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failing fource of merriment among the vulgar; ludicrous paint- 

 ings, like the Enraged Mujician, Hints for bad Horjhnen^ and 

 other produdions of Hogarth*^ and his fchool ; and moft of 

 the laughable fituations and comic incidents in dramatic and 

 other humorous writings. 



Fourthly. The laft and principal fource of the ridiculous 

 is an incongruity or inconfiftency in tlie words and actions, and 

 as far as they can be traced or are notified to us, in the thoughta 

 of men. This fund of ridicule is by far tlie molt copious, from 

 the infinite diverfity of objeds which it comprehends ; and it 

 excites a fpecies of mirth more refined and pointed, becaufe the 

 triumph being over man himfelf, in fomething peculiar to him as 

 fuch, is more full and complete than that over the brute creation, 

 or man with refped to external accidents; and in this we recog- 

 nize the admirable contrivance of providence. For this is the 

 branch of ridicule which has the moft important influence on 

 the condud of life and manners, and therefore it is deftined to 

 affed us the moft forcibly. This laft fource of the ridiculous 

 may be fubdivided into feveral members. I do not propofe the 

 following diftribution as ftridly logical and fcientific, but it may 

 ferve well enough to explain the fubjed. 



First. Incongruity between the words, adions or fentiments 

 of a perfon, and his phyfical fituation ; that is to fay, his cor- 

 poreal accidents of youth, age, beauty, deformity, ftrength, 



* I cannot mention the name of that excellent fatirift and moral painter without 

 expreffing my admiration of his Ikill in depicting life and manners. 



weaknefs, 



