It is also easy to apprehend, that the several Subjects of _Wit_,
_Humour_, _Raillery_, _Satire_, and _Ridicule_, appear not only
_singly_ upon many Occasions, or _two_ of them combined together,
but are also frequently united in other Combinations, which are
more _complicate_; An Instance of the Union together of _Humour_,
_Raillery_, and _Ridicule_, I remember to have read somewhere
in _Voiture_'s Letters; He is in _Spain_, and upon the Point of
proceeding from thence to some other Place in an _English_ Vessel;
After he has written this Account of himself to a Lady at _Paris_,
he proceeds in his Letter to this Purpose;
"You may perhaps apprehend, that I shall be in some Danger this
Voyage, of falling into the Hands of a _Barbary_ Corsair; But to
relieve you from all such Fears, I shall beg Leave to tell you,
what my honest Captain has inform'd me himself, for my own
Satisfaction; He suspected, it seems, that I might have some
Uneasiness upon this Head; and has therefore privately assured
me, that I have no need to be afraid of being taken with him; for
that whenever it is likely to come to this, he will infallibly
blow up the Ship with his own Hands;--After this, I presume, you
will be perfectly easy, that I am in no Danger of going to
_Sallee_;"
This is exquisitely _rich_; The brave and odd Fancy of the _English_
Captain, in finding out for himself, and _privately_ communicating to
_Voiture_, this Method of Security from Slavery, abounds with the
highest _Humour_; At the same time the honest Tar, as a _Projecter_,
is excessively open to _Ridicule_, for his Scheme to blow them all
up, in order to prevent their being taken Prisoners; There is besides
these, a very full _Raillery_, which _Voiture_ here opens upon
_himself_; For as this Adventure, which he is going to be engaged in,
has been attended, as yet, with no Mischief; nor is certain to be so,
the whole is to be consider'd, at present, as only a slight Scrape;
especially as he exhibits it in this manner himself, and invites you
to make it the Object of your Pleasure, and _Raillery_;--It may also
be observ'd, that the _Humour_ in this Subject, which flows from the
_Captain_, is adorn'd with a very peculiar, and pleasing _Propriety_;
As it is not barely a _Whim_, or the Result of an _odd Sourness_ or
_queer Pride_, but the Effect of his _Courage_, and of that Freedom
from all Terror at Death, which is perfectly amiable in his Character.
Pages:
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
88
89
90
91
92
93
94
95