Page:Anecdotes of painters, engravers, sculptors and architects, and curiosities of art (IA anecdotesofpaint01spoo).pdf/136

 *tle preliminary conversation, Jarvis said, 'I hope, Monsieur B, you still retain your love of the drama?' 'O certainly, sir, wid my life I renounce it.' 'Mr. A, did you ever hear Monsieur recite?' 'Never.' 'Your recitations from Racine, Monsieur B, will you oblige us?'

"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