Produced by David Starner, Louise Hope and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net. Series Two: _Essays on Wit_ No. 4 [Corbyn Morris] _An Essay towards Fixing the True Standards of Wit, Humour, Raillery, Satire, and Ridicule_ (1744) With an Introduction by James L. Clifford and a Bibliographical Note The Augustan Reprint Society November, 1947 Price: $1.00 * * * * * GENERAL EDITORS RICHARD C. BOYS, University of Michigan EDWARD NILES HOOKER, University of California, Los Angeles H.T. SWEDENBERG, JR., University of California, Los Angeles ADVISORY EDITORS EMMETT L. AVERY, State College of Washington LOUIS I. BREDVOLD, University of Michigan BENJAMIN BOYCE, University of Nebraska CLEANTH BROOKS, Yale University JAMES L. CLIFFORD, Columbia University ARTHUR FRIEDMAN, University of Chicago SAMUEL H. MONK, University of Minnesota JAMES SUTHERLAND, Queen Mary College, London * * * * * INTRODUCTION The _Essay_ here reproduced was first advertised in the London _Daily Advertiser_ as "this day was published" on Thursday, 17 May 1744 (The same advertisement, except for the change of price from one shilling to two, appeared in this paper intermittently until 14 June). Although on the title-page the authorship is given as "By the Author of a Letter from a By-stander," there was no intention of anonymity, since the Dedication is boldly signed "Corbyn Morris, Inner Temple, Feb. 1, 1743 [44]." Not much is known of the early life of Corbyn Morris. Born 14 August 1710, he was the eldest son of Edmund Morris of Bishop's Castle, Salop. (_Alumni Cantabrigienses_). On 17 September 1727 he was admitted (pensioner) at Queen's College, Cambridge, as an exhibitioner from the famous Charterhouse School. Exactly when he left the university, or whether he took a degree, is not certain.