is it not so?
—I replied in the affirmative;
Well, and what great hero should you wish to personate? Hamlet, or Richard, or Othello, or who?
I answered I distrusted my capability of performing any that he had mentioned; "Indeed!" said he,
that's a wonderful sign of grace. I have been teazed for these many years by all the spouters in London, of which honourable fraternity I dare say you are a member; for, I can perceive no stage varnish, none of the true strolling brass lacker on your face
—"No indeed, Sir"—
I thought so. Well Sir, I never saw a spouter before that did not want to surprize the town in Pierre, or Lothario, or some character that requires every

requisite and address of a master in the art. But come, give us a touch of your quality; a speech: here's a youngster,
pointing to his secretary,
will roar Jaffier against Pierre, the loudest take both.
Accordingly he held the book, and at it we fell; the scene we chose was the first of the before-mentioned gentlemen in Venice Preserved. For a little while at the beginning, I took the roaring hint he had thrown out, and restrained my wrath, but it appeared so insipid, and the ideas of rant and excellence were so strongly connected in my mind, that when Jaffier began to exalt his voice, I could no longer contain my indignation, but as Nic Bottom says, * we roared so, that it would have done your heart good to have heard us. Foote smiled, and after enduring this vigorous attack upon

his tympanum as long as he was able, interrupted us.

FAR from discouraging me, he told me that, with respect to giving the meaning of the words, I spoke much more correct than he expected; but, said he, like other novices, you seem to imagine all excellence lays in the lungs; whereas, such violent exertions should be used but very sparingly, and upon extraordinary occasions; for besides that these two gentlemen, instead of straining their throats, are supposed to be in common conversation, if an actor makes no reserve of his powers, how is he to rise consistent to the tone of the passion? He then read the scene we had rehearsed, and with so much propriety and ease, as well as force, that I was surprized, having always supposed risibility the only emotion he could inspire.

AFTER this, he demanded if I could sing, to which I answered in the affirmative, and