Thus, a Gentleman was observing, that there was somewhat extremely pleasing in an excellent Understanding, when it appeared in a beautiful Person; To which another returned, It is like a fine Jewel well set; You are here pleased with the Happiness, Propriety, and Splendor of this new Object, which finely elucidates the original Sentiment;—­In short, it is the Excellence of WIT, to present the first Image again to your mind, with new unexpected Clearness and Advantage.

It is also proper to add, that there may be WIT in a Picture, Landscape, or in any Prospect, where a gay unexpected Assemblage of similar, or opposite Objects, is presented.

  JUDGMENT, is the Faculty of discerning the various Dimensions,
  and Differences, of Subjects.

  INVENTION is the Faculty of finding out new Assortments, and
  Combinations, of Ideas.

  HUMOUR is any whimsical Oddity or Foible, appearing in the
  Temper or Conduct of a Person in real Life.

This whimsical Oddity of Conduct, which generally arises from the strange Cast, or Turn of Mind of a queer Person, may also result from accidental Mistakes and Embarrassments between other Persons; who being misled by a wrong Information and Suspicion in regard to a Circumstance, shall act towards each other upon this Occasion, in the same odd whimsical manner, as queer Persons.

If a Person in real Life, discovers any odd and remarkable Features of Temper or Conduct, I call such a Person in the Book of Mankind, a Character.  So that the chief Subjects of HUMOUR are Persons in real Life, who are Characters.

It is easy to be perceived, that HUMOUR, and WIT are extremely different.

HUMOUR appears only in the Foibles and whimsical Conduct of Persons in real Life; WIT appears in Comparisons, either between Persons in real Life, or between other Subjects.

HUMOUR is the whimsical Oddity, or Foible, which fairly appears in its Subject, of itself; whereas WIT, is the Lustre which is thrown upon one Subject, by the sudden Introduction of another Subject.

To constitute HUMOUR, there need be no more than one Object concern’d, and this must be always some Person in real Life;—­ whereas to produce WIT, there must be always two Objects arranged together, and either or both of these may be inanimate.

However, though HUMOUR and WIT are thus absolutely different in themselves, yet we frequently see them blended together.

Thus if any Foible of a Character in real Life is directly attacked, by pointing out the unexpected and ridiculous Affinity it bears to some inanimate Circumstances, this Foible is then ridiculed with WIT, from the Comparison which is made.—­At the same time, as the whimsical Oddity of a Character in real Life is the Ground of the whole, there is also Humour contain’d in the Attack.