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ridicule. Infirmity and vice, not flagitious guilt, are the proper food 

 of mirth ; Ariftotle exprefles it ro cpxuXov a\X a xctjcc Troca-av kcckixv. 

 The reprefentation of cowardice, affeflation, avarice or vanity may 

 be ridiculous ; it may afford a triumph by comparifon, unullayed 

 by any feeling or apprehcnfion of ferious evil to any body ; but 

 cruelty, ingratitude, perfidy, and the whole black catalogue of 

 gigantic crimes and flagrant paflions, that rend afunder the focial 

 .ties, and heap the meafure of human calamity, thefc, far from 

 exciting laughter, raife in us emotions of abhorrence, indignation 

 or fear. In the occurrences of real life a flight mifchance or 

 blunder, even of our beft friend, will raife a fmile ; but a more 

 fignal misfortune or fatal error, even of an enemy, will move 

 cur compaflion. The fatl is, that mirth, though a very prompt 

 and lively emotion, yet not being fo very neeeflliry to our ex- 

 iftence and the prefervation of fociety as many others, gives no 

 very deep tindure to the mind, but mildly difperfes itfelf, and 

 vaniflies before fuch as are of more general and important ufe, 

 and of courfe armed with ftronger powers of embracing and pof» 

 fefling the human fpirit. 



