be only his
looser Explanations, it will be necessary to deliver his more closed
and collected Sentiments upon this Subject. These he gives in the
following Words,
I should be unwilling to venture, even in a bare _Description_ of
_Humour_, much more to make a _Definition_ of it; but now my Hand
is in, I will tell you what serves me instead of either. I take
it to be, _A singular and unavoidable Manner of doing or saying
any thing, peculiar and natural to one Man only, by which his
Speech and Actions are distinguished from those of other Men."
--This Description is very little applicable to HUMOUR, but tolerably
well adapted to other Subjects.--Thus, a Person, who is happy in a
particular _Grace_, which accompanies all his Actions, may be said to
possess _a singular and unavoidable Manner of doing or saying any
thing, peculiar and natural to him only, by which his Speech and
Actions are distinguished from those of other Men_. And the same
may be said of a Person of a peculiar _Vivacity_, _Heaviness_,
or _Awkwardness_.--In short, this Description is suited to any
_Particularity_ of a Person in general, instead of being adapted
to the _Foibles_ and _whimsical Oddities_ of Persons, which alone
constitute HUMOUR.

These are the only Pieces upon WIT, and HUMOUR, which have fallen
within my Knowledge; I have here fairly delivered them at length;
and from the Respect which is due to such eminent Writers, have
distinctly and deliberately examined the Merit of each.--As to my
own _Performance_, which is now submitted to the Public, I have to
wish, that it may gain a candid and strict Examination. It has been
my Endeavour to give _Definitions_ of the Subjects, upon which I have
treated; A _Plan_ the most difficult of all others to be executed by
an Author; But such an one, as I apprehend, deserves to be more
generally introduced, and established. If once it was expected by the
Public, that _Authors_ should strictly _define_ their Subjects, it
would instantly checque an Inundation of Scribbling. The _desultory_
Manner of Writing would be absolutely exploded; and _Accuracy_ and
_Precision_ would be necessarily introduced upon every Subject.

This is the _Method_ pursued in Subjects of _Philosophy_; Without
clear and precise _Definitions_ such noble Advances could never have
been made in those Sciences; And it is by the Assistance of _these_
only, that Subjects of _Polite Literature_, can ever be enlightened
and emb