An Essay towards Fixing the True Standards of Wit, Humour, Railery, Satire, and Ridicule | Page 6

not for their Beauty, but their
Rarity; as juggling Tricks, not for their Use, but their Abstruseness, are
beheld with Pleasure;) by diverting the Mind from its Road of serious
Thoughts, by instilling Gaiety, and Airiness of Spirit; by provoking to
such Disposition of Spirit in Way of Emulation, or Complaisance; and
by seasoning Matters otherwise distasteful or insipid, with an unusual
and thence grateful Tange.
This Description, it is easy to perceive, must have cost the Author of it
a great deal of Labour. It is a very full Specimen of that Talent of
entirely exhausting a Subject, for which Dr. Barrow was remarkable;
and if the Point was, to exhibit all the various Forms and Appearances,
not of WIT only, but of Raillery, Satire, Sarcasms, and of every Kind
of Poignancy and Pleasantry of Sentiment, and Expression, he seems
to have perfectly succeeded; there being perhaps no Variety, in all the
Extent of these Subjects, which he has not presented to View in this
Description.--But he does not pretend to give any Definition of WIT,

intimating rather that it is quite impossible to be given: And indeed
from his Description of it, as a Proteus, appearing in numberless
various Colours, and Forms; and from his mistaking, and presenting for
WIT, other different Mixtures and Substances, it is evident that his Idea
of it was quite confused and uncertain: It is true, he has discovered a
vast Scope of Fertility of Genius, and an uncommon Power of
collecting together a Multitude of Objects upon any Occasion, but he
has here absolutely mistaken his work; for instead of exhibiting the
Properties of WIT in a clearer Light, and confuting the false Claims
which are made to it, he has made it his whole Business to perplex it
the more, by introducing, from all Corners, a monstrous Troop of new
unexpected Pretenders.
Dryden, in the Preface to his Opera, entitled, The State of Innocence, or
Fall of Man, gives the following Decree upon WIT. The Definition of
WIT, (which has been so often attempted, and ever unsuccessfully by
many Poets) is only this: That it is _a Propriety of Thoughts and Words;
or in other Terms, Thoughts and Words elegantly adapted to the
Subject_.
If Mr. Dryden imagined, that he had succeeded himself in this
Definition, he was extremely mistaken; for nothing can be more distant
from the Properties of WIT, than those he describes. He discovers no
Idea of the Surprize, and Brilliancy of WIT, or of the sudden Light
thrown upon a Subject. Instead of once pointing at these, he only
describes the Properties of clear Reasoning, which are _a Propriety of
Thoughts and Words_;--Whereas WIT, in its sudden Flashes, makes no
Pretension to _Reasoning_; but is perceived in the pleasant Surprize
which it starts, and in the Light darted upon a Subject, which instantly
vanishes again, without abiding a strict Examination.
The other Definition he gives, which is, Thoughts and Words elegantly
adapted to the Subject, is very different from the former, but equally
unhappy.
For Propriety, in Thoughts and Words, consists in exhibiting _clear,
pertinent Ideas_, in precise and perspicuous Words.

Whereas ELEGANCE consists in the compt, well pruned and succinct
Turn of a Subject.
The Object of the First, is to be clear, and _perspicuous_; whence it
often appears in pursuit of these, not compt or _succinct_: Whereas the
Essence of ELEGANCE is to be compt and succinct, for the Sake of
which Ornaments it often neglect Perspicuity, and Clearness.--In short,
a Propriety of Thoughts and Words, may subsist without any
_Elegance_; as an Elegance of Thoughts and Words may appear
without a perfect Propriety.
The last Definition, as it is thus very different from the former is also
equally unhappy: For ELEGANCE is no essential Property of WIT.
Pure WIT resulting solely from the quick Elucidation of one Subject,
by the sudden Arrangement, and Comparison of it, with another
Subject.--If the two Objects arranged together are elegant, and polite,
there will then be superadded to the WIT, an Elegance and Politeness
of Sentiment, which will render the WIT more amiable. But if the
Objects are vulgar, obscene, or deformed, provided the first be
elucidated, in a lively Manner, by, the sudden Arrangement of it with
the second, there will be equally WIT; though, the Indelicacy of
Sentiment attending it, will render such WIT shocking and abominable.
It is with the highest Respect for the great Mr. Locke, that I deliver his
Sentiments upon this Subject.
And hence, perhaps, may be given some Reason of that common
Observation, that Men who have a great deal of Wit, and prompt
Memories, have not always the clearest Judgment or deepest Reason:
For Wit lying most in the Assemblage of Ideas, and putting those
together with Quickness and Variety, wherein can