[7]
For
I do not think that anybody can give an adequate
explanation, though many have attempted to do so, of
the cause of laughter, which is excited not merely
by words or deeds, but sometimes even by touch.
Moreover, there is great variety in the things which
raise a laugh, since we laugh not merely at those
words or actions which are smart or witty, but also
[p. 443]
at those which reveal folly, anger or fear. Consequently, the cause of laughter is uncertain, since
laughter is never far removed from derision.
Quintilian. With An English Translation. Harold Edgeworth Butler. Cambridge. Cambridge, Mass., Harvard University Press; London, William Heinemann, Ltd. 1921.
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