rab of the desert is fierce and warlike, and
seldom condescends to smile. Sydney Smith said "it would require a
surgical operation to get a joke into the understanding of a Scotchman;"
but the Irishman in his mild variable climate is ready to be witty under
all circumstances. Floegel, writing in Germany, observes that "humour is
not a fruit to be gathered from every bough; you can find a hundred men
able to draw tears for every one that can raise a laugh."

There is also a great difference between individuals in this respect.
Some are naturally bright and jocund, and others are misanthropic and
manufacture out of very trite materials a sort of snap-dragon wit, which
flares up in an instant, is as soon out, and generally burns somebody's
fingers. It may be urged on the contrary that many celebrated wits as
Mathews, Leech, and others, have been melancholy men. But despondency is
often found in an excitable temperament which is not unfavourable to
humour, for the man who is unduly depressed at one moment is likely to
be immoderately elated at another. Old Hobbes was of opinion that
laughter arose from pride, upon which Addison remarked that according to
that theory, if we heard a man laugh, instead of saying that he was very
merry, we should say that he was very proud. We have already observed
that some men are disinclined to laugh because they are of an earnest
turn of mind, constantly pondering upon their affairs and the
possibility of transforming a shilling into a pound. Such are those to
whom Carlyle referred when he said that "the man who cannot laugh is
only fit for treasons, stratagems and spoils." But there are a few
persons who follow Lord Chesterfield in systematically suppressing this
kind of demonstration. They think it derogatory, and in them pride is
antagonistic to humour. A man who is free and easy and talkative, gains
in one direction what he loses in another. We love him as a frank,
genial fellow, but can never regard him with any great reverence.
Laughter seems to bespeak a simple docile nature, such as those who
assume to rule the world are not willing to have the credit of
possessing. It belongs more to the fool than to the rogue, to those who
follow than to those who lead. Eminent men do not intentionally avoid
laughter; they are not inclined to it; and there are some, who, from
being generally of a profound and calculating turn of mind are not given
to any exhibition of emotion. It has been said that