Alexandria advertiser and commercial intelligencer. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1800-1803, 1802-11-20

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through an aa, when the author, who
uahappily miGook the peals Of laughter
which ne heard for applsufe, went up 70
Mr.. Wilkes, aud with an air o. triumph,
faid, " Deel taak my faul, fir, they begin
10 take the humour at lalt -
WhetIer the audience or the poet erred
mot on this location, lhall not deter
mine. Certain it is, that this is no unu
fual thing ii the former, TO make very
grofs miitskes in this matter, as great m
deed as the late learned Bernard LIntot,
the book -feller, who having purchaied tfe
copy Of tragedy called phadra and Hypo-
illus, lamented that the author had not
put little more humour in it for that,
he faid, was the only thing it wanted. .
In truth there is nothing 10 uniettled
and uncertain, as our notion OF humou1
in general. The mott common opinion IS,
whatever deyerts or makes you laugh is
humour and in proportion as men are
more or lefs rilible in their nature, they
are more or lefs liberal in this appellation.
A merry fellow, or plealant companion,
as he is called land by the bye, have
known many dull dog called fo} never
fails to obtain the character of man OF
humour, among his acquaintance and adj
mirers. The qualifications OF thefe gen
slemen are fomewhat Of drollery TO the
voice and their performance are ufually
merry catch, or long fiery, with a
fling of the fame kind in the tail.
| forbear to mention here the valt va
rely Of handy OF practical JETS, as have
leen them touched elfewhere, all which are
reputed to be humour by the vulgar.
Such are tweaks by the nofe, kicks on
the breech, pulling away your chair,
matching off your wig with many others.
Blu, there is another kind Of humour, on
which do not remember TO have feen any
remarks. This is that tragical humour,
which was perhaps intended by the learn
ed rockefeller above mentioned; and which
tho it may tend to raiie laughter in fone,
may, however be faid to have its founda-
ton in tears.
AS the ipecies ofpra6tical humour, jua
before fpoken of, are produced by doing
little iocoie mifrhiefs to others, this ira
gical humcur coniilts in affecting men with
the greatef ard mott ferrous evils; in a
word, in running, deRroying, and tor
menting mankind.
Hifory abounds, with examples of men
who have very eminently poaeRed ibis
kind of humour. There has tcarce indeed
exiaed Jingle tyrant or con 4ueror upon
earth, who, though otherwifc extreme
ly dull was not great mater tbs
way. Alexander the great was much
gifted with this quality, Of which we
have many inaances in the accounts Of his
Aiatic expedition. His burning the city
Of Perfepolis in particular, was perfor-
nance OF mott exquiGte humour.
What were the reigns of Ca!igula and
Claudius, of Nero and Domitian, of Com
modus, Caracalla, Heliogablus, ana all
thofe imperial bucks, or bloods of Rome,
but great tragical farces, in which one
half of mankind, was with much humour
put to death and tortures, for the diver
Gon of the other half !?
But of all the performances of this kind
have ever met with, ] am mott plealed
with the common tory of Phalarias and
perillus. - The latter of thefe being dc6r-
Gus Recommending tiimfelf to the favor
of the former, who was great tyrant,
and conlequcntly great lover of the ira
gical humour, acquainted his matter Pha-
larias, that he had, with much invention
and hard labor, contrived an entertain.
ment for him, which would produce the
highef fport and paftime. 1t was thus
to be performed the artift had made
the brazen image of a bull, into the
belly of which human creature was
TO be conveyed. The bull was then