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Ejjay on RIDICULE, WIT and HUMOUR. 

 By WILLIAM PRESTON, Efq; M.R.I.A. 



PART THE FIRST. 



Jv ID ICULE is that branch of iht Jine or mimetic arts which Read Dec. 

 profeffes to excite the emotion of mirth. It is fecn more ftriking ^'' ''^^" 

 and forcible in poetry and painting, where the imitations of 

 nature are more general, as well as more apt and pointed ; but 

 even mufic is capable of it in a certain degree, as for example, 

 by a burlefque or fort of parody on fomc grave compofition, by 

 an imitation of odd and unfeemly noifes, or by ftrains expreffive 

 of whimfical and grotefque emotions and fituations. Ridicule 

 excites mirth by the ridiculous ; that is to fay, by an exhibition 

 of defeats and blemifhcs of the lighter kind, which neither imply 

 a fenfe of pain and mifery in the objecSl or fubftratum to which 

 they belong, nor contain any thing noxious or alarming to exter- 

 nal 



