The Book-Lover’s Library.

Edited by
Henry B. Wheatley, F.S.A.

STUDIES
IN
JOCULAR LITERATURE.

A POPULAR SUBJECT MORE CLOSELY
CONSIDERED.

BY
W. CAREW HAZLITT.

Ne moy reproues sans cause, quar mon entent est de
bone amour.

LONDON:
ELLIOT STOCK, 62 PATERNOSTER ROW
1890

CONTENTS.

CHAP. PAGE
I. Introductory Remarks on the RealUse and Importance of Jests andAnecdotes[ 1]
II. Origin of this Class of Literature,and its Dependence on the Conditionsof Society—Jests beforeJest-books—Influence of theArts of Writing and PrintingLong Subsequent to the Introductionof Caricature andHumour[ 13]
III. Literature and the Drama asContributories to Jocular Literature—Dependenceon Surroundingsand Circumstances[ 22]
IV. Justification for the Present Undertaking—LiteraryInterestof the Subject—The VariousClasses of Jest—The SeriousAnecdote the Original Type,and the Jest an Evolution—Greekand Roman Examples—The“Deipnosophistæ” of Athenæus[ 29]
V. The “Noctes Atticæ”—PeculiarValue of the Work—The“Lives of the Philosophers,” byDiogenes Laertius—Characterof the Book—The Golden Tripos[ 46]
VI. The Greek Anthology—GreekEpigrams—Herodotus—Aristophanes—Plato[ 57]
VII. Formulation of the Jest—EditorialTreatment of Stories—SophisticatedVersions[ 69]
VIII. The same Subject continued—TheAnecdote-monger[ 79]
IX. The Marred Anecdote—Gaulardisms—M.Goussaut—The Retortand the Pun—“Maloniana”—MetricalAdaptations—Second-handFacetiæ—Parallel Versions[ 92]
X. Affiliation of Stories—ParallelIllustrations—The LiteraryClub—Reynolds, Johnson, andGarrick—Two Tudor Jest-books—EuropeanGrafts on OrientalOriginals—Martin Elginbrod—ParsonHobart—The “Bravo ofVenice”[ 111]
XI. The Ballad and the NurseryRhyme—Philosophical Side ofthe Question—“Jack the Giant-killer”[ 129]
XII. Continental Influence—The“Ana”—The “Convivial Discourses”—WhimsicalInventions—ShakespearJest-books—Changein Public Taste[ 142]
XIII. The “Hundred Merry Tales”—TheAuthorship discussed[ 156]
XIV. “Merry Tales and Quick Answers”[ 162]
XV. Facetious Biographies[ 168]
XVI. Analecta[ 177]
XVII. The Subject Continued[ 183]
XVIII. “Joe Miller’s Jests”—History,Character, and Success of thePublication—John Mottley theEditor[ 188]
XIX. Jest-books considered as Historicaland Literary Material—TheTwofold Point Illustrated—Localisationof Stories[ 200]
XX. The so-called “Tales of Skelton”—Specimensof them—Sir ThomasMore and the Lunatic—TheFoolish Duke of Newcastle—Pennantthe Antiquary—The“Gothamite Tales”—Storiesconnected with Wales and Scotland[ 210]

STUDIES IN
JOCULAR LITERATURE