In the naked temper which a merry heart discovered, he would say, there was no danger, --but to itself: --whereas the very essence of gravity was design, and consequently deceit; --'twas a taught trick to gain credit of the world for more sense and knowledge than a man was worth; and that, with all its pretensions, --it was no better, but often worse, than what a _French_ wit had long ago defined it, --_viz._ _A mysterious carriage of the body to cover the defects of the mind_; --which definition of gravity, _Yorick_, with great imprudence, would say, deserved to be wrote in letters of gold.

He would say, there was no danger in merriment: whereas the very essence of gravity was deceit; 'twas a trick to gain credit for more sense and knowledge than a man was worth. A French wit called gravity 'A mysterious carriage of the body to cover the defects of the mind'; which, Yorick would say, deserved to be wrote in letters of gold.
