arms and legs of the image actor in
the same manner, and so perfectly lifeless did he appear, that many new
comers who had not heard the introductory speech of the showman,
absolutely thought that it was on inanimate figure made to imitate a man
that was before them, as the orator always designated his piece of still
life his _mecanique_, which means _machine_; in order to afford every
one the benefit of a close examination, he lifted up his automaton, then
flumped him directly opposite and close to the persons who formed part
of the circle and whom he judged were most likely to throw a sou,
bidding us observe that even the eye never winked and that there was not
the slightest breathing perceptible, and in justice I must say I never
saw an actor better play his part, for watch him as closely as you would
there never was the least symptom of life visible. I had often before
seen images made to imitate men, but never had till then seen a man
imitate an image: a few paces farther was a man acting a variety of
parts with extraordinary humour, an old nurse out of place, then a young
lover entreating his mistress to have pity on him, next a man in a
violent passion, presently, an epicure eating _bonbons_ on the verge of
the grave; the inexhaustible force of lungs, the incessant supply of
words and ideas that many of them appeared to possess, to me was quite a
matter of wonderment. At a short distance is a fort with cannon, whilst
persons take a cross-bow and shoot at it; if they can hit one of the
guns it naturally goes off; for the privilege of having a shot, a sou is
paid if he do not hit the cannon, but if he succeed in so doing, he
receives a sou; the reader may suppose that a miss takes place at the
rate of about seven times to a hit; and after several young countrymen
had been trying in vain, and had lost a good many pence, they began to
grumble and declare that it was next to impossible to hit the cannon
more than once in a hundred times, upon which the proprietor himself
took the cross-bow and at the same distance as the others stood, hit the
cannon five times running with the most perfect apparent ease, which
certainly silenced the grumblers, but convinced them of their own
awkwardness. My attention was next attracted by a pretty little building
surrounded by moss and trees, at the top of a large glass globe which
contained water with several gold and silver fish swimming in it, while
some canary birds, who were somet