14

point, which whoever can rightly touch will never fail of pleafing a very great majority; fo great, that the diflikers, out of dulnefs or affectation, will be filent, and forced to fall in with the herd: The point I mean, is what we call bumour; which, in its perfection, is allowed to be much preferable to wit; if it be not rather the most useful and agreeable fpecies of it.

I agree with Sir William Temple, that the word is peculiar to our English tongue; but I differ from him in the opinion, that the thing itfeif is peculiar to the English nation, becaule the contrary may be found in many Spanish, Italian, and French productions: and parti cularly, whoever hath a tafte for true bumour will find an hundred inftances of it in those volumes printed in France under the name of Le Theatre Italien; to fay nothing of Rabelais, Cervantes, and many others.

Now I take the comedy, or farce (or whatever name the criticks will allow it) called the Beggar's Opera to excel in this article of humour and upon that merit to have met with fuch prodigious fuccefs, both here and in England.

As to poetry, eloquence, and mufick, which are faid to have molt power over the minds of men; it is certain that very few have a taffe or judgment of the excellencies of the two former; and, if a man fucceed in either, it is upon the authority of thofe few judges, that lend their tafte to the bulk of readers, who have none of their own. I am told there

are

are as few good judges in mufick; and that, among those who croud the opera's, nine in ten go thither merely out of curiofity, fashion, or affectation.

But a tafte for bumour is, in fome manner, fixed to the very nature of man, and generally obvious to the vulgar, except upon fubjects too refined, and fuperior to their understanding.

And, as this taste of humour is purely natural, fo is humour itself; neither is it a talent confined to men of wit or learning; for we obferve it fometimes among common fervants, and the meaneft of the people, while the very owners are often ignorant of the gift they poffefs.

I know very well, that this happy talent is contemptibly treated by criticks under the name of low humour, or low comedy; but I know likewise that the Spaniards and Italians, who are allowed to have the moft wit of any nation in Europe, do molt excel in it, and do most esteem it.

1

By what difpofition of the mind, what influence of the ftars, or what fituation of the climate, this endowment is bestowed upon mankind, may be a queftion fit for philofo phers to difcufs. It is certainly the best ingredient towards that kind of fatire, which is moft ufeful, and gives the leaft offence; which, inftead of lafhing, laughs men out of their follies and vices; and is the character, that gives Horace the preference to Juvenal.

And,

And, although fome things are too serious, folemn, or facred to be turned into ridicule, yet the abuses of them are certainly not; fince it is allowed that corruptions in religion, politicks, and law, may be proper topicks for this kind of fatire.

:

There are two ends that men propofe in writing fatire one of them lefs noble than the other, as regarding nothing further than the private fatisfaction and pleasure of the writer; but without any view towards perfonal malice: the other is a publick spirit, prompting men of genius and virtue to mend the world as far as they are able. And as both thefe ends are innocent, fo the latter is highly commendable. With regard to the former I demand, whether I have not as good a title to laugh, as men have to be ridiculous; and to expofe vice, as another hath to be vicious. If I ridicule the follies and corruptions of a court, a miniftry, or a fenate, are they not amply paid by penfions, titles, and power, while I expect, and defire, no other reward, than that of laughing with a few friends in a corner? yet if those, who take offence, think me in the wrong, I am ready to change the fcene with them, whenever they please.

But, if my design be to make mankind better, then I think it is my duty; at least, I am fure it is the intereft of thofe very courts and minifters, whofe follies or vices I ridicule, to reward me for my good intentions: for if it be reckoned a high point of wisdom

to

to get the laughers on our fide; it is much more eafy, as well as wife, to get those on our fide, who can make millions laugh when they please.

My reafon for mentioning courts, and minifters (whom I never think on but with the moft profound veneration) is, because an opinion obtains, that in the Beggar's Opera there appears to be fome reflexion upon courtiers and fatefmen, whereof I am by no means a judge.

It is true indeed, that Mr. GAY, the author of this piece, hath been fomewhat fingular in the courfe of his fortunes; for it hath happened, that, after fourteen years attending the court, with a large ftock of real merit, a modeft and agreeable conversation, a hundred promifes, and five hundred friends, he hath failed of preferment; and upon a very weighty reafon. He lay under the fufpicion of having written a libel, or lampoon against a great minifter [e]. It is true, that great minifter was demonftratively convinced, and publickly owned his conviction, that Mr. GAY was not the author; but, having lain under the fufpicion, it feemed very just that he fhould fuffer the punishment; because, in this moft reformed age, the virtues of a prime minister are no more to be fufpected, than the chastity of Cafar's wife.

It must be allowed, that the Beggar's Opera is not the first of Mr. GAY's works,

[] Sir Robert Walpole.

wherein

wherein he hath been faulty with regard to courtiers and fatefmen. For, to omit his other pieces, even in his fables, published within two years paft, and dedicated to the duke of CUMBERLAND, for which he was promifed a reward, he hath been thought fomewhat too bold upon the courtiers. And, although it be highly probable he meant only the courtiers of former times, yet he acted unwarily, by not confidering, that the malignity of fome people might misinterpret what he faid to the difadvantage of prefent perfons and affairs.

But I have now done with Mr. Gay as a politician; and shall confider him henceforward only as author of the Beggar's Opera, wherein he hath, by a turn of humour, entirely new placed vices of all kinds in the ftrongest and moft odious light; and thereby done eminent fervice both to religion and marality. This appears from the unparalleled fuccefs he hath met with. All ranks, parties, and denominations of men either crouding to fee his opera, or reading it with delight in their clofets; even minifters of ftate, whom he is thought to have moft offended (next to those whom the actors reprefent) appearing frequently at the theatre from a confcioufnels of their own innocence, and to convince the world how unjust a parallel malice, envy, and difaffection to the government have made.

I am affured that feveral worthy clergymen in this city went privately to fee the Beggar's Opera reprefented; and that the fleering coxcombs in the pit amused themselves with mak