I seldom or never puts any of you out, and takes as much pains as anybody can expect for two-and-six a week extra, which is all I gets for doing such-like parts as mine.

I finds Shakespeare's parts worse to get into my head nor any other; he goes in and out so to tell a thing.

I should like to know how I was to say all that rigmarole about the wood coming; and I'm sure my telling Macbeth as Birnam Wood was a-walking three miles off the castle, did very well.

But some gentlemen is sadly pertickler, and never considers circumstances!" Such players as this provoke the despair of prompters, who must often be tempted to close their books altogether.

It would almost seem that there are some performers whom it is quite vain to prompt: it is safer to let them alone, doing what they list, lest bad should be made worse.