon, before we can determine whether it be proper or improper; fo ridi- cule muft, apparently at leaft, eftablifh the truth of the improprieties defigned to excite the paflion of contempt. Hence it comes in to the aid of argument and reafon, when its impressions on the imagination are confident with the nature of things; but when it frikes the fancy and affections with fictitious images, it becomes the in- ftrument of deceit. But however ridicule may impres- s the idea of apparent turpitude or falfehood in the ima- gination, yet ftil reafon remains the fuepre judge; and thus ridicule can never be the final teft or touch- stone of truth and falfehood.

On the other fide, it is contended that ridicule is not a fubject of reafoning, but of fenfe or tafte; (fee and compare the articles RIFIBLE and CONGRUITY. Stating the queftion, then, in more accurate terms, Whether the fenfe of ridicule be the proper teft for diftinguifhing ridiculous objects from what are not fo? they proceed thus: No perfon doubts that our fenfe of beauty is the true teft of what is beautiful; and our fenfe of gran- deur, of what is great or sublime. It is more doubtful whether our fenfe of ridicule be the true teft of what is ridiculous? It is not only the true teft, but indeed the only teft; for this fubject comes not, more than beauty or grandeur, under the province of reafon. If any fubject, by the influence of fashion or cuftom, have acquired a degree of veneration to which naturally