Boyer places the single statement, "There's somewhat that borders upon
_Madness_ in every exalted _Wit_," which may be his own version of
Dryden's line, "Great Wits are sure to Madness near allied" (_Absalom
and Achitophel_, l. 248). By means of these alterations in his sources,
Boyer has compiled a passage that has focus and direction, and gives
little evidence of its patchwork origin.

In other instances Boyer adheres more closely to the original form of
the material he borrows. The long passage from the middle of page twenty
to the middle of twenty-five is taken from "Des Ouvrages de L'Esprit" of
La Bruyère's _Les Caractères_. Though retaining the sequence of these
observations, he has deleted certain paragraphs. In most cases he has
translated the French faithfully, but here and there he has paraphrased
a passage or added a brief remark of his own. There was little he could
do, of course, with La Rochefoucauld, from whose _Maximes_ all of page
282 and about half of 283 of the second selection are taken. Boyer was
content to translate almost literally these remarks upon wit and
judgment which he collected from widely scattered sections of the
_Maximes_.

Boyer's own contribution to his collection was slight, covering, all
told, little more than fifteen of the 383 pages. Distinguished neither
by originality of conception nor individuality of style, it is,
nevertheless, marked by good sense. A moderate man in his
pronouncements, Boyer was less clever than reasonable.

Boyer's remarks on wit are in keeping with his character. Like many of
his contemporaries, he has something to say on the subject, but uses the
term rather loosely. He would seem, though, to identify wit with genius,
which gives evidence of itself in literary utterance. But judgment is a