I take
it to be, _A singular and unavoidable Manner of doing or saying
any thing, peculiar and natural to one Man only, by which his
Speech and Actions are distinguished from those of other Men."
--This Description is very little applicable to HUMOUR, but tolerably
well adapted to other Subjects.--Thus, a Person, who is happy in a
particular _Grace_, which accompanies all his Actions, may be said to
possess _a singular and unavoidable Manner of doing or saying any
thing, peculiar and natural to him only, by which his Speech and
Actions are distinguished from those of other Men_. And the same
may be said of a Person of a peculiar _Vivacity_, _Heaviness_,
or _Awkwardness_.--In short, this Description is suited to any
_Particularity_ of a Person in general, instead of being adapted
to the _Foibles_ and _whimsical Oddities_ of Persons, which alone
constitute HUMOUR.
These are the only Pieces upon WIT, and HUMOUR, which have fallen
within my Knowledge; I have here fairly delivered them at length;
and from the Respect which is due to such eminent Writers, have
distinctly and deliberately examined the Merit of each.--As to my
own _Performance_, which is now submitted to the Public, I have to
wish, that it may gain a candid and strict Examination.
Pages:
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44