VIII. -- THAT VERBAL ALLUSIONS ARE NOT WIT, BECAUS

Thesamemightbesaidofthewittiestlocalallusions.Acustomissometimesasdifficulttoexplaintoaforeignerasapun.Whatwouldbeeofagreatpartofthewitofthelastage,ifitweretriedbythistest?Howwouldcertaintopics,asaldermanity,cuckoldry,havesoundedtoaTerentianauditory,thoughTerencehimselfhadbeenalivetotranslatethem?Senatorurbanus,withCurrucatobootforasynonime,wouldbutfaintlyhavedonethebusiness.Words,involvingnotions,arehardenoughtorender;itistoomuchtoexpectustotranslateasound,andgiveanelegantversiontoajingle.TheVirgilianharmonyisnottranslatable,butbysubstitutingharmonioussoundsinanotherlanguageforit.ToLatiniseapun,wemustseekapuninLatin,thatwillanswertoit;as,togiveanideaofthedoubleendingsinHudibras,wemusthaverecoursetoasimilarpracticeintheoldmonkishdoggerel.Dennis,thefiercestoppugnerofpunsinancientormoderntimes,professeshimselfhighlytickledwiththe"astick"chimingto"ecclesiastic."Yetwhatisthisbutaspeciesofpun,averbalconsonance?