[Illustration] The Book-Lover’s Library. Edited by Henry B. Wheatley, F.S.A. STUDIES IN JOCULAR LITERATURE. _A POPULAR SUBJECT MORE CLOSELY CONSIDERED._ BY W. CAREW HAZLITT. _Ne moy reproues sans cause, quar mon entent est de bone amour._ [Illustration] LONDON: ELLIOT STOCK, 62 PATERNOSTER ROW 1890 CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. INTRODUCTORY REMARKS ON THE REAL USE AND IMPORTANCE OF JESTS AND ANECDOTES 1 II. ORIGIN OF THIS CLASS OF LITERATURE, AND ITS DEPENDENCE ON THE CONDITIONS OF SOCIETY--JESTS BEFORE JEST-BOOKS-- INFLUENCE OF THE ARTS OF WRITING AND PRINTING LONG SUBSEQUENT TO THE INTRODUCTION OF CARICATURE AND HUMOUR 13 III. LITERATURE AND THE DRAMA AS CONTRIBUTORIES TO JOCULAR LITERATURE--DEPENDENCE ON SURROUNDINGS AND CIRCUMSTANCES 22 IV. JUSTIFICATION FOR THE PRESENT UNDERTAKING--LITERARY INTEREST OF THE SUBJECT--THE VARIOUS CLASSES OF JEST--THE SERIOUS ANECDOTE THE ORIGINAL TYPE, AND THE JEST AN EVOLUTION--GREEK AND ROMAN EXAMPLES--THE “DEIPNOSOPHISTÆ” OF ATHENÆUS 29 V. THE “NOCTES ATTICÆ”--PECULIAR VALUE OF THE WORK--THE “LIVES OF THE PHILOSOPHERS,” BY DIOGENES LAERTIUS-- CHARACTER OF THE BOOK--THE GOLDEN TRIPOS 46 VI. THE GREEK ANTHOLOGY--GREEK EPIGRAMS--HERODOTUS-- ARISTOPHANES--PLATO 57 VII. FORMULATION OF THE JEST--EDITORIAL TREATMENT OF STORIES--SOPHISTICATED VERSIONS 69 VIII. THE SAME SUBJECT CONTINUED--THE ANECDOTE-MONGER 79 IX. THE MARRED ANECDOTE--GAULARDISMS--M. GOUSSAUT--THE RETORT AND THE PUN--“MALONIANA”--METRICAL ADAPTATIONS--SECOND-HAND FACETIÆ--PARALLEL VERSIONS 92 X. AFFILIATION OF STORIES--PARALLEL ILLUSTRATIONS--THE LITERARY CLUB--REYNOLDS, JOHNSON, AND GARRICK--TWO TUDOR JEST-BOOKS--EUROPEAN GRAFTS ON ORIENTAL ORIGINALS--MARTIN ELGINBROD--PARSON HOBART--THE “BRAVO OF VENICE” 111 XI. THE BALLAD AND THE NURSERY RHYME--PHILOSOPHICAL SIDE OF THE QUESTION--“JACK THE GIANT-KILLER” 129 XII. CONTINENTAL INFLUENCE--THE “ANA”--THE “CONVIVIAL DISCOURSES”--WHIMSICAL INVENTIONS--SHAKESPEAR JEST-BOOKS--CHANGE IN PUBLIC TASTE 142 XIII. THE “HUNDRED MERRY TALES”--THE AUTHORSHIP DISCUSSED 156 XIV. “MERRY TALES AND QUICK ANSWERS” 162 XV. FACETIOUS BIOGRAPHIES 168