The subsequent Remark of Mr. _Addison_, _That the Poet, after saying
his Mistress's Bosom is as white as Snow, should add, with a Sigh,
that it is as cold too, in order that it may grow to_ WIT, is I fear,
very incorrect. For as to the _Sigh_, it avails not a Rush; and this
Addition will be found to be only a _new_ Stroke of WIT, equally
_trite_, and less perfect, and natural, than the former Comparison.
It may also be observed, That Mr. _Addison_ has omitted the
_Elucidation_ of the _original_ Subject, which is the grand Excellence
of WIT. Nor has he prescribed any _Limits_ to the Subjects, which are
to be arranged together; without which the Result will be frequently
the SUBLIME or BURLESQUE; In which, it is true, WIT often appears,
but taking their whole Compositions together, they are different
Substances, and usually ranked in different _Classes_.
All that Mr. _Congreve_ has delivered upon WIT, as far as I know,
appears in his _Essay_ upon HUMOUR, annexed to this Treatise. He
there says,
To define HUMOUR, perhaps, were as difficult, as to define WIT;
for, like that, it is of infinite Variety.
--Again, he afterwards adds,
But though we cannot certainly tell what WIT is, or what HUMOUR
is, yet we may _go near_ to shew something, which is not WIT, or
not HUMOUR, and yet often mistaken for both.
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