has prevailed, that humour is only known in England: this cannot be true-Cervantes, Voltaire, and many other foreign writers, afford proofs to the contrary.

There feem to be fome fubordinate fources of humour which are not easily to be accounted for. Intemperance, no doubt, is an odious vice, and every delicate mind must be offended at it—but, drunken-characters in a play have frequently a humourous and laughable effect-Sir John Brute, and the DrunkenMan in Lethe, are ftrong inftances.

The Irish brogue is furely no subject for ridicule a man born in Ireland muft of courfe fpeak like his neighbours-but on the ftage it is a never-failing fource of humour-diveft an Irish character of the brogue and it becomes nothing.

Stammering, by fome means or other, has a connection with humour, efpecially

if

if imitated on the stage, as we find from Serjeant Bramble, in the Conscious Lovers-but, to return to my fubject.

True wit, fays Voltaire, is univerfal it is fo, provided all nations are in equal poffeffion of the circumstances which attended its production, and which neceffarily accompany it. There are few pieces of wit, but are, in some measure, local. The sprightly fallies in conversation are not only local, but temporary; yet they are as truly wit for the time and place, as the most general fubject would be for the univerfe, and would be fo acknowledged, if explained and understood. Many a witty reply owes all its force to fome allufion only known to the company, or perhaps to one fingle person— explain that circumftance, and the wit would be univerfally confeffed.

Some expreffions pafs for wit which certainly belong to a different class.

A foldier, finding a horse-shoe, stuck it into his girdle-a bullet hit him on the very part. Well, fays he, I find a little armour will ferve the turn, if it be but rightly placed." A fenfible reflection, but not wit.

Garrick asked Rich "how much Covent-Garden houfe would hold?" " I should know to a fhilling, replied Rich,

if

you would play Richard in it." An elegant compliment, and better than wit.

Having, perhaps, thrown fome light on this fubject, I will leave it to the reader's fagacity to improve these short hints, and compleat what I have haftily fketched-but, before I conclude, per-mit me to give an instance of wit combined with humour and pun, and the rather, as it stands in need of a flight introduction, which will ferve as a proof of local wit becoming univerfal, when rightly understood.

When

When the Jefuits were difperfed, Voltaire's Chateau afforded an afylum to one of them, an inoffensive priest called Adam. "Give me leave," fays Voltaire to his company, "to introduce to you Father Adam-but not the first of men"it is thort, but comprehends more than may appear at the first glance.

After having, I hope, proved that a wit is a jugler; I do not think it neceffary to prove, that a jugler is a wit, it being a self-evident propofition, if we admit the principle I have endeavoured to establish, of both depending on a substitution of one thing for another by a dexterous change.

An Indian Tale.

WHEN the hofts of the mighty Timur

spread from the deferts of Tartary over the fertile plains of Indoftan, numerous, and destroying as locufts; their chief, glorying in the greatness of his ftrength, furveyed with an averted look the mountains he had paffed, and fmiled at the barrier he had furmounted. 66 By fortitude and valour, faid he, we subdue our enemies; by patience and perfeverance we overcome even the ftupendous works of nature, which has elevated mountains in vain, to stop the progrefs of him determined to conquer!" While his heart dilated with pride, the foldiers ravaged the country through which they passed, committing all the exceffes an unresisted army inflicts on the wretched inhabitants.