to be pronounced
like _k_, as 'tis in Christian, but as in child, church, chest. I desire
the reader to observe these things, because otherwise he will hardly
understand much of the lawyer's part, which in the opinion of all is the
most divertising in the comedy; but when this ridiculous way of speaking
is familiar with him, it will render the part more pleasant."

One hardly expects so curious a piece of orthoepy in the preface to a
comedy. It may have required great observation and ingenuity to have
discovered the cause of old toothless men mumbling their words. But as a
piece of comic humour, on which the author appears to have prided
himself, the effect is far from fortunate. Humour arising from a
personal defect is but a miserable substitute for that of a more genuine
kind. I shall give a specimen of this strange gibberish as it is so
laboriously printed. It may amuse the reader to see his mother language
transformed into so odd a shape that it is with difficulty he can
recognise it.

Old Bartoline thus speaks:--"I wrong'd _my shelf, cho entcher incho
bondsh_ of marriage and could not perform _covenantsh_ I might well
_hinke_ you would _chake_ the forfeiture of the bond; and I never found
_equichy_ in a _bedg_ in my life; but I'll trounce you _boh_; I have
paved _jaylsh_ wi' the _bonesh_ of honester people _yen_ you are, _yat_
never did me nor any man any wrong, but had law of _yeir shydsh_ and
right o' _yeir shydsh_, but because _yey_ had not me o' _yeir shydsh_. I
ha' _hrown_ 'em in _jaylsh_, and got _yeir eshchatsch_ for my _clyentsh
yat_ had no more _chytle_ to 'em _yen dogsh_."

THE COMEDY OF A MADMAN.

Desmarets, the friend of Richelieu, was a very extraordinary character,
and produced many effusions of genius in early life, till he became a
mystical fanatic. It was said of him that "he was the greatest madman
among poets, and the best poet among madmen." His comedy of "The
Visionaries" is one of the most extraordinary dramatic projects, and, in
respect to its genius and its lunacy, may be considered as a literary
curiosity.

In this singular comedy all Bedlam seems to be let loose on the stage,
and every character has a high claim to an apartment in it. It is indeed
suspected that the cardinal had a hand in this anomalous drama, and in
spite of its extravagance it was favourably received by the public, who
certainly had never seen anything like it.

Every character in this piece acts under so