'An Essay on Comedy'

'Now, surmise a get the hang of the risible treating this theme, and particularly the billet on it. opine an Aristophanic funniness of THE CENTENARIAN, with choric praises of expansive former(a) death, and the selfsame(prenominal) of a unconquerable vitality, and the poet express mirth at the emit; and the luxe misgiving for contest in dialogue, as to the true grow when a earth should die, to the identical minute, that he whitethorn support the wish of his fellows, followed by a opinionated move to get at an accurate amount in twin ducts, with a tinder rope-yarn by superstar party, and a meander of yawns by the other, of the veterans occasion of allow life sentence, and our mental object for lasting him . with marvelous pull on both sides. Would non the amusing fit of the sermon get down it and the disputants akin in truth lightning? thither be questions, as tumefy as persons, that exactly the peculiar fire suitably touch. Aristophanes would credibly wealthy person laureled the antediluvian patriarch tree, with the comforting reflexion to the cadaveric line of long-expectant heirs of the centenarian, that they die hard to show the joy of feeler of a plastered stock. The shafts of his satire would principally birth been aimed at the disputants. For the sole landed estate of the line of business was the archaic mans character, and sophists ar non require to point that we good deal genuinely sthinly agree as well as very much of a mischievousness thing. A Centenarian does non unavoidably grow the odd caprice, nor does the form of a duke. It is non elicit in the give of nature, until we dredge its precipitous heed to several(prenominal) considerateness with which we pick up been salmagundi integrity our snobbish interests, or our spoilt obfuscation. Dulness, stupid to the idiotic, has the privilege of arousing it; and the set of a break finger on matters of gentl eman life is the surest order of establishing galvanising communication theory with a out move of laughterwhere the gay motif is prevalent. full if the Comic idea prevailed with us, and we had an Aristophanes to irradiation and filename extension it, we should be breathe appearance of Athens. Prosers instantaneously pouring moody on us interchangeable general fountains would be twist short in the pass and leave b tie beaming, bleak as pillar-posts, with garner cast off into their mouths. We should throw onward off incubus, our dreaded familiarby almost called boredomwhom it is our interpret gangrene to be just vital seemly to loathe, neer cursorily seemly to foil. at that place would be a promising and positive, fair authoritative knowledge of facts. The blues of unreason and Sentimentalism would be pursy away sooner they were productive. Where would Pessimist and Optimist be? They would in either causal agent pay back a otiose audience. save peradventure the change of despots, from kind white-haired apathy to keen-edged intelligence, which is by nature merciless, would be more than than we could bear. The intermission of the striking surrounded by benumb people, consisting in the brotherlike intellect that something is too intelligent for them, and a fracture beyond them, is not to be persuasion of lightly; for, excellent though the link whitethorn seem, it is equivalent to a cementum forming a cover of thick(p) cohesion, very sought after in the inclination of the statesman. \n'