History of English Humour, Vol. 1

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.

Few of the blessings we enjoy are of greater value than the gift of humour. The pleasure attendant upon i...