the power of custom that it almost leads us to view
artificial things as natural productions--to commit as great an error as
that of the African King who said that "England must be a fine country,
where the rivers flow with rum."

Speaking theoretically, we may say that the opposition of either custom
or morale is sufficient to extinguish the ludicrous, and that we do not
laugh at what is wrong if we are used to it; or at what is unusual if we
think it right. When there is a collision, we may regard the two as
neutralizing each other. Still, for this to hold good, neither must
predominate, and it will practically be found from the constitution of
our minds, a small amount of custom will overcome a considerable amount
of morale. In illustration of the above remarks, we might appropriately
refer to those strange articles of wearing apparel called hats, the
shape of which might suggest to those unaccustomed to them, that we were
carrying some culinary utensil upon our head; and yet, if we saw a
gentleman walking about bare-headed, like the Ancients, we should feel
inclined to laugh.[24] But we will rather consider the recent fashion of
wearing expanded dresses--those extraordinary "evening bells" which,
until lately, occupied so much public attention, and consumed so many
tons of iron. An octogenarian who could remember the tight skirts at the
end of Queen Charlotte's reign, and had formed his taste upon that
model, might have laughed heartily, if not too much offended at the
change. But by degrees, custom would have asserted its sway to such an
extent that, although he did not approve of them, they would not provoke
his mirth; and yet, when he saw some of the ladies re-introducing tight
dresses, he might not be able to laugh at them, as he still retained his
early notions with regard to their propriety. But most of us are so
influenced by the fashion of the day in dress, that the rights of the
case would not have prevented our laughing at the shrimp-like appearance
of those who first tried to bring in the present reform, and perhaps
some of the stanch supporters of the more natural style could not have
quite maintained their gravity, had one of their antiquated ideals been
suddenly introduced among the wide-spreading ladies of the late period.

To take another illustration. It would perhaps be in accordance with our
highest desires that instinct should approach to reason as nearly as
possible, and that all animals should