What creates the humorous effect in the passage?
a. the other sons of the speaker pretending to be sensible
b. maturity turning dull even at a tender age
c. dullness and stupidity being regarded as admirable traits
d. the choice of an heir based on close physical resemblance

mac flecknoe by john dryden (excerpt)

all humane things are subiect to decay, and when fate summons, monarch's must obey; this flecknoe found, who like augustus young, was call'd to empire, and had govern'd long; in prose and verse was own'd without dispute, through all the realms of nonsense, absolute; this aged prince now flourishing in peace, and blest with issue of a large increase, worn out with business, did at length debate, to settle the succession of the state, and pond'ring, which of all his sons were fit to reign, and wage immortal wars, with wit, cry'd 'tis resov'd (for nature pleads, that he should only rule, who most resembles me,) alone my perfect image bears, mature in dulness from his tender years; alone of all my sons, is he who stands confirm'd in full stupidity; the rest, to some faint meaning make pretence, but shad-- never deviates into sence;

Read the passage from the opinion of the court in dred scott v. sandford, written by justice taney. the question then arises, whether the provisions of the constitution, in relation to the personal rights and privileges to which the citizen of a state should be entitled, embraced the negro african race, at that time in this country, or who might afterwards be imported, who had then or should afterwards be made free in any state; and to put it in the power of a single state to make him a citizen of the united states, and endue him with the full rights of citizenship in every other state without their consent? does the constitution of the united states act upon him whenever he shall be made free under the laws of a state, and raised there to the rank of a citizen, and immediately clothe him with all the privileges of a citizen in every other state, and in its own courts? the court thinks the affirmative of these propositions cannot be maintained. and if it cannot, the plaintiff in error could not be a citizen of the state of missouri, within the meaning of the constitution of the united states, and, consequently, was not entitled to sue in its courts. what claim does justice taney make in this passage? that sanford has the right to enslave scott that scott has the right to be emancipated that scott is not a citizen of missouri that sanford cannot sue because he is not a citizen