Mr Dugald Stewart on Ventriloquism. 249 



For my own part, I must acknowledge that I entertain great 

 doubts about the fact, as I cannot conceive what aid the ven- 

 triloquist could derive in the exercise of his art, from such an 

 extraordinary power, if it were really in his possession. My 

 opportunities, however, of witnessing such exhibitions have 

 been but few, and never afforded me access to a particular ex- 

 amination of the performer ; I would be understood, therefore, 

 rather to propose a query for the consideration of others, than 

 to give a decided opinion of my own *. That the imagination 

 alone of the spectators, when skilfully managed, may be ren- 

 dered subservient, in a considerable degree, to the purposes 

 of the ventriloquist, I am fully satisfied ; and I am rather in- 

 clined to think that; when seconded by such powers of imi- 

 tation as some mimics possess, it is quite sufficient to account 

 for all the phenomena of ventriloquism of which I have ever 

 heard. 



Suppose, for example, a ventriloquist to personate a father 

 in the attitude of listening from a window to the voice of his 

 child, who is exposed to some sudden and imminent danger 

 below. It is easy to conceive him possessed of such theatrical 

 skill, as will transport in imagination the audience to the spot 

 where the child is supposed to be placed, and so rivet their 

 attention to what is passing there, as will render his imitation 

 of its feeble and distant cries a much more imposing illusion 

 than it would otherwise be ; or, to take a case which, is seldom 

 omitted among feats of ventriloquism, — suppose the performer 

 to carry on an imaginary dialogue up a chimney with a chim- 

 ney-sweeper in danger of suffocation. How imperfect an imi- 

 tation of a person in such unusual circumstances will be suffi- 

 cient, if aided by tolerable theatrical powers, to produce such 

 a degree of resemblance as will occasion that amusing surprise 

 and wonder, which are, more or less, the objects of all the Imi- 

 tative Arts. Even in the case of fainting, a perfectly complete 

 deception is never the aim of the artist ; as a great part of the 

 pleasure arises from the perception of the difficulty surmounted, 

 and consequently would be diminished if the painter should to 



* I shall ever regret that the state of my health rendered it impossible 

 for me to attend the extraordinary, and, by all accounts, unparalleled per- 

 formances lately exhibited in Scotland by M. Alexandre. 



