The Merry Philosopher; Or, Thoughts on Jesting (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1764. Excerpt: ... thoughts. The greatness, importance, or propriety of a jest, require two things. First, that the contents of it, the object, and every thing represented therein, whether a person, a thing, or whatsoever it may be, shall be thought worthy of an ingenious facetious turn. The object of a jest must neither be too important, nor too low and mean. And secondly, the whole of the ingenious conceit is to be suitable to the object, adapted to the matter, and to all the circumstances of time, place, audience and jester. 51. I proceed to shew, that the genuine ridiculous consists in the absurdity to be met with in little minute things, and that it is an unreasonable conduct to make great and important matters the subject of laughter. Now as a jest is the ingenious representation of the ridiculous, in order to cause laughter . 24, we are never to jest on great and important matters of the middling and sublime species. And thus in every happy jest we are to avoid two faults. I. Never to jest, if with respect to the matter and circumstances, the jest should prove low or mean. There are certain things, on which we are always to think with due seriousness. Now to jest in such cases, betrays a great degree of levity, a flashy and childish turn of mind, and a lowness of taste and understanding; as we thereby shew, that we consider matters of importance in an inconsiderable light. Here I could enumerate a great many faults, committed in jesting. Every reasonable person will admit, that it is unseemly to jest on religion, on the sciences, on virtue, on gross vices, &c. Who can approve a Preacher, jesting in the pulpit? In general, to this class belong all such as jest like great mens fools, who never take the trouble to enquire into the propriety of circumstances. It is...