Reflection, a Man
of _Sincerity_.--If he is a _Rogue_ upon any Occasion, he is more
wilfully one, and puts greater Violence upon himself in being such,
than the rest of the World; And though he may generally seem to have
little _Benevolence_, which is the common Objection against him,
it is only for want of proper Objects; for no Person has certainly
a quicker _Feeling_; And there are Instances frequent, of greater
Generosity and humane Warmth flowing from an _Humourist_, than are
capable of proceeding from a weak _Insipid_, who labours under a
continual Flux of Civility.

Upon the whole, the _Humourist_ is perhaps the least of all others,
a _despicable_ Character. But Imitations, which are frequently seen
of this Character, are excessively despicable.--What can be more
ridiculous, than a Wretch setting up for an _Humourist_, merely upon
the Strength of disrelishing every Thing, without any Principle;--The
Servants, Drawers, Victuals, Weather,--and growling without Poignancy
of Sense, at every new Circumstance which appears, in public or
private. A perfect and compleat _Humourist_ is rarely to be found;
and when you hear his _Voice_, is a different Creature.--In writing to
_Englishmen_, who are generally tinged, deeply or slightly, with the
_Dye_ of the _Humourist_, it seem'd not improper to insist the longer
upon this Character; However, let none be too fond of it; For though
an _Humourist_ with his Roughness is greatly to be preferr'd to a
smooth _Insipid_, yet the Extremes of both are equally wretched:
_Ideots_ being only the lowest Scale of _Insipids_, as _Madmen_ are no
other than _Humourists_ in Excess.

It may be proper to observe in this place, that though all
_Ostentation_, _Affectation_, and _Imitation_ are excluded from the
Composition of a perfect _Humourist_; yet as they are the obvious
_Foibles_ of some Persons in Life, they may justly be made the Subject
of _Humour_.

For HUMOUR extensively and fully understood, is _any remarkable_
Oddity _or_ Foible _belonging to a_ Person _in_ real Life; _whether
this_ Foible _be constitutional, habitual_, or _only affected; whether
partial in one or two Circumstances; or tinging the whole Temper and
Conduct of the_ Person.

It has from hence been observ'd, that there is more HUMOUR in the
_English_ Comedies than in others; as we have more various odd
_Characters_ in real Life, than any other Nation, or perhaps than
all other Nations together.

That HUMOUR give