true
generally, is especially so with regard to the humorist, who seeks a
present reward, and must be in unison with the characters of those he
has to amuse. He depends much on hitting the current fancies of men by
small and subtle allusions, and he must have a natural perception of
fitness, of the direction in which he must go, and the limits he must
not transgress. The literature of an epoch exhibits the taste of the
readers, as well as that of the authors.

We shall thus be prepared to find that the mind of Aristophanes,
although his views were aristocratic, harmonized in tone with that of
the people, and that his humour bears the stamp of the ancient era in
which he lived. The illustrations from the animal world in which he
constantly indulges remind us of the conceits of old times, when
marvellous stories were as much admired as the monstrous figures upon
the Persian tapestry. Would any man at the present day produce comedies
with such names as "The Wasps," "The Frogs," and "The Birds."[11] But we
here meet with our feathered and four-footed companions at every corner.
The building of the bird's city is a good illustration of this. Thirty
thousand cranes brought stones for the foundations from Libya, and ten
thousand storks made bricks, the ducks with aprons on carried the
bricks, and the swallows flew with trowels behind them like little boys,
and with mortar in their beaks.

We also notice in Aristophanes a simple and rude form of the ludicrous,
scarcely to be called humour, much in favour with his immediate
predecessors. I refer to throwing fruits and sweatmeats among the
audience. Trygaeus (Vintner), celebrating a joyous country festival in
honour of the return of peace and plenty, takes occasion to throw barley
among the spectators. In another place Dicaepolis, also upon pacific
deeds intent, establishes a public treat, and calls out, "Let some one
bring in figs for the little pigs. How they squeak! will they eat them?
(throws some) Bless me! how they do munch them! from what place do they
come? I should say from Eaton."

In this scrambling fun there would be good and bad fortune, and much
laughter would be occasioned, but mostly of an emotional character. Some
of the jokes of Hegemon, who first introduced dramatic parody, were of a
similar description, but more unpleasant. On one occasion he came into
the theatre with his robe full of stones, and began to throw them into
the orchestra, saying, "These are