THE PRECEEDING,

SCENE 2ND.

PETER (WITH HIS MOUTH FULL.)

Pet.--Be as brief as you can, your honor, for I have but this moment seated myself at table. It is just as bad to disturb oue at one's meals as at one's prayers. For the body must attend to its devotions just as much as the soul.

Riick.-Canning rogue! You ought to know that great men do not sit long at table. When one has such a magnificent skull as you. Pet-What! The matter in point now is my stomach, not my › skull-All the skull does for that, is to lend it a mouth. I had but short commons on the road, and there's not too much to eat in this house though they have given me at length a roast leg of mutton, a ham, three sausages and six pancakes. There's still some of them left and they are by no means to be depised. Riick. Very well. I'll let you go immediately. Only tell me quickly is young Mr. Von Hellstern a lady ?

Pet.-A lady? How shonid I know that?

Rick.-Have you never seen him in woman's clothes?

Pet.-Oh yes! He generally wore a white dress and a train as long as one of my mothers sheets with which he used to sweep the stairs. I was very glad when he left it off, for I trod upon it twice, and each time tore a hole in it large enough for you to put your head through.

Rick. So then she really is a woman? What's her name?

Pet. Formerly when the gentleman used to sweep the stairs they called him Miss Von Hellstern. But we were scarcely outside of the gates before he buckled a sword on-and I would not have advised any body then to hint that there was something wrong about him.

Riik.-Come, come. It is very easy to see whether two people e man and wife.

Pet.-How is one to see that? I often thought in the town we have just come from, when I saw two people very fond of each other that they certainly were man and wife. And I was right too, but then he was not her husband, and she was not his wife. Rück. But on the journey? Did n't you help them to undress? Pet.-No, I was always drunk at night.

Riick. Were n't you at the marriage?

--

Pet.-Now, look you, your honour, I have been at a marriage, it is a thing I shall never forget as long as I live, for there is plenty to eat at a respectable wedding. If therefore these two gen

tlemen have married one another it must have been secretly in some disreputable corner.

Rick. I see, my good fellow, you don't trust me still, you try to hide the rogue under the mask of simplicity. But you can't hide your skull. Those two hillocks are actual protuberances of wit.

Pet.-That's the fault of the lame jade that threw me into the ditch yesterday with my nose in the dirt and my forehead on the knotty roots of a tree, Has the brute made a perfect wit of me?

Rück.-Well, well, I know now-go along, go and finish your meal. But first send me my faithful servant Katzrabe aud Miss Von Hellstern.

Pet.-Take care, your honor, if you call him, Miss, he will call you an ass immediately-I know it-he even called me one though we are the very best friends. But your Son (he scratches his nose) will do still worse (going) don't therefore remark any thing (as he opens the door.) There we have it-the dog has stole my mutton-Be off, you brute-what, growling at me! (exit.)

SCENE 3RD.

MR. VON RuCKENMARK, SOLO.

The rogue won't speak out plainly. But it is no matter. I know well enough, heaven be praised, how to distinguish a female skull from a male one. Let her only come here. I shall have it in a trice at the first touch. Suppose she really were a woman! what shall I do in that case? she certainly has a well-developed organ for music and even composes very prettily. But still her skull is far from being so beautifully triangular as Miss Sturzwalds.

SCENE 4TH.

THE PRECEEDING AND CAROLINE. Car-What are your commands my dear Mr. Von Rücken

mark?

Rück. Let us enjoy a quarter of an hour's chat about the organs. One so seldom meets with a thorough knowledge.

Car. That I hope to acquire under your kind tuition.

Riick. Your humble servant! But what is your opinion? How is a female skull best distinguished from a male one?

Car.-(aside) What has put that into his head? (loud) I'm too much of a beginner.

Rück.-I'll teach you that directiy. Apes have a very remarkable organ, and women the same.

Car-A great honor for our,——the fair sex.

Rick.-Now one has only to consider in what things women most resemble apes. What do you think!

Car-Why really I have not yet compared these two species of skulls with one another.

Rick. I have very often. We may say that apes are malicious, women are so also; apes are fond of tit-bits aud delicacies, so are women-apes are fond of peeping into looking glasses-imitate every thing-make play things of the most useful articles, and have a pleasure in demolishing them;—all qualities which are also peculiar to the female sex.

Car-A painter who certainly does not flaiter! (aside)

Riick. But partly there are no organs for these propensities, partly, alas, they are all to be found upon men also. We must therefore search for such a quality as is exclusively confined to women and apes and that is can't you guess yet! The love of their offspring.

Car.- Positively? how acute!

Rick. If you like to examine bye and bye the apes, skulls in my collection you can't fail to observe a very largely developed projection behind, on the poll. This is only to be found on women and on these animals, consequently it is the love of their offspring. Car-Excellent.

Riick-By means of this we distinguish the heads of the two sexes at the first glance. Permit me to point it out more precisely to you (offers to touch her head.)

Car. I thoroughly comprehend it,

Rick.-No, no! you may very easily confound it with the organ of ambition which lies just above it,

Car-Ambition I know well enough, I shall not be deceived by

that.

Rick. But the love of offspring, Sir, or perhaps Sir, will not deceive me. I beg again that you'll allow me.

Car.—Well then in the name of heaven.

Rick.--(feels her head) Ho! ho! ho! ha! ha! ha! They have done you justice my dear Mr. Von Hellstern, great injusticë. Car.---How?

Riick.---There's not so much love of offspring there as a cuckoo has! And it really is a blessing that you are not a woman for [ just observe that you have a very large organ of destructiveness. You would certainly murder all your children.

Cur.---How did you come by the idea that I could be a woman? Rick. tell you, you are not a woman. 1 must know better: 1 am quite convinced of it.

Car-But the bare thought?

Rück.---You have enemies, Mr. Von Hellstern, very spiteful one. mies. I must tell you all about it. Some creature has written me an anonymous letter declaring that you were married to my son. Car-Silly falsehood!

Riick,---And that cunning 10gue Peter Goodsheep strengthened my suspicions still more. He would have that he had seen you in womens clothes,

Car---In all probability the fool spoke of my sister who is uncommonly like me.

Riick.--- rather think it was one of his roguish tricks.---He is a sly fellow--He has got it behind his cars as thick as my fist, as they say --or in other words he has a large organ of cunning, which, as you know, lies behind the ears,

Car. He knows extremely well how to conceal it,

Rück.---That is the effect of the organ of representation.---If the man had gone on the stage he would have enchanted the public, in spite of the little Roscius in England and London. But he does not deceive me, God be thanked, nobody deceives me,

SCENE 5TH,

THE PRECEEDING AND KATZHABE,

Katz.Your honor has commanded→→

Riick.---Yes, my dear Katzrabe, 1 am going to give you a commission which will shew how much confidence 1 place in your honesty with your permission Mr. Von Hellstern, do you think you can find Mr. Von Bombecks house, close to the red gate?

Katz.---Oh yes.

Rick.--(Takes rouleous of gold out of the casket.) There, take these 2000 Louis-d'ors to old Mr, Vou Bombeck, and bring back my bond. Do you understand me?

Katz.---Thoroughly: your honors commands shall be executed. Car(Softly) Be careful. If I don't deceive myself, I have seen that fellow taken up somewhere.

Riick.---Ha! ha! ha! The man may certainly be rather stupid but he has not a vestige of the organ of theft, on the contrary, a really enormous organ of benevolence. Go my good fellow, go.

Katz. wish your honor a long life (exit.)

Car.---But, for heavens sake, 2000 Louis-d'ors are no trifle and 1 assure you it is the same scoundrel who was banished from our part of the country.

Riick.You deceive yourself. The Prince might upon my pledged word, make him his treasurer on the spot.

Car.-Be cautious, 1 beseech you ---to please me.

147

Riick. Why you are but very slightly convinced of the infallibility of the science of craniology---To please you, however,--but it is quite unnecessary. (He goes to the door and calls) Katzrabe wait a moment, my dear Goodsheep come here.

SCENE 6TH.

THE PRECEEDING AND PETER.

Pet.-1 am satisfied now---1 got the mutton away from the dog, Riick-Very good, Now be good as to accompany my valet who is going somewhere to pay 2000 Louis-d'ors for me. Pet.---Odds bobs and hail. That's a sight of money.

Riick,-Go with him and see what he does afterwards you may drink a bottle of wine in the public house to my health. Ruck.---Now go along together in the name of heaven. Pet.---(exit)

SCENE 7TH.

THE PRECEEDING WITHOUT PETER.

Riick.-If that honest creature is only not offended at my sending some-one with him.

Car. But Mr. Von Ruckenmark, is that blockhead to watch the crafty rascal?

Riick.-Ah my dear Mr. Von. Hellstern, would that we were as clever as that sly Devil, who has nothing of the sheep about him but the name. You remember that Mapertius sketched out a project for rearing a noble race of men. Now he might have certainly selected Peter Goodsheep for the father of the race. Car. I have given you warning.

-But my son,

Riick-Be quite easy,-if I had no other cares-) my son.

Car.-(Alarmed) what is the matter with him?

Riick. He has no wish to marry, from very natural causes it is true. I had chosen Miss Sturzwald for him, an amiable girl with a splendid organ of music. You must make her acquaintance, She is certainly not pretty-perhaps even a little ugly.She is as thin as a mummy and has a hump on her left shoulder.—But