pages: practicalmagicia00harr.pdf, 77
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practicalmagicia00harr.pdf | 77 | THE PRACTICAL MAGICIAN. 67 VENTRILOQUISM MADE EASY. WHAT IS VENTRILOQUISM? BEFORE we take the reader into the precise and minute instruc- tions which he will have to study and practice ere he can become the possessor of the coveted art, it will be necessary to inform him what Ventriloquism* is, and in what it consists. In doing so, we shall endeavor to be as plain and clear as possible. Ventrilo- quism may be divided into two sections, or general heads, the first of which may be appropriately designated as Polyphonism, and consists of the simple imitation of the voices of human creatures, of animals, of musical instruments, and sounds and noises of every description in which no illusion is intended, but where, on the contrary, the imitation is avowedly executed by the mimic, amongst which we may classify sawing, planing, door- creaking, sounds of musical instruments, and other similar imi- tations. Secondly, we have ventriloquism proper, which consists in the imitation of such voices, sounds, and noises, not as originating in him, but in some other appropriate source at a given or varying distance, in any or even in several directions, cither singly or to- gether-a process exciting both wonder and amusement, and which may be accomplished by thousands who have hitherto viewed the ventriloquist as invested with a power wholly denied by nature to themsclves. It is needless to observe, that when the limitations are effected without a movement of mouth, features, or body, the astonishment of the audience is considerably en- hanced. The terms polyphony, mimicry, or limitation, are employed to designate results obtained in reference to the first division of the subject, where no illusion is intended while the term ven- triloquism distinguishes those under the second division, where an illusion is palpably produced. The first is much more com- mon than the latter ; indeed, there is scarcely a public school which does not possess at least one boy capapble of limitating the mewing of a cat, the barking of a dog, or the squeaking voice of * Literally signifying belly-speaking, from venter, the belly, and loquor, I speak. |