judge mistakes for "M. Singe." Buzfuz's
speech too is excellent, especially his denouncing the Defendant's coming
with his chops "_et son ignoble bassinoire_" i.e., warming pan.

THE OPENING SPEECH.

Buzfuz's great speech is one of the happiest parodies in the language.
Never was the forensic jargon and treatment so humorously set forth--and
this because of the perfect _sincerity_ and earnestness with which it was
done. There is none of the far-fetched, impossible exaggeration--the
form of burlesque which Theodore Hook or Albert Smith might have
attempted. It is, in fact, a real speech, which might have been
delivered to a dull-headed audience without much impairing credibility.
Apart from this it is a most effective harangue and most plausible
statement of the Plaintiff's case.

A little professional touch, which is highly significant as part of the
pantomine, and which Boz made very effective at the reading, was the
Serjeant's dramatic preparation for his speech. "Having whispered to
Dodson and conferred briefly with Fogg, _he pulled his gown over his
shoulders_, _settled his wig_, and addressed the Jury." Who has not seen
this bit of business?

Again, Juries may have noted that the Junior as he rises to speak,
mumbles something that is quite inaudible, and which nobody attends to.
This is known as "opening the pleadings."

The ushers again called silence, and Mr. Skimpin proceeded to 'open
the case;' and the case appeared to have very little inside it when
he had opened it, for he kept such particulars as he knew, completely
to himself, and sat down, after a lapse of three minutes, leaving the
jury in precisely the same advanced stage of wisdom as they were in
before.

Serjeant Buzfuz then rose with all the majesty and dignity which the
grave nature of the proceedings demanded, and having whispered to
Dodson, and conferred briefly with Fogg, pulled his gown over his
shoulders, settled his wig, and addressed the jury.

A most delightful legal platitude, as one might call it, is to be found
in the opening of the learned Sergeant's speech. It is a familiar,
transparent thing, often used to impose on the Jury. As Boz says of
another topic, "Counsel often begins in this way because it makes the
jury think what sharp fellows they must be." "You have heard from my
learned friend, gentlemen," continued the Serjeant, well knowing that
from the learned friend allu