Chapter I: Front Matter

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._

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

XVI. ANALECTA 177

XVII. THE SUBJECT CONTINUED 183

XVIII. “JOE MILLER’S JESTS”--HISTORY, CHARACTER, AND SUCCESS
OF THE PUBLICATION--JOHN MOTTLEY THE EDITOR 188

XIX. JEST-BOOKS CONSIDERED AS HISTORICAL AND LITERARY
MATERIAL--THE TWOFOLD POINT ILLUSTRATED--LOCALISATION
OF STORIES 200

XX. THE SO-CALLED “TALES OF SKELTON”--SPECIMENS OF
THEM--SIR THOMAS MORE AND THE LUNATIC--THE FOOLISH
DUKE OF NEWCASTLE--PENNANT THE ANTIQUARY--THE
“GOTHAMITE TALES”--STORIES CONNECTED WITH WALES AND
SCOTLAND 210

STUDIES IN JOCULAR LITERATURE