The basis of tragedy is man's helplessness against disease, war and death; the basis of comedy is man's helplessness against vanity (the vanity of love, greed, lust, power).
Bio: William Pitt was an English ship-builder who was the Master Attendant at Jamaica Dockyard, and later of Malta. His amusing poem of "The Sailor's Consolation" is in many collections credited to Charles Dibdin.
