A Discourse Concerning Ridicule and Irony in Writing (1729) Part 5

The Fable tells us of a _Cat_ once turn'd into a _Woman_, but the next sight of a _Mouse_ quickly dissolv'd the _Metamorphosis_, cashier'd the Woman, and restor'd the Brute. And some _Virtuosi_ (skill'd in the _useful Philosophy_ of _Alterations_) have thought her much a Gainer by the latter Change, there being so many unlucky Turns in the World, in which it is not half so safe and advantageous to _walk upright_, as to be _able to fall always upon one's Legs_."

Again, Dr. _South_ says[123], "When I consider how wonderfully pleas'd the Man is with these two new started Terms (_Self-consciousness_ and _mutual Consciousness_) so high in Sound and so empty of Sense, instead of one substantial word (_Omniscience_) which gives us all that can be pretended useful in them, with vast Overplus and Advantage, and even swallows them up, as _Moses_'s Rod did those pitiful Tools of the _Magicians_: This (I say) brings to my mind (whether I will or no) a certain Story of a grave Person, who riding in the Road with his Servant, and finding himself something uneasy in his Saddle, bespoke his Servant thus: _John_ (says he) _alight, and first take off the Saddle that is upon my Horse, and then take off the Saddle that is upon your Horse; and when you have done this, put the Saddle that was upon my Horse, upon your Horse; and put the Saddle that was upon your Horse, upon my Horse_. Whereupon the Man, who had not studied the Philosophy of Saddles (whether _Ambling_ or _Trotting_) so exactly as his Master, replies something short upon him; _Lord, Master, what need all these words? Could you not as well have said, Let us change Saddles?_ Now I must confess, I think the Servant was much in the right; tho the Master having a _rational Head of his own_, and being withal willing to make the _Notion_ of _changing_ Saddles more _plain_, _easy_ and _intelligible_, and to give a clearer Explication of that word (which his Forefathers, how good _Hors.e.m.e.n_ soever they might have been, yet were _not equally happy in explaining of_) was pleas'd to set it forth by that more full and accurate Circ.u.mlocution."

He says[124], _The Author_, Dr. _Sherlock, is no doubt a_ Grecian _in his Heart_! And the tenth Chapter of the _Animadversions_ is one continued Banter upon the _Dean_ for his Ignorance in _Greek_ and _Latin_, and even his Inability to spell: All which he _closes_ with saying, "That St.

_Paul_'s _School_ is certainly an excellent School, and St. _Paul_'s Church a most n.o.ble Church; and therefore he thinks that he directs his Course very prudently, and happily too, who in his Pa.s.sage to such a _Cathedral_, takes a School in his way."

Again, he says[125], "He cannot see any new Advantage that the Dean has got over the _Socinians_, unless it be, that the Dean thinks his _three G.o.ds_ will be too hard for their _one_."

After citing several Scurrilities of the Dean[126], (who it must be confess'd, appears therein a great Banterer also of Dr. _South_ and his Performance) the Dr. says, "These, with several more of the like _Gravel-Lane_ Elegancies, are all of them such peculiar Strictures of the Dean's _Genius_, that he might very well spare his Name, where he had made himself so well known by his Mark; for all the foregoing _Oyster-Wive-Kennel-Rhetorick_ seems so naturally to flow from him, who had been so long Rector of St. _Botolph_ (with the well-spoken _Billingsgate_ under his Care) that (as much a Teacher as he was) it may well be question'd, whether he has learn'd more from his Parish, than his Parish from him.--All favours of the Porter, the Carman, and the Waterman; and a pleasant Scene it must be to see the _Master of the Temple_ laying about him in the Language of the Stairs."

To the Dean's Scoff, that _this Argument_, &c. _was worth its weight in Gold, tho the_ Dean _fears it will not much enrich the Buyer_, the Doctor replies[127], "What is that to him? Let him mind his own Markets, who never writes to _enrich the Buyer_ but the Seller; and that _Seller_ is himself: and since he is so, well is it for his Books and his Bookseller too, that Men generally _buy_ before they _read_."

In requital of the scurrilous Character of an _ingenious Blunderer_, Dr.

_South_ says[128], "He must here return upon him the just Charge of an _impious Blasphemer_, and that upon more Accounts than one; telling him withal, that had he liv'd in the former Times of the Church, his Gown would have been stript off his Back for his detestable Blasphemies and Heresies, and some other Place found out for him to perch in than the Top of St. _Paul's_, where at present he is placed like a true Church Weather-c.o.c.k, (as he is) notable for nothing so much, as _standing high and turning round_."

Again, he says[129], "And so I take my leave of the Dean's _three distinct infinite Minds, Spirits_, or _Substances_, that is to say, of his _three G.o.ds_; and having done this, methinks I see him go whimpering away with his Finger in his Eye, and the Complaint of _Micah_ in his Mouth, _Ye have taken away my G.o.ds which I made, and what have I more_[130]? Tho he must confess, he cannot tell why he should be so fond of them, since he dares undertake that he will never be able to bring the Christian World either to believe in, or to worship a _Trinity of G.o.ds_: Nor does he see what use they are likely to be of, even to himself, unless peradventure to _swear by_."

Again, the Doctor says[131], "The Dean's following Instruction to his Friend is certainly very diverting, in these words, where the Animadverter charges the Dean with Absurdities and Contradictions; turn to the Place and read it with its Context, and tell me what you cannot answer, and I will; to which he would have done well to have added, _If I can_. But the whole Pa.s.sage is just as if he had said, Sir, if you find not Contradictions and Absurdities enough in my Book to satisfy your Curiosity that way, pray come to the Fountain-head, and consult me, and you shall be sure of a more plentiful Supply."

Again, upon the Dean's "Frequent reproaching the [132] Animadverter with the Character of a _Wit_, tho join'd with such ill-favour'd Epithets, as his witless Malice has thought fit to degrade it with, as that he is _a spiteful Wit_, a _wrangling Wit_, a _satirical Wit_, and the WITTY, _subtle_, _good-natur'd Animadverter, &c._ the Dr. says, that tho there be but little _Wit_ shewn in making such Charges; yet if _Wit_ be a _Reproach_ (be it of what sort it will) the Animadverter is too _just_ to return this _Reproach_ upon the _Defender_; and withal, understands himself, and what becomes him, too well, either to _a.s.sume_ to himself, or so much as to _admit_ the Character of a _Wit_, as at all due to him; especially since he knows that _common Sense_ (a thing much short of Wit) is enough to enable him to deal with such an Adversary. Nevertheless, there are many in the World, who are both call'd and accounted _Wits_, and really are so; which (one would think) should derive something of Credit upon this Qualification, even in the Esteem of this Author himself, or at least rebate the Edge of his Invectives against it, considering that it might have pleas'd G.o.d to have made him a _Wit_ too."

XVII. As things now stand, it may easily be seen, that Prosecutions for _Raillery_ and _Irony_ would not be relish'd well by the Publick, and would probably turn to the Disreputation and Disgrace of the Prosecutor.

Archbishop _Laud_ has always been much censur'd for his malicious Prosecution of _Williams_ in the _Star-Chamber_; among whose Crimes I find the following laid to his Charge: [133] _That he said all Flesh in_ England _had corrupted their Ways_; that _he call'd a Book int.i.tled_, A Coal from the Altar (written by Dr. _Heylin_, for placing the Communion-Table at the East-end of the Church, and railing it in) _a Pamphlet_; that he _scoffingly said, that he had heard of a Mother Church, but not of a Mother Chapel, meaning the King's, to which all Churches in Ceremony ought to conform_; that _he wickedly jested on St._ Martin_'s Hood_; that _he said the People ought not to be lash'd by every body's Whip_; that _he said_, (citing _a National Council for it_) _that the People are G.o.d's and the King's, and not the Priest's People; and that he doth not allow Priests to jeer and make Invectives against the People_.

And I humbly conceive, that such Matters had much better be suffer'd to go on in the World, and take their Course, than that Courts of Judicature should be employ'd about them. A Sentence that imply'd some _Clergymen_ corrupt, as well as some _Laymen_, of whom _Laud_ would only allow to have it said, that they had _corrupted their Ways_; a _Jest_ upon St.

_Martin_'s _Hood_, which, according to Ecclesiastical History, _cur'd sore Eyes_; and a _Ridicule_ upon a High-Church Book of _Heylin_'s, by calling it a Pamphlet, tho it was really a Pamphlet, as consisting of but seventy Pages in Quarto; seem less _wicked_ and hurtful than disturbing, fining, and undoing Men about them. And the having some Concern for the People, that they should not be used as the Priest pleas'd; that the _People_ belong to _G.o.d_ and the _King_, and _not to the Priest_; and the _not allowing_ the _Priests_ to _jeer and make Invectives against the People_; seem all Errors fit to be born with.

Archbishop _Laud_ was also thought guilty of an excessive Piece of Weakness in the Punishment of [134] _Archibald_ the King's Fool, by laying the Matter before the Privy-Council, and occasioning him to be expell'd the King's House for a poor _Jest_ upon himself; who, as he was a Man at the Head of the State, should have despis'd such a thing in any Body, much more in a _Fool_, and who should never have been hurried on to be the Instrument of any _Motion_ against him, but have left it to others; who upon the least Intimation would have been glad to make their court to _Laud_, by sacrificing a _Fool_ only to his Resentment.

XVIII. I could have entertain'd the Reader with a great Variety of Pa.s.sages out of the Fathers of the Church, whose Writings are Magazines of Authority, and urg'd upon us upon all Occasions by Ecclesiasticks, and are particularly full of _Burlesque_ and _Ridicule_ on the _G.o.ds and Religion_ of the _Pagans_; in the use whereof they are much more unanimous, than in the Articles of their _Creed_. But that being a Subject too great and extensive for a Digression, I shall content my self with the few following Reflections; which will sufficiently evince, that the _Taste_ of the Primitive Christians was like that of the rest of the World; that they could laugh and be as merry as the _Greeks_ and other _Pagans_; and that they would take the Advantage of the _Pagans_ weak Cause, to introduce _Ridicule_, which always bears hard upon Weakness and Folly, and must load them so as to prevent a Possibility of their being remov'd by another _Ridicule_.

These Fathers have transfused into their Writings all the Wit and Raillery of the antient _Pagan_ Writers and Philosophers; who it is well known wrote a great deal to turn _Paganism_ into Ridicule; most of which now exists no where but in the Works of the Fathers; all Books of that kind being lost, except _Cicero_'s Books of _the Nature of G.o.ds_, and of _Divination_, and the Dialogues of _Lucian_; both which Authors have been of great use to the _Fathers_ to set them up for _Wits_, _Droles_, and _Satirists_. For a Specimen how well these antient _Pagans_ could _drole_, and how much beholden we are to the Fathers for recording their Drolleries, the most remarkable, I think, are some _Fragments_ of a Book of _Oenomaus_ concerning the _Pagan Oracles_, cited and preserv'd by [135]

_Eusebius_; who has given us occasion to [136] _regret_ the loss of this Work, as one of the most valuable Books written by the Antients on the Subject of _Oracles_, tho those Books were _very numerous_. And it is to be observ'd, that this Book and a great many, perhaps a [137] thousand more, were publish'd in _Greece_, where the Imposture of _Oracles_ greatly prevail'd, and great Wealth flow'd in, not only to the Priests of the _Oracular Temples_, but to all the Inhabitants of _Greece_, and especially to those who lived in the Neighbourhood of the several _Oracular Temples_; who made a great Profit from the rich Travellers, that came from all Parts of the World to know their Fortunes. This shews the great Integrity and Fairness of the old _Pagans_; who would suffer not only their supposed standing Revelation to be call'd in question, but a Revelation that brought in as much Money, as the Chapels, Churches, and Shrines dedicated to the Blessed Virgin, or to any of the Saints, do in the _Roman_ Church, without calling any Man to Account for the Liberties they took; who, as far as appears, were not expos'd [138] _to any Danger_ thereby. It is also to be observ'd, that the merry [139] _Epicureans were none of them ever prosecuted_, and _that_ Epicurus _himself died quietly at_ Athens _in a very great old Age_.

But the Book, which the Fathers made the most use of, was that arch, fly, and drolling Performance, now lost, of _Evemerus_, which he int.i.tled, _A sacred History_: wherein he gave an _historical Account_ of the _Birth_, _Country_, _Lives_, _Deaths_, and _Burials_ of the _G.o.ds_. This Work was translated into _Latin_ by that arch Wag _Ennius_, who himself has most ingeniously _ridicul'd_ several Impostors or very grave Persons, in a remarkable Piece of Poetry, which I shall give my Reader in _English_.

"_I value not a Rush the_ Marsian _Augur,_ "_Nor Country-Fortune Tellers, nor Town-Star-Gazers,_ "_Nor jugling Gypsies, nor yet Dream-Interpreters:_ "_For, not by Skill or Art, are these Diviners;_ "_But superst.i.tious Prophets, Guessers impudent,_ "_Or idle Rogues, or craz'd, or mere starving Beggars._ "_They know no way themselves, yet others would direct;_ "_And crave a Groat of those, to whom they promise Riches:_ "_Thence let them take the Groat, and give back all the rest._

XIX. Wherefore I cannot but presume, that an Attempt to make a _Law_ to restrain _Irony_, &c. would prove abortive, and that the Attempt would be deem'd the Effect of a very partial Consideration of things, and of present Anger at a poor Jest; which Men are not able to bear themselves, how much soever they abound in _Jests_, both of the _light_ and _cruel_ kind, on others: tho for my own part I concur heartily with you in _making_ such a _Law_, and in leaving it to a Person of your _Equity_ to draw it up, craving only the Liberty to propose an Amendment or Addition, _viz._ that you would be pleas'd to insert a Clause to prevent _Irony_, _Ridicule_, and _Banter_, from invading the Pulpit, and particularly to prevent pointing out _Persons of Men_ [140] from thence, and reviling them, as also reviling whole Bodies of Men: For whatever is immoral in Print, is, in my Opinion, immoral in the Pulpit. Besides, these things seem more improper in the Pulpit, than they can be in Print: because no _Reprisals_ can be made in the former, as in the latter Case; where they, or the Fear of them, may give some Check to the Disorder, and reduce things to a tolerable Temper and Decency. If, in order to justify my Motion, it could be thought necessary or proper here to give a Detail of ridiculing and ironical Pa.s.sages, taken from Sermons against particular Men, and Bodies of Men, and their Doctrines, you cannot but know how easy it would be to fill a Volume with them, without going to Authors, who have occasionally produc'd abundance of them. And I will only mention here a Pa.s.sage in a _Volume of Sermons_, just now publish'd, of a well known _High Divine_, the Reverend Mr. _William Reeves_, made famous by his _Translation_ of some _Apologies of the Primitive Fathers_, which gain'd him the Applauses of a great many _High Men_, and particularly _Hickes_, _Dodwel_, and _Nelson_, &c. and a Recommendation from the last to the Queen, who in the latter end of her Reign made him _Chaplain in Ordinary_, and obtain'd for him a considerable Preferment. This Gentleman, attacking Bishop _Hoadley_'s _Sermon_ of _The Kingdom of Christ_, says[141], "In these last Days we have been taught to be as indolent and unconcern'd as possible in the Service of G.o.d: A noted _Novellist_ [Bp. _Hoadley_] among many other odd _Engines_, hath invented one, to pump out all Devotion from Prayer, and make it a _Vacuum_. Instead of the old fervent, affectionate way of Worshipping, he hath subst.i.tuted a new Idol, a Vanity, a Nothing of his own, _a calm and undisturb'd Address to G.o.d_.----The _Arrows_ and _bitter Words_ Mr. _Hales_ hath levell'd against _Rome_ only, our Right Reverend hath _pointed a-new_, and shot them full against the Church he superintends, and with all the Force of inbred, fanatick Fury. And by this time surely it is well known, that he is a very _warm Man_ in every thing, but his _Prayers_."

XX. Instead of addressing the foregoing Papers to you, I could have address'd them to several others; who of late have thought fit to recognize the Right of Men, to examine into, and judge for themselves in all Matters of speculation, and especially in Matters of mere Religion, and to publish their Reasons against any Opinions they judge erroneous, tho publickly receiv'd in the Country where they live, provided they do it _seriously_ and _gravely_: which is a n.o.ble Progress in Truth, and owing to that glorious Liberty, and Freedom of Debate, that we enjoy under our most excellent Princes; and which extorts it even from them, who, to have some Credit in the World, are forced to own, what would discredit them to go on to deny, among all who have any degree of _Virtue_, _Sense_, and _Learning_. But I was determin'd to address my self to you, as a Person of more remarkable _Moderation_ than ordinary in your _Letter_ to Dr.

_Rogers_: And one, who had, long before, in your _Defence of the Const.i.tution in Church and State; in answer to the Charge of the Nonjurors, accusing us of Heresy and Schism, Perjury and Treason_, "valu'd [142] and commended the Integrity of the Nonjurors in declaring their Sentiments:" and who, tho you justly charge those of them you write against, "as attacking us with such uncommon Marks of Violence [143] as most plainly intimate, that no Measures are intended to be kept with us by them in the Day of their Prosperity, who in the Day of their Adversity, even when they are most at Mercy, cannot refrain from such _raging_ Provocations; but when reduced to the Necessity of _taking_ Quarter, profess most plainly they will never give it:" Yet as to these Enemies, who would destroy our Church and State, and [144] "revive upon us the Charge of _Heresy_ and _Schism_, _Perjury_ and _Treason_, Crimes of no small figure either in the Law or in the Gospel," you only say, that "if you may have leave to borrow a Thought from [145] one of their own most celebrated Writers, you would tell them, that _the Blood and Spirits were made to rise upon such Occasions_: Nature design'd not, that we should be cold or indifferent in our manner of receiving, or returning, such foul Reproaches." This is great Moderation, and such as I heartily approve, being dispos'd to forgive the Punishment due by Law to any Fault, when the Non-execution of it will not overturn the Government. And I am willing to hope, that since you can think that such bitter Adversaries to you, as these licentious _Jacobites_ are, should only be smartly replied to, and not be prosecuted by the Government, you will, upon Reflection, think, that a merry, good humour'd Adversary should be treated as well.

Tho I have endeavour'd to defend the Use of _Ridicule_ and _Irony_, yet it is such _Irony_ and _Ridicule_ only as is fit for polite Persons to use.

As to the gross _Irony_ and _Ridicule_, I disapprove of it, as I do other Faults in Writing; only I would not have Men punish'd, or any other way disturb'd about it, than by a Return of _Ridicule_ and _Irony_. This I think fit to conclude with, more to prevent Misrepresentation from others, than from you; whom I look on to have too much Sense and Integrity to mistake or misrepresent me.

_I am Yours, &c._

_FINIS._