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Page 26
"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.
There are other Combinations of _Wit_, _Humour_, _Raillery_, _Satire_,
and _Ridicule_, where _four_ of them, or all _five_, are united in
one Subject;--Like various _Notes_ in _Music_, sounding together, and
jointly composing one exquisite Piece of Harmony;--Or like different
_Rays_ of _Light_, shining together in one _Rainbow_: It is pleasant
to _divide_ these _Combinations_, and to view as with a _Prism_, the
different Rays united in each; of which _Humour_, like the _Red_, is
eminent for its superior Force and Excellence;--When the Judgment is
thus capable of parting, and easily assigning the several Quantities,
and Proportions of each, it heightens our Pleasure, and gives us an
absolute Command over the Subject; But they are often so intimately
mix'd, and blended together, that it is difficult to separate them
clearly, tho' they are all certainly felt in the same Piece;--Like
the different _Flavours_ of rich _Fruits_, which are inseparably
mix'd, yet all perfectly tasted, in one _Pine-Apple_.
_Raillery_, and _Satire_, are extremely different;
1. _Raillery_, is a genteel poignant Attack of _slight_ Foibles and
Oddities; _Satire_ a witty and severe Attack of _mischievous_ Habits
and Vices.
2. The _Intention_ of _Raillery_, is to procure your _Pleasure_, by
exposing the little Embarrassment of a Person; But the _Intention_
of _Satire_, is to raise your _Detestation_, by exposing the real
Deformity of his Vices.
3. If in _Raillery_ the Sting be given too deep and severe, it
will sink into Malice and Rudeness, And your Pleasure will not be
justifiable; But _Satire_, the more deep and severe the Sting of it
is, will be the more excellent; Its Intention being entirely to root
out and destroy the Vice.
4. It is a just Maxim upon these Subjects, that in _Raillery_ a
good-natur'd Esteem ought always to appear, without any Resentment
or Bitterness; In _Satire_ a generous free Indignation, without any
sneaking Fear or Tenderness; It being a sort of partaking in the Guilt
to keep any Terms with Vices.
It is from hence that _Juvenal_, as a _Satirist_, is greatly superior
to _Horace_; But indeed many of the short Compositions of _Horace_,
which are indiscriminately ranged together, under the general Name
of _Satires_, are not properly such, but Pieces of _Raillery_ or
_Ridicule_.
As _Raillery_, in order to be decent, can only be exercised upon
_slight_ Misfortunes and Foibles, attended with no deep Mischief, nor
with any Reproach upon real Merit, so it ought only to be used between
_Equals_ and _Intimates_; It being evidently a Liberty too great to
be taken by an _Inferior_; and too inequitable to be taken by a
_Superior_, as his Rank shields him from any Return.
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