Comedians from Aristophanes downwards have been wont to complain in one place of that which they adopt in another—­their object not being to adopt fixed principles so much as to show the varying shades of human thought.  Shakespeare required something light to bring his deep reflections into bolder relief, and therefore frequently had recourse to humour.  We are not surprised that he had no very high estimate of it, when we find him so much dependant upon “the alms-basket of words.”  There is so much of this in his plays, that it is almost superfluous to quote, but a few instances may be taken at random.  Falstaff to Poins—­

     “You are straight enough in the shoulders; you care not who sees
     your back—­call you that backing your friends?  A plague upon such
     backing; give me a man who will face me.”

Falstaff to Prince Henry.  Act I. Scene II.

     I prythee, sweet wag, when thou art king, as God save thy
     grace—­majesty, I should say, for grace thou wilt have none—­

     P.  Hen. What! none?

     Fal. No, by my troth; not so much as will serve to be prologue to
     an egg and butter.

In Love’s Labour Lost.  Act I. Scene II.

     Armado. Comfort me, boy.  What great men have been in love?

     Inoth. Hercules, master.

     Arm. Most sweet Hercules!  More authority, dear boy, name more;
     and, sweet my child, let them be men of good repute and carriage.

     Inoth. Samson, master; he was a man of good carriage, for he
     raised the town gates on his back like a porter, and he was in
     love.

In the musicians scene, in Romeo and Juliet, Act IV.  Scene V. we find—­

     Musician. Pray you put up your dagger, and put out your wit.

     Peter. Then have at you with my wit.  I will dry beat you with my
     iron wit, and put up my iron dagger.  Answer me like: 

  When griping grief the heart doth wound,
  And doleful dumps the mind oppress,
  Then music with her silver sound—­

     Why silver sound?  Why music with her silver sound?  What say you,
     Simon Catling?

     First Mins. Marry, Sir, because silver hath a sweet sound.

     Peter. Pretty.  What say you, Hugh Rebeck?

     Sec.  Mins. I say “silver sound,” because musicians sound for
     silver.

     Peter. Pretty, too!  What say you, James Soundpost?

     Third Mins. Faith!  I know not what to say.

     Peter. O!  I cry for mercy; you are the singer; I will say for
     you.  It is music with her silver sound, because musicians have no
     gold for sounding.