le propre de l'homme

Picked up a copy of Rabelais' to read in the near future, noticed the introductory verses 'aux lecteurs' which conclude:

...
Mieulx est de ris que de larmes* escripre, [=tears]
Pour ce que rire est le propre de l'homme.

Roughly, " 'tis better to write of laughter than of tears / since laughter is the peculiar quality of man."

This should be the rallying cry/motto of all comedians.

Picked up Rabelais since it was apparently (Wikipedia-level apparent) one of Sterne's favorite works (I'm reading Tristram Shandy at the moment. Just finished Slawkenbergius's Tale.)