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Page 10
The _Essay_ upon HUMOUR, at the End of this Treatise, written by
Mr. _Congreve_, is next to be considered. It appears, that at first
he professes his absolute Uncertainty in regard to this Subject; and
says, "_We cannot certainly tell what_ WIT _is, or what_ HUMOUR _is_."
But yet, through his whole Piece, he neglects the Subject of HUMOUR in
general, and only discourses upon the HUMOUR, by which he means barely
the _Disposition_, of Persons: This may particularly appear from the
following Words.
A Man may change his Opinion, but I believe he will find it a
Difficulty to part with his HUMOUR; and there is nothing more
provoking than the being made sensible of that Difficulty.
Sometimes we shall meet with those, who perhaps indifferently
enough, but at the same time impertinently, will ask the
Question, WHY ARE YOU NOT MERRY? WHY ARE YOU NOT GAY, PLEASANT,
AND CHEARFUL? Then instead of answering, could I ask such a
Person, WHY ARE YOU NOT HANDSOME? WHY HAVE YOU NOT BLACK EYES,
AND A BETTER COMPLEXION? Nature abhors to be forced.
The two famous Philosophers of _Ephesus_ and _Abdera_, have their
different Sects at this Day. Some weep, and others laugh at one
and the same Thing.
I don't doubt but you have observed several Men laugh when they
are angry; others, who are silent; some that are loud; yet I
cannot suppose that it is the Passion of ANGER, which is in
itself different, or more or less in one than t'other, but that
it is the HUMOUR of the Man that is predominant, and urges him to
express it in that Manner. Demonstrations of PLEASURE, are as
various: One Man has a HUMOUR of retiring from all Company, when
any thing has happened to please him beyond Expectation; he hugs
himself alone, and thinks it an Addition to the Pleasure to keep
it a Secret, &c.
All which, I apprehend, is no more than saying; That there are different
_Dispositions_ in different _Persons_.
In another Place, he seems to understand by _Humour_, not only the
_Disposition,_ but the _Tone_ of the _Nerves_, of a Person,
thus,
"Suppose MOROSE to be a Man naturally splenetic, and melancholy;
is there any thing more offensive to one of such a DISPOSITION
(where he uses the Word instead of _Humour_) than Noise and
Clamour? Let any Man that has the Spleen (and there are enough in
England) be Judge. We see common Examples of this HUMOUR in
little every Day. 'Tis ten to one, but three Parts in four of the
Company you dine with, are discomposed, and started at the
cutting of a Cork, or scratching of a Plate with a Knife; it is
a Proportion of the same HUMOUR, that makes such, or any other
Noise, offensive to the Person that hears it; for there are
others who will not be disturbed at all by it.
At this Rate every _Weakness_ of _Nerves_, or _Particularity_ of
_Constitution,_ is HUMOUR.
It is true, he justly points out in another Place the different
Sentiments, which ought to be adapted to different _Characters_ in
_Comedy_, according to their different _Dispositions_, or, as he
phrases it, _Humours_: As for Instance, he very rightly observes,
That a Character of a splenetic and peevish HUMOUR, Should have
a satirical WIT. A jolly and sanguine HUMOUR should have a
facetious WIT.
--But still this is no Description of what is well felt, and known, by
the general Name of HUMOUR.
However, as what I have already quoted, may appear to be only his
looser Explanations, it will be necessary to deliver his more closed
and collected Sentiments upon this Subject. These he gives in the
following Words,
I should be unwilling to venture, even in a bare _Description_ of
_Humour_, much more to make a _Definition_ of it; but now my Hand
is in, I will tell you what serves me instead of either. 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.
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