It is a palpable _Absurdity_ to suppose a Person an _Humourist_, without excellent Sense and Abilities; as much as to suppose a _Smith_ in his full Business, without his _Hammers_ or _Forge_.--But the _Humourist_, as he advances in Years, is apt to grow intolerable to himself and the World; becoming at length, uneasy, and fatigued with the constant View of the same Follies; like a Person who is tir'd with seeing the same Tragi-Comedy continually acted. This sowres his Temper; And unless some favorable Incidents happen to mellow him, he resigns himself wholly to Peevishness.--By which Time he perceives that the World is quite tir'd of _him_.--After which he drags on the Remainder of his Life, in a State of _War_ with the rest of Mankind. The _Humourist_ is constitutionally, and also from Reflection, a Man of _Sincerity_.--If he is a _Rogue_ upon any Occasion, he is more wilfully one, and puts greater Violence upon himself in being such, than the rest of the World; And though he may generally seem to have little _Benevolence_, which is the common Objection against him, it is only for want of proper Objects; for no Person has certainly a quicker _Feeling_; And there are Instances frequent, of greater Generosity and humane Warmth flowing from an _Humourist_, than are capable of proceeding from a weak _Insipid_, who labours under a continual Flux of Civility. Upon the whole, the _Humourist_ is perhaps the least of all others, a _despicable_ Character. But Imitations, which are frequently seen of this Character, are excessively despicable.--What can be more ridiculous, than a Wretch setting up for an _Humourist_, merely upon the Strength of disrelishing every Thing, without any Principle;--The Servants, Drawers, Victuals, Weather,--and growling without Poignancy of Sense, at every new Circumstance which appears, in public or private. A perfect and compleat _Humourist_ is rarely to be found; and when you hear his _Voice_, is a different Creature.--In writing to _Englishmen_, who are generally tinged, deeply or slightly, with the _Dye_ of the _Humourist_, it seem'd not improper to insist the longer upon this Character; However, let none be too fond of it; For though an _Humourist_ with his Roughness is greatly to be preferr'd to a smooth _Insipid_, yet the Extremes of both are equally wretched: _Ideots_ being only the lowest Scale of _Insipids_, as _Madmen_ are no other than _Humourists_ in Excess. It may be proper to observe in this place, that though all _Ostentation_, _Affectation_, and _Imitation_ are excluded from the Composition of a perfect _Humourist_; yet as they are the obvious _Foibles_ of some Persons in Life, they may justly be made the Subject of _Humour_.