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The genealogy of the whole family is confirmed by the general term which includes them all: in English, Zany; in Italian, Zanni; in the Latin, Sannio; and a passage in "Cicero De Oratore," paints Harlequin and his brother gesticulators after the life; the perpetual trembling motion of their limbs, their ludicrous and flexible gestures, and all the mimicry of their faces: "Quid enim potest tam ridiculum quam Sannio esse?
Ridiculum est enim picturam Apellis vel Parrhasii in accessionem vilissimæ tabulæ cedere." Peace be with his gentle and kindly spirit, now for some time separated from its grotesque and humble tenement of clay. It is both right and pleasant to say that the characteristics here spoken of were not those of his latter days.
A furtive brown rivulet wandered here and there like a thing endeavouring to conceal itself and unable to find a hiding-place. "That's the Mouse, Mr. Vivian," remarked Capricornus, proudly. "We shall soon be there." "Ridiculum mus," rejoined his sister, who evidently took after her learned mother. "Culus, Corona; and you're not to say that. Pater familias says that the Mouse is a noble stream.
If a man had lain in wait for a freeman, 'cum virtute et solatio, with valour and comfort, i.e. with armed men to back him, and had found him standing or walking simply, and had shamefully held him, or 'battiderit, committed assault and battery on him, he must pay half the man's weregeld; the 'turpiter et ridiculum' being considered for a freeman as half as bad as death.
He said that Swift had a great deal of the ridiculum acre. And then Major Broome goes on to describe the 'handsome new church' at Ferney, and the 'very neat water-works' at Geneva.
The same custom they observed likewise in their Tragedies. "As for the French. Though they have the word humeur among them: yet they have small use of it in their Comedies or Farces: they being but ill imitations of the ridiculum or that which stirred up laughter in the Old Comedy. But among the English, 'tis otherwise.
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