Plautus is, to be sure, an old comick writer: but in the days of Scipio and Lelius, we find, Terent.
When he ceased, Moody interjected, in an Irish tone, and with a comick look, 'Ah!
The two comick characters of sir Trusty and Grideline, though of no great value, are yet such as the poet intended[199].
But, when all arts are exhausted, like other hunted animals, he sometimes stands at bay; when he cannot disown the grossness of one of his plays, he declares that he knows not any law that prescribes morality to a comick poet.
Of this play the light orcomick part is very natural and pleasing, but the grave scenes, if a few passages be excepted, have more labour than elegance.
The force of hiscomick scenes has suffered little diminution from the changes made by a century and a half, in manners or in words.
In tragedy he often writes with great appearance of toil and study, what is written at last with little felicity; but in his comick scenes, he seems to produce without labour, what no labour can improve.
He is many times flat and insipid; his comickwit degenerating into clenches, his serious swelling into bombast.
His comick scenes are happily wrought, but his pathetick strains are always polluted with some unexpected depravations.
The censure which he has incurred by mixing comick and tragick scenes, as it extends to all his works, deserves more consideration.
How few of this facetious and comick Species of Men, caress'd and applauded for their shining Parts and witty Discourses, escape the Snares that encompass them, and preserve their Vertue and Sobriety of Manners?
Wit is employ'd in its own Province, when the Possessor of it exercises his Genius on the ordinary Customs and Manners of Life, either in Conversation, or Comick Writing.
The distinction made by De Nores of the satyrs not making a part of the tragedy, but barely appearing between the acts, can only signify, that the Tragick and Comick Scenes were kept apart from each other.
Posidippus, a comick poet, utters this complaint: "Through which of the paths of life is it eligible to pass?
In tragedy he often writes, with great appearance of toil and study, what is written at last with little felicity; but in his comick scenes, he seems to produce without labour what no labour can improve.
I am perswaded, that Shakespeare was too good a Judge of Nature, to design any Thing Comick or Buffoonish upon so solemn an Occasion, as that of a Son's taking leave of his Father in the most emphatical and serious Manner.
How came he to chuse a Comickpreferably to the Tragick Poets?
Which you have justly gained from the Stage, By observation of those Comick Laws, Which I, your Master, first did teach the Age.
John Marston was one whose fluent Pen both in a Comick and Tragick strain, made him to be esteemed one of the chiefest of our English Dramaticks, both for solid judgment, and pleasing variety.
Of Florelio it is sufficient to say, that it is an occasional pastoral, which implies something neither natural nor artificial, neither comick nor serious.
He formed a peculiar idea of comick excellence, which he supposed to consist in gay remarks and unexpected answers; but that which he endeavoured, he seldom failed of performing.
Footnote 2: These quotations are more usual in the comick than in the tragick writers.
The comick dialogue is very sprightly, with less mixture of low buffoonery than in some other plays; and the graver part is elegant and harmonious.
The comick part raises laughter, and the serious fixes expectation.
Our ancient comick writers brought no characters higher than servants to make sport upon the theatre; but we are diverted upon the theatre of Molière by marquises and people of quality.
The comick characters seem to have been the favourites of the writer; they are of the superficial kind, and exhibit more of manners than nature; but they are copiously filled, and powerfully impressed.
The third charge is, a mixture of tragick and comick style.
These are the shreds of tragedy, in which he arrays the comick muse, to make her still more comick.
The history of Greece could not pass over him, when it comes to touch upon the people of Athens; this, alone, might procure him respect, even when he was not considered as a comick poet.
It is not, therefore, this mixture of tragick and comickthat will place Aristophanes below Menander.
But mi opinyun now iz that thare ain't no rule for success with a comick lektur.
I'le send thy Comick scenes to some of those That for a great while have plaid fast and loose; New universalists, by changing shapes, Have made with wit and fortune faire escapes.
Thus the whole World to reverence will flock Thy Tragick Buskin and thy Comick Stock; And winged fame unto posterity Transmit but onely two, this Age, and Thee.
Southern would have been his favourite, but that he mixes comick with tragick scenes, intercepts the natural course of the passions, and fills the mind with a wild confusion of mirth and melancholy.
He gives to Clowns and Lubbards clumsie Graces, that is, he makes them Practise what they would think Graces: And I have seen Dances of his, which might give Hints that would be useful to a Comick Writer.
Burlesque Writers pay the same Deference to the Heroick, as Comick Writers to their Serious Brothers in the Drama.
They would not have known what to have made of my motley Spectre, half Comick and half Tragick, all over resembling a ridiculous Face, that at the same time laughs on one side and cries o tother.
In short, our English Writers are as frequently severe upon this innocent unhappy Creature, commonly known by the Name of a Cuckold, as the Ancient Comick Writers were upon an eating Parasite or a vain-glorious Soldier.
Yet for all the comick figure that he made I could not neglect the apparent seriousness of his warning, and especially when he added in a hoarse voice-- "Where is Mistress Avenon?
I never read the comick papers, dear Jesse, enny more than I would eat rye-bread when I am away from home.
But say what yu will about theze comick geniuses ov natur, they hav got two things that they own and no other animul, feathered, or hairy, possesses them so mutch.
The above list will hopefully give you a few useful examples demonstrating the appropriate usage of "comick" in a variety of sentences. We hope that you will now be able to make sentences using this word.
