Again, So like the chances are of love and war, What new-found witchcraft was in thee, To make a burning-glass of ice. Waller Cowleys Wit of this kind is unfuitable in a serious poem witness the following line in Pope's Elegy to the memory of an unfortunate lady: Cold is that breaft which warm'd the world before. This fort of writing is finely burlesqued by Swift: Her hands, the fofteft ever felt, Though cold would burn, though dry would melt Strephon and Chloe. Taking a word in a different sense from what is meant, comes under wit, because it occafions fome flight degree of surprise.. Beatrice. I may fit in a corner, and cry Heigh hal for a husband. Pedro. Lady Beatrice, I will get you one. Beatrice. I would rather have one of your father's getting hath your Grace ne'er a brother like you? Your father got excellent hufbands, if a maid could come by them. Much ado about nothing, act 2. Sc. Sim Falstaff. My honest lads, I will tell you what I am about.. N 3 Piftol. Piftol. Two yards and more. Falftaff. No quips now, Piftol; indeed, I am in the waste two yards about; but I am now about no wafte; I am about thrift. Merry wives of Windsor, aft 1. fc. 7. Lord Sands. By your leave, fweet ladies, Anne Bullen. Was he mad, Sir? Sands. O, very mad, exceeding mad, in love too; But he would bite none K. Henry VIII. An affertion that bears a double meaning, one right, one wrong; but fo connected with other matters as to direct us to the wrong meaning This fpecies of bastard wit is distinguished from all others by the name pun. For example, Paris. Sweet Helen, I muft woo you, To help unarm our Hector: his ftubborn buckles, With these your white inchanting fingers touch'd, Shall more obey, than to the edge of steel, Or force of Greekifh finews: you shall do more Than all the island kings, difarm great Hector. Troilus and Crefida, act 3. fc. 2. The pun is in the clofe. The word difarm has a double meaning. It fignifies to take off a man's armour, and alfo to fubdue him in fight. We are directed to the latter fenfe by the context. But with regard to Helen the word holds only true in the former fenfe. I go on with other examples. Effe nihil dicis quicquid petis, improbe Cinna: Martial, 1. 3. epigr. 61. Jocondus geminum impofuit tibi, Sequana, pontem; Hunc tu jure potes dicere pontificem. N. B. Jocondus was a monk. Sanazarius. Chief Juftice. Well! the truth is, Sir John, you live in great infamy. Falstaff. live in lefs. Be that buckles him in my belt, cannot Chief Fuftice. Your means are very flender, and your wafte is great. Falstaff. I would it were otherwife: I would my means were greater, and my waste slenderer. Second part, Henry IV. act 1. Sc. 5. Celia. I pray you bear with me, I can go no further. Clown. For my part, I had rather bear with yout than bear you: yet I fhould bear no cross if I did bear you; for I think you have no money in your purse. As you like it, at 2. fc. 4. He that impofes an oath makes it, Hudibras, part 2. canto 2. The feventh fatire of the first book of Horace, is purposely contrived to introduce at the clofe a most execrable pun. Talking of fome infamous wretch whose name was Rex Rupilius, Perfius exclamat, Per magnos, Brute, deos te N 4 Though Ch. XIV. Though playing with words is a mark of a mind at eafe, and difpofed for any fort of amufement, we must not thence conclude that playing with words is always ludicrous. Words are fo intimately connected with thought, that if the subject be really grave, it will not appear ludicrous even in this fantaftic dress. I am, however, far from recommending it in any ferious performance. On the contrary, the difcordance betwixt the thought and expreffion must be disagreeable; witness the following specimen. He hath abandoned his phyficians, Madam, under whofe practices he hath perfecuted time with hope and finds no other advantage in the process, but only the losing of hope by time. All's well that ends well, act 1. fc. I. K. Henry. O my poor kingdom, fick with civil blows; When that my care could not with-hold thy riots, What wilt thou do when riot is thy care? Second part, K. Henry IV. A fmart repartee may be confidered as a species of wit. A certain petulant Greek, objecting to Anacharfis that he was a Scythian: True, fays Anacharfis, my country difgraces me, but you difgrace your country.. CHAP. XIV. Cuftom and Habit. INQU NQUIRING into the nature of man as a fenfitive being, and finding him affected in a high degree with novelty, would any one conjecture that he is equally affected with cuftom? Yet this frequently takes place, not only in the fame perfon, but even with relation to the fame fubject: when new, it is enchanting; familiarity renders t indifferent; and custom, after a longer familiarity, makes it again defireable. Human nature, diverfified with many and various fprings of action, is wonderfully, and, indulging the expreffion, intricately conftructed. Custom hath fuch influence upon many of our feelings, by warping and varying them, that we must attend to its operations, if we would be acquainted with human nature. This fubject, in itfelf obfcure, has been much neglected; and to give a complete analyfis of it will be no eafy task. I pretend only to touch it curforily; hoping, however, that what is here laid down, will difpofe more diligent inquirers to attempt further difcoveries. Custom refpects the action, babit the actor.. By custom we mean, a frequent reiteration of the fame act; and by habit, the effect that cuftom has on the mind or body. This effect may be either active, witnefs the dexterity produced by custom in performing certain exercises; or paffive, as when, by custom, a peculiar connection is formed betwixt a man and fome agreeable object, which acquires thereby a greater power to raise emotions in him than it hath naturally. Active habits come not under the prefent undertaking; and therefore I con-fine myself to thofe that are palive. This fubject is thorny and intricate. Some pleas fures are fortified by custom; and yet cuftom begets familiarity, and confequently indifference In many inftances, fatiety and difguft are the confequences of reiteration. Again, though custom blunts the edge of distress and of pain; yet the want N 5 *If all the year were playing holidays, But when they feldom come, they with'd for come, of First part, Henry IV. act 1. fc. 3. |