在任何时代、任何职业中，人们最容易犯的错误是先入为主;但当事情被清楚地展示出来，公正地陈述出来，充分地了解之后，我们很快就会为我们所嘲笑的东西鼓掌，而后悔恨变成骄傲。有一天，一位男爵想要显摆一番，就请了所有的才子和爱开玩笑的人:富特、梅西、舒特、耶茨和斯凯格斯，为这个时代的精英们搭建了一个宽敞的大舞台;但最重要的是，在这些人中，出现了一个天才，他自称有一个以前从未表演过的奇怪把戏。很快，整个城镇都飘起了空气，整个房子就像一个集市;可是，他一出场，既没有提词，也没有游行，全是期待，全是悬念，全场鸦雀无声。他把他的头藏在他的假发后面，带着这样的真实，脱下了一只猪，[模仿]所有人发誓这是认真的，不是开玩笑，因为毫无疑问，在他的斗篷下面，他隐藏了一个哼哼的小精灵，或者他自己是一个真正的猪。人们找了一遍，没有找到猪——座位上响起了雷鸣般的掌声，坑里、包厢里和走廊里都在轰鸣，——“哦，稀有!好!”和“再来一次!”老罗杰·格劳斯是个乡下的小丑，他对城里还有些了解，他看见了这个模仿者和他的奇想，第二天就向他挑战。 Declaring to each beau and bunter That he'd out-grunt th'egregious grunter. The morrow came--the crowd was greater-- But prejudice and rank ill-nature Usurp'd the minds of men and wenches, Who came to hiss, and break the benches. The mimic took his usual station, And squeak'd with general approbation. "Again, encore! encore!" they cry-- 'Twas quite the thing--'twas very high; Old Grouse conceal'd, amidst the racket, A real Pig berneath his jacket-- Then forth he came--and with his nail He pinch'd the urchin by the tail. The tortur'd Pig from out his throat, Produc'd the genuine nat'ral note. All bellow'd out--"'Twas very sad! Sure never stuff was half so bad! That like a Pig!"--each cry'd in scoff, "Pshaw! Nonsense! Blockhead! Off! Off! Off!" The mimic was extoll'd, and Grouse Was hiss'd and catcall'd from the house.-- "Soft ye, a word before I go," Quoth honest Hodge--and stooping low Produc'd the Pig, and thus aloud Bespoke the stupid, partial crowd: "Behold, and learn from this poor creature, How much you Critics know of Nature."