History of English Humour, Vol. 1 With an Introduction upon Ancient Humour   By: Alfred G. K. L'Estrange (1832-1915)

With an Introduction upon Ancient Humour.

by

THE REV. A. G. L'ESTRANGE,

Author of "The Life of the Rev. William Harness," "From the Thames to the Tamar," Etc.

In Two Volumes.

Vol. I.

London: Hurst and Blackett, Publishers, 13, Great Marlborough Street. 1878. All rights reserved.

CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

Subjective Character of the Ludicrous The Subject little Studied Obstacles to the Investigation Evanescence Mental Character of the Ludicrous Distinction between Humour and the Ludicrous 1

INTRODUCTION.

PART I.

ORIGIN OF HUMOUR.

Pleasure in Humour What is Laughter? Sympathy First Phases Gradual Development Emotional Phase Laughter of Pleasure Hostile Laughter Is there any sense of the Ludicrous in the Lower Animals? Samson David Solomon Proverbs Fables 13

PART II.

GREEK HUMOUR.

Birth of Humour Personalities Story of Hippocleides Origin of Comedy Archilochus Hipponax Democritus, the Laughing Philosopher Aristophanes Humour of the Senses Indelicacy Enfeeblement of the Drama Humorous Games Parasites, their Position and Jests Philoxenus Diogenes Court of Humour Riddles Silli 52

PART III.

ROMAN HUMOUR.

Roman Comedy Plautus Acerbity Terence Satire Lucilius Horace Humour of the Cæsar Family Cicero Augustus Persius Petronius Juvenal Martial Epigrammatist Lucian Apuleius Julian the Apostate The Misopogon Symposius' Enigmas Macrobius Hierocles and Philagrius 99

ENGLISH HUMOUR.

CHAPTER I.

MIDDLE AGES.

Relapse of Civilization in the Middle Ages Stagnation of Mind Scarcity of Books Character of reviving Literature Religious Writings Fantastic Legends Influence of the Crusades Romances Sir Bevis of Hamptoun Prominence of the Lower Animals Allegories 161

CHAPTER II.

Anglo Saxon Humour Rhyme Satires against the Church The Brunellus Walter Mapes Goliardi Piers the Ploughman Letters of Obscure Men Erasmus The Praise of Folly Skelton The Ship of Fools Doctour Doubble Ale The Sak full of Nuez Church Ornamentation Representations of the Devil 179

CHAPTER III.

Origin of Modern Comedy Ecclesiastical Buffoonery Jougleurs and Minstrels Court Fools Monks' Stories The "Tournament of Tottenham" Chaucer Heywood Roister Doister Gammer Gurton 211

CHAPTER IV.

Robert Greene Friar Bacon's Demons The "Looking Glasse" Nash and Harvey 231

CHAPTER V.

Donne Hall Fuller 243

CHAPTER VI.

Shakespeare Ben Jonson Beaumont and Fletcher The Wise Men of Gotham 250

CHAPTER VII.

Jesters Court of Queen Elizabeth James I. The "Counterblasts to Tobacco" Puritans Charles II. Rochester Buckingham Dryden Butler 271

CHAPTER VIII.

Comic Drama of the Restoration Etheridge Wycherley 303

CHAPTER IX.

Tom Brown His Prose Works Poetry Sir Richard Blackmore D'Urfey Female Humorists Carey 312

CHAPTER X.

Vanbrugh Colley Cibber Farquhar 340

CHAPTER XI.

Congreve Lord Dorset 355

HISTORY OF ENGLISH HUMOUR.

PRELIMINARY OBSERVATIONS.

Subjective Character of the Ludicrous The Subject little Studied Obstacles to the Investigation Evanescence Mental Character of the Ludicrous Distinction between Humour and the Ludicrous.