Avery able ventriloquist, Fitz James, performed in public, in Soho Square, about four years ago. lie persouated va rious characters by appropriate dresses; and by a command of the muscles of the Face he could very much alter his appear ance. He imitated many inanimate noises, and among others, the repetition of noises of the water-machine at Marli. He con versed with some statues, which replied to him; and also with some persons sup posed to be in the room above, and on the landing place ; gave the watchman's cry, gradually approaching, and when he seemed opposite the window, Fitz James opened it, and asked what the time Was, received the answer, and dur ing the proceeding with his cry, Fitz James shut the window, immediately op en which the sound became weaker, and at last insensible. In the whole Of his it was clear that the notions of the audience were governed by the auxiliary circumstances, as to direction, &c. Tilis mimic had, at least, six differ ent habitual modes of speaking, which he could instantly adopt one after the other, and with so much rapidity, that when in a small closet, parted off in the room, he gave a long, confused, and im passioned debate of Democrats (in as almost the whole of his per formance was); it seemed to proceed from a multitude of speakers : and an in accurate observer might have thought that several were speaking at once. A
ludicrous scene of drawing a tooth was iierformed in the same manner.
These examples, and many more which might be added, are sufficient, in proof, that ventriloquism is the art of mimicry, an imitation applied to sounds of every de scription, and attended with circumstan ces which produce an entertaining decep. tion, and lead the hearers to imagine that the voice proceeds from different situa tions. When distant, and consequently low voices are to be imitated, the articu lation may be given with sufficient dis tinctness, without moving the lips or al tering the countenance. It was by a sup posed supernatural voice of this kind, from a ventriloquist, that the famous musical small-coal man, Thomas Britton, received a warning of his death, which so greatly affected him that he did not cur ative the affright.