“The polite and vain Frenchman was easily prevailed upon to roll out several long speeches, from Racine and Corneille, with much gesticulation and many a well-rounded _R_. This was only to introduce the main subject of entertainment. ‘Monsieur B---- is not only remarkable, as you hear, for his very extraordinary recitations from the poets of his native land, but for his perfect conquest over the difficulties of the English language, in the most difficult of all our poets--Shakspeare. He has studied Hamlet and Macbeth thoroughly--and if he would oblige us--do, ‘Monsieur B----, do give us, “To be, or not to be.”’ ‘Sur, the language is too difficult--I make great efforts to be sure, but still the foreigner is to be detected.’ This gentleman’s peculiarities were in extreme precision and double efforts with the _th_ and the other shibboleths of English. The unsuspecting and vain man is soon induced to give Hamlet’s soliloquy, the _th_ forced out as from a pop-gun, and some of the words irresistibly comic. ‘But, Monsieur B----, you are particularly great in Macbeth--_that_ “if it were done, when it is done,” and “peep through the blanket,”--come, let us have Macbeth.’ Then followed Macbeth’s soliloquies in the same style. All this was ludicrous enough, but upon this foundation Jarvis raised a superstructure, which he carried as high as the zest with which it was received by his companions, his own feelings, or other circumstances prompted or warranted. The unfortunate Monsieur B---- was imitated and caricatured with most laugh-provoking effect; but to add to the treat, he was made not only to recite, but to comment and criticise. ‘If it were done,’ ‘peep through the blanket,’ and, ‘catch with the sursease, success,’ gave a rich field for the imaginary critic’s commentaries--then he would expose, and overthrow Voltaire’s criticisms, and give as examples of the true sublime in tragedy, the scene of the witches in Macbeth.