date

2 June 1805 Evidence Introd
2 June 1805

Evidence

Introd.

Ch. False Ends. Means

' False Suit

'' Use of Falsewit to the man of law.

False wit, is a generic name by which Addison in his Spectator, has banded together a number of innocent verbal games plays upon words, frolics of the imagination, that in these days, have afforded the matter of delight to thousands upon thousands. [...? ...? ...?] and so forth. bundled together, and for what purpose? like tares in the Gospel only to be thrown into the fire. A certain degree of expansion of mind led to set his to wish /work/ to put his readers out of concept /consent/ of these innocent amusements: a further sign of liberality might have taught him to let them alone. Suppose one to have succeeded in depriving a man of law of his source of amusement, what are either of us the better for your success. By the display of my own superiority I have afforded a gratification to my own pride: but do you, do you whom I have been robbing of your pleasure, owe me any thanks? By no means: the gain such as it is, is all mine: the result to you, is so much less. A party of young men are amusing themselves in a trap-ball ground. What thanks would they owe me if going up to them and them with an harangue, I were to succeed in convincing them that the trap-ball was a false game, and tennis (a game which they could not afford to play at) the only true one.

Apply this to pecuniary, to poetry to anything: to hexameters and pentameters with rhyme, as well as to debt without name. To body or to mind, whatever gives pleasure without giving preponderant pain has its value, a value which runs exactly in proportion to the pleasure. Lord I thank thee that I am not as other men are: such, meaning the herd of vulgar men, was the boast of the pharisee. Such is among the boasts of the modern man of taste.
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