Defence of Poesie (65-67)

But besides these grosse absurdities, howe all their Playes bee neither right Tragedies, nor right Comedies, mingling Kinges and Clownes, not because the matter so carrieth it, but thrust in the Clowne by head and shoulders to play a part in maiesticall matters, with neither decencie not discretion: so as neither the admiration and Commiseration, not the right sportfulnesse is by their mongrell Tragicomedie obtained. I know Apuleius, did somewhat so, but that is a thing recounted with space of time, not represented in one moment: and I knowe the Auncients haue one or two examples of Tragicomedies, as Plautus hath Amphitrio. But if we marke them well, wee shall finde that they neuer or verie daintily matche horne Pipes and Funeralls. So falleth it out, that hauing indeed no right Comedie in that Comicall part of our Tragidie, wee haue nothing but scurrillitie vnwoorthie of anie chaste eares, or some extreame shewe of doltishnesse, indeede fit lift vp a loude laughter and nothing else: where the whole tract of a Comedie should be full of delight, as the Tragidie should bee still maintained in a well raised admiration. But our Comedients thinke there is no delight without laughter, which is verie wrong, for though laughter may come with delight, yet commeth it not of delight, as though delight should be the cause of laughter. But well may one thing breed both togither. Nay rather in themselues, they haue as it were a kinde of contrarietie: For delight wee scarcely doo, but in thinges that haue a conueniencie to our selues, or to the generall nature: Laughter almost euer commeth of thinges moste disproportioned to our selues, and nature.

Delight hath a ioy in it either permanent or present. Laughter hath onely a scornfull tickling. For example, wee are rauished with delight to see a faire woman, and yet are farre from beeing mooued to laughter. Wee laugh at deformed creatures, wherein certainly wee cannot delight. We delight in good chaunces, wee laugh at mischaunces. We delight to heare the happinesse of our friendes and Countrey, at which hee were worthie to be laughed at, that would laugh: we shall contrarily laugh sometimes to finde a matter quite mistaken, and goe downe the hill against the byas, in the mouth of some such men as for the respect of them, one shall be hartily sorie, he cannot chuse but laugh, and so is rather pained, then delighted with laughter. Yet denie I not, but that they may goe well togither, for as in Alexanders picture well set out, wee delight without laughter, and in twentie madde Antiques, wee laugh without delight . So in Hercules, painted with his great beard and furious countenaunce, in a womans attyre, spinning, at Omphales commaundement, it breedes both delight and laughter: for the representing of so straunge a power in Loue, procures delight, and the scornefulnesse of the action, stirreth laughter . But I speake to this purpose, that all the ende of the Comicall part, bee not vppon suche scornefull matters as stirre laughter onelie, but mixe with it, that delightfull teaching whiche is the ende of Poesie .

And the great faulte euen in that poynt of laughter, and forbidden plainly by Aristotle, is, that they stirre laughter in sinfull things, which are rather execrable then ridiculous: or in miserable, which are rather to be pitied then scorned. For what is it to make folkes gape at a wretched begger, and a beggerly Clowne: or against lawe of hospitalitie ; to ieast at straungers, because they speake not English so well as we do ? What doo we learne, since it is certaine, Nil habet infelix paupert as durius in se, Quam quod ridiculos homines facit. But rather a busie louing Courtier, and a hartlesse threatning Thraso; a selfe-wise-seeming Schoolemaister, a wry transformed Traueller: these if we saw walke in Stage names, which we plaie naturally, therein were delightfull laughter, and teaching delightfulnesse; as in the other the Tragidies of Buchanan do iustly bring foorth a a diuine admiration. But I haue lauished out too many words of this Play-matter; I do it, because as they are excelling parts of Poesie, so is there none so much vsed in England, and none can be more pittifully abused: which like an vnmannerly daughter, shewing a bad education, causeth her mother Poesies honestie to be called in question.