The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-01-19
REV. DIR. E. YATES REEsE,s LECTURE


The eighth lecture of the course before the Mary
land Institute, was delivered by the Rev. Dr. f.
Yates Reese, of this city. Subject-''The Moral
Uses of the Humorous in Poetry" The lecturer
commenced by referring to a modern Divine, who,
in commencing lecture upon the great English
dramatist and poet, said: "If clergyman thirty
years ago had announced a lecture on Shakespeare
he might, a postscript, have announced the
resignation of his charge, if not the abandonment
of his office" But times had changed, and a more
liberal sentiment was prevalent. To appreciate the
geniality, breadth and power of Shakespeare's de-
lineations of human emotion and character, is not
now regarded positive evidence that man is
either an advocate of theatrical exhibitions or
companion of those who tread the boards He was
not sure that he did not subject himself to unrehect
ing prejudice by the announcement that he was to
discourse on the humorous in poetry Humor is so
often contounded with bufoonery and mimcry
that in many minds 1t is difficult to separate them
Humor, by some persons, is regarded as too degra-
ding thing for good man to touch; as for A
preacher, he ought not to know that there is such
thing in the world or, ifhe knew it at ALL it should
be from without to mourn over and reprove not
from within, to be cultivated and enjoyed The lee
turer advised that no should attempt to find
correct definition of what humor is, and of what wit
Is. 1t is easier to say what they are not.
Like poetry, the attempts to define them were
all unsuccessful Barrow has attempted it.
so has Locke, and Lord Kaimes, and Campbell in
his Philosophy of Rhetoric, and the poets Sidney
Smith talks great deal about 'gt shows it to be
the discovery of those relations of ideas which are
calculated to excite SURPRISE at the same time that
there is realized no feeling of the utility of the re
lation so discovered any perception of the beau
ful, much less of the sublime, surprise being its
exclusive province; but after all his phiosophisng
he is not able to define what the feeling is and saws
it impossible to do it, as "to define the fla
yor of venison." Meantime, without the aid of
definition, wit is wit, and humour is humour; and
though each is frequently counterfeited the pen-
uine article is readily known BY its ring
"Wit and Humour," to quote from the witty
Churchman above alluded to-''though the first CON
sists in discovering connection the latter in discov-
erng incOHgruity-are closely and nearly allied to
each other" This was shown by several illustra-
tions. Websters definition was quoted as more in
accordance with commonly received notions
though less philosophically discrimnatve. As a
literary implement wit IS sharp, too often vndic-
tive towards its object, and generally provokes and
| augments hOstities between the wit and the object
! of his thrusts Humour shown to be more genial
and less offensive. The satires of Pope were
witty. SO were the sneers of Byron, especially in
| his English Bards and Scotch Reviewers. In Syd-
| ney Smith, wit predominates over the humorous;
| in Charles Lamb, humor over wit. Men laugh and
often made better by humor: they are surprised
and pleased with the surprise-at wit-but the
pleasure is less genial and less prolonged The idea
that humor is altogether undignifed and useless
thing is puritanic error, which the lecturer hoped
a DANGER
Gus one and to be strictly guarded. There were
strong temptations its abuse 1t must be held in
| subordination to other and higher faculties So
cety is true to ITSELF and every body admits that
! life is more than pastime. Mere selfgratifcation
or mere amusement offered to others will not meet
| the responsibilities which the brotherhood of man
attaches to the possession of fine intellectual pow
ers. Good humor, however, is an excellent thing
| and he wished there more of it in the world
| God has implanted in every mans bosom an in
stinctiye susceptibility of being amused. 1t was
| intended it should have legitimate exercise A
! smile is the dawning light which love and ioy shed
| upon the countenance. Its noontide radiance is
laughter Hood better expresses it when he saws a
laugh is but the ful-bown flower of which a smile
is the bud He spoke of the genuine smile and the
| hearty laugh, such as come right from the heart
not your sinister hypocritca counterfeit smile of
! deceit or envy, or malice;-not your suspicious,
! forced laugh, that has soul in it. These are
wicked and abominable shams. But who would
| cease to smile because men enough are to be found
"to smile and play the villan;' or who would re-
! fuse to indulge good laugh because it has been
written by Chesterfield that laughter is not genteel:
and by another, popular fallacy by the way
which the lecturer exposed-that 'the loud laugh
! bespeaks the vacant mind
With similar observations which we have not
space to follow, the lecturer contended that humor-
thing TO which we are so sensitive, which so at
tracts and captivates which so surprises with
| pleasant novelities-mght be made highly useful in
the enforcement of mOral teachings. Addison's
humor and Goldsmith were referred to in ustra
| tion; and it was shown to be an error to imagine
that this species of talent is necessarily to be
ciated with indecent clownishness or friyolou,
vanity. Humorous poetry has its legitimate sphere
Richard Harris Barham, Thomas Hood DR.
Oliver w. Holmes and John G. SAKE were sever
ally introduced, with critical remarks upon each
and readings in illustration of the opinions ad
vanced concerning them. The lecture occupied
over an hour and quarter.
The officers of the American ship Greenland havt
been arrested at Liverpool for brutaly il-treatng
colored sailor named Devant