When he arrived, Mr.Burns had not made his appearance, and in the course of conversation regarding the family of the poet, Lamb, in his lack-a-daisical kind of manner, said, "I wish it had been the father instead of the son;" upon which four Scotsmen present with one voice exclaimed, "That's impossible, for _he's dead_[160]." Now, there will be dull men and matter-of-fact men everywhere, who do not take a joke, or enter into a jocular allusion; but surely, as a general remark, this is far from being a natural quality of our country.

Sydney Smith and Charles Lamb say so.

But, at the risk of being considered presumptuous, I will say I think them entirely mistaken.

I should say that there was, on the contrary, a strong _connection_ between the Scottish temperament and, call it if you like, humour, if it is not wit.

And what is the difference?
My readers need not be afraid that they are to be led through a labyrinth of metaphysical distinctions between wit and humour.