Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1818-07-14
ALEXANDRIA,:
TJlESDiY MORNING, JULY II.
ON HunoR-continued.

tIOllS VI HiduhIhu IcSPcSuhS huiioi ~ o.
neral, is as much owing 10 the complex
ional feelings Of those acted upon as to the
quality Of the thing that passes for humor'
The most common opinion rs, that what
ever diverts or makes you laugh, is humor
and in proportion as men are more or
less risible in their nature are they liberal
in bestcwing this appellation. Tothought-
less, laughing fellows, therefore, he must
be very dull who fails 10 seem man OF
humor-and TO a certain klnd OF haii-wlt-
ted gentry, who with the aid OF vacant
head and q strong constitution is ever on
the broad grin, he WHO can hold up I'M
ger, is another 10 Miller. A merry fellow
too, or pleasant companion, as it is call.
ed, land many a dull dog with head as
impenetrable as mallet have heard cali
ed SOY never fails to obtain the character
of a man Of humor, among his aequaln-
lance and admirers. Of this kind of per.
sons, the qualifications are a tacetlous
eountenance, knowing leer Of the eye, and
some oddly in the voice their performan-
ces are usually merry catch, or long
story brazenly told, with sting OF some
kind in the tail Of il--whether the story be
borrowed or not signifies little, provided it
be not so falniliarly known as to lose the
power Of creating surprise. The effect OF
the voice is astonishing. have known
in my time, actors who rose to great cele.
brity chiefly by having the good fortune TO
possess a voice more like the grunting OF
pig than 10 human sound and Others on
whom a shuttle and sanctiied face, atv
rance with the lcvity Of their conversation,
actually conferred the reputation Of ants.
Itwould be an endless work, and deprive
you, Mr.. Editor, OF all patience, were |
to particularise every item in, that inex-
haustible repertory Of humor displayed in
practical jests, T., variety Of which is end.
less, and which are in the highest repute
with the vulgar. Tweaks by the nose
kicks on the seat Of honor, pulling away
chair, so that The person intending to sit,
may come down with a seuelch on the
ground-putting crackers into the FIRE or
candle-heating the hindle Of the poker so
as to burn the person who goes 10 stir the
fire-snatching off mans hat, or if he
wears one, his wig, and all the different
modes Of hoaxing, have for time immemo-
rial been digniied with the name Of hu.
NOR.
But there is another, and rather too Sc
rious kind of humor on which do not re.
member TO have seen any remarks. ]
mean that tragical bumor, which though it
may tend to raise mirth in some ddmned
good fellows, may be said TO have its foun-
lation in tears, and may possibly be the
same that Bernard Lindott dep!ored the
want Of in the tragedy he had purchased.
that species Of humor which depends
upon practical jests last spoken of, is pro.
1uced by doing little jocose mischiefs 10
others, this tragical humor consists in al
licting men with the greatest and most Sc
rious evils; in a word, in running, tor
nenting, and destroying mankind His
ory abounds with examples of men who
nave eminently shone in this kind OF humor.
Most of the great tyrants and coDquerors OF
he world, have, Notwithstanding their be-
ing very dull, got vast reputation for hu-
nor in this way. Alexander the Great was
thought to be highly gifted with this qua
lily, Of which we have multitude Of in
stances in the accounts OF his Asiatic expe-
dition. His burning the city Of PersepolS
was considered by his admirers as an eN-
quisite piece of humor. And what were
the reigns Of Caligula and Claudius, Of Ne
TO and Dometian, of Comn.odus, Caracal.
la, Heliogabalus, and all those other impe-
rial bucks and bloods of Rome, but great
tragical farces, in which one half OF man.
kind was, with infinite humor, put TO death |
and tortures for the diversion Of the other
half?
Among humorous recreations Of this kind
| reckon the .a;tos de fe Of the Inquisition,
in which Jews, protestants, freemasons, old
women suspected Of witchcrafl, and other
heretcs and DENoYIAs, have so often
screamed and danced and capered in a
great fire for the amusement OF rabble of
the faithful, in popish countries.
But Of all the performances of this kind
that | lind recorded in history, the most
completely humorous and striking is the
story Of Phalaris and Perilas. The latter
being DESTROYS to recommend himself to the
favor of the former, who was a great ty-