Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1895-11-15

a Few Specimens OF the 6etter ClAS0 OF
the Lowest Form Of WILTON Hood the
Prince Of British Pansters-He Puns IS
Naturally a. He Laughs.
Is the pun legitimate form of wit?
Some people think not, and DR.. johnson
said that a man who would make a pun |
would pick pocket. But the fact is |
that the general objection to puns is be-
cause Of their frequent lack of witt
that is to say, it is directed to bad puns.
We do not want to discuss bad puns-l
Or even to hear them. The point is, |
whether good puns are admissible as
legitimate and commendable express |
sions of humor. 1t is of no use to say, !
like Sydney Smith, that puns ought to
be in bad repute, and, although one
finds an incorrigible punster-often, it
is true, an incorrigible bore-in every
little circlet of social life, one does not
find the race Of pickpockets to be in
creasing alarmingly in numbers. Nor
do the statistics Of crime seem to bear
any relation to the productions of
Planchet or Brough or of Gilbert to the
spread of burlesque and the cultivation
OF Bah balladlst opera.
1t is probable that there are few,
even in these days of culture, capable of
approaching the profound witticism
which De Quincy discovered in the
jests for which poor Elius Lamia was
put to death by Domitian.
Cicero had the name of being great
punster, although not many of his wit
icic - 10, sci
one, no viewer, that may be appreciated
even without knowledge of Latin.
Once Jew attempted to get the cause
of Verres into his own hands, and C:ce-
20, who believed the Jew to be a mere
| tool of the culprits, opposed him by ask
ing, "What hath a Jew to do with
! swine's fiesh:'' The Romans called
boar "verres," SO that the point was
neat and appropriate.
If we want to argue the legitimacy Of
puns we are obliged to fall back on the
| old discussion as to the difference be-
| tween wit and humor. The definitions
are legiOnal of course, but not one Of
them is wholly satisfactory. "Knowl-
edge comes and wisdom lingers,'' Ten
nyson says, and perhaps we might found
upon tlVs parody, with some approach
to truth-that wit sparkles and humor
permeates. But there is little profit to
be got in analysis of this kind. What is
funny isn't necessarily witty, but what
is funny must have in it or suggested
by it some of the essence of humor.
Thus Charles Lamb was not so far
wrong when he said that the most far
fetched and startling puns are the best.
The familiar inquiry, us it true that
the first apple was eaten by the first
pair:" is farfetched, but one cannot
deny the humor Of it. Again, in the
conundrum, "Why is blind mans buff
like sympathy:"-: Because it is fell
low feeling for a fellow creature, -
there is 4 direct application which is
also urqueslionably humorous. Then,
as another example of pun which is
absurdly apparent, there was Douglas
Jerrold's remark about q man to whom
he had repeatedly written in vain for
some money.
Il have written him." said Jerrold
to an acquaintance, "but got nothing. -
Strange, said the other, "for he is
man full of kindness
"Yes," rejoined Jerrold, "unremit.
ting kindness.
A pun which requires explanation in
brackets is indeed simply intolerable.
The Oxford scholar who, meeting q
porter carrying hare through the
streets, asked, "Prithee, friend, is tina,
thy own hare Or wig?" required nj
commentator. This same story is some
times attributed to Charles Lamb. No
did Tom Hood, who, when all is sale
and done, remains the prince Of British
, punsters. He puns rs naturally as III
laughs. A babe can see the point of hi
jokes, and tho crustiest dry -as-dust can
not resist them.
Theodore Hook is thought by many
to be equal to Hood as punster, bu
Eool, was labored and slow in compari
SCH. There is an inpromptu air abou
Hoods puns which is Incompatible, ant
an unexpectedness, even when you ar
looking for them, that is delicious
Frederick Locker once or twice seemed
to have Hoods unconscious ease, as thus
He cannot be complete in aught
Who is not humorously prone.
A man without merry thought
Can hardly have funny bone.
John Hill Burton relates legal jok
10 which, to the legal mind, has all tn
charm Of pun. One day bailiff, sery
| ing writ. had been compelled by til
I defendant to swallow the document. L
J state Of great agitation and anger tn
officer rushed into the court, over whic
!, Lord Norbury was presiding, to com
J; plain of the indignity. He was met b
4 the expression of his lordship's hop
!. that the writ was mot returnable i
!. this court
q Bret Harte. by the way, is not usua
n ly regarded as a professional wit, an
!. yet among the good things which clin
3 to ones memory is the couplet in til
8 Heather Chinee:''
]. Concealed in his nails, which were taper.
What IL common in tapcrs-that's wax.
- Somebody has written a parody