The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-11-04
HUMOR OF ENGLISH
AND AMERICAN LITERATURE.
I II.

ANU AMEkIIAN LlIEkAIUkc.
Charles II. lives in English history as
the merry monarch" During all mis-
reign hilarity and unrestrained reveiry
held possession Of the Kingdom. He was
the wittiest OF all English sovereigns Gay
and careless In temperament, FOND OF
pleasure quick Of intuition. instant In rep
artee. he was more Celtic than Teutonic.
and TO add to his native bent his early
training had been in France under an
absolute monarchy tempered BY good say
fngs." His advent into England was the
signal for hilarious debauchsry. The ice
Of purftanisr which had bound the island
as with iron broke all in moment, ana
Immediately society dashed into every ex-
treme For generation boisterous merri-
ment was everywhere; never BEFORE, never
again has there been In England sucn un-
restrained FOSTERING, but amid all the re-
dundancy OF wit and fun one may seek
in vain for fragment OF truc humor' Inc
intellect ruled supreme.
The age and Its literature took much OF
its color from the king. Never mas there
been an English monarch more lacking IN
dignity. He was a good fellow among
good fellows.
At drinking bout a certain mayor. VINO
eponsible for his actions swore vehement
~ that he would compel the king TO drink
with him another bottle. The monarch
instantly obeyed. for. he declared.
s'Good store OF good claret supplies every
thing,
And the man that = drunk IL as great rs
king"
He chose as his counselors and favorites
men who were convivial ana witty. with
these boon companions who hailed him as
'Old Rowley." he banded Jokes and Wit
ticlsms. laughing always Ioudest when
they got the better Of HIS wit. Rather
than not laugh, he would tur-. the joke
upon himself"
..Ah, shaftesbury,' he cried you are
the greatest rogue In England" "of
4 subject, SIR" was the quick response,
''undoubtedly am"
nv particular request the Earl Of Roch-
ester composed the royal epitaph'
ssTJere lies our sovereign lord. the king.
Whose word no man relies on,
Who never said a foolish thing
And never did wise one
.sTrue." cried the king. FOR my dis
course IL my own: my actions are my
ministry's."
when he had chIded the celebrated
HtIilIngsfeet fer delivering before him q
written sermon, the preacher suddenly
demanded why he himself read his speech
es before parliament. why. truly. doc
tor" was the ready response. your dues-
ton Is a pertinent one and so Will be my
answer l have asked the two houses so
often and for 30 much money that am
ashamed to look them In the face"
s.Mv lord my lord" shouted the great
preacher South one morning. pausing In
his sermon and shaking his finger at Lau-
derIale. "you snore 80 loud that you viii
wake tho king"
b. t.t.. xrt< -
land could produce only one variety OF
literary product. for II was the day OF
noble patrons, and no unratronlzcd au-
thor could hope for success. Literature
OF the inteliec: took at onca the lead
ing place For the first time In England
satire the hurting OF ridicule and wit at
men and manners TO excite contempt
arose conspicuous The hrst and In
some respects the leader of the satiric
school was Samuel Butler. whose master
piece. "Huditras" became the textbook
OF the royal court. The king had II con-
stantly within reach; the mobiles and cour-
tiers quoted on all occasions it's brilliant
epigrams and sharp hits.
'Hudibras" Is undoubtedly the most
Witty single poem In the language. 1t
pretends 10 recount the adventures of a
kind Of Puritan Don Quixote. but the
story In lost In an endless fuslllada OF
quips and sharp sayings, the most OF
them az the expense OF the Calvinists
Its brilliant flashes are almost continuous
yet one quickly tires OF Il. The most
brilliant blaze OF skyrockets at length
ceases to interest, wit Is the god OF
moments" says Bruyere, and Hudibras
himself evidently knew II. for says Butler:
although he had much wit
lie was very shy OF using II.
As being 10th Ia wear II out:
Ani therefore bore u not about.
Unless on holidays or so
Az men their best apparel do
Like all ancient wit "Hudibrss has be-
come sadly furnished by time. Despite
the fact that for two generate IL was
placed side by side with the best works
Of Milton, aud was everywhere rated as
the supreme humorous masterpiece of the
language. Il Is almost unread today. How
can We laugh at Jokes that take II for
sfanted that Wee know intimately ali the
feisss and ahsuriitIcs OF the purltans
aud their umeSf Yet for mere wit. Some
passages Of "Hudihras" have kent fairly
welt Take, for instance. this Character
isa,lon Of the csivinists:
For he was Of that stubborn crew
~ Grant saints. whom ali men grant
70 De the true church militant.
Such as do build their faiih anon
ne hQiS text 81 pike ani gun,
ena prove their doctrine orthodox
~ apostolic blows ana knocks.
can FRS and sword and fesSl.tlon
q knd.y thorough rsformatiaN
Witch always ugsf be carried on
And atill he d0inE never done:
AZ n religion were Intended
Tor nothing else but 70 he fnspdcs.
a sect whose chief devotion lles
" odd prveyse antipathieS
compound Tor sins they are snci,nes IN
fy damning those they have no mind
TO"
Wis brother poets came in FOR their
share of criticism, Tor. ne declares:
'.rhose that write in rhyme stifr rnskr
Tho one verse Ter the others sake.
For nNe Tor eenas and one far rhVrnn
thinks SUFFICIENT Ter one time .
John nryden ;he laureate OF the era.
madN satire stin more popular. Compare
his picture % the Csivinlst With Buffers.
More naughty than the rest. the woiash
race
Appser with belly sauut hns tam,shea
face
Never was 50 feformea beast Of wr-e~
Ills faEs~t faf Seiwext his LEGS he wears
Close cleppea Tor shame. but His rough
cre-t he rears
And rrieks un his pr'stesllaatiug ears