The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser. — 1839-12-17 (Liverpool, Merseyside, England)

COMICALITY OF ALL TIIINGS.—II is not in literature alone that the tendency to the ridiculous is shown. In many recent scientific speculations it is strikingly and abundantly obvious—some of those on geology may be quoted as examples. The offspring of the sciences—those pledges of dice. tion which they present to art, almost all of them come into the world with a caricature-like smirk upon their faces. Air balloons and railroads have something funny about them ; and photegenic drawings are, to say the least, very curious. The learned professions are all tinged with drollery. The law is confessedly ridiculous from beginning to end, and what is very straage, is that no one should attempt to make it otherwise. Medicine is comical—or rather tragi-comical—the disparity of opinion among its professors, the chaotic state of its principles, and the conduct of its students being considered. No one can deny that the distribution of church property is somewhat odd, or can assert that the doings, at least, or those who are destined for the clerical office, are now and then of rather a strange character. Political meetings are very laughable things, when we reflect upon the strong asseverations of patriotism there made and believed. The wisdom of the legislature is by no means of the gravest class, particularly when it offers municipal reforms as a substitute for bread. The debates in a certain House must be of a very humorous character, if we may judge from the frequent " hear, hear, and a laugh," by which the proceedings there are interrupted. Our risible faculties are continually called into action at public lectures of all kinds ; and indeed, no lecturer, however learned he may be, has much chance now-a-days of instructing, unless he can also amuse his audience. Nor can the various public and even private buildings, which are daily springing up around us like so many mushrooms, be contemplated without considerable emotion of mirthfulness. The new style of ecclesiastical architecture, entitled the Cockney-Gothic, affords a good illustration of this remark ; but the comic Temple of the Fne Arts, in Trafalgar-square, is what Lord Bacon would have called a " glaring instance " of its correctness. The occurrences of the day bear all of them the stamp of facetiousness. The vote of approbation lately passed on a certain course of policy is a capital joke ; the tricks that are constantly played upon John Bull by the Russians, French, Yankees, and others, though somewhat impertinent to the aforesaid John, must seem very diverting to lookers-on. The state of the drama may also be brought forward in proof of our position. Tragedies are at a discount ; farces are at a premium ; lions, nay goats and monkeys, are pressed into the service of Mamus. Even then the various institutions for the advancement of morals have not escaped the influence of the prevailing taste. To mention that respectable body of men, the Teetotallers, is sufficient of itself to excite a smile. In short, look wherever you will, you will find it a matter of the greatest difficulty to keep your countenance. The truth is, that people are tired of crying, and find it much more agreeable to, laugh. The sublime is out of fashion ; the ridiculous is in vogue.--Comic Latin Grammar.  Much intellect is not an advAntage in courtship. General topics interfere with particular attentions, A marl, to be successful in love, should think only of himself and mistress. Rochefoucalt observes that lovers are never tired of each other's company, because they are always talking of them Dr, Schlegel states that there existed in Paris a society calling itself " The Friends of Suicide.". It was composed of twelve members. A lot was annually cast to decide which of them should commit suicide in the presence of his colleagues.  • A