diff options
| author | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-03-08 08:59:10 -0800 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | nfenwick <nfenwick@pglaf.org> | 2025-03-08 08:59:10 -0800 |
| commit | bcdd9446d81747a6b4e8e5f4e7ef31271f5c64dc (patch) | |
| tree | 4ca8d47d95a2f60685e2e8a6200da4f731200688 /41961-8.txt | |
| parent | fbfe210162b4cc3f2263a4614aabdf20a07bd8f3 (diff) | |
Diffstat (limited to '41961-8.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 41961-8.txt | 9244 |
1 files changed, 0 insertions, 9244 deletions
diff --git a/41961-8.txt b/41961-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 36ce137..0000000 --- a/41961-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,9244 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's The Old Showmen and the Old London Fairs, by Thomas Frost - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Old Showmen and the Old London Fairs - -Author: Thomas Frost - -Release Date: February 21, 2013 [EBook #41961] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD SHOWMEN, OLD LONDON FAIRS *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive.) - - - - - - - - - -THE OLD SHOWMEN, AND THE OLD LONDON FAIRS. - - - - - THE OLD SHOWMEN, - AND THE - OLD LONDON FAIRS. - - BY - THOMAS FROST, - AUTHOR OF - "CIRCUS LIFE AND CIRCUS CELEBRITIES," ETC. - - - SECOND EDITION. - - - LONDON: - TINSLEY BROTHERS, 8, CATHERINE STREET, STRAND, - 1875. - - [_All Rights Reserved._] - - - - - PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND CO., - LITTLE QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELD - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Popular amusements constitute so important a part of a nation's social -history that no excuse need be offered for the production of the present -volume. The story of the old London fairs has not been told before, and -that of the almost extinct race of the old showmen is so inextricably -interwoven with it that the most convenient way of telling either was to -tell both. An endeavour has been made, therefore, to relate the rise, -progress, and declension of the fairs formerly held in and about the -metropolis as comprehensively and as thoroughly as the imperfect records -of such institutions render possible; and to weave into the narrative all -that is known of the personal history of the entertainers of the people -who, from the earliest times to the period when the London fairs became -things of the past, have set up shows in West Smithfield, on the greens of -Southwark, Stepney, and Camberwell, and in the streets of Greenwich and -Deptford. Those who remember the fairs that were the last abolished, even -in the days of their decline, will, it is thought, peruse with interest -such fragments of the personal history of Gyngell, Scowton, Saunders, -Richardson, Wombwell, and other showmen of the last half century of the -London fairs, to say nothing of the earlier generations of entertainers, -as are brought together in the following pages. - -The materials for a work of this kind are not abundant. The notices of the -fairs to be found in records of the earlier centuries of their history are -slight, and more interesting to the antiquary than to the general reader. -Newspapers of the latter half of the seventeenth century, and the first -half of the eighteenth, afford only advertisements of the amusements, and -of the showmen of the former period we learn only the names. During the -latter half of the last century, the showmen seldom advertised in the -newspapers, and few of their bills have been preserved. No showman has -ever written his memoirs, or kept a journal; and the biographers of actors -who have trodden the portable stages of Scowton and Richardson in the -early years of their professional career have failed to glean many -incidents of their fair experiences. All that can be presented of the -personal history of such men as Gyngell, Scowton, Richardson, and -Wombwell, has been gathered from the few surviving members of the -fraternity of showmen, and from persons who, at different periods, and in -various ways, have been brought into association with them. If, therefore, -no other merit should be found in the following pages, they will at least -have been the means of preserving from oblivion all that is known of an -almost extinct class of entertainers of the people. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE - - CHAPTER I. - - Origin of Fairs--Charter Fairs at Winchester and Chester-- - Croydon Fairs--Fairs in the Metropolis--Origin of Bartholomew - Fair--Disputes between the Priors and the Corporation--The - Westminster Fairs--Southwark Fair--Stepney Fair--Ceremonies - observed in opening Fairs--Walking the Fair at - Wolverhampton--The Key of the Fair at Croydon--Proclamation - of Bartholomew Fair 1 - - - CHAPTER II. - - Amusements of the Fairs in the Middle Ages--Shows and Showmen - of the Sixteenth Century--Banks and his Learned Horse-- - Bartholomew Fair in the time of Charles I.--Punch and Judy-- - Office of the Revels--Origin of Hocus Pocus--Suppression of - Bartholomew Fair--London Shows during the Protectorate--A - Turkish Rope-Dancer--Barbara Vanbeck, the Bearded Woman 18 - - - CHAPTER III. - - Strolling Players in the Seventeenth Century--Southwark - Fair--Bartholomew Fair--Pepys and the Monkeys--Polichinello-- - Jacob Hall, the Rope-Dancer--Another Bearded Woman-- - Richardson, the Fire-Eater--The Cheshire Dwarf--Killigrew and - the Strollers--Fair on the Thames--The Irish Giant--A Dutch - Rope-Dancer--Music Booths--Joseph Clarke, the Posturer-- - William Philips, the Zany--William Stokes, the Vaulter--A - Show in Threadneedle Street 36 - - - CHAPTER IV. - - Attempts to Suppress the Shows at Bartholomew Fair--A - remarkable Dutch Boy--Theatrical Booths at the London Fairs-- - Penkethman, the Comedian--May Fair--Barnes and Finley--Lady - Mary--Doggett, the Comedian--Simpson, the Vaulter--Clench, - the Whistler--A Show at Charing Cross--Another Performing - Horse--Powell and Crawley, the Puppet-Showmen--Miles's - Music-Booth--Settle and Mrs. Mynn--Southwark Fair--Mrs. - Horton, the Actress--Bullock and Leigh--Penkethman and Pack-- - Boheme, the Actor--Suppression of May Fair--Woodward, the - Comedian--A Female Hercules--Tiddy-dol, the Gingerbread - Vendor 66 - - - CHAPTER V. - - Bartholomew Fair Theatricals--Lee, the Theatrical Printer-- - Harper, the Comedian--Rayner and Pullen--Fielding, the - Novelist, a Showman--Cibber's Booth--Hippisley, the Actor-- - Fire in Bartholomew Fair--Fawkes, the Conjuror--Royal Visit - to Fielding's Booth--Yeates, the Showman--Mrs. Pritchard, the - Actress--Southwark Fair--Tottenham Court Fair--Ryan, the - Actor--Hallam's Booth--Griffin, the Actor--Visit of the - Prince of Wales to Bartholomew Fair--Laguerre's Booth-- - Heidegger--More Theatrical Booths--Their Suppression at - Bartholomew Fair--Hogarth at Southwark Fair--Violante, the - Rope-Dancer--Cadman, the Flying Man 102 - - - CHAPTER VI. - - A new Race of Showmen--Yeates, the Conjuror--The Turkish - Rope-Walker--Pan and the Oronutu Savage--The Corsican Fairy-- - Perry's Menagerie--The Riobiscay and the Double Cow--A - Mermaid at the Fairs--Garrick at Bartholomew Fair--Yates's - Theatrical Booth--Dwarfs and Giants--The Female Samson--Riots - at Bartholomew Fair--Ballard's Animal Comedians--Evans, the - Wire-Walker--Southwark Fair--Wax-work Show--Shuter, the - Comedian--Bisset, the Animal Trainer--Powell, the - Fire-Eater--Roger Smith, the Bell-Player--Suppression of - Southwark Fair 147 - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Yates and Shuter--Cat Harris--Mechanical Singing Birds-- - Lecture on Heads--Pidcock's Menagerie--Breslaw, the - Conjuror--Reappearance of the Corsican Fairy--Gaetano, the - Bird Imitator--Rossignol's Performing Birds--Ambroise, the - Showman--Brunn, the Juggler, on the Wire--Riot at Bartholomew - Fair--Dancing Serpents--Flockton, the Puppet-Showman--Royal - Visit to Bartholomew Fair--Lane, the Conjuror--Hall's - Museum--O'Brien, the Irish Giant--Baker's Theatre--Joel - Tarvey and Lewis Owen, the popular Clowns 180 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Lady Holland's Mob--Kelham Whiteland, the Dwarf--Flockton, - the Conjuror and Puppet-Showman--Wonderful Rams--Miss Morgan, - the Dwarf--Flockton's Will--Gyngell, the Conjuror--Jobson, - the Puppet-Showman--Abraham Saunders--Menageries of Miles and - Polito--Miss Biffin--Philip Astley 198 - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Edmund Kean--Mystery of his Parentage--Saunders's Circus-- - Scowton's Theatre--Belzoni--The Nondescript--Richardson's - Theatre--The Carey Family--Kean, a Circus Performer--Oxberry, - the Comedian--James Wallack--Last Appearance of the Irish - Giant--Miss Biffin and the Earl of Morton--Bartholomew Fair - Incidents--Josephine Girardelli, the Female Salamander--James - England, the Flying Pieman--Elliston as a Showman--Simon - Paap, the Dutch Dwarf--Ballard's Menagerie--A Learned Pig-- - Madame Gobert, the Athlete--Cartlich, the Original Mazeppa-- - Barnes, the Pantaloon--Nelson Lee--Cooke's Circus--The - Gyngell Family 213 - - - CHAPTER X. - - Saker and the Lees--Richardson's Theatre--Wombwell, the - Menagerist--The Lion Fights at Warwick--Maughan, the - Showman--Miss Hipson, the Fat Girl--Lydia Walpole, the - Dwarf--The Persian Giant and the Fair Circassian--Ball's - Theatre--Atkins's Menagerie--A Mare with Seven Feet--Hone's - Visit to Richardson's Theatre--Samwell's Theatre--Clarke's - Circus--Brown's Theatre of Arts--Ballard's Menagerie--Toby, - the Learned Pig--William Whitehead, the Fat Boy--Elizabeth - Stock, the Giantess--Chappell and Pike's Theatre--The Spotted - Boy--Wombwell's "Bonassus"--Gouffe, the Man-Monkey--De - Berar's Phantasmagoria--Scowton's Theatre--Death of - Richardson 255 - - - CHAPTER XI. - - Successors of Scowton and Richardson--Nelson Lee--Crowther, - the Actor--Paul Herring--Newman and Allen's Theatre--Fair in - Hyde Park--Hilton's Menagerie--Bartholomew Fair again - threatened--Wombwell's Menagerie--Charles Freer--Fox Cooper - and the Bosjesmans--Destruction of Johnson and Lee's - Theatre--Reed's Theatre--Hales, the Norfolk Giant--Affray at - Greenwich--Death of Wombwell--Lion Queens--Catastrophe in a - Menagerie--World's Fair at Bayswater--Abbott's Theatre-- - Charlie Keith, the Clown--Robson, the Comedian--Manders's - Menagerie--Macomo, the Lion-Tamer--Macarthy and the Lions-- - Fairgrieve's Menagerie--Lorenzo and the Tigress--Sale of a - Menagerie--Extinction of the London Fairs--Decline of Fairs - near the Metropolis--Conclusion 319 - - - - -THE OLD SHOWMEN, AND THE OLD LONDON FAIRS - - - - -CHAPTER I. - - Origin of Fairs--Charter Fairs at Winchester and Chester--Croydon - Fairs--Fairs in the Metropolis--Origin of Bartholomew Fair--Disputes - between the Priors and the Corporation--The Westminster - Fairs--Southwark Fair--Stepney Fair--Ceremonies observed in opening - Fairs--Walking the Fair at Wolverhampton--The Key of the Fair at - Croydon--Proclamation of Bartholomew Fair. - - -There can be no doubt that the practice of holding annual fairs for the -sale of various descriptions of merchandise is of very great antiquity. -The necessity of periodical gatherings at certain places for the -interchange of the various products of industry must have been felt as -soon as our ancestors became sufficiently advanced in civilisation to -desire articles which were not produced in every locality, and for which, -owing to the sparseness of the scattered population, there was not a -demand in any single town that would furnish the producers with an -adequate inducement to limit their business to one place. Most kinds of -agricultural produce might be conveyed to the markets held every week in -all the towns, and there disposed of; but there were some commodities, -such as wool, for example, the entire production of which was confined to -one period of the year, while the demand for many descriptions of -manufactured goods in any one locality was not sufficient to enable a -dealer in them to obtain a livelihood, unless he carried his wares from -one town to another. What, therefore, the great fair of Nishnei-Novgorod -is at the present day, the annual fairs of the English towns were, on a -less extensive scale, during the middle ages. - -One of the most ancient, as well as the most important, of the fairs of -this country was that held on St. Giles's Hill, near Winchester. It was -chartered by William I., who granted the tolls to his cousin, William -Walkelyn, Bishop of Winchester. Its duration was originally limited to one -day, but William II. extended it to three days, Henry I. to eight, Stephen -to fourteen, and Henry II. (according to Milner, or Henry III., as some -authorities say) to sixteen. Portions of the tolls were, subsequently to -the date of the first charter, assigned to the priory of St. Swithin, the -abbey of Hyde, and the hospital of St. Mary Magdalene. On the eve of the -festival of St. Giles, on which day the fair commenced, the mayor and -bailiffs of Winchester surrendered the keys of the four gates of the city, -and with them their privileges, to the officers of the Bishop; and a court -called the Pavilion, composed of the Bishop's justiciaries, was invested -with authority to try all causes during the fair. The jurisdiction of this -court extended seven miles in every direction from St. Giles's Hill, and -collectors were placed at all the avenues to the fair to gather the tolls -upon the merchandise taken there for sale. All wares offered for sale -within this circle, except in the fair, were forfeit to the Bishop; all -the shops in the city were closed, and no business was transacted within -the prescribed limits, otherwise than in the fair. It is probable, -however, that most of the shopkeepers had stalls on the fair ground. - -This fair was attended by merchants from all parts of England, and even -from France and Flanders. Streets were formed for the sale of different -commodities, and distinguished by them, as the drapery, the pottery, the -spicery, the stannary, etc. The neighbouring monasteries had also their -respective stations, which they held under the Bishop, and sometimes -sublet for a term of years. Milner says that the fair began to decline, as -a place of resort for merchants, in the reign of Henry VI., the stannary, -that is, the street appointed for the sale of the products of the Cornish -mines, being unoccupied. From this period its decline seems to have been -rapid, owing probably to the commercial development which followed the -extinction of feudalism; though it continued to be an annual mart of -considerable local importance down to the present century. - -The description of this fair will serve, in a great measure, for all the -fairs of the middle ages. Some of them were famous marts for certain -descriptions of produce, as, for examples, Abingdon and Hemel Hempstead -for wool, Newbury and Royston for cheese, Guildford and Maidstone for -hops, Croydon and Kingston summer fairs for cherries; others for -manufactured goods of particular kinds, as St. Bartholomew's, in the -metropolis, for cloth (hence the local name of Cloth Fair), and -Buntingford for hardwares. More usually, the fair was an annual market, to -which the farmers of the district took their cattle, and the merchants of -the great towns their woollen and linen goods, their hardwares and -earthenwares, and the silks, laces, furs, spices, etc., which they -imported from the Continent. These, as at Winchester, were arranged in -streets of booths, fringed with the stalls of the pedlars and the -purveyors of refreshments, for the humbler frequenters of the fair. The -farmers, the merchants, and the customers of both, resorted to the more -commodious and better-provided tents, in which, as Lydgate wrote of -Eastcheap in the fifteenth century, - - "One cried ribs of beef, and many a pie; - Pewter pots they clattered on a heap; - There was harp, pipe, and minstrelsy." - -Of equal antiquity with the great fair at Winchester were the Chester -fairs, held on the festivals of St. John and St. Werburgh, the tolls of -which were granted to the abbey of St. Werburgh by Hugh Lupus, second Earl -of Chester and nephew of William I. There was a curious provision in this -grant, that thieves and other offenders should enjoy immunity from arrest -within the city during the three days that the fair lasted. Frequent -disputes arose out of this grant between the abbots of St. Werburgh and -the mayor and corporation of the city. In the reign of Edward IV., the -abbot claimed to have the fair of St. John held before the gates of the -abbey, and that no goods should be exposed for sale elsewhere during the -fair; while the mayor and corporation contended for the right of the -citizens to sell their goods as usual, anywhere within the city. The -citizens carried the point in their favour, and the abbot was induced to -agree that the houses belonging to the abbey in the neighbourhood of the -fair should not be let for the display of goods until those of the -citizens were occupied for that purpose. Disputes between the abbey and -the city concerning the fair of St. Werburgh continued until 1513, when, -by an award of Sir Charles Booth, the abbey was deprived of its interest -in that fair. - -Croydon Fair dated from 1276, when the interest of Archbishop Kilwardby -obtained for the town the right of holding a fair during nine days, -beginning on the vigil of St. Botolph, that is, on the 16th of May. In -1314, Archbishop Reynolds obtained for the town a similar grant for a fair -on the vigil and morrow of St. Matthew's day; and in 1343, Archbishop -Stratford obtained a grant of a fair on the feast of St. John the Baptist. -The earliest of these fairs was the first to sink into insignificance; but -the others survived to a very recent period in the sheep and cattle fair, -held in latter times on the 2nd of October and the two following days, and -the cherry fair, held on the 5th of July and the two following days. -Whatever may have been the relative importance of these fairs in former -times, the former, though held at the least genial season, was, for at -least a century before it was discontinued, the most considerable fair in -the neighbourhood of the metropolis; while the July fair lost the -advantage of being held in the summer, through the contracted limits -within which its component parts were pitched. These were the streets -between High Street and Surrey Street, and included the latter, formerly -called Butcher Row; and the only space large enough for anything of -dimensions exceeding those of a stall for the sale of toys or gingerbread, -was that at the back of the Corn Market, on which the cattle-market was -formerly held. - -The first fair established in the metropolis was that which, originally -held within the precincts of the priory of St. Bartholomew, soon grew -beyond its original limits, and at length came to be held on the spacious -area of West Smithfield. The origin of the fair is not related by -Maitland, Entick, Northouck, and other historians of the metropolis, who -seem to have thought a fair too light a matter for their grave -consideration; and more recent writers, who have made it the subject of -special research, do not agree in their accounts of it. According to the -report made by the city solicitor to the Markets Committee in 1840, "at -the earliest periods in which history makes mention of this subject, there -were two fairs, or markets, held on the spot where Bartholomew Fair is now -held, or in its immediate vicinity. These two fairs were originally held -for two entire days only, the fairs being proclaimed on the eve of St. -Bartholomew, and continued during the day of St. Bartholomew and the next -morrow; both these fairs, or markets, were instituted for the purposes of -trade; one of them was granted to the prior of the Convent of St. -Bartholomew, 'and was kept for the clothiers of England, and drapers of -London, who had their booths and standings within the churchyard of the -priory, closed in with walls and gates, and locked every night, and -watched, for the safety of their goods and wares.' The other was granted -to the City of London, and consisted of the standing of cattle, and stands -and booths for goods, with pickage and stallage, and tolls and profits -appertaining to fairs and markets in the field of West Smithfield." - -Nearly twenty years after this report was made, and when the fair had -ceased to exist, Mr. Henry Morley, searching among the Guildhall archives -for information on the subject, found that the fair originated at an -earlier date than had hitherto been supposed; and that the original -charter was granted by Henry I. in 1133 to Prior Rayer, by whom the -monastery of St. Bartholomew was founded. Rayer whose name was Latinised -into Raherus, and has been Anglicised by modern writers into Rahere, was -originally the King's jester, and a great favourite of his royal master, -who, on his becoming an Augustine monk, and, founding the priory of St. -Bartholomew, rewarded him with the grant of the rents and tolls arising -out of the fair for the benefit of the brotherhood. The prior was so -zealous for the good of the monastery that, perhaps also because he -retained a hankering after the business of his former profession, he is -said to have annually gone into the fair, and exhibited his skill as a -juggler, giving the largesses which he received from the spectators to the -treasury of the convent. - -It was admitted by the report of 1840 that documents in the office of the -City solicitor afforded evidence of conflicting opinions on the subject in -former times; and it seems probable that the belief in the two charters -attributed to Henry II. and the dual character of the fair had its origin -in the disputes which arose from time to time, during the thirteenth, -fourteenth, and fifteenth centuries, between the civic and monastic -authorities as to the right to the tolls payable on goods carried into -that portion of the fair which was held in Smithfield, beyond the -precincts of the priory. The latter claimed these, on the ground of the -grant of the fair; the City claimed them, on the ground that the land -belonged to the corporation. The dispute was a natural one, whether Henry -II. had granted the Smithfield tolls to the City or not; and there is -evidence on record that it arose again and again, until the dissolution of -monasteries at the Reformation finally settled it by disposing of one of -the parties. - -In 1295 a dispute arose between the prior of St. Bartholomew's and Ralph -Sandwich, custos of the City, the former maintaining that, as the -privileges of the City had become forfeited to the Crown, the tolls of the -fair should be paid into the Exchequer. Edward I., who was then at Durham, -ordered that the matter should be referred to his treasurer and the barons -of the Exchequer; but, while the matter was pending, the disputants grew -so warm that the City authorities arrested some of the monks, and confined -them in the Tun prison, in Cornhill. They were released by command of the -King, but thereupon nine citizens forced the Tun, and released all the -other prisoners, by way of resenting the royal interference. The rioters -were imprisoned in their turn and a fine of twenty thousand marks was -imposed upon the City; but the civic authorities proposed a compromise, -and, for a further payment of three thousand marks, Edward consented to -pardon the offenders, and to restore and confirm the privileges of the -City. - -The right of the City to the rents and tolls of the portion of the fair -held beyond the precincts of the priory was finally decided in 1445, when -the Court of Aldermen appointed four persons as keepers of the fair, and -of the Court of Pie-powder, a tribunal instituted for the summary -settlement of all disputes arising in the fair, and deriving its name, it -is supposed, from _pieds poudres_, because the litigants had their causes -tried with the dust of the fair on their feet. - -At the dissolution of monasteries, in the reign of Henry VIII., the tolls -which had been payable to the priory of St. Bartholomew were sold to Sir -John Rich, then Attorney-General; and the right to hold the fair was held -by his descendants until 1830, when it was purchased of Lord Kensington by -the Corporation of London, and held thereafter by the City chamberlain and -the town clerk in trust, thus vesting the rights and interests in both -fairs in the same body. - -Westminster Fair, locally termed Magdalen's, was established in 1257, by -a charter granted by Henry III. to the abbot and canons of St. Peter's, -and was held on Tothill Fields, the site of which is now covered by the -Westminster House of Correction and some neighbouring streets. - -The three days to which it was originally limited, were extended by Edward -III. to thirty-one; but the fair was never so well attended as St. -Bartholomew's, and fell into disuse soon afterwards. - -There was another fair held in the adjoining parish of St. James, the -following amusing notice of which in Machyn's diary is the earliest I have -been able to find:-- - -"The xxv. day of June [1560], Saint James fayer by Westminster was so -great that a man could not have a pygg for money; and the bear wiffes had -nother meate nor drink before iiij of cloke in the same day. And the chese -went very well away for 1_d._ _q._ the pounde. Besides the great and -mighti armie of beggares and bandes that were there." Beyond the fact that -it was postponed in 1603 on account of the plague, nothing more is -recorded concerning this fair until 1664, in which year it was suppressed, -"as considered to tend rather to the advantage of looseness and -irregularity than to the substantial promoting of any good, common and -beneficial to the people." - -Southwark Fair, locally known as Lady Fair, was established in 1462 by a -charter granted by Edward IV. to the City of London, in the following -terms:-- - -"We have also granted to the said Mayor, Commonalty, and Citizens, and -their successors for ever, that they shall and may have yearly one fair in -the town aforesaid, for three days, that is to say, the 7th, 8th, 9th days -of September, to be holden, together with a Court of Pie-Powders, and with -all the liberties to such fairs appertaining: And that they may have and -hold there at their said Courts, before their said Minister or deputy, -during the said three days, from day to day, hour to hour, and from time -to time, all occasions, plaints, and pleas of a Court of Pie-Powders, -together with all summons, attachments, arrests, issues, fines, -redemptions, and commodities, and other rights whatsoever, to the said -Court of Pie-Powders in any way pertaining, without any impediment, let, -or hindrance of Us, our heirs or successors, or other our officers and -ministers soever." - -This charter has sometimes been referred to as granting to the Corporation -the right to hold a fair in West Smithfield, in addition to the fair the -tolls of which were received by the priory of St. Bartholomew; but that -"the town aforesaid" was Southwark is shown by a previous clause, in -which it is stated that "to take away from henceforth and utterly to -abolish all and all manner of causes, occasions, and matters whereupon -opinions, ambiguities, varieties, controversies, and discussions may -arise," the King "granted to the said Mayor and Commonalty of the said -City who now be, and their successors, the Mayor and Commonalty and -Citizens of that City for the time being and for ever, the town of -Southwark, with its appurtenances." - -The origin of Camberwell Fair is lost in the mist of ages. In the evidence -adduced before a petty sessions held at Union Hall in 1823, on the subject -of its suppression, it was said that the custom of holding it was -mentioned in the 'Domesday Book,' but the statement seems to have been -made upon insufficient grounds. It commenced on the 9th of August, and -continued three weeks, ending on St. Giles's day; but, in modern times, -was limited, like most other fairs, to three days. It seems to have been -originally held in the parish churchyard, but this practice was terminated -by a clause in the Statute of Winchester, passed in the thirteenth year of -the reign of Edward I. It was then removed to the green, where it was held -until its suppression. Peckham Fair seems to have been irregular, and -merely supplementary to Camberwell Fair. - -Stepney Fair was of less ancient date. In 1664 Charles II., at the -instance of the Earl of Cleveland, then lord of the manor of Stepney, -granted a patent for a weekly market at Ratcliff Cross, and an annual fair -on Michaelmas day at Mile End Green, or any other places within the manor -of Stepney. The keeping of the market and fair, with all the revenues -arising from tolls, etc., was given by the same grant, at the Earl of -Cleveland's request, to Sir William Smith and his heirs for ever. The -right continued to vest in the baronet's descendants for several years, -but long before the suppression of the fair it passed to the lord of the -manor, which, in 1720, was sold by the representatives of Lady Wentworth -to John Wicker, Esquire, of Horsham, in Sussex, whose son alienated it in -1754. It is now possessed by the Colebrooke family. - -The ceremonies observed in opening fairs evince the importance which -attached to them. On the eve of the "great fair" of Wolverhampton, held on -the 9th of July, there was a procession of men in armour, preceded by -musicians playing what was known as the "fair tune," and followed by the -steward of the deanery manor and the peace-officers of the town. The -custom is said to have originated with the fair, when Wolverhampton was as -famous as a mart of the wool trade as it now is for its ironmongery, and -merchants resorted to the fair, which formerly lasted fourteen days, from -all parts of England. The necessity of an armed force for the maintenance -of order during the fair in those days is not improbable. This custom of -"walking the fair," as it was called, was discontinued in 1789, and has -not since been revived. - -The October fair at Croydon was opened as soon as midnight had sounded by -the town clock, or, in earlier times, by that of the parish church; the -ceremony consisting in the carrying of a key, called "the key of the -fair," through its principal avenues. The booth-keepers were then at -liberty to serve refreshments to such customers as might present -themselves, generally the idlers who followed the bearer of the key; and -long before daylight the field resounded with the bleating of sheep, the -lowing of cattle, the barking of dogs, and the shouting of shepherds and -drovers. - -The metropolitan fair of St. Bartholomew was opened by a proclamation, -which used to be read at the gate leading into Cloth Fair by the Lord -Mayor's attorney, and repeated after him by a sheriff's officer, in the -presence of the Lord Mayor, aldermen, and sheriffs. The procession then -perambulated Smithfield, and returned to the Mansion House, where, in the -afternoon, those of his lordship's household dined together at the -swordbearer's table, and so concluded the ceremony. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - - Amusements of the Fairs in the Middle Ages--Shows and Showmen of the - Sixteenth Century--Banks and his Learned Horse--Bartholomew Fair in - the time of Charles I.--Punch and Judy--Office of the Revels--Origin - of Hocus Pocus--Suppression of Bartholomew Fair--London Shows during - the Protectorate--A Turkish Rope-Dancer--Barbara Vanbeck, the Bearded - Woman. - - -Numerous illuminations of manuscripts in the Harleian collection, many of -which were reproduced in Strutt's work on the sports and pastimes of the -English people, having established the fact that itinerant professors of -the art of amusing were in the habit of tramping from town to town, and -village to village, for at least two centuries before the Norman Conquest -of this country, there can be no doubt that the fairs were so many foci of -attraction for them at the times when they were respectively held. As we -are told that the minstrels and glee-men flocked to the towns and villages -which grew up under the protection of the baronial castles when the -marriage of the lord, or the coming of age of the heir, furnished an -occasion of popular revelry, and also when the many red-letter days of the -mediæval calendar came round, we may be sure that they were not absent -from Bartlemy fair even in its earliest years. - -Glee-men was a term which included dancers, posturers, jugglers, tumblers, -and exhibitors of trained performing monkeys and quadrupeds; and, the -masculine including the feminine in this case, many of these performers -were women and girls. The illuminations which have been referred to, and -which constitute our chief authority as to the amusements of the fairs -during the middle ages, introduce us to female posturers and tumblers, in -the act of performing the various feats which have been the stock in trade -of the acrobatic profession down to the present day. The jugglers -exhibited the same feats with balls and knives as their representatives of -the nineteenth century; what is professionally designated "the shower," in -which the balls succeed each other rapidly, while describing a semi-circle -from right to left, is shown in one of the Harleian illuminations. - -Balancing feats were also exhibited, and in one of these curious -illustrations of the sights which delighted our fair-going ancestors, the -balancing of a cart-wheel is represented--a trick which might have been -witnessed not many years ago in the streets of London, the performer being -an elderly negro, said to have been the father of the well-known -rope-dancer, George Christoff, who represented the Pompeian performer on -the _corde elastique_, when Mr. Oxenford's version of _The Last Days of -Pompeii_ was produced at the Queen's Theatre. - -Performing monkeys, bears, and horses appear in many of the mediæval -illuminations, and were probably as popular agents of public amusement in -the earliest years of Bartlemy fair as they can be shown, from other -authorities, to have been in the sixteenth century. That monkeys were -imported rather numerously for the amusement of the public, may be -inferred from the fact of some Chancellor of the Exchequer of the middle -ages having subjected them to an import duty. Their agility was displayed -chiefly in vaulting over a chain or cord. Bears were taught to feign -death, and to walk erect after their leader, who played some musical -instrument. Horses were also taught to walk on their hind legs, and one -drawing in the Harleian collection shows a horse in this attitude, engaged -in a mimic fight with a man armed with sword and buckler. - -All these performances seem to have been continued, by successive -generations of performers, down to the time of Elizabeth. Reginald Scot, -writing in 1584, gives a lengthy enumeration of the tricks of the jugglers -who frequented the fairs of the latter part of the sixteenth century. -Among them are most of the common tricks of the present day, and not the -least remarkable is the decapitation feat, which many of my readers have -probably seen performed by the famous wizards of modern times at the -Egyptian Hall. Three hundred years ago, it was called the decollation of -St. John the Baptist, and was performed upon a table, upon which stood a -dish to receive the head. The table, the dish, and the knife used in the -apparent decapitation were all contrived for the purpose, the table having -two holes in it, one to enable the assistant who submitted to the -operation to conceal his head, the other, corresponding to a hole in the -dish, to receive the head of another confederate, who was concealed -beneath the table, in a sitting position; while the knife had a -semi-circular opening in the blade to fit the neck. Another knife, of the -ordinary kind, was shown to the spectators, who were prevented by a -sleight of hand trick from observing the substitution for it of the knife -used in the trick. The engraving in Malcolm's work shows the man to be -operated upon lying upon the table, apparently headless, while the head of -the other assistant appears in the dish. - -That _lusus naturæ_, and other natural curiosities, had begun to be -exhibited by showmen in the reign of Elizabeth, may be inferred from the -allusions to such exhibitions in _The Tempest_, when Caliban is -discovered, and the mariners speculate upon his place in the scale of -animal being. It seems also that the practice of displaying in front of -the shows large pictures of the wonderful feats, or curious natural -objects, to be seen within, prevailed in the sixteenth century, and -probably long before; for it is distinctly alluded to in a passage in -Jonson's play of _The Alchymist_, in which the master of the servant who -has filled the house with searchers for the philosopher's stone, says, - - "What should my knave advance - To draw this company? He hung out no banners - Of a strange calf with five legs to be seen, - Or a huge lobster with six claws." - -Some further glimpses of the Bartlemy fair shows of the Elizabethan period -are afforded in the induction or prologue to another play of Jonson's, -namely, the comedy of _Bartholomew Fair_, acted in 1614. "He," says the -dramatist, speaking of himself, "has ne'er a sword and buckler-man in his -fair; nor a juggler with a well-educated ape to come over the chain for -the King of England, and back again for the Prince, and sit still on his -haunches for the Pope and the King of Spain." The sword and buckler-man -probably means a performer who took part in such a mimic combat of man and -horse, as is represented in the illumination which has been referred to. -The monkey whose Protestant proclivities are noted in the latter part of -the passage is mentioned in a poem of Davenant's, presently to be quoted. - -We cannot suppose absent from the metropolitan fairs the celebrated -performing horse, Morocco, and his instructor, of whom Sir Walter Raleigh -says, "If Banks had lived in older times, he would have shamed all the -enchanters in the world; for whosoever was most famous among them could -never master or instruct any beast as he did." That Shakspeare witnessed -the performances of Morocco, which combined arithmetical calculations with -saltatory exercises, is shown by the allusion in _Love's Labour Lost_, -when Moth puzzles Armado with arithmetical questions, and says, "The -dancing horse will tell you." Sir Kenelm Digby states that the animal -"would restore a glove to the due owner after the master had whispered the -man's name in his ear; and would tell the just number of pence in any -piece of silver coin newly showed him by his master." - -Banks quitted England for the Continent with his horse in 1608, and De -Melleray, who witnessed the performance of the animal in the Rue St. -Jacques, in Paris, says that Morocco could not only tell the number of -francs in a crown, but knew that the crown was depreciated at that time, -and knew the exact amount of the depreciation. From Paris, Banks travelled -with his learned horse to Orleans, where the fame which they had acquired -brought him under the imputation of being a sorcerer, and he had a narrow -escape of being burned at a stake in that character. Bishop Morton says -that he cleared himself by commanding his horse to "seek out one in the -press of the people who had a crucifix on his hat; which done, he bade him -kneel down unto it, and not this only, but also to rise up again, and to -kiss it. 'And now, gentlemen,' (quoth he), 'I think my horse hath -acquitted both me and himself;' and so his adversaries rested satisfied; -conceiving (as it might seem) that the devil had no power to come near the -cross." - -We next hear of Banks and his horse at Frankfort-on-the-Maine, where -Bishop Morton saw them, and heard from the former the story of his narrow -escape at Orleans. Their further wanderings cannot be traced; and, though -it has been inferred, from a passage in a burlesque poem by Jonson, that -Banks was burned as a sorcerer, the grounds which the poet had for -assigning such a dreadful end for the famous horse-charmer are unknown, -and may have been no more than an imperfect recollection of what he had -heard of the Orleans story. - -A hare which played the tabor is alluded to by Jonson in the comedy before -mentioned; and this performance also was not unknown to earlier times, one -of the illuminations copied by Strutt showing it to have been exhibited in -the fifteenth century. When Jonson wrote his comedy, the amusing classes, -encouraged by popular favour, were raising their heads again, after the -sore discouragement of the Vagrancy Act of Elizabeth's reign, which -scheduled jugglers and minstrels with strolling thieves, gipsy -fortune-tellers, and itinerant beggars. Elizabeth's tastes seem to have -inclined more to bull-baiting and bear-baiting than to dancing and -minstrelsy, juggling and tumbling; and, besides this, there was a broad -line drawn in those days, and even down to the reign of George III., as -will be hereafter noticed, between the upper ten thousand and the masses, -as to the amusements which might or ought to be permitted to the former -and denied to the latter. - -In the succeeding reign the operation of the Vagrancy Act was powerfully -aided by the rise of the Puritans, who regarded all amusements as worldly -vanities and snares of the Evil One, and indulgence in them as a -coquetting with sin. As yet they lacked the power to suppress the fairs -and close the theatres, though their will was good to whip and imprison -all such inciters to sin and agents of Satan as they conceived minstrels, -actors, and showmen to be; and Bartholomew Fair showed no diminution of -popular patronage even in the reign of Charles I. - -"Hither," says the author of a scarce pamphlet, printed in 1641, "resort -people of all sorts and conditions. Christchurch cloisters are now hung -full of pictures. It is remarkable, and worth your observation, to behold -and hear the strange sights and confused sounds in the fair. Here, a knave -in a fool's coat, with a trumpet sounding, or on a drum beating, invites -you to see his puppets. There, a rogue like a wild woodman, or in an antic -shape like an incubus, desires your company to view his motion; on the -other side, hocus pocus, with three yards of tape or ribbon in his hand, -showing his art of legerdemain, to the admiration and astonishment of a -company of cockoloaches. Amongst these, you shall see a gray goosecap (as -wise as the rest), with a 'What do ye lack?' in his mouth, stand in his -booth shaking a rattle, or scraping on a fiddle, with which children are -so taken, that they presently cry out for these fopperies: and all these -together make such a distracted noise, that you would think Babel were not -comparable to it. - -"Here there are also your gamesters in action: some turning of a whimsey, -others throwing for pewter, who can quickly dissolve a round shilling into -a three-halfpenny saucer. Long Lane at this time looks very fair, and puts -out her best clothes, with the wrong side outward, so turned for their -better turning off; and Cloth Fair is now in great request: well fare the -ale-houses therein, yet better may a man fare (but at a dearer rate) in -the pig-market, alias pasty-nook, or pie-corner, where pigs are all hours -of the day on the stalls, piping hot, and would cry, (if they could -speak,) 'Come, eat me!'" - -The puppets and "motions" alluded to in the foregoing description were -beginning to be a very favourite spectacle, and none of the puppet plays -of the period were more popular than the serio-comic drama of _Punch and -Judy_, attributed to Silvio Florillo, an Italian comic dramatist of the -time. According to the original version of the story, which has undergone -various changes, some of which have been made within the memory of the -existing generation, Punch, in a paroxysm of jealousy, destroys his infant -child, upon which Judy, in revenge, belabours him with a cudgel. The -exasperated hunchback seizes another stick, beats his wife to death, and -throws from the window the two corpses, which attracts the notice of a -constable, who enters the house to arrest the murderer. Punch flies, but -is arrested by an officer of the Inquisition, and lodged in prison; but -contrives to escape by bribing the gaoler. His subsequent encounters with -a dog, a doctor, a skeleton, and a demon are said to be an allegory, -intended to convey the triumph of humanity over ennui, disease, death, and -the devil; but, as there is nothing allegorical in the former portion of -the story, this seems doubtful. - -The allegory was soon lost sight of, if it was ever intended, and the -latter part of the story has long been that which excites the most -risibility. As usually represented in this country during the last fifty -years, and probably for a much longer period, Punch does not bribe the -gaoler, but evades execution for his crimes by strangling the hangman -with his own noose. Who has not observed the delight, venting itself in -screams of laughter, with which young and old witness the comical little -wretch's fight with the constable, the wicked leer with which he induces -the hangman to put his neck in the noose by way of instruction, and the -impish chuckling in which he indulges while strangling his last victim? -The crowd laughs at all this in the same spirit as the audience at a -theatre applauds furiously while a policeman is bonneted and otherwise -maltreated in a pantomime or burlesque. The tightness of the matrimonial -noose, it is to be feared, materially influences the feeling with which -the murder of a faithless wife is regarded by those whose poverty shuts -out the prospect of divorce. And Punch is such a droll, diverting -vagabond, that even those who have witnessed his crimes are irresistibly -seduced into laughter by his grotesque antics and his cynical bursts of -merriment, which render him such a strange combination of the demon and -the buffoon. - -The earliest notices of the representation in London of 'Punch's Moral -Drama,' as an old comic song calls it, occur in the overseer's books of -St. Martin's in the Fields for 1666 and 1667, in which are four entries of -sums, ranging from twenty-two shillings and sixpence to fifty-two -shillings and sixpence, as "Rec. of Punchinello, ye Italian popet player, -for his booth at Charing Cross." - -_Hocus pocus_, used in the Bartholomew Fair pamphlet as a generic term for -conjurors, is derived from the assumed name of one of the craft, of whom -Ady, in 'A Candle in the Dark,' wrote as follows:-- - -"I will speak of one man more excelling in that craft than others, that -went about in King James's time, and long since, who called himself the -King's Majestie's most excellent Hocus Pocus; and so was he called because -at playing every trick he used to say, _Hocus pocus tontus talontus, vade -celeriter jubeo_--a dark composition of words to blind the eyes of the -beholders." - -All these professors of the various arts of popular entertainment had, at -this period, to pay an annual licence duty to the Master of the Revels, -whose office was created by Henry VIII. in 1546. Its jurisdiction extended -over all wandering minstrels and every one who blew a trumpet publicly, -except "the King's players." The seal of the office, used under five -sovereigns, was engraved on wood, and was formerly in the possession of -the late Francis Douce, by whose permission it was engraved for Chalmers's -'Apology for the Believers in the Shakspeare MSS.,' and subsequently for -Smith's 'Ancient Topography of London.' The legend round it was, "SIGILL -: OFFIC : JOCOR : MASCAR : ET REVELL : DNIS REG." The Long Parliament -abolished the office, which, indeed, would have been a sinecure under the -Puritan rule, for in 1647 the entertainers of the people were forbidden to -exercise their vocation, the theatres were closed, the May-poles removed, -and the fairs shorn of all their wonted amusements, and reduced to the -status of annual markets. - -There is, in the library of the British Museum, a doggrel ballad, printed -as a broad-sheet, called _The Dagonizing of Bartholomew Fair_, which -describes, with coarse humour, the grossness of which may be attributed in -part to the mingled resentment and contempt which underlies it, the -measures taken by the civic authorities for the removal from the fair of -the showmen who had pitched there, in spite of the determination of the -Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen, to suppress with the utmost rigour -everything which could move to laughter or minister to wonder. Among these -are mentioned a fire-eating conjuror, a "Jack Pudding," and "wonders made -of wax," being the earliest notice of a wax-work exhibition which I have -been able to discover. - -Whether the itinerant traders who were wont to set up their stalls in the -fairs of Smithfield, and Westminster, and Southwark, found it worth their -while to do so during the thirteen years of the banishment of shows, there -is nothing to show; but we are not without evidence that the showmen were -able to follow their vocation without the fairs. Evelyn, who was a lover -of strange sights, records in his diary that, in 1654,--"I saw a tame lion -play familiarly with a lamb; he was a huge beast, and I thrust my hand -into his mouth, and found his tongue rough, like a cat's; also a sheep -with six legs, which made use of five of them to walk; and a goose that -had four legs, two crops, and as many vents." - -Three years later, two other entries are made, concerning shows which he -witnessed. First we have, "June 18th. At Greenwich I saw a sort of cat, -brought from the East Indies, shaped and snouted much like the Egyptian -racoon, in the body like a monkey, and so footed; the ears and tail like a -cat, only the tail much longer, and the skin variously ringed with black -and white; with the tail it wound up its body like a serpent, and so got -up into trees, and with it wrap its whole body round. Its hair was woolly -like a lamb; it was exceedingly nimble, gentle, and purred as does the -cat." This animal was probably a monkey of the species called by Cuvier, -the toque; it is a native of the western regions of India, and one of the -most amusing, as well as the most common, of the simial tenants of modern -menageries. - -"August 15th. Going to London with some company, we stept in to see a -famous rope-dancer, called _The Turk_. I saw even to astonishment the -agility with which he performed; he walked barefooted, taking hold by his -toes only of a rope almost perpendicular, and without so much as touching -it with his hands; he danced blindfold on the high rope, and with a boy of -twelve years old tied to one of his feet about twenty feet beneath him, -dangling as he danced, yet he moved as nimbly as if it had been but a -feather. Lastly he stood on his head, on the top of a very high mast, -danced on a small rope that was very slack, and finally flew down the -perpendicular on his breast, his head foremost, his legs and arms -extended, with divers other activities. - -"I saw the hairy woman, twenty years old, whom I had before seen when a -child. She was born at Augsburg, in Germany. Her very eyebrows were combed -upwards, and all her forehead as thick and even as grows on any woman's -head, neatly dressed; a very long lock of hair out of each ear; she had -also a most prolix beard, and moustachios, with long locks growing on the -middle of her nose, like an Iceland dog exactly, the colour of a bright -brown, fine as well-dressed flax. She was now married, and told me she had -one child that was not hairy, nor were any of her parents or relations. -She was very well shaped, and played well on the harpsichord." - -This extraordinary creature must have been more than twenty years of age -when Evelyn saw her, for the engraved portrait described by Granger bears -the following inscription:--"Barbara Vanbeck, wife to Michael Vanbeck, -born at Augsburg, in High Germany; daughter of Balthasar and Anne Ursler. -Aged 29. A.D. 1651. R. Gaywood f. London." - -Another engraved portrait, in the collection of the Earl of Bute, -represents her playing the harpsichord, and has a Dutch inscription, with -the words--"Isaac Brunn delin. et sc. 1653." One of Gaywood's prints, -which, in Granger's time, was in the possession of Fredericks, the -bookseller, at Bath, had the following memorandum written under the -inscription:--"This woman I saw in Ratcliffe Highway in 1668, and was -satisfied she was a woman. JOHN BULFINCH." Granger describes her from the -portraits, as follows:--"The face and hands of this woman are represented -hairy all over. Her aspect resembles that of a monkey. She has a very long -and large spreading beard, the hair of which hangs loose and flowing like -the hair of the head. She is playing on the organ. Vanbeck married this -frightful creature on purpose to carry her about for a show." - - - - -CHAPTER III. - - Strolling Players in the Seventeenth Century--Southwark - Fair--Bartholomew Fair--Pepys and the Monkeys--Polichinello--Jacob - Hall, the Rope-Dancer--Another Bearded Woman--Richardson, the - Fire-Eater--The Cheshire Dwarf--Killigrew and the Strollers--Fair on - the Thames--The Irish Giant--A Dutch Rope-Dancer--Music Booths--Joseph - Clark, the Posturer--William Philips, the Zany--William Stokes, the - Vaulter--A Show in Threadneedle Street. - - -The period of the Protectorate was one of suffering and depression for the -entertaining classes, who were driven into obscure taverns and back -streets by the severity with which the anti-recreation edicts of the Long -Parliament were enforced, and even then were in constant danger of -Bridewell and the whipping-post. Performances took place occasionally at -the Red Bull theatre, in St. John Street, West Smithfield, when the -actors were able to bribe the subordinate officials at Whitehall to -connive at the infraction of the law; but sometimes the fact became known -to some higher authority who had not been bribed, or whose connivance -could not be procured, and then the performance was interrupted by a party -of soldiers, and the actors marched off to Bridewell, where they might -esteem themselves fortunate if they escaped a whipping as well as a -month's imprisonment as idle vagabonds. - -Unable to exercise their vocation in London, the actors travelled into the -country, and gave dramatic performances in barns and at fairs, in places -where the rigour of the law was diminished, or the edicts rendered of no -avail, by the magistrates' want of sympathy with the pleasure-abolishing -mania, and the readiness of the majority of the inhabitants to assist at -violations of the Acts. In one of his wanderings about the country, Cox, -the comedian, shod a horse with so much dexterity, in the drama that was -being represented, that the village blacksmith offered him employment in -his forge at a rate of remuneration exceeding by a shilling a week the -ordinary wages of the craft. The story is a good illustration of the -realistic tendencies of the theatre two hundred years ago, especially as -the practice which then prevailed of apprenticeship to the stage renders -it improbable that Cox had ever learned the art of shoeing a horse with a -view to practising it as a craftsman. - -The provincial perambulations of actors did not, however, owe their -beginning to the edicts of the Long Parliament, there being evidence that -companies of strolling players existed contemporaneously with the theatres -in which Burbage played Richard III. and Shakespeare the Ghost in -_Hamlet_. In a prologue which was written for some London apprentices when -they played _The Hog hath lost his Pearl_ in 1614, their want of skill in -acting and elocution is honestly admitted in the following lines-- - - "We are not half so skilled as strolling players, - Who could not please here as at country fairs." - -In the household book of the Clifford family, quoted by Dr. Whitaker in -his 'History of Craven,' there is an entry in 1633 of the payment of one -pound to "certain itinerant players," who seem to have given a private -representation, for which they were thus munificently remunerated; and two -years later, an entry occurs of the payment of the same amount to "a -certain company of roguish players who represented _A New Way to pay Old -Debts_," the adjective being used, probably to distinguish this company, -as being unlicensed or unrecognized, from the strolling players who had -permission to call themselves by the name of some nobleman, and to wear -his livery. The Earl of Leicester maintained such a company, and several -other nobles of that period did the same, the actors being known as my -Lord Leicester's company, or as the case might be, and being allowed to -perform elsewhere when their services were not required by their patron. - -The depressed condition of actors at this period is amusingly illustrated -by the story of Griffin and Goodman occupying the same chamber, and having -but one decent shirt between them, which they wore in turn,--a destitution -of linen surpassed only by that which is said to have characterised the -ragged regiment of Sir John Falstaff, who had only half a shirt among them -all. The single shirt of the two actors was the occasion of a quarrel and -a separation between them, one of the twain having worn it out of his -turn, under the temptation of an assignation with a lady. What became of -the shirt upon the separation of their respective interests in it, we are -not told. - -The restoration of monarchy and the Stuarts was followed immediately by -the re-opening of the theatres and the resumption of the old popular -amusements at fairs. Actors held up their heads again; the showmen hung -out their pictured cloths in Smithfield and on the Bowling Green in -Southwark; the fiddlers and the ballad-singers re-appeared in the streets -and in houses of public entertainment. Charles II. entered London, amidst -the jubilations of the multitude, on the 29th of May, 1660; and on the -13th of September following, Evelyn wrote in his diary as follows:-- - -"I saw in Southwark, at St. Margaret's Fair, monkeys and apes dance, and -do other feats of activity, on the high rope; they were gallantly clad _à -la monde_, went upright, saluted the company, bowing and pulling off their -hats; they saluted one another with as good a grace as if instructed by a -dancing master; they turned heels over head with a basket having eggs in -it, without breaking any; also, with lighted candles in their hands, and -on their heads, without extinguishing them, and with vessels of water -without spilling a drop. I also saw an Italian wench dance and perform all -the tricks on the high rope to admiration; all the Court went to see her. -Likewise, here was a man who took up a piece of iron cannon of about 400 -lb. weight with the hair of his head only." - -Evelyn and Pepys have left no record of the presence of shows at -Bartholomew Fair in the first year of the Restoration, nor does the -collection of Bartholomew Fair _notabilia_ in the library of the British -Museum furnish any indication of them; but Pepys tells us that on the 31st -of August, in the following year, he went "to Bartholomew Fair, and there -met with my Ladies Jemima and Paulina, with Mr. Pickering and -Mademoiselle, at seeing the monkeys dance, which was much to see, when -they could be brought to do it, but it troubled me to sit among such nasty -company." Few years seem to have passed without a visit to Bartholomew -Fair on the part of the gossiping old diarist. In 1663 he writes, under -date the 7th of September, "To Bartholomew Fair, where I met Mr. -Pickering, and he and I went to see the monkeys at the Dutch house, which -is far beyond the other that my wife and I saw the other day; and thence -to see the dancing on the ropes, which was very poor and tedious." - -In the following year two visits to this fair are recorded in Pepys' -diary, as follows:-- - -"Sept. 2. To Bartholomew Fair, and our boy with us, and there showed him -the dancing on ropes, and several others the best shows." "Sept. 7. With -Creed walked to Bartholomew Fair,--this being the last day, and there I -saw the best dancing on ropes that I think I ever saw in my life." In the -two following years the fairs and other amusements of London were -interrupted by the plague, to the serious loss and detriment of the -entertaining classes. Punch and other puppets were the only amusements of -1665 and 1666; and Pepys records that, on the 22nd of August in the latter -year--the year of the great fire,--he and his wife went in a coach to -Moorfields, "and there saw Polichinello, which pleases me mightily." - -In 1667 the fear of the plague had passed away, and the public again -patronised the theatres and other places of amusement. "To Polichinello," -writes Pepys on the 8th of April, "and there had three times more sport -than at the play, and so home." To compensate himself for having missed -Bartholomew Fair two years running on account of the plague, he now went -three times. "Went twice round Bartholomew Fair," he writes in his diary -on the 28th of August, "which I was glad to see again, after two years -missing it by the plague." "30th. To Bartholomew Fair, to walk up and -down, and there, among other things, found my Lady Castlemaine at a -puppet-play, _Patient Grizill_, and the street full of people expecting -her coming out." "Sept. 4. With my wife and Mr. Hewer to Bartholomew Fair, -and there saw Polichinello." - -The fair probably offered better and more various amusements every year, -for Pepys records five visits in 1668, when we first hear of the -celebrated rope-dancer, Jacob Hall. "August 27. With my wife and W. -Batelier and Deb.; carried them to Bartholomew Fair, where we saw the -dancing of the ropes, and nothing else, it being late." "29. Met my wife -in a coach, and took her and Mercer [her maid] and Deb. to Bartholomew -Fair; and there did see a ridiculous obscene little stage-play called -_Marry Andrey_ [Merry Andrew], a foolish thing, but seen by everybody: and -so to Jacob Hall's dancing of the ropes, a thing worth seeing, and -mightily followed." "Sept. 1. To Bartholomew Fair, and there saw several -sights; among others, the mare that tells money and many things to -admiration, and among others come to me, when she was bid to go to him of -the company that most loved to kiss a pretty wench in a corner. And this -did cost me 12_d._ to the horse, which I had flung him before, and did -give me occasion to kiss a mighty _belle fille_, that was exceeding plain, -but _fort belle_." "4. At noon my wife, and Deb. and Mercer, and W. Hewer -and I, to the fair, and there at the old house, did eat a pig, and was -pretty merry, but saw no sights, my wife having a mind to see the play of -_Bartholomew Fair_ with puppets." "7. With my Lord Brouncker (who was this -day in unusual manner merry, I believe with drink,) Minnes, and W. Pen to -Bartholomew Fair; and there saw the dancing mare again, which to-day I -found to act much worse than the other day, she forgetting many things, -which her master beat her for, and was mightily vexed; and then the -dancing of the ropes, and also a little stage play, which was very -ridiculous." - -Perhaps a better illustration of the difference between the manners and -amusements of the seventeenth century and those of the nineteenth could -not be found than that which is afforded by the contrast between the -picture drawn by Pepys and the fancy sketch which the reader may draw for -himself by giving the figures introduced the names of persons now living. -Let the scene be Greenwich Fair, as we all remember it, and the incidents -the Secretary to the Admiralty, accompanied by his wife and her maid, -going there in his carriage; stopping on the way to witness the vagaries -of Punch; meeting the Mistress of the Robes at a marionette performance in -a tent; and afterwards, as we shall presently find Pepys doing, drinking -in a public-house with a rope-dancer, reputed to be the paramour of a lady -of rank, whom our supposed secretary may have met the evening before at -Buckingham Palace. - -Pepys relates that he went, in the same year, "to Southwark Fair, very -dirty, and there saw the puppet-show of Whittington, which was pretty to -see; and how that idle thing do work upon people that see it, and even -myself too! And thence to Jacob Hall's dancing of the ropes, where I saw -such action as I never saw before, and mightily worth seeing; and here -took acquaintance with a fellow that carried me to a tavern, whither come -the music of this booth, and bye and bye Jacob Hall himself, with whom I -had a mind to speak, to hear whether he had ever any mischief by falls in -his time. He told me, 'Yes, many, but never to the breaking of a limb;' he -seems a mighty strong man. So giving them a bottle or two of wine, I away -with Payne, the waterman. He, seeking me at the play, did get a link to -light me, and so light me to the Bear, where Bland, my waterman, waited -for me with gold and other things he kept for me, to the value of £40 and -more, which I had about me, for fear of my pockets being cut. So by -link-light through the bridge, it being mighty dark, but still weather, -and so home." Jacob Hall was as famous for his handsome face and -symmetrical form as for his skill and grace on the rope. He is said to -have shared with Harte, the actor, the favours of Nell Gwynne, and -afterwards to have been a pensioned favourite of the profligate Countess -of Castlemaine. His portrait in Grammont's 'Memoirs' was engraved from an -unnamed picture by Van Oost, first said to represent the famous -rope-dancer by Ames, in 1748. - -A passage in one of Davenant's poems affords some information concerning -the character of the shows which formed the attraction of the fairs at -this period, - - "Now vaulter good, and dancing lass - On rope, and man that cries, Hey, pass! - And tumbler young that needs but stoop, - Lay head to heel, to creep through hoop; - And man in chimney hid to dress - Puppet that acts our old Queen Bess, - And man that, while the puppets play, - Through nose expoundeth what they say; - And white oat-eater that does dwell - In stable small at sign of Bell, - That lifts up hoof to show the pranks - Taught by magician styled Banks; - And ape led captive still in chain - Till he renounce the Pope and Spain; - All these on hoof now trudge from town, - To cheat poor turnip-eating clown." - -The preceding chapter will have rendered the allusions intelligible to the -reader of the present day. - -Among the shows of this period was another bearded woman, whom Pepys saw -in Holborn, towards the end of 1668. "She is a little plain woman," he -writes, "a Dane; her name, Ursula Dyan; about forty years old; her voice -like a little girl's; with a beard as much as any man I ever saw, black -almost, and grizzly; it began to grow at about seven years old, and was -shaved not above seven months ago, and is now so big as any man's almost -that I ever saw; I say, bushy and thick. It was a strange sight to me, I -confess, and what pleased me mightily." There was a female giant, too, of -whom Evelyn says, under date the 13th of February, 1669, "I went to see a -tall gigantic woman, who measured six feet ten inches at twenty-one years -old, born in the Low Countries." - -Salamandering feats are not so pleasant to witness as the performances of -the acrobat and the gymnast, but they create wonder, and, probably, were -wondered at more two hundred years ago than at the present time, when the -scientific principles on which their success depends are better -understood. The earliest performer of the feats which made Girardelli and -Chabert famous half a century ago seems to have been Richardson, of whom -the following account is given by Evelyn, who witnessed his performance in -1672:-- - -"I took leave of my Lady Sunderland, who was going to Paris to my lord, -now ambassador there. She made me stay dinner at Leicester House, and -afterwards sent for Richardson, the famous fire-eater. He devoured -brimstone on glowing coals before us, chewing and swallowing them; he -melted a beer-glass and eat it quite up; then, taking a live coal on his -tongue, he put on it a raw oyster, the coal was blown on with bellows till -it flamed and sparkled in his mouth, and so remained till the oyster gaped -and was quite boiled. Then he melted pitch and wax with sulphur, which he -drank down as it flamed; I saw it flaming in his mouth, a good while; he -also took up a thick piece of iron, such as laundresses use to put in -their smoothing-boxes, when it was fiery hot, held it between his teeth, -then in his hands and threw it about like a stone; but this I observed he -cared not to do very long; then he stood on a small pot, and, bending his -body, took a glowing iron with his mouth from between his feet without -touching the pot or ground with his hands; with divers other prodigious -feats." - -There are few notices of the London fairs in contemporary memoirs and -journals, and as few advertisements of showmen have been preserved by -collectors of such literary curiosities, between the last visit to -Southwark Fair recorded by Pepys and the period of the Revolution. The -public mind was agitated during this time by plots and rumours of plots, -by State trials and Tower Hill executions, which alternately excited men -to rage and chilled them with horror. Giants and dwarfs, and monstrosities -of all kinds, seem to have been more run after, under the influence of -these events, than puppets and players. Take the following as an example, -an announcement which was printed in 1677:-- - -"At Mr. Croomes, at the signe of the Shoe and Slap neer the Hospital-gate, -in West Smithfield, is to be seen _The Wonder of Nature_, viz., A girl -about sixteen years of age, born in Cheshire, and not much above eighteen -inches long, having shed the teeth seven several times, and not a perfect -bone in any part of her, onely the head, yet she hath all her senses to -admiration, and discourses, reads very well, sings, whistles, and all very -pleasant to hear. God save the King!" - -The office of Master of the Revels, which had been held by Thomas -Killigrew, the Court jester, was conferred, at his death, upon his son, -who leased the licensing of ballad-singers to a bookseller named Clarke, -as appears from the following announcement, which was inserted in the -_London Gazette_ in 1682:-- - -"Whereas Mr. John Clarke, of London, bookseller, did rent of Charles -Killigrew, Esq., the licensing of all ballad-singers for five years; which -time is expired at Lady Day next. These are, therefore, to give notice to -all ballad-singers, that take out licenses at the office of the revels, at -Whitehall, for singing and selling of ballads and small books, according -to an ancient custom. And all persons concerned are hereby desired to take -notice of, and to suppress, all mountebanks, rope-dancers, prize-players, -ballad-singers, and such as make show of motions and strange sights, that -have not a license in red and black letters, under the hand and seal of -the said Charles Killigrew, Esq., Master of the Revels to his Majesty." - -The only entertainment of which I have found an announcement for this year -is the following:--"At Mr. Saffry's, a Dutch-woman's Booth, over against -the Greyhound Inn, in West Smithfield, during the time of the fair, will -be acted the incomparable Entertainment call'd The Irish Evidence, with -the Humours of Teige. With a Variety of Dances. By the first Newmarket -Company." Further glimpses of the fair are afforded, however, by the offer -of a reward for "the three horses stolen by James Rudderford, a -mountebank, and Jeremiah March, his clown;" and the announcement that, -"The German Woman that danc'd where the Italian Tumbler kept his Booth, -being over against the Swan Tavern, by Hosier Lane end in Bartholomew -Fair, is run away from her Mistress, the Fifth of this instant; She is of -a Brownish complexion, with Brown Hair, and between 17 and 18 years of -Age; if any person whatsoever can bring Tidings to one Mr. Hone's, at the -Duke of Albemarle's Head, at the end of Duck Lane, so that her Mistress -may have her again, they shall be rewarded to their own content." - -In the winter of 1683-4, an addition was temporarily made to the London -fairs by the opportunity which the freezing of the Thames afforded for -holding a fair on the ice. The river became frozen on the 23rd of -December, and on the first day of 1684 the ice was so thick between the -bridges that long rows of booths were erected for the sale of refreshments -to the thousands of persons who congregated upon it. Evelyn, who visited -the strange scene more than once, saw "people and tents selling all sort -of wares, as in the City." The frost becoming more intense when it had -endured a month, the sports of horse-racing and bull-baiting were -presented on the ice; and sledges and skaters were seen gliding swiftly in -every direction, with, as Evelyn relates, "puppet-plays and interludes, -tippling, and other lewd places." The ice was so thick that the booths -and stalls remained even when thaw had commenced, but the water soon -rendered it disagreeable to walk upon, and long cracks warned the -purveyors of recreation and refection to retreat to the land. The fair -ended on the 5th of February. - -It was during the continuance of this seventeenth century Frost Fair that -Evelyn saw a human salamander, when he dined at Sir Stephen Fox's, and -"after dinner came a fellow who eat live charcoal, glowingly ignited, -quenching them in his mouth, and then champing and swallowing them down. -There was a dog also which seemed to do many rational actions." The last -sentence is rather obscure; the writer probably intended to convey that -the animal performed many actions which seemed rational. - -During the Southwark Fair of the following year, there was a giant -exhibited at the Catherine Wheel Inn, a famous hostelry down to our own -time. Printers had not yet corrected the irregular spelling of the -preceding century, as appears from the following announcement:--"The -Gyant, or the Miracle of Nature, being that so much admired young man, -aged nineteen years last June, 1684. Born in Ireland, of such a prodigious -height and bigness, and every way proportionable, the like hath not been -seen since the memory of man. He hath been several times shown at Court, -and his Majesty was pleased to walk under his arm, and he is grown very -much since; he now reaches ten foot and a half, fathomes near eight foot, -spans fifteen inches; And is believed to be as big as one of the Gyants in -Guild-Hall. He is to be seen at the Sign of the Catherine Wheel in -Southwark Fair. _Vivat Rex._" - -There was probably also to be seen at this fair the Dutch woman of whom an -author quoted by Strutt says that, "when she first danced and vaulted on -the rope in London, the spectators beheld her with pleasure mixed with -pain, as she seemed every moment in danger of breaking her neck." About -this time, there was introduced at the London fairs, an entertainment -resembling that now given in the music-halls, in which vocal and -instrumental music was alternated with rope-dancing and tumbling. The -shows in which these performances were given were called music-booths, -though the musical element was far from predominating. The musical portion -of the entertainment was not of the highest order, if we may trust the -judgment of Ward, the author of the _London Spy_, who says that he "had -rather have heard an old barber ring Whittington's bells upon the cittern -than all the music these houses afforded." - -Such dramatic performances as were given in the booths at this time seem -to have been, in a great measure, confined to the puppet-plays so often -mentioned in the memoirs and diaries of the period. Granger mentions one -Philips, who, in the reign of James II., "was some time fiddler to a -puppet-show; in which capacity, he held many a dialogue with Punch, in -much the same strain as he did afterwards with the mountebank doctor, his -master, upon the stage. This Zany, being regularly educated, had the -advantage of his brethren." Besides the serio-comic drama of Punch and -Judy, many popular stories were represented by the puppets of those days, -which set forth the fortunes of Dick Whittington and the sorrows of -Griselda, the vagaries of Merry Andrew and the humours of Bartholomew -Fair, as delineated by the pen of Ben Jonson. It is a noteworthy -circumstance, as showing the estimation in which the Smithfield Fair was -held by the upper and middle classes at this period, and for more than -half a century afterwards, that the summer season of the patent theatres, -which closed at that time, always concluded with a representation of -Jonson's now forgotten comedy. - -A slight general view of Bartholomew Fair in 1685, with some equally -slight and curious moralising on the subject, is presented by Sir Robert -Southwell, in a letter addressed to his son, the Honourable Edward -Southwell, who was then in London with his tutor, Mr. Webster. - -"I think it not now," says Sir Robert, "so proper to quote you verses out -of Persius, or to talk of Cæsar and Euclid, as to consider the great -theatre of Bartholomew Fair, where I doubt not but you often resort, and -'twere not amiss if you cou'd convert that tumult into a profitable book. -You wou'd certainly see the garboil there to more advantage if Mr. Webster -and you wou'd read, or cou'd see acted, the play of Ben Jonson, call'd -Bartholomew Fair: for then afterwards going to the spot, you wou'd note if -things and humours were the same to day, as they were fifty years ago, and -take pattern of the observations which a man of sense may raise out of -matters that seem even ridiculous. Take then with you the impressions of -that play, and in addition thereunto, I shou'd think it not amiss if you -then got up into some high window, in order to survey the whole pit at -once. I fancy then you will say, _Totus mundus agit histrionem_, and then -you wou'd note into how many various shapes human nature throws itself, in -order to buy cheap and sell dear, for all is but traffick and commerce, -some to give, some to take, and all is by exchange, to make the -entertainment complete. - -"The main importance of this fair is not so much for merchandize, and the -supplying what people really want; but as a sort of Bacchanalia, to -gratifie the multitude in their wandering and irregular thoughts. Here you -see the rope-dancers gett their living meerly by hazarding of their lives, -and why men will pay money and take pleasure to see such dangers, is of -seperate and philosophical consideration. You have others who are acting -fools, drunkards, and madmen, but for the same wages which they might get -by honest labour, and live with credit besides. - -"Others, if born in any monstrous shape, or have children that are such, -here they celebrate their misery, and by getting of money, forget how -odious they are made. When you see the toy-shops, and the strange variety -of things, much more impertinent than hobby-horses or gloves of -gingerbread, you must know there are customers for all these matters, and -it wou'd be a pleasing sight cou'd we see painted a true figure of all -these impertinent minds and their fantastick passions, who come trudging -hither, only for such things. 'Tis out of this credulous crowd that the -ballad-singers attrackt an assembly, who listen and admire, while their -confederate pickpockets are diving and fishing for their prey. - -"'Tis from those of this number who are more refined, that the mountebank -obtains audience and credit, and it were a good bargain if such customers -had nothing for their money but words, but they are best content to pay -for druggs, and medicines, which commonly doe them hurt. There is one -corner of this Elizium field devoted to the eating of pig, and the -surfeits that attend it. The fruits of the season are everywhere scatter'd -about, and those who eat imprudently do but hasten to the physitian or the -churchyard." - -In 1697, William Philips, the zany or Jack Pudding mentioned by Granger, -was arrested and publicly whipped for perpetrating, in Bartholomew Fair, a -jest on the repressive tendencies of the Government, which has been -preserved by Prior in a poem. It seems that he made his appearance on the -exterior platform of the show at which he was engaged, with a tongue in -his left hand and a black pudding in his right. Professing to have learned -an important secret, by which he hoped to profit, he communicated it to -the mountebank, as related by Prior, as follows:-- - - "Be of your patron's mind whate'er he says; - Sleep very much, think little, and talk less: - Mind neither good nor bad, nor right nor wrong; - But eat your pudding, slave, and hold your tongue." - -Mr. Morley conjectures that this Philips was the W. Phillips who wrote the -tragedy of the _Revengeful Queen_, published in 1698, and who was supposed -to be the author of another, _Alcamenes and Menelippa_, and of a farce -called _Britons, Strike Home_, which was acted in a booth in Bartholomew -Fair. But worth more than all these plays would now be, if it could be -discovered, the book published in 1688, of which, only the title-page is -preserved in the Harleian collection, viz., 'The Comical History of the -famous Merry Andrew, W. Phill., Giving an Account of his Pleasant Humours, -Various Adventures, Cheats, Frolicks, and Cunning Designs, both in City -and Country.' - -The circus was an entertainment as yet unknown. The only equestrian -performances were of the kind given by Banks, and repeated, as we learn -from Davenant and Pepys, by performers who came after him, of whom there -was a regular succession down to the time of Philip Astley. The first -entertainer who introduced horses into vaulting acts seems to have been -William Stokes, a famous vaulter of the reigns of the latter Stuarts. He -was the author of a manual of the art of vaulting, which was published at -Oxford in 1652, and contains several engravings, showing him in the act of -vaulting over a horse, over two horses, and leaping upon them, in one -alighting in the saddle, and in another upon the bare back of the horse, -_à la Bradbury_. - -Another of the great show characters of this period was Joseph Clark, the -posturer, who according to a notice of him in the Transactions of the -Royal Philosophical Society, "had such an absolute command of all his -muscles and joints that he could disjoint almost his whole body." His -performance seems to have consisted chiefly in the imitation of every kind -of human deformity; and he is said to have imposed so completely upon -Molins, a famous surgeon of that period, as to be dismissed by him as an -incurable cripple. His portrait in Tempest's collection represents him in -the act of shouldering his leg, an antic which is imitated by a monkey. - -Clark was the "whimsical fellow, commonly known by the name of the -Posture-master," mentioned by Addison in the 'Guardian,' No. 102. He was -the son of a distiller in Shoe Lane, who designed him for the medical -profession, but a brief experience with John Coniers, an apothecary in -Fleet Street, not pleasing him, he was apprenticed to a mercer in -Bishopsgate Street. Trade suited him no better than medicine, it would -seem, for he afterwards went to Paris, in the retinue of the Duke of -Buckingham, and there first displayed his powers as a posturer. He died -in 1690, at his house in Pall Mall, and was buried in the church of St. -Martin-in-the-Fields. Many portraits of him, in different attitudes, are -extant in the British Museum. - -Monstrosities have always been profitable subjects for exhibition. -Shakespeare tells us, and may be presumed to have intended the remark to -convey his impression of the tendency of his own generation, that people -would give more to see a dead Indian than to relieve a lame beggar; and -the profits of the exhibition of Julia Pastrana and the so-called Kostroma -people show that the public interest in such monstrosities remains -unabated. But what would "City men" say to such an exhibition in -Threadneedle Street? I take the following announcement from a newspaper of -June, 1698:-- - -"At Moncrieff's Coffee-house, in Threadneedle Street, near the Royal -Exchange, is exposed to view, for sixpence a piece, a Monster that lately -died there, being Humane upwards and bruit downwards, wonderful to behold: -the like was never seen in England before, the skin is so exactly stuffed -that the whole lineaments and proportion of the Monster are as plain to be -seen as when it was alive. And a very fine Civet Cat, spotted like a -Leopard, and is now alive, that was brought from Africa with it. They are -exposed to view from eight in the morning to eight at night." - -At the King's Head, in West Smithfield, there was this year exhibited "a -little Scotch Man, which has been admired by all that have yet seen him, -he being but two Foot and six Inches high; and is near upon 60 years of -Age. He was marry'd several years, and had Issue by his Wife, two sons -(one of which is with him now). He Sings and Dances with his son, and has -had the Honour to be shewn before several Persons of Note at their Houses, -as far as they have yet travelled. He formerly kept a Writing school; and -discourses of the Scriptures, and of many Eminent Histories, very wisely; -and gives great satisfaction to all spectators; and if need requires, -there are several Persons in this town, that will justifie that they were -his Schollars, and see him Marry'd." - -In the same year, David Cornwell exhibited, at the Ram's Head, in -Fenchurch Street, a singular lad, advertised as "the Bold Grimace -Spaniard," who was said to have "liv'd 15 years among wild creatures in -the Mountains, and is reasonably suppos'd to have been taken out of his -cradle an Infant, by some savage Beast, and wonderfully preserv'd, till -some Comedians accidentally pass'd through those parts, and perceiving him -to be of Human Race, pursu'd him to his Cave, where they caught him in a -Net. They found something wonderful in his Nature, and took him with them -in their Travels through _Spain_ and _Italy_. He performs the following -surprising grimaces, viz., He lolls out his Tongue a foot long, turns his -eyes in and out at the same time; contracts his Face as small as an Apple; -extends his Mouth six inches, and turns it into the shape of a Bird's -Beak, and his eyes like to an Owl's; turns his mouth into the Form of a -Hat cock'd up three ways; and also frames it in the manner of a -four-square Buckle; licks his Nose with his Tongue, like a Cow; rolls one -Eyebrow two inches up, the other two down; changes his face to such an -astonishing Degree, as to appear like a Corpse long bury'd. Altho' bred -wild so long, yet by travelling with the aforesaid Comedians 18 years, he -can sing wonderfully fine, and accompanies his voice with a thorow Bass on -the Lute. His former natural Estrangement from human conversation oblig'd -_Mr. Cornwell_ to bring a Jackanapes over with him for his Companion, in -whom he takes great Delight and Satisfaction." - -How many of these show creatures were impostors, and how many genuine -eccentricities of human nature, it is impossible to say. Barnum's -revelations have made us sceptical. But the numerous advertisements of -this kind in the newspapers of the period show that the passion for -monstrosities was as strongly developed in the latter half of the -seventeenth century as at the present day. - -Barnes and Appleby's booth for tumbling and rope-dancing appears from the -following advertisement, extracted from a newspaper of 1699, to have -attended Bartholomew Fair the previous year:-- - -"At Mr. Barnes's and Mr. Appleby's Booth, between the Crown Tavern and the -Hospital Gate, over against the Cross Daggers, next to Miller's Droll -Booth, in West Smithfield, where the English and Dutch Flaggs, with -Barnes's and the two German Maidens' pictures, will hang out, during the -time of Bartholomew Fair, will be seen the most excellent and incomparable -performances in Dancing on the Slack Rope, Walking on the Slack Rope, -Vaulting and Tumbling on the Stage, by these five, the most famous -Companies in the Universe, viz., The English, Irish, High German, French, -and Morocco, now united. The Two German Maidens, who exceeded all mankind -in their performances, are within this twelvemonth improved to a Miracle." - -In this year I find the following advertisement of a music booth, which -must have been one of the earliest established:-- - -"THOMAS DALE, Drawer at the Crown Tavern at Aldgate, keepeth the TURK'S -HEAD _Musick Booth_, in Smithfield Rounds, over against the _Greyhound_ -Inn during the time of _Bartholomew Fair_, Where is a Glass of good Wine, -Mum, Syder, Beer, Ale, and all other Sorts of Liquors, to be Sold; and -where you will likewise be entertained with good Musick, Singing, and -Dancing. You will see a Scaramouch Dance, the Italian Punch's Dance, the -Quarter Staff, the Antick, the Countryman and Countrywoman's Dance, and -the Merry Cuckolds of Hogsden. - -"Also a young Man that dances an Entry, Salabrand, and Jigg, and a Woman -that dances with Six Naked Rapiers, that we Challenge the whole Fair to do -the like. There is likewise a Young Woman that Dances with Fourteen -Glasses on the Backs and Palms of her Hands, and turns round with them -above an Hundred Times as fast as a Windmill turns; and another Young Man -that Dances a Jigg incomparably well, to the Admiration of all Spectators. -_Vivat Rex._" - -James Miles, who announced himself as from Sadler's Wells, kept the Gun -music-booth in the fair, and announced nineteen dances, among which were -"a dance of three bullies and three Quakers;" a cripples' dance by six -persons with wooden legs and crutches, "in imitation of a jovial crew;" a -dance with swords, and on a ladder, by a young woman, "with that variety -that she challenges all her sex to do the like;" and a new entertainment, -"between a Scaramouch, a Harlequin, and a Punchinello, in imitation of -bilking a reckoning." We shall meet with James Miles again in the next -chapter and century. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - - Attempts to Suppress the Shows at Bartholomew Fair--A remarkable Dutch - Boy--Theatrical Booths at the London Fairs--Penkethman, the - Comedian--May Fair--Barnes and Finley--Lady Mary--Doggett, the - Comedian--Simpson, the Vaulter--Clench, the Whistler--A Show at - Charing Cross--Another Performing Horse--Powell and Crawley, the - Puppet-Showmen--Miles's Music-Booth--Settle and Mrs. Mynn--Southwark - Fair--Mrs. Horton, the Actress--Bullock and Leigh--Penkethman and - Pack--Boheme, the Actor--Suppression of May Fair--Woodward, the - Comedian--A Female Hercules--Tiddy-dol, the Gingerbread Vendor. - - -So early as the close of the seventeenth century, one hundred and fifty -years before the fair was abolished, we find endeavours being made, in -emulation of the Puritans, to banish every kind of amusement from -Bartholomew Fair, and limit it to the purposes of an annual market. In -1700, the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen resolved that no booths should -be permitted to be erected in Smithfield that year; but on the 6th of -August it was announced that "the lessees of West Smithfield having on -Friday last represented to a Court of Aldermen at Guildhall, that it would -be highly injurious to them to have the erection of all booths there -totally prohibited, the right honourable Lord Mayor and the Court of -Aldermen have, on consideration of the premises, granted licence to erect -some booths during the time of Bartholomew Fair now approaching; but none -are permitted for music-booths, or any that may be means to promote -debauchery." And, on the 23rd, when the Lord Mayor went on horseback to -proclaim the fair, he ordered two music-booths to be taken down -immediately. - -On the 4th of June, in the following year, the grand jury made a -presentment to the following effect:--"Whereas we have seen a printed -order of the Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen, the 25th June, 1700, to -prevent the great profaneness, vice, and debauchery, so frequently used -and practised in Bartholomew Fair, by strictly charging and commanding all -persons concerned in the said fair, and in the sheds and booths to be -erected and built therein or places adjacent, that they do not let, set, -or hire, or use any booth, shed, stall, or other erection whatsoever to be -used or employed for interludes, stage-plays, comedies, gaming-places, -lotteries, or music meetings: and as we are informed the present Lord -Mayor and Court of Aldermen have passed another order to the same effect -on the 3rd instant, we take this occasion to return our most hearty thanks -for their religious care and great zeal in this matter; we esteeming a -renewing of their former practices at the Fair a continuing one of the -chiefest nurseries of vice next to the play-houses; therefore earnestly -desire that the said orders may be vigorously prosecuted, and that this -honourable Court would endeavour that the said fair may be employed to -those good ends and purposes it was at first designed." - -This presentment deserves, and will repay, the most attentive -consideration of those who would know the real character of the amusements -presented at the London fairs, and the motives and aims of those who -endeavoured to suppress them. The grand jury profess to be actuated by a -desire to diminish profanity, vice, and debauchery; and, if this had been -their real and sole object, nothing could have been more laudable. But, -like those who would suppress the liquor traffic in order to prevent -drunkenness, they confounded the use with the abuse of the thing which -they condemned, and sought to deprive the masses of every kind of -amusement, because some persons could not participate therein without -indulging in vicious and debasing pleasures. It might have been supposed -that Bartholomew Fair was pre-eminently a means and occasion of vice and -debauchery, and that its continuance was incompatible with the maintenance -of public order and the due guardianship of public morals, if the grand -jury had not coupled with their condemnation an expression of their -opinion that it was not so bad as the theatres. In that sentence is -disclosed the real motive and aim of those who sought the suppression of -the amusements of the people at the London Fairs. - -That the morals and manners of that age were of a low standard is -undeniable; but they would have been worse if the fairs had been -abolished, and the theatres closed, as the fanatics of the day willed. Men -and women cannot be made pious or virtuous by the prohibition of theatres, -concerts, and balls, any more than they can be rendered temperate by -suppressing the public sale of beer, wine, and spirits. Naturally, a -virtuous man, without being a straight-laced opponent of "cakes and ale," -would have seen, in walking through a fair, much that he would deplore, -and desire to amend; but such a man would have the same reflections -inspired by a visit to a theatre or a music-hall, or any other amusement -of the present day. He would not, however, if he was sensible as well as -virtuous, conclude from what he saw and heard that all public amusements -ought to be prohibited. To suppress places of popular entertainment -because some persons abuse them would be like destroying a garden because -a snail crawls over the foliage, or an earwig lurks in the flowers. - -The London fairs were attended this year by a remarkable Dutch boy, about -eight or nine years of age, whose eyes presented markings of the iris in -which sharp-sighted persons, aided perhaps by a considerable development -of the organ of wonder, read certain Latin and Hebrew words. In one eye, -the observer read, or was persuaded that he could read, the words _Deus -meus_; in the other, in Hebrew characters, the word _Elohim_. The boy's -parents, by whom he was exhibited, affirmed that his eyes had presented -these remarkable peculiarities from his birth. Great numbers of persons, -including the most eminent physiologists and physicians of the day, went -to see him; and the learned, who examined his eyes with great attention, -were as far from solving the mystery as the crowd of ordinary sight-seers. -Some of them regarded the case as an imposture, but they were unable to -suggest any means by which such a fraud could be accomplished. Others -regarded it as "almost" supernatural, a qualification not very easy to -understand. The supposed characters were probably natural, and only to be -seen as Roman and Hebrew letters by imaginative persons, or those who -viewed them with the eye of faith. Whatever their nature, the boy's sight -was not affected by them in the slightest degree. - -The theatrical booths attending the London fairs began at this time to be -more numerous, and to present an entertainment of a better character than -had hitherto been seen. The elder Penkethman appears to have been the -first actor of good position on the stage who set the example of -performing in a temporary canvas theatre during the fairs, and it was soon -followed by the leading actors and actresses of the royal theatres. In a -dialogue on the state of the stage, published in 1702, and attributed to -Gildon, Critick calls Penkethman "the flower of Bartholomew Fair, and the -idol of the rabble; a fellow that overdoes everything, and spoils many a -part with his own stuff." He had then been ten years on the stage, having -made his first appearance at Drury Lane in 1692, as the tailor, a small -part in _The Volunteers_. Four years later, we find him playing, at the -same theatre, such parts as Snap in _Love's Last Shift_, Dr. Pulse in _The -Lost Lover_, and Nick Froth in _The Cornish Comedy_. - -What the author of the pamphlet just quoted says of this actor receives -confirmation and illustration from an anecdote told of him, in connection -with the first representation of Farquhar's _Recruiting Officer_ at Drury -Lane in 1706. Penkethman, who played Thomas Appletree, one of the rustic -recruits, when asked his name by Wilks, to whom the part of Captain Plume -was assigned, replied, "Why, don't you know my name, Bob? I thought every -fool knew that." - -"Thomas Appletree," whispered Wilks, assuming the office of prompter. - -"Thomas Appletree!" exclaimed Penkethman, aloud. "Thomas Devil! My name is -Will Penkethman." Then, turning to the gallery, he addressed one of the -audience thus:--"Hark you, friend; don't you know my name?" - -"Yes, Master Pinkey," responded the occupant of a front seat in the -gallery. "We know it very well." - -The theatre was soon in an uproar: the audience at first laughed at the -folly of Penkethman and the evident distress of Wilks; but the joke soon -grew tiresome, and they began to hiss. Penkethman saw his mistake, and -speedily changed displeasure into applause by crying out, with a loud -nasal twang, and a countenance as ludicrously melancholy as he could make -it, "Adzooks! I fear I am wrong!" - -Barnes, the rope-dancer, had at this time lost his former partner, -Appleby, and taken into partnership an acrobat named Finley. They -advertised their show in 1701 at Bartholomew Fair as, "Her Majesty's -Company of Rope Dancers." They had two German girls "lately arrived from -France;" and it was announced that "the famous Mr. Barnes, of whose -performances this kingdom is so sensible, Dances with 2 Children at his -feet, and with Boots and Spurs. Mrs. Finley, distinguished by the name of -Lady Mary for her incomparable Dancing, has much improved herself since -the last Fair. You will likewise be entertained with such variety of -Tumbling by Mr. Finley and his Company, as was never seen in the Fair -before. Note, that for the conveniency of the Gentry, there is a back-door -in Smithfield Rounds." - -They were not without rivals, though the absence of names from the -following advertisement renders it probable that the "famous company" -calculated upon larger gains from anonymous boasting than they could hope -for from the announcement of their names:-- - -"At the Great Booth over against the Hospital Gate in Bartholomew Fair, -will be seen the Famous Company of Rope Dancers, they being the Greatest -Performers of Men, Women, and Children that can be found beyond the Seas, -so that the world cannot parallel them for Dancing on the Low Rope, -Vaulting on the High Rope, and for Walking on the Slack and Sloaping -Ropes, out-doing all others to that degree, that it has highly recommended -them, both in Bartholomew Fair and May Fair last, to all the best persons -of Quality in England. And by all are owned to be the only amazing Wonders -of the World in every thing they do: It is there you will see the Italian -Scaramouch dancing on the Rope, with a Wheel-barrow before him, with two -Children and a Dog in it, and with a Duck on his Head who sings to the -Company, and causes much Laughter. The whole entertainment will be so -extremely fine and diverting, as never was done by any but this Company -alone." - -Doggett, whom Cibber calls the most natural actor of the day, and whose -name is associated with the coat and badge rowed for annually, on the 1st -of August, by London watermen's apprentices, was here this year, with a -theatrical booth, erected at the end of Hosier Lane, where was presented, -as the advertisements tell us, "A New DROLL call'd THE DISTRESSED VIRGIN -or _the Unnatural Parents_. Being a True History of the _Fair Maid of the -West_, or THE LOVING SISTERS. With the Comical Travels of _Poor Trusty_, -in Search of his _Master's Daughter_, and his Encounter with _Three -Witches_. _Also variety of Comick Dances and Songs, with Scenes and -Machines never seen before. Vivat Regina._" Doggett was at this time -manager of Drury Lane. - -Miller, the actor, also had a theatrical booth in the fair, and made the -following announcement:-- - -"Never acted before. At _Miller's Booth_, over against _the Cross -Daggers_, near the _Crown Tavern_, during the time of _Bartholomew Fair_, -will be presented an Excellent New Droll, call'd THE TEMPEST, or _the -Distressed Lovers_. With the _English Hero_ and the _Island Princess_, and -the Comical Humours of the Inchanted _Scotchman_; or _Jockey_ and the -_Three Witches_. Showing how a Nobleman of England was cast away upon the -Indian Shore, and in his Travel found the Princess of the Country, with -whom he fell in Love, and after many Dangers and Perils, was married to -her; and his faithful Scotchman, who was saved with him, travelling -through Woods, fell in among Witches, when between 'em is abundance of -comical Diversions. There in the Tempest is Neptune, with his Triton in -his Chariot drawn with Sea Horses and Mair Maids singing. With variety of -Entertainment, performed by the best Masters; the Particulars would be too -tedious to be inserted here. _Vivat Regina._" - -The similarity of the chief incidents in the dramas presented by Doggett -and Miller is striking. In both we have the troubles of the lovers, the -comical adventures of a man-servant, and the encounter with witches. We -shall find these incidents reproduced again and again, with variations, -and under different titles, in the plays set before Bartholomew audiences -of the eighteenth century. - -May Fair first assumed importance this year, when the multiplication of -shows of all kinds caused it to assume dimensions which had not hitherto -distinguished it. It was held on the north side of Piccadilly, in -Shepherd's Market, White Horse Street, Shepherd's Court, Sun Court, Market -Court, an open space westward, extending to Tyburn Lane (now Park Lane), -Chapel Street, Shepherd Street, Market Street, Hertford Street, and -Carrington Street. The ground-floor of the market-house, usually occupied -by butchers' stalls, was appropriated during the fair to the sale of toys -and gingerbread; and the upper portion was converted into a theatre. The -open space westward was covered with the booths of jugglers, fencers, and -boxers, the stands of mountebanks, swings, round-abouts, etc., while the -sides of the streets were occupied by sausage stalls and gambling tables. -The first-floor windows were also, in some instances, made to serve as the -proscenia of puppet shows. - -I have been able to trace only two shows to this fair in 1702, namely -Barnes and Finley's and Miller's, which stood opposite to the former, and -presented "an excellent droll called _Crispin and Crispianus: or, A -Shoemaker a Prince_; with the best machines, singing and dancing ever yet -in the fair." A great concourse of people attended from all parts of the -metropolis; an injudicious attempt on the part of the local authorities to -exclude persons of immoral character, which has always been found -impracticable in places of public amusement, resulted in a serious riot. -Some young women being arrested by the constables on the allegation that -they were prostitutes, they were rescued by a party of soldiers; and a -conflict was begun, which extended as other constables came up, and the -"rough" element took part with the rescuers of the incriminated women. One -constable was killed, and three others dangerously wounded before the -fight ended. The man by whose hand the constable fell contrived to escape; -but a butcher who had been active in the affray was arrested, and -convicted, and suffered the capital penalty at Tyburn. - -In the following year, the fair was presented as a nuisance by the grand -jury of Middlesex; but it continued to be held for several years -afterwards. Barnes and Finley again had a show at Bartholomew Fair, to -which the public were invited to "see my Lady Mary perform such steps on -the dancing-rope as have never been seen before." The young lady thus -designated, and whose performance attracted crowds of spectators to Barnes -and Finley's show, was said to be the daughter of a Florentine noble, and -had given up all for love by eloping with Finley. By the companion of her -flight she was taught to dance upon the tight rope, and for a few years -was an entertainer of considerable popularity; but, venturing to exhibit -her agility and grace while _enceinte_, she lost her balance, fell from -the rope, and died almost immediately after giving birth to a stillborn -child. - -Bullock and Simpson, the former an actor of some celebrity at Drury Lane, -joined Penkethman this year in a show at Bartholomew Fair, in which -_Jephtha's Rash Vow_ was performed, Penkethman playing the part of Toby, -and Bullock that of Ezekiel. Bullock is described in the pamphlet -attributed to Gildon as "the best comedian who has trod the stage since -Nokes and Leigh, and a fellow that has a very humble opinion of himself." -So much modesty must have made him a _rara avis_ among actors, who have, -as a rule, a very exalted opinion of themselves. He had been six years on -the stage at this time, having made his first appearance in 1696, at Drury -Lane, as Sly in _Love's Last Shift_. His ability was soon recognised; and -in the same year he played Sir Morgan Blunder in _The Younger Brother_, -and Shuffle in _The Cornish Comedy_. Parker and Doggett also had a booth -this year at the same fair, playing _Bateman; or, the Unhappy Marriage_, -with the latter comedian in the part of Sparrow. - -Penkethman at this time, from his salary as an actor at Drury Lane, his -gains from attending Bartholomew and Southwark Fairs with his show, and -the profits of the Richmond Theatre, which he either owned or leased, was -in the receipt of a considerable income. "He is the darling of -Fortunatus," says Downes, writing in 1708, "and has gained more in -theatres and fairs in twelve years than those who have tugged at the oar -of acting these fifty." He did not retire from the stage, however, until -1724. - -Some of the minor shows of this period must now be noticed. A bill of this -time--the date cannot always be fixed--invites the visitors to Bartholomew -Fair to witness "the wonderful performances of that most celebrated -master Simpson, the famous vaulter, who being lately arrived from Italy, -will show the world what vaulting is." The chroniclers of the period have -not preserved any record, save this bill, of this not too modest -performer. A more famous entertainer was Clench, a native of Barnet, whose -advertisements state that he "imitates horses, huntsmen, and a pack of -hounds, a doctor, an old woman, a drunken man, bells, the flute, and the -organ, with three voices, by his own natural voice, to the greatest -perfection," and that he was "the only man that could ever attain so great -an art." He had a rival, however, in the whistling man, mentioned in the -'Spectator,' who was noted for imitating the notes of all kinds of birds. -Clench attended all the fairs in and around London, and at other times -gave his performance at the corner of Bartholomew Lane, behind the old -Exchange. - -To this period also belongs the following curious announcement of "a -collection of strange and wonderful creatures from most parts of the -world, all alive," to be seen over against the Mews Gate, Charing Cross, -by her Majesty's permission. - -"The first being a little _Black Man_, being but 3 foot high, and 32 years -of age, straight and proportionable every way, who is distinguished by -the Name of the _Black Prince_, and has been shewn before most Kings and -Princes in Christendom. The next being his wife, the _Little Woman_, NOT 3 -foot high, and 30 years of Age, straight and proportionable as any woman -in the Land, which is commonly called the _Fairy Queen_; she gives general -satisfaction to all that sees her, by Diverting them with Dancing, being -big with Child. Likewise their little _Turkey Horse_, being but 2 foot odd -inches high, and above 12 years of Age, that shews several diverting and -surprising Actions, at the Word of Command. The least Man, Woman, and -Horse that ever was seen in the World Alive. _The Horse being kept in a -box._ The next being a strange Monstrous Female Creature that was taken in -the woods in the Deserts of ÆTHIOPIA in Prester _John's_ Country, in the -remotest parts of Africa. The next is the noble _Picary_, which is very -much admir'd by the Learned. The next being the noble _Jack-call_, the -Lion's Provider, which hunts in the Forest for the Lion's Prey. Likewise a -small _Egyptian Panther_, spotted like a _Leopard_. The next being a -strange, monstrous creature, brought from the _Coast of Brazil_, having a -Head like a Child, Legs and Arms very wonderful, with a Long Tail like a -Serpent, wherewith he Feeds himself, as an _Elephant_ doth with his Trunk. -With several other Rarities too tedious to mention in this Bill. - -"And as no such Collection was ever shewn in this Place before, we hope -they will give you content and satisfaction, assuring you, that they are -the greatest Rarities that ever was shewn alive in this Kingdom, and are -to be seen from nine o'clock in the Morning, till 10 at Night, where true -Attendance shall be given during our stay in this Place, which will be -very short. _Long live the_ QUEEN." - -The proprietors of menageries and circuses are always amusing, if not very -lucid, when they set forth in type the attractions of their shows. The -owner of the rarities exhibited over against the Mews Gate in the reign of -Queen Anne was no exception to the rule. The picary and the jack-call may -be readily identified as the peccary and the jackal, but "a strange -monstrous female creature" defies recognition, even with the addition that -it was brought from Prester John's country. The Brazilian wonder may be -classified with safety with the long-tailed monkeys, especially as another -and shorter advertisement, in the 'Spectator,' describes it a little more -explicitly as a satyr. It was, probably, a spider monkey, one variety of -which is said, by Humboldt, to use its prehensile tail for the purpose of -picking insects out of crevices. - -The Harleian Collection contains the following announcement of a -performing horse:-- - -"To be seen, at the Ship, upon Great Tower Hill, the finest taught horse -in the world. He fetches and carries like a spaniel dog. If you hide a -glove, a handkerchief, a door-key, a pewter basin, or so small a thing as -a silver two-pence, he will seek about the room till he has found it; and -then he will bring it to his master. He will also tell the number of spots -on a card, and leap through a hoop; with a variety of other curious -performances." - -Powell, the famous puppet-showman mentioned in the 'Spectator,' in -humorous contrast with the Italian Opera, never missed Bartholomew Fair, -where, however, he had a rival in Crawley, two of whose bills have been -preserved in the Harleian Collection. Pinkethman, another "motion-maker," -as the exhibitors of these shows were called, and also mentioned in the -'Spectator,' introduced on his stage the divinities of Olympus ascending -and descending to the sound of music. Strutt, who says that he saw -something of the same kind at a country fair in 1760, thinks that the -scenes and figures were painted upon a flat surface and cut out, like -those of a boy's portable theatre, and that motion was imparted to them by -clock-work. This he conjectures to have been the character also of the -representation, with moving figures, of the camp before Lisle, which was -exhibited, in the reign of Anne, in the Strand, opposite the Globe Tavern, -near Hungerford Market. - -One of the two bills of Crawley's show which have been preserved was -issued for Bartholomew Fair, and the other for Southwark Fair. The former -is as follows:-- - -"At Crawley's Booth, over against the Crown Tavern in Smithfield, during -the time of Bartholomew Fair, will be presented a little opera, called the -_Old Creation of the World_, yet newly revived; with the addition of -_Noah's flood_; also several fountains playing water during the time of -the play. The last scene does present Noah and his family coming out of -the ark, with all the beasts two by two, and all the fowls of the air seen -in a prospect sitting upon trees; likewise over the ark is seen the sun -rising in a most glorious manner: moreover, a multitude of angels will be -seen in a double rank, which presents a double prospect, one for the sun, -the other for a palace, where will be seen six angels ringing of bells. -Likewise machines descending from above, double, with Dives rising out of -hell, and Lazarus seen in Abraham's bosom, besides several figures dancing -jiggs, sarabands, and country dances, to the admiration of the -spectators; with the merry conceits of _Squire Punch and Sir John -Spendall_." This curious medley was "completed by an entertainment of -singing, and dancing with several naked swords by a child of eight years -of age." In the bill for Southwark Fair we find the addition of "the ball -of little dogs," said to have come from Louvain, and to perform "by their -cunning tricks wonders in the world of dancing. You shall see one of them -named Marquis of Gaillerdain, whose dexterity is not to be compared; he -dances with Madame Poucette his mistress and the rest of their company at -the sound of instruments, all of them observing so well the cadence that -they amaze everybody;" it is added that these celebrated performers had -danced before Queen Anne and most of the nobility, and amazed everybody. - -James Miles, who has been mentioned in the last chapter, promised the -visitors, in a bill preserved in the Harleian Collection, that they should -see "a young woman dance with the swords, and upon a ladder, surpassing -all her sex." Nineteen different dances were performed in his show, among -which he mentions a "wrestlers' dance" and vaulting upon the slack rope. -Respecting this dancing with swords, Strutt says that he remembered seeing -"at Flockton's, a much noted but very clumsy juggler, a girl about -eighteen or twenty years of age, who came upon the stage with four naked -swords, two in each hand; when the music played, she turned round with -great swiftness, and formed a great variety of figures with the swords, -holding them overhead, down by her sides, behind her, and occasionally she -thrust them in her bosom. The dance generally continued ten or twelve -minutes; and when it was finished, she stopped suddenly, without appearing -to be in the least giddy from the constant reiteration of the same -motion." - -The ladder-dance was performed upon a light ladder, which the performer -shifted from place to place, ascended and descended, without permitting it -to fall. It was practised at Sadler's Wells at the commencement of the -last century, and revived there in 1770. Strutt thought it originated in -the stilt-dance, which appears, from an illumination of the reign of Henry -III., to have been practised in the thirteenth century. - -Mrs. Mynn appears as a Bartholomew Fair theatrical manageress in 1707, -when Settle, then nearly sixty years of age, and in far from flourishing -circumstances, adapted to her stage his spectacular drama of the _Siege of -Troy_, which had been produced at Drury Lane six years previously. -Settle, who was a good contriver of spectacles, though a bad dramatic -poet, reduced it from five acts to three, striking out four or five of the -_dramatis personæ_, cutting down the serious portions of the dialogue, and -giving greater breadth as well as length to the comic incidents, without -which no Bartholomew audience would have been satisfied. As acted in her -theatrical booth, it was printed by Mrs. Mynn, with the following -introduction:-- - -"_A Printed Publication of an_ Entertainment _performed on a_ Smithfield -Stage, _which, how gay or richly soever set off, will hardly reach to a -higher Title than the customary name of a_ DROLL, _may seem somewhat new. -But as the present undertaking, the work of ten Months' preparation, is so -extraordinary a Performance, that without Boast or Vanity we may modestly -say, In the whole_ several Scenes, Movements, _and_ Machines, _it is no -ways Inferiour even to any one_ Opera _yet seen in either of_ the Royal -Theatres; _we are therefore under some sort of Necessity to make this -Publication, thereby to give ev'n the meanest of our audience a full Light -into all the Object they will there meet in this_ Expensive Entertainment; -_the_ Proprietors _of which have adventur'd to make, under some small -Hopes, That as they yearly see some of their happier Brethren Undertakers -in the_ FAIR, _more cheaply obtain even the Engrost Smiles of the_ Gentry -_and_ Quality _at so much an easier Price; so on the other side their own -more costly Projection (though less Favourites) might possibly attain to -that good Fortune, at least to attract a little share of the good graces -of the more Honourable part of the Audience, and perhaps be able to -purchase some of those smiles which elsewhere have been thus long the -profuser Donation of particular Affection and Favour._" - -In the following year, Settle arranged for Mrs. Mynn the dramatic -spectacle of _Whittington_, long famous at Bartholomew Fair, concluding -with a mediæval Lord Mayor's cavalcade, in which nine different pageants -were introduced. - -In 1708, the first menagerie seems to have appeared at Bartholomew Fair, -where it stood near the hospital gate, and attracted considerable -attention. Sir Hans Sloane cannot be supposed to have missed such an -opportunity of studying animals little known, as he is said to have -constantly visited the fair for that purpose, and to have retained the -services of a draughtsman for their representation. - -The first menagerie in this country was undoubtedly that, which for -several centuries, was maintained in the Tower of London, and the -beginning of which may be traced to the presentation of three leopards to -Henry III. by the Emperor of Germany, in allusion to the heraldic device -of the former. Several royal orders are extant which show the progress -made in the formation of the menagerie and furnish many interesting -particulars concerning the animals. Two of these documents, addressed by -Henry III. to the sheriffs of London, have reference to a white bear. The -first, dated 1253, directs that fourpence a day should be allowed for the -animal's subsistence; and the second, made in the following year, commands -that, "for the keeper of our white bear, lately sent us from Norway, and -which is in our Tower of London, ye cause to be had one muzzle and one -iron chain, to hold that bear without the water, and one long and strong -cord to hold the same bear when fishing in the river of Thames." - -Other mandates, relating to an elephant, were issued in the same reign, in -one of which it is directed, "that ye cause, without delay, to be built at -our Tower of London, one house of forty feet long, and twenty feet deep, -for our elephant; providing that it be so made and so strong that, when -need be it may be fit and necessary for other uses." We learn from Matthew -Paris that this animal was presented to Henry by the King of France. It -was ten years old, and ten feet in height. It lived till the forty-first -year of Henry's reign, in which year it is recorded that, for the -maintenance of the elephant and its keeper, from Michaelmas to St. -Valentine's Day, immediately before it died, the charge was nearly -seventeen pounds--a considerable sum for those days. - -Many additions were made to the Tower menagerie in the reign of Edward -III.; and notably a lion and lioness, a leopard, and two wild cats. The -office of keeper of the lions was created by Henry VI., with an allowance -of sixpence a day for the keeper, and a like sum "for the maintenance of -every lion or leopard now being in his custody, or that shall be in his -custody hereafter." This office was continued until comparatively recent -times, when it was abolished with the menagerie, a step which put an end -likewise to the time-honoured hoax, said to have been practised upon -country cousins, of going to the water side, below London Bridge, to see -the lions washed. - -The building appropriated to the keeping and exhibition of the animals was -a wide semi-circular edifice, in which were constructed, at distances of a -few feet apart, a number of arched "dens," divided into two or more -compartments, and secured by strong iron bars. Opposite these cages was a -gallery of corresponding form, with a low stone parapet, and approached -from the back by a flight of steps. This was appropriated exclusively to -the accommodation of the royal family, who witnessed from it the feeding -of the beasts and the combats described by Mr. Ainsworth in the romance -which made the older portions of the Tower familiar ground to so many -readers. - -The menagerie which appeared in Smithfield in 1708, and the ownership of -which I have been unable to discover, was a very small concern; but with -the showman's knowledge of the popular love of the marvellous, was -announced as "a Collection of Strange and Wonderful Creatures," which -included "the Noble _Casheware_, brought from the Island of Java in the -East Indies, one of the strangest creatures in the Universe, being half a -Bird, and half a Beast, reaches 16 Hands High from the Ground, his Head is -like a Bird, and so is his Feet, he hath no hinder Claw, Wings, Tongue, -nor Tail; his Body is like to the Body of a Deer; instead of Feathers, his -fore-part is covered with Hair like an Ox, his hinder-part with a double -Feather in one Quill; he Eats Iron, Steel, or Stones; he hath 2 Spears -grows by his side." - -There is now no difficulty in recognising this strange bird as the -cassowary, the representative in the Indian islands of the ostrich. There -was also a leopard from Lebanon, an eagle from Russia, a "posoun" -(opossum ?) from Hispaniola, and, besides a "Great Mare of the Tartarian -Breed," which "had the Honour to be show'd before Queen Anne, Prince -George, and most of the Nobility," "a little black hairy _Monster_, bred -in the _Desarts of Arabia_, a natural Ruff of Hair about his Face, walks -upright, takes a Glass of Ale in his Hand and drinks it off; and doth -several other things to admiration." This animal was probably a specimen -of the maned colobus, a native of the forests of Sierra Leone, and called -by Pennant the full-bottomed monkey, in allusion to the full-bottom -periwig of his day. - -A pamphlet was published in 1710, with the title, _The Wonders of -England_, purporting to contain "Doggett and Penkethman's dialogue with -Old Nick, on the suppression of Bartholomew Fair," and accounts of many -strange and wonderful things; but it was a mere "catch-penny," as such -productions of the Monmouth Street press were called, not containing a -line about the suppression of the fair, and the title, as Hone observes, -"like the showmen's painted cloths in the fair, pictures monsters not -visible within." - -The lesser sights of a fair in the first quarter of the eighteenth century -are graphically delineated by Gay, in his character of the ballad singer, -in "The Shepherd's Week," bringing before the mind's eye the stalls, the -lotteries, the mountebanks, the tumblers, the rope-dancers, the -raree-shows, the puppets, and "all the fun of the fair." - - "How pedlers' stalls with glittering toys are laid, - The various fairings of the country maid. - Long silken laces hang upon the twine, - And rows of pins and amber bracelets shine; - How the tight lass knives, combs, and scissors spies, - And looks on thimbles with desiring eyes. - Of lotteries next with tuneful note he told, - Where silver spoons are won, and rings of gold. - The lads and lasses trudge the street along, - And all the fair is crowded in his song. - The mountebank now treads the stage, and sells - His pills, his balsams, and his ague-spells; - Now o'er and o'er the nimble tumbler springs, - And on the rope the venturous maiden swings; - Jack Pudding, in his party-coloured jacket, - Tosses the glove, and jokes at every packet. - Of raree-shows he sung, and Punch's feats, - Of pockets picked in crowds, and various cheats." - -The theatrical booths, of which we have only casual notices or records -during the seventeenth century and the first dozen years of the -eighteenth, became an important feature of the London fairs about 1714, -from which time those of Bartholomew and Southwark were regularly attended -by many of the leading actors and actresses of Drury Lane, Covent Garden, -the Haymarket, Lincoln's Inn Fields, and Goodman's Fields theatres, down -to the middle of the century, excepting those years in which no theatrical -booths were allowed to be put up in Smithfield. The theatrical companies -which attended the fairs were not, however, drawn entirely from the London -theatres. Three or four actors associated in the proprietorship and -management, or were engaged by a popular favourite, and the rest of the -company was recruited from provincial theatres, or from the strolling -comedians of the country fairs. - -The London fairs were not, therefore, neglected by metropolitan managers -in quest of talent, who, by witnessing the performances in booths on -Smithfield or Southwark Green, sometimes found and transferred to their -own boards, actors and actresses who proved stars of the first magnitude. -It was in Bartholomew Fair that Booth found Walker, the original -representative of Captain Macheath, playing in the _Siege of Troy_; and in -Southwark Fair, in 1714, that the same manager saw Mrs. Horton acting in -_Cupid and Psyche_, and was so pleased with her impersonation that he -immediately offered her an engagement at Drury Lane, where she appeared -the following season as Melinda, in the _Recruiting Officer_. She made her -first appearance in 1713, as Marcia in _Cato_, with a strolling company -then performing at Windsor; and is said to have been one of the most -beautiful women that ever trod the stage. - -Penkethman's company played the _Constant Lovers_ in Southwark Fair in the -year that proved so fortunate for Mrs. Horton, the comedian himself -playing Buzzard, and Bullock taking the part of Sir Timothy Littlewit. In -the following year, as we learn from a newspaper paragraph "a great -play-house" was erected in the middle of Smithfield for "the King's -players," being "the largest ever built." In 1717 Bullock did not -accompany Penkethman, but set up a booth of his own, in conjunction with -Leigh; while Penkethman formed a partnership with Pack, and produced the -new "droll," _Twice Married and a Maid Still_, in which the former -personated Old Merriwell; Pack, Tim; Quin, Vincent; Ryan, Peregrine; -Spiller, Trusty; and Mrs. Spiller, Lucia. Penkethman's booth received the -honour of a visit from the Prince of Wales. On the evening of the 13th of -September, the popular favourite and several of the company were arrested -on the stage by a party of constables, in the presence of a hundred and -fifty of the nobility and gentry; but, pleading that they were "the King's -servants," they were released without being subjected to the pains and -penalties of vagrancy. - -In 1719, Bullock's name appears alone as the proprietor of the theatrical -booth set up in Birdcage Alley, for Southwark Fair, and in which the _Jew -of Venice_ was represented, with singing and dancing, and Harper's -representation of the freaks and humours of a drunken man, which, having -been greatly admired at Lincoln's Inn Fields, where he and Bullock were -both then engaged, could not fail to delight a fair audience. It was in -this year that Boheme made his first appearance, as Menelaus in the _Siege -of Troy_, in a booth at Southwark, where he was seen and immediately -engaged by the manager of Lincoln's Inn Fields, where he appeared the -following season as Worcester in _Henry IV._, and subsequently as the -Ghost in _Hamlet_, York in _Richard II._, Pisanio in _Cymbeline_, -Brabantio in _Othello_, etc. - -The theatres at this time were closed during the continuance of -Bartholomew Fair, the concourse of all classes to that popular resort -preventing them from obtaining remunerative audiences at that time, while -the actors could obtain larger salaries in booths than they received at -the theatres, and some realised large amounts by associating in the -ownership of a booth. The Haymarket company presented the _Beggar's -Opera_, at Bartholomew and Southwark Fairs in 1720; and Penkethman had his -booth at both fairs, this year without a partner. - -May Fair, which had long been falling into disrepute, now ceased to be -held. It was presented by the grand jury of Middlesex four years -successively as a nuisance; and the county magistrates then presented an -address to the Crown, praying for its suppression by royal proclamation. -Pennant, who says that he remembered the last May Fair, describes the -locality as "covered with booths, temporary theatres, and every enticement -to low pleasure." A more particular description was given in 1774, in a -communication from Carter, the antiquary, to the "Gentleman's Magazine." - -"A mountebank's stage," he tells us, "was erected opposite the Three Jolly -Butchers public-house (on the east side of the market area, now the King's -Arms). Here Woodward, the inimitable comedian and harlequin, made his -first appearance as Merry Andrew; from these humble boards he soon after -made his way to Covent Garden Theatre. Then there was 'beheading of -puppets.' In a coal-shed attached to a grocer's shop (then Mr. Frith's, -now Mr. Frampton's), one of these mock executions was exposed to the -attending crowd. A shutter was fixed horizontally, on the edge of which, -after many previous ceremonies, a puppet laid its head, and another -puppet instantly chopped it off with an axe. In a circular stair-case -window, at the north end of Sun Court, a similar performance took place by -another set of puppets. In these representations, the late punishment of -the Scottish chieftain (Lord Lovat) was alluded to, in order to gratify -the feelings of southern loyalty, at the expense of that further north. - -"In a fore one-pair room, on the west side of Sun Court, a Frenchman -submitted to the curious the astonishing strength of the 'strong woman,' -his wife. A blacksmith's anvil being procured from White Horse Street, -with three of the men, they brought it up, and placed it on the floor. The -woman was short, but most beautifully and delicately formed, and of a most -lovely countenance. She first let down her hair (a light auburn), of a -length descending to her knees, which she twisted round the projecting -part of the anvil, and then, with seeming ease, lifted the ponderous -weight some inches from the floor. After this, a bed was laid in the -middle of the room; when, reclining on her back, and uncovering her bosom, -the husband ordered the smiths to place thereon the anvil, and forge upon -it a horse-shoe! This they obeyed, by taking from the fire a red-hot piece -of iron, and with their forging hammers completing the shoe, with the -same might and indifference as when in the shop at their constant labour. -The prostrate fair one appeared to endure this with the utmost composure, -talking and singing during the whole process; then, with an effort which -to the bystanders seemed like some supernatural trial, cast the anvil from -off her body, jumping up at the same moment with extreme gaiety, and -without the least discomposure of her dress or person. That no trick or -collusion could possibly be practised on the occasion was obvious, from -the following evidence:--the audience stood promiscuously about the room, -among whom were our family and friends; the smiths were utter strangers to -the Frenchman, but known to us; therefore, the several efforts of strength -must have proceeded from the natural and surprising power this foreign -dame was possessed of. She next put her naked feet on a red-hot -salamander, without receiving the least injury; but this is a feat -familiar with us at this time. - -"Here, too, was 'Tiddy-dol.' This celebrated vendor of gingerbread, from -his eccentricity of character, and extensive dealings in his way, was -always hailed as the king of itinerant tradesmen. In his person he was -tall, well made, and his features handsome. He affected to dress like a -person of rank; white gold-laced suit of clothes, laced ruffled shirt, -laced hat and feather, white silk stockings, with the addition of a fine -white apron. Among his harangues to gain customers, take this as a -specimen:--'Mary, Mary, where are you _now_, Mary? I live, when at home, -at the second house in Little Ball Street, two steps underground, with a -wiscum, riscum, and a why-not. Walk in, ladies and gentlemen; my shop is -on the second-floor backwards, with a brass knocker at the door. Here is -your nice gingerbread, your spice gingerbread; it will melt in your mouth -like a red-hot brick-bat, and rumble in your inside like Punch and his -wheelbarrow.' He always finished his address by singing this fag-end of -some popular ballad:--Ti-tid-dy, ti-ti, ti-tid-dy, ti-ti, ti-tid-dy, -ti-ti, tid-dy, did-dy, dol-lol, ti-tid-dy, ti-tid-dy, ti-ti, tid-dy, -tid-dy, dol. Hence arose his nick-name of 'Tiddy-dol.'" - -In Hogarth's picture of the execution of the idle apprentice at Tyburn, -Tiddy-dol is seen holding up a cake of gingerbread, and addressing the -crowd in his peculiar style, his costume agreeing with the foregoing -description. His proper name was Ford, and so well-known was he that, on -his once being missed for a week from his usual stand in the Haymarket, on -the unusual occasion of an excursion to a country fair, a "catch-penny" -account of his alleged murder was sold in the streets by thousands. In -1721, as appears from a paragraph in the 'London Journal' of May 27th, -"the ground on which May Fair formerly stood is marked out for a large -square, and several fine streets and houses are to be built upon it." - - - - -CHAPTER V. - - Bartholomew Fair Theatricals--Lee, the Theatrical Printer--Harper, the - Comedian--Rayner and Pullen--Fielding, the Novelist, a - Showman--Cibber's Booth--Hippisley, the Actor--Fire in Bartholomew - Fair--Fawkes, the Conjuror--Royal Visit to Fielding's Booth--Yeates, - the Showman--Mrs. Pritchard, the Actress--Southwark Fair--Tottenham - Court Fair--Ryan, the Actor--Hallam's Booth--Griffin, the Actor--Visit - of the Prince of Wales to Bartholomew Fair--Laguerre's - Booth--Heidegger--More Theatrical Booths--Their Suppression at - Bartholomew Fair--Hogarth at Southwark Fair--Violante, the - Rope-Dancer--Cadman, the Flying Man. - - -The success of the theatrical booths at the London fairs induced Lee, a -theatrical printer in Blue Maid Alley, Southwark, and son-in-law of Mrs. -Mynn, to set up one, which we first hear of at Bartholomew Fair in 1725, -when the popular drama of the _Unnatural Parents_ was represented in it. -Lee subsequently took into partnership in his managerial speculation the -popular comedian, Harper, in conjunction with whom he produced, in 1728, a -musical drama with the strange title of the _Quakers' Opera_, which, as -well as the subject, was suggested by the extraordinary popularity of -Gay's _Beggars' Opera_, the plot being derived from the adventures of the -notorious burglar made famous in our time by Mr. Ainsworth's romance of -'Jack Sheppard.' It was adapted for the fairs from a drama published in -1725 as _The Prison-breaker_, "as intended to be acted at the Theatre -Royal, Lincoln's Inn Fields." - -Fielding, the future novelist, appeared this year, and in several -successive years, as a Bartholomew Fair showman, setting up a theatrical -booth in George Yard. He was then in his twenty-third year, -aristocratically connected and liberally educated, but almost destitute of -pecuniary resources, though the son of a general and a judge's daughter, -and the great grandson of an earl, while he was as gay as Sheridan and as -careless as Goldsmith. On leaving Eton he had studied law two years at -Leyden, but was obliged to return to England through the failure of the -allowance which his father had promised, but was too improvident to -supply. Finding himself without resources, and becoming acquainted with -some of the company at the Haymarket, he found the means, in conjunction -with Reynolds, the actor, to set up a theatrical booth in the locality -mentioned, and afterwards, during Southwark Fair, at the lower end of Blue -Maid Alley, on the green. - -Fielding and Reynolds drew their company from the Haymarket, and produced -the _Beggars' Opera_, with "all the songs and dances, set to music, as -performed at the theatre in Lincoln's Inn Fields." Their advertisements -for Southwark Fair inform the public that "there is a commodious passage -for the quality and coaches through the Half Moon Inn, and care will be -taken that there shall be lights, and people to conduct them to their -places." - -In the following year Fielding and Reynolds had separate shows, the former -retaining the eligible site of George Yard for Bartholomew Fair, and -producing Colley's _Beggars' Wedding_, an opera in imitation of Gay's, -which had been originally acted in Dublin, and afterwards at the -Haymarket. - -Reynolds, one of the Haymarket company, set up his booth between the -hospital gate and the Crown Tavern, and produced the same piece under the -title of _Hunter_, that being the name of the principal character. He had -the Haymarket band and scenery, with Ray, from Drury Lane, in the -principal part, and Mrs. Nokes as Tippit. Both he and Fielding announced -Hulett for Chaunter, the king of the beggars, and continued to do so -during the fair; but the comedian could not have acted several times daily -in both booths, and as he did not return to the Haymarket after the fair, -but joined the Lincoln's Inn Fields company, he was probably secured by -Fielding. - -Bullock, who had now seceded from the Lincoln's Inn Fields company and -joined the new establishment in Goodman's Fields, under the management of -Odell, also appeared at Bartholomew Fair this year without a partner, -producing _Dorastus and Faunia_, and an adaptation of Doggett's _Country -Wake_ with the new title of _Flora_, announcing it, in deference to the -new taste, as being "after the manner of the _Beggars' Opera_." Rayner and -Pullen's company performed, at the Black Boy Inn, near Hosier Lane, an -adaptation of Gay's opera, the dashing highwayman being personated by -Powell, Polly by Mrs. Rayner, and Lucy by Mrs. Pullen. - -In 1730, Fielding had a partner in Oates, a Drury Lane comedian, and again -erected his theatre in George Yard, which site was retained for him during -the whole period of his Bartholomew Fair experience. They produced a new -opera, called the _Generous Free-mason_, which was written by William -Rufus Chetwood, many years prompter at Drury Lane. Oates personated -Sebastian, and Fielding took the part of Clerimont himself. Miss Oates was -Maria. After the opera there were "several entertainments of dancing by -Mons. de Luce, Mademoiselle de Lorme, and others, particularly the Wooden -Shoe Dance, Perrot and Pierette, and the dance of the Black Joke." - -Reynolds was there again, with the historical drama of _Scipio's Triumph_ -and the pantomime of _Harlequin's Contrivance_. Lee and Harper presented -_Robin Hood_, and Penkethman and Giffard the historical drama of _Wat -Tyler and Jack Straw_. Penkethman had retired from the stage in 1724, and -it is doubtful whether he lent his name on this occasion to Giffard, who -was then lessee of Goodman's Fields, or the latter had taken the younger -Penkethman into partnership with him. - -Among the minor shows this year was a collection of natural curiosities, -advertised as follows:-- - -"These are to give notice to all Ladies, Gentlemen, and others. That at -the end of Hosier Lane, in Smithfield, are to be seen, during the Time of -the Fair, TWO RATTLE SNAKES, one a very large size, and rattles that you -may hear him at a quarter of a mile almost, and something of Musick, that -grows on the tails thereof; of divers colours, forms, and shapes, with -darts that they extend out of their mouths, about two inches long. They -were taken on the Mountains of Leamea. A Fine CREATURE, of a small size, -taken in Mocha, that burrows under ground. It is of divers colours, and -very beautiful. The TEETH of a DEAD RATTLE SNAKE, to be seen and handled, -with the Rattles. A SEA SNAIL, taken on the Coast of India. Also, the HORN -of a FLYING BUCK. Together with a curious Collection of Animals and -Insects from all Parts of the World. To be seen without Loss of Time." - -Bullock did not appear as an individual manager in the following year, -having associated himself with Cibber, Griffin, and Hallam. The theatrical -booth of which they were joint proprietors stood near Hosier Lane, where -the tragedy of _Tamerlane the Great_ was presented, the hero being played -by Hallam, and Bajazet by Cibber. The entertainment must have been longer -than usual, for it comprised a comedy, _The Miser_, adapted from _L'Avare_ -of Molière, in which Griffin played Lovegold, and Bullock was Cabbage; and -a pantomime or ballet, called a _Ridotto al fresco_. Miller, Mills, and -Oates, whose theatre was over against the hospital gate, presented the -_Banished General_, a romantic drama, playing the principal parts -themselves. - -Oates having joined Miller and Mills, Fielding had for partners this year -Hippisley and Hall, the former of whom appeared at Bartholomew Fair for -the first time. He kept a coffee-house in Newcastle Court, Strand, which -was frequented by members of the theatrical profession. Chetwood wrote for -them a romantic drama called _The Emperor of China_, in which the pathetic -and the comic elements were blended in a manner to please fair audiences, -whose sympathies were engaged by the sub-title, _Love in Distress and -Virtue Rewarded_. Hippisley played Shallow, a Welsh squire on his travels; -Hall, his servant, Robin Booby; young Penkethman, Sir Arthur Addleplot; -and Mrs. Egleton, a chambermaid, Loveit. - -A fire occurred this year in one of the smaller booths, and, though little -damage was done, the alarm caused so much fright to the wife of Fawkes, -the conjuror, whose show adjoined the booth in which the fire broke out, -as to induce premature parturition. This is the only fire recorded as -having occurred in Bartholomew Fair during the seven centuries of its -existence. - -I have found no Bartholomew Fair advertisement of Lee and Harper for this -year; but at Southwark Fair, where their show stood on the bowling green, -behind the Marshalsea Prison, they presented _Bateman_, with a variety of -singing and dancing, and a pantomimic entertainment called the _Harlot's -Progress_. A change of performance being found necessary, they presented -the "celebrated droll" of _Jephtha's Rash Vow_, in which Harper played the -strangely incongruous part of a Captain Bluster. - -"To which," continues the advertisement, "will be added, a new Pantomime -Opera (which the Town has lately been in Expectation to see perform'd) -call'd - -"The Fall of PHAETON. Wherein is shown the Rivalship of Phaeton and -Epaphus; their Quarrel about Lybia, daughter to King Merops, which causes -Phaeton to go to the Palace of the Sun, to know if Apollo is his father, -and for Proof of it requires the Guidance of his Father's Chariot, which -obtain'd, he ascends in the Chariot through the Air to light the World; in -the Course the Horses proving unruly go out of their way and set the World -on Fire; Jupiter descends on an Eagle, and with his Thunder-bolt strikes -Phaeton out of the Chariot into the River Po. - -"The whole intermix'd with Comic Scenes between Punch, Harlequin, -Scaramouch, Pierrot, and Colombine. - -"The Part of Jupiter by Mr. Hewet; Apollo, Mr. Hulett; Phaeton, Mr. Aston; -Epaphus, Mr. Nichols; Lybia, Mrs. Spiller; Phathusa, Mrs. Williamson; -Lampetia, Mrs. Canterel; Phebe, Mrs. Spellman; Clymena, Mrs. Fitzgerald. - -"N.B. We shall begin at Ten in the Morning and continue Playing till Ten -at Night. - -"N.B. The true Book of the Droll is printed and sold by G. Lee in Bluemaid -Alley, Southwark, and all others (not printed by him) are false." - -Fawkes, the conjuror, whose show has been incidentally mentioned, located -it, in the intervals between the fairs, in James Street, near the -Haymarket, where he this year performed the marvellous flower trick, by -which the conjuror, Stodare, made so much of his fame a few years ago at -the Egyptian Hall. Fawkes had a partner, Pinchbeck, who was as clever a -mechanist as the former was a conjuror; and no small portion of the -attractiveness of the show was due to Pinchbeck's musical clock, his -mechanical contrivance for moving pictures, and which he called the -Venetian machine (something, probably, like the famous cyclorama of the -Colosseum), and his "artificial view of the world," with dioramic effects. -Feats of posturing were exhibited between Fawkes's conjuring tricks and -the exhibition of Pinchbeck's ingenious mechanism. - -In 1732, Fielding had Hippisley alone as a partner in his theatrical -enterprise, and presented the historical drama of _The Fall of Essex_, -followed by an adapted translation (his own work) of _Le Médecin malgré -Lui_ of Molière, under the title of _The Forced Physician_. The Prince and -Princess of Wales visited Fielding's theatre on the 30th of August, and -were so much pleased with the performances that they witnessed both plays -a second time. - -Lee and Harper presented this year the _Siege of Bethulia_, "containing -the Ancient History of Judith and Holofernes, and the Comical Humours of -Rustego and his man Terrible." Holofernes was represented by Mullart, -Judith by Spiller (so say the advertisements; perhaps the prefix "Mrs." -was inadvertently omitted by the printer), and Rustego by Harper. As this -was the first year in which this curious play was acted by Lee and -Harper's company, the earlier date of 1721, assigned to Setchel's print of -Bartholomew Fair, is an obvious error, as the title of this play is -therein represented on the front of Lee and Harper's show. It is not easy -to understand how such an error can have obtained currency, it being -further proclaimed by the introduction of a peep-show of the siege of -Gibraltar, which occurred in 1728. - -Setchel's print was a copy of one which adorned a fan fabricated for sale -in the fair, and had appended to it a description, ascribed to Caulfield, -the author of a collection of 'Remarkable Characters.' The authorship of -the descriptive matter is doubtful, however, as it asserts the portrait of -Fawkes to be the only one in existence; while Caulfield, in his brief -notice of the conjuror, mentions another and more elaborate one. Lee and -Harper's booth is conspicuously shown in the print, with a picture of the -murder of Holofernes at the back of the exterior platform, on which are -Mullart, and (I presume) Mrs. Spiller, dressed for Holofernes and Judith, -and three others of the company, one in the garb of harlequin, another -dancing, and the third blowing a trumpet. Judith is costumed in a -head-dress of red and blue feathers, laced stomacher, white hanging -sleeves, and a flounced crimson skirt; while Holofernes wears a flowing -robe, edged with gold lace, a helmet and cuirass, and brown buskins. - -Fawkes's show also occupies a conspicuous place with its pictured cloth, -representing conjuring and tumbling feats, and Fawkes on the platform, -doing a conjuring trick, while a harlequin draws attention to him, and a -trumpeter bawls through his brazen instrument of torture an invitation to -the spectators to "walk up!" Near this show is another with a picture of a -woman dancing on the tight rope. The scene is filled up with the peep-show -before mentioned, a swing of the four-carred kind, a toy-stall, a -sausage-stall, and a gin-stall--one of those incentives to vice and -disorder which were permitted to be present, perhaps "for the good of -trade," when amusements were banished. - -In 1733, Fielding and Hippisley's booth again stood in George Yard, where -they presented the romantic drama of _Love and Jealousy_, and a ballad -opera called _The Cure for Covetousness_, adapted by Fielding from _Les -Fourberies de Scapin_ of Molière. In this piece Mrs. Pritchard first won -the popularity which secured her an engagement at Drury Lane for the -ensuing season, as, though she had acted before at the Haymarket and -Goodman's Fields, she attracted little attention until, in the character -of Loveit, she sang with Salway the duet, "Sweet, if you love me, smiling -turn," which was received with so much applause that Fielding and -Hippisley had it printed, and distributed copies in the fair by thousands. -Hippisley played Scapin in this opera, and Penkethman, announced as the -"son of the late facetious Mr. William Penkethman," Old Gripe. There was -dancing between the acts, and the _Ridotto al fresco_ afterwards; and the -advertisements add that, "to divert the audience during the filling of the -booth, the famous Mr. Phillips will perform his surprising postures on the -stage." - -The newspapers of the time inform us that they had "crowded audiences," -and that "a great number of the nobility intend to honour them with their -presence," which they probably did. All classes then went to Bartholomew -Fair, as in Pepys' time; the gentleman with the star on his coat in -Setchel's print was said to be Sir Robert Walpole. - -Cibber, Griffin, Bullock, and Hallam again appeared in partnership, and -repeated the performances which they had found attractive in the preceding -year. Cibber played Bajazet in the tragedy, and Mrs. Charke, his youngest -daughter, Haly. This lady appeared subsequently on the scene as the -proprietress of a puppet-show, and finally as the keeper of a -sausage-stall. Griffin played Lovegold in the _Miser_, as he had done the -preceding winter at Drury Lane; but none of the Drury actresses performed -this year in the fairs, and Miss Raftor's part of Lappet was transferred -to Mrs. Roberts. - -Lee and Harper presented _Jephtha's Rash Vow_, in which Hulett appeared; -and Miller, Mills, and Oates, the tragedy of _Jane Shore_, in which Miss -Oates personated the heroine; her father, Tim Hampwell; and Chapman, -Captain Blunderbuss. After the tragedy came a new mythological -entertainment, called the _Garden of Venus_; and the advertisements state -that, "To entertain the Company before the Opera begins, there will be a -variety of Rope-Dancing and Tumbling by the best Performers; particularly -the famous Italian Woman, Mademoiselle De Reverant and her Daughter, who -gave such universal satisfaction at the Publick Act at Oxford; the -celebrated Signor Morosini, who never performed in the Fair before; Mons. -Jano and others, and Tumbling by young River and Miss Derrum, a child of -nine years old." De Reverant is not an Italian name, and it is to be -hoped, for the sake of the lady's good name and the management's sense of -decorum, that the prefix of Mademoiselle was an error of the printer. Jano -was a performer at Sadler's Wells, and other places of amusement in the -vicinity of the metropolis, where tea-gardens and music-rooms were now -becoming numerous. - -Tottenham Court fair, the origin of which I have been unable to trace, -emerged from its obscurity this year, when Lee and Harper, in conjunction -with a third partner named Petit, set up a show there, behind the King's -Head, near the Hampstead Road. The entertainments were _Bateman_ and the -_Ridotto al fresco_. The fair began on the 4th of August. - -Petit's name is not in the advertisements for Southwark Fair, where Lee -and Harper gave the same performance as at Tottenham Court. A new -aspirant to popular favour appeared this year on Southwark Green, namely, -Yeates's theatrical booth, in which a ballad opera called _The Harlot's -Progress_ was performed, with "Yeates, junior's, incomparable dexterity of -hand: also a new and glorious prospect, or a lively view of the -installation of His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange. - -"Note.--At a large room near his booth are to be seen, without any loss of -time, two large ostriches, lately arrived from the Deserts of Arabia, -being male and female." - -Fawkes, the conjuror, was now dead, but Pinchbeck carried on the show, in -conjunction with his late partner's son, and issued the following -announcement:-- - -"_This is to give notice, that Mr._ Pinchbeck _and_ Fawkes, _who have had -the honour to perform before the Royal Family, and most of the Nobility -and Gentry in the Kingdom with great applause, during the time of_ -Southwark Fair, _will divert the Publick with the following surprising -Entertainments, at their great Theatrical Room, at the_ Queen's Arms, -_joining to the_ Marshalsea Gate. First, the surprising Tumbler from -Frankfort in Germany, who shows several astonishing things by the Art of -Tumbling; the like never seen before since the memory of man. Secondly, -the diverting and incomparable dexterity of hand, performed by Mr. -Pinchbeck, who causes a tree to grow out of a flower-pot on the table, -which blossoms and bears ripe fruit in a minute; also a man in a maze, or -a perpetual motion, where he makes a little ball to run continually, which -would last was it for seven years together only by the word of command. He -has several tricks entirely new, which were never done by any other person -than himself. Third, the famous little posture-master of nine years old, -who shows several astonishing postures by activity of body, different from -any other posture-master in Europe." - -The fourth and fifth items of the programme were Pinchbeck's musical clock -and the Venetian machine. The advertisement concludes with the -announcement that "while the booth is filling, the little posture-master -will divert the company with several wonders on the slack rope. Beginning -every day at ten o'clock in the morning, and ending at ten at night." As -Pinchbeck now performed the conjuring tricks for which his former partner -had been famous, and the latter's son does not appear as a performer, it -is probable that young Fawkes was merely a sleeping partner in the -concern, his father having accumulated by the exercise of his profession, -a capital of ten thousand pounds. - -It was in this year that Highmore, actuated by the spirit which in recent -times has prompted the prosecution of music-hall proprietors by theatrical -managers, swore an information against Harper as an offender under the -Vagrancy Act, which condemned strolling players to the same penalties as -wandering ballad-singers and sturdy beggars. Why, it may be asked, was -Harper selected as the scape-goat of all the comedians who performed in -the London fairs, and among whom were Cibber, Bullock, Hippisley, Hallam, -Ryan, Laguerre, Chapman, Hall, and other leading actors of the theatres -royal? There is no evidence of personal animosity against Harper on -Highmore's part, but it is not much to the latter's credit that he was -supposed to have selected for a victim a man who was thought to be timid -enough to be frightened into submission. - -Harper was arrested on the 12th November, and taken before a magistrate, -by whom he was committed to Bridewell, as a vagrant, on evidence being -given that he had performed at Bartholomew and Southwark Fairs, and also -at Drury Lane. He appealed against the decision, and the cause was tried -in the Court of King's Bench, before the Lord Chief Justice, on the 20th. -Eminent counsel were retained on both sides, the prosecution insisting -that the appellant had brought himself under the operation of the Vagrancy -Act by "wandering from place to place" in the exercise of his vocation; -and counsel for the appellant contending that, as Harper was a householder -of Westminster and a freeholder of Surrey, it was ridiculous to represent -him as a vagabond, or to pretend that he was likely to become chargeable -as a pauper to the parish in which he resided. "My client," said his -counsel, "is an honest man, who pays his debts, and injures no man, and is -well esteemed by many gentlemen of good condition." The result was, that -Harper was discharged on his own recognizances to be of good conduct, and -left Westminster Hall amidst the acclamations of several hundreds of -persons, whom his popularity had caused to assemble. - -In the following year, the managerial arrangements for the fairs again -received considerable modification. The partnership of Miller, Mills, and -Oates was dissolved, and the last-named actor again joined Fielding, while -Hippisley joined Bullock and Hallam, and Hall formed a new combination -with Ryan, Laguerre, and Chapman. Harper's partnership with Lee was -dissolved by the latter's death, and the fear of having his recognizances -estreated seems to have prevented him from appearing at the fairs. -Fielding and Oates presented _Don Carlos_ and the ballad opera of _The -Constant Lovers_, in which Oates played Ragout, his daughter Arabella, and -Mrs. Pritchard, in grateful remembrance of her Bartholomew Fair triumph of -the preceding year, Chloe. - -Hippisley, Bullock, and Hallam presented _Fair Rosamond_, followed by _The -Impostor_, in which Vizard was played by Hippisley, Balderdash by Bullock, -and Solomon Smack by Hallam's son. During the last week of the fair, -Hippisley gave, as an interlude, his diverting medley in the character of -a drunken man, for which impersonation he was long as celebrated as Harper -was for a similar representation. - -Ryan, Laguerre, Chapman, and Hall gave what appears a long programme for a -fair, and suggests more than the ordinary amount of "cutting down." The -performances commenced with _Don John_, in which the libertine prince was -played by Ryan, and Jacomo by Chapman. After the tragedy came a ballad -opera, _The Barren Island_, in which Hall played the boatswain, Laguerre -the gunner, and Penkethman the coxswain. The performances concluded with a -farce, _The Farrier Nicked_, in which Laguerre was Merry, Penkethman the -farrier's man, and Hall an ale-wife. - -At Southwark Fair this year, Lee's booth, now conducted by his widow, -stood in Axe and Bottle Yard, and presented the _Siege of Troy_, "which," -says the advertisement, "in its decorations, machinery, and paintings, far -exceeds anything of the like kind that ever was seen in the fairs before, -the scenes and clothes being entirely new. All the parts to be performed -to the best advantage, by persons from the theatres. The part of Paris by -Mr. Hulett; King Menelaus, Mr. Roberts; Ulysses, Mr. Aston; Simon, Mr. -Hind; Captain of the Guard, Mr. Mackenzie; Bustle the Cobler, Mr. Morgan; -Butcher, Mr. Pearce; Taylor, Mr. Hicks; Cassandra, Mrs. Spiller; Venus, -Mrs. Lacy; Helen, Mrs. Purden; Cobler's Wife, Mrs. Morgan. With several -Entertainments of Singing and Dancing by the best masters. - -"N.B. There being a puppet-show in Mermaid Court, leading down to the -Green, called _The Siege of Troy_; These are to forewarn the Publick, that -they may not be imposed on by counterfeits, the only celebrated droll of -that kind was first brought to perfection by the late famous Mrs. Mynns, -and can only be performed by her daughter, Mrs. Lee." - -Mrs. Lee seems to have had a formidable rival in another theatrical booth, -which appeared anonymously, and from this circumstance, combined with the -fact of its occupying the site on which Lee and Harper's canvas theatre -had stood for several successive years, may not unreasonably be regarded -as the venture of Harper. All I have found concerning it is the bill, -which, as being a good specimen of the announcements issued by the -proprietors of the theatrical booths attending the London fairs, is given -entire. - - "_At the Great_ THEATRICAL BOOTH - - On the Bowling-Green behind the Marshalsea, down Mermaid-Court next - the Queen's-Arms Tavern, during the Time of Southwark Fair, (which - began the 8th instant and ends the 21st), will be presented that - diverting Droll call'd, - - _The True and Ancient History of_ - Maudlin, _the Merchant's Daughter_ of Bristol, - AND - _Her Constant Lover_ Antonio, - - Who she follow'd into Italy, disguising herself in Man's Habit; - shewing the Hardships she underwent by being Shipwreck'd on the coast - of Algier, where she met her Lover, who was doom'd to be burnt at a - Stake by the King of that Country, who fell in Love with her and - proffer'd her his Crown, which she despised, and chose rather to share - the Fate of her Antonio than renounce the Christian Religion to - embrace that of their Impostor Prophet, Mahomet. - - With the Comical Humours of - _Roger_, Antonio's Man, - - And variety of Singing and Dancing between the Acts by Mr. Sandham, - Mrs. Woodward, and Miss Sandham. - - "Particularly, a new Dialogue to be sung by Mr. Excell and Mrs. - Fitzgerald. Written by the Author of _Bacchus one day gaily striding_, - &c. and a hornpipe by Mr. Taylor. To which will be added a new - Entertainment (never perform'd before) called - - The INTRIGUING HARLEQUIN - OR - Any Wife better than None. - With Scenes, Machines, and other Decorations - proper to the Entertainment." - -Pinchbeck and Fawkes had a booth this year on the Bowling Green, where the -entertainments of the preceding year were repeated, the little posturer -being again announced as only nine years of age. Pinchbeck had a shop in -Fleet Street at this time, (mentioned in the thirty-fifth number of the -'Adventurer'), and, perhaps, an interest in the wax figures exhibited by -Fawkes at the Old Tennis Court, as "the so much famed piece of machinery, -consisting of large artificial wax figures five foot high, which have all -the just motions and gestures of human life, and have been for several -years shewn at Bath and Tunbridge Wells, and no where else, except this -time two years at the Opera Room in the Haymarket; and by them will be -presented the comical tragedy of _Tom Thumb_. With several scenes out of -_The Tragedy of Tragedies_, and dancing between the acts. To which will be -added, an entertainment of dancing called _The Necromancer: or, Harlequin -Dr. Faustus_, with the fairy song and dance. The clothes, scenes, and -decorations are entirely new. The doors to be opened at four, and to begin -at six o'clock. Pit 2s. 6d. Gallery 1s. Tickets to be had at Mr. -Chenevix's toy-shop, over against Suffolk Street, Charing Cross; at the -Tennis Court Coffee House; at Mr. Edward Pinchbeck's, at the Musical Clock -in Fleet Street; at Mr. Smith's, a perfumer, at the Civet Cat in New Bond -Street near Hanover Square; at the little man's fan-shop in St. James's -Street." - -Fawkes and Pinchbeck seem to have speculated in exhibitions and -entertainments of various descriptions, for besides this marionette -performance and the conjuring show, there seems to have been another show, -which appeared at Bartholomew Fair this year, as their joint enterprise, -and for which Fielding wrote a dramatic trifle called _The Humours of -Covent Garden_. It was probably a performance of puppets, like that at -the Old Tennis Court. - -The licences granted by the Corporation for mountebanks, conjurors, and -others, to exercise their avocations at Bartholomew Fair had hitherto -extended to fourteen days; but in 1735 the Court of Aldermen -resolved--"That Bartholomew Fair shall not exceed Bartholomew eve, -Bartholomew day, and the next morrow, and shall be restricted to the sale -of goods, wares, and merchandises, usually sold in fairs, and no acting -shall be permitted therein." There were, therefore, no shows this year; -and, as the Licensing Act had rendered all unlicensed entertainers liable -to the pains and penalties of vagrancy, and Sir John Barnard was known to -be determined to suppress all such "idle amusements" as dancing, singing, -tumbling, juggling, and the like, the toymen, the vendors of gingerbread, -the purveyors of sausages, and the gin-stalls had the fair to themselves. - -There seems no evidence, however, that there was less disorder, or less -indulgence in vice, in Bartholomew Fair this year than on former -occasions. "Lady Holland's mob," as the concourse of roughs was called -which anticipated the official proclamation of the fair by swarming -through the streets adjacent to Smithfield on the previous night, -assembled as usual, shouting, ringing bells, and breaking lamps, as had -been the annual wont from the time of the Long Parliament, though the -association of Lady Holland's name with these riotous proceedings is a -mystery which I have not been able to unravel. Nor is there any reason for -supposing that drunkenness was banished from the fair with the shows; for, -though it is probable that a much smaller number of persons resorted to -Smithfield, it is certain that gin-stalls constituted a greater temptation -to excessive indulgence in alcoholic fluids, in the absence of all means -of amusement, than the larger numbers that visited the shows were exposed -to. The idea of promoting temperance by depriving the people of the choice -between the public-house and the theatre or music-hall is the most absurd -that has ever been conceived. - -It was on the 15th of March, in this year, that Ryan, the comedian and -Bartholomew Fair theatrical manager, was attacked at midnight, in Great -Queen Street, by a footpad, who fired a pistol in his face, inflicting -injuries which deprived him of consciousness, and then robbed him of his -sword, which, however, was afterwards picked up in the street. Ryan was -carried home, and attended by a surgeon, who found his jaws shattered, and -several teeth dislodged. A performance was given at Covent Garden for his -benefit on the 19th, when he had a crowded house, and the play was the -_Provoked Husband_, with Hallam as Lord Townly, and the farce the _School -for Women_, which was new, in the Robertsonian sense, being adapted from -Molière. Hippisley played in it. The Prince of Wales was prevented by a -prior engagement from attending, but he sent Ryan a hundred guineas. The -wounded actor was unable to perform until the 25th of April, when he -re-appeared as Bellair in a new comedy, Popple's _Double Deceit_, in which -Sir William Courtlove was personated by Hippisley, Gayliffe by Hallam, and -Jerry by Chapman. - -Smithfield presented its wonted fair aspect on the eve of Bartholomew, -1736, the civic authorities having seen the error of their ways, and -testified their sense thereof by again permitting shows to be erected. -Hippisley joined Fielding this year, and they presented _Don Carlos_ and -the _Cheats of Scapin_, Mrs. Pritchard re-appearing in the character of -Loveit. Hallam and Chapman joined in partnership, and produced _Fair -Rosamond_ and a ballad opera. - -Fielding had at this time an income of two hundred a year, besides what he -derived from translating and adapting French plays for the London stage, -and the profits of his annual speculation in Smithfield. But, if he had -had three times as much, he would have been always in debt, and -occasionally in difficulties. Besides being careless and extravagant in -his expenditure, he was generous to a fault. His pocket was at all times a -bank upon which friendship or distress might draw. One illustration of -this trait in his character I found in an old collection of anecdotes -published in 1787. Some parochial taxes for his house in Beaufort -Buildings, in the Strand, being unpaid, and repeated application for -payment having been made in vain, he was at last informed by the collector -that further procrastination would be productive of unpleasant -consequences. - -In this dilemma, Fielding, having no money, obtained ten or twelves -guineas of Tonson, on account of some literary work which he had then in -hand. He was returning to Beaufort Buildings, jingling his guineas, when -he met in the Strand an Eton chum, whom he had not seen for several years. -Question and answer followed quickly as the friends shook each other's -hands with beaming eyes, and then they adjourned to a tavern, where -Fielding ordered dinner, that they might talk over old times. Care was -given to the winds, and the hours flew on unthought of, as the showman and -his old schoolfellow partook of "the feast of reason, and the flow of -soul." Fielding's friend was "hard up," and the fact was no sooner -divulged than his purse received the greater part of the money for which -the future novelist had pledged sheets of manuscript as yet unwritten. - -It was past midnight when Fielding, raised by wine and friendship to the -seventh heaven, reached home. In reply to the questions of his sister, who -had anxiously awaited his coming, as to the cause of his long absence, he -related his felicitous meeting with his former chum. "But, Harry," said -Amelia, "the collector has called twice for the rates." Thus brought down -to earth again, Fielding looked grave; it was the first time he had -thought of the rates since leaving Tonson's shop, and he had spent at the -tavern all that he had not given to his friend. But his gravity was only -of a moment's duration. "Friendship," said he, "has called for the money, -and had it; let the collector call again." A second application to Tonson -enabled him, however, to satisfy the demands of the parish as well as -those of friendship. - -It was in this year that the Act for licensing plays was passed, the -occasion--perhaps I should say, the pretext--being the performance of -Fielding's burlesque, _Pasquin_. Ministers had had their eyes upon the -stage for some time, and it must be admitted that the political allusions -that were indulged in on the stage were strong, and often spiced with -personalities that would not be tolerated at the present day. It is -doubtful, however, whether the Act would have passed the House of Commons, -but for the folly of Giffard, manager of Goodman's Fields, and sometimes -of a booth in Bartholomew Fair. He had a burlesque offered him, called the -_Golden Princess_, so full of gross abuse of Parliament, the Privy -Council, and even the King, that, impelled by loyalty, and suspecting no -ulterior aims or sinister intention, he waited upon Sir Robert Walpole, -and laid before him the dreadful manuscript. The minister praised Giffard -for his loyalty, while he must have inwardly chuckled at the egregious -folly and mental short-sightedness that could be so easily led into such a -blunder. He purchased the manuscript, and made such effective use of it in -the House of Commons that Parliament was as completely gulled as Giffard -had been, and the Dramatic Licensing Bill became law. - -In the following year, Hallam appeared at Bartholomew Fair without a -partner, setting up his show over against the gate of the hospital, and -presenting a medley entertainment, comprising, as set forth in the bills, -"the surprising performances of M. Jano, M. Raynard, M. Baudouin, and -Mynheer Vander Huff. Also a variety of rope-dancers, tumblers, -posture-masters, balance-masters, and comic dancers; being a set of the -very best performers that way in Europe. The comic dances to be performed -by M. Jano, M. Baudouin, M. Peters, and Mr. Thompson; Madlle. De Frano, -Madlle. Le Roy, Mrs. Dancey, and Miss Dancey. To which will be added, the -Italian Shadows, performed by the best masters from Italy, which have not -been seen these twenty years. The whole to conclude with a grand ballet -dance, called _Le Badinage Champêtre_. With a complete band of music of -hautboys, violins, trumpets, and kettle-drums. All the decorations -entirely new. To begin every day at one o'clock, and continue till eleven -at night." Close to this booth was Yeates's, in which _The Lover his own -Rival_ was performed by wax figures, nearly as large as life, after which -Yeates's son performed some juggling feats, and a youth whose name does -not appear in the bills gave an acrobatic performance. - -In 1738, Hallam's booth occupied the former site of Fielding's, in George -Yard, the entertainment consisted of the operatic burlesque, _The Dragon -of Wantley_, performed by the Lilliputian company from Drury Lane. During -the filling of the booth a posturing performance was given by M. -Rapinese. "The passage to the booth," says the advertisements, "is -commodiously illuminated by several large moons and lanthorns, for the -conveniency of the company, and that persons of quality's coaches may -drive up the yard." Penkethman had this year a booth, where Hallam's had -stood the preceding year, and presented _The Man's Bewitched_ and _The -Country Wedding_. - -Hallam's booth attended Tottenham Court Fair this year, standing near the -turnpike, and presenting a new entertainment called _The Mad Lovers_. At -Southwark Fair Lee's theatrical booth stood on the bowling-green, and -presented _Merlin, the British Enchanter_, and _The Country Farmer_, -concluding with a mimic pageant representing the Lord Mayor's procession -in the old times. - -In 1739, Bartholomew Fair was extended to four days, and there was a -proportionately larger attendance of theatrical booths. Hallam's stood -over against the hospital gate, and presented the pantomime of _Harlequin -turned Philosopher_ and the farce of _The Sailor's Wedding_, with singing -and dancing. Hippisley, Chapman, and Legar had a booth in George Yard, -where they produced _The Top of the Tree_, in which a famous dog scene was -introduced, and the mythological pantomime of _Perseus and Andromeda_. -Bullock, who had made his last appearance at Covent Garden in the -preceding April, had the largest booth in the fair, and assumed the part -of Judge Balance in a new pantomimic entertainment called _The Escapes of -Harlequin by Sea and Land_, which was preceded by a variety of humorous -songs and dances. Phillips, a comedian from Drury Lane, joined Mrs. Lee -this year in a booth at the corner of Hosier Lane, where they presented a -medley entertainment, comprising the "grand scene" of _Cupid and Psyche_, -a scaramouch dance by Phillips and others (said to have been given, with -great applause, on forty successive nights, at the Opera, Paris), a -dialogue between Punch and Columbine, a scene of a drunken peasant by -Phillips, and a pantomimic entertainment called _Columbine Courtesan_, in -which the parts of Harlequin and Columbine were sustained by Phillips and -his wife. - -In 1740, Hallam, whose show stood opposite the hospital gate, presented -_The Rambling Lover_; and Yeates, whose booth was next to Hallam's, the -pantomime of _Orpheus and Eurydice_. The growing taste for pantomime, -which is sufficiently attested by the play-bills of the period, induced -Hippisley and Chapman, whose booth stood in George Yard, to present, -instead of a tragedy or comedy, a pantomime called _Harlequin Scapin_, in -which the popular embodiment of Molière's humour was adapted with success -to pantomimic requirements. Hippisley played Scapin, Chapman was Tim, and -Yates, who made his first appearance at Bartholomew Fair, Slyboots. After -the pantomime came singing and dancing by Oates, Yates, Mrs. Phillips, and -others, "particularly a new whimsical and diverting dance called the -Spanish Beauties." The performances concluded with a new musical -entertainment called _The Parting Lovers_. Fawkes and Pinchbeck also had a -theatrical booth this year in conjunction with a partner named Terwin. - -This year the fair was visited again by the Prince of Wales, of which -incident an account appeared many years afterwards in the 'New European -Magazine.' The shows were all in full blast and the crowd at its thickest, -when, says the narrator, "the multitude behind was impelled violently -forwards; a broad blaze of red light, issuing from a score of flambeaux, -streamed into the air; several voices were loudly shouting, 'room there -for Prince George! Make way for the Prince!' and there was that long sweep -heard to pass over the ground which indicates the approach of a grand and -ceremonious train. Presently the pressure became much greater, the voices -louder, the light stronger, and as the train came onward, it might be seen -that it consisted, firstly, of a party of the yeomen of the guard, -clearing the way; then several more of them bearing flambeaux, and -flanking the procession; while in the midst of all appeared a tall, fair, -and handsome young man, having something of a plump foreign visage, -seemingly about four and thirty, dressed in a ruby-coloured frock-coat, -very richly guarded with gold lace, and having his long flowing hair -curiously curled over his forehead and at the sides, and finished with a -very large bag and courtly queue behind. The air of dignity with which he -walked, the blue ribbon and star and garter with which he was decorated, -the small three-cornered silk court hat which he wore, whilst all around -him were uncovered; the numerous suite, as well of gentlemen as of guards, -which marshalled him along, the obsequious attention of a short stout -person, who, by his flourishing manner seemed to be a player,--all these -particulars indicated that the amiable Frederick, Prince of Wales, was -visiting Bartholomew Fair by torch-light, and that Manager Rich was -introducing his royal guest to all the entertainments of the place. - -"However strange this circumstance may appear to the present generation, -yet it is nevertheless strictly true; for about 1740, when the drolls in -Smithfield were extended to three weeks and a month, it was not -considered as derogatory to persons of the first rank and fashion to -partake in the broad humour and theatrical amusements of the place. It -should also be remembered, that many an eminent performer of the last -century unfolded his abilities in a booth; and that it was once considered -as an important and excellent preparation to their treading the boards of -a theatre royal." - -The narrator then proceeds to describe the duties of the leading actor in -a Bartholomew Fair theatre, from which account there is some deduction to -be made for the errors and exaggerations of a person writing long after -the times which he undertakes to describe, and who was not very careful in -his researches, as the statement that the fair then lasted three weeks or -a month sufficiently attests. The picture which he gives was evidently -drawn from his knowledge of the Richardsonian era, which he endeavoured to -make fit into the Bartholomew Fair experiences of the very different -showmen of the reign of George II. - -"I will," he says, assuming the character of an actor of the period he -describes, "as we say, take you behind the scenes. First, then, an actor -must sleep in the pit, and wake early to throw fresh sawdust into the -boxes; he must shake out the dresses, and wind up the motion-jacks; he -must teach the dull ones how to act, rout up the idlers from the straw, -and redeem those that happen to get into the watch-house. Then, sir, when -the fair begins, he should sometimes walk about the stage grandly, and -show his dress; sometimes he should dance with his fellows; sometimes he -should sing; sometimes he should blow the trumpet; sometimes he should -laugh and joke with the crowd, and give them a kind of a touch-and-go -speech, which keeps them merry, and makes them come in. Then, sir, he -should sometimes cover his state robe with a great coat, and go into the -crowd, and shout opposite his own booth, like a stranger who is struck -with its magnificence: by the way, sir, that's a good trick,--I never knew -it fail to make an audience; and then he has only to steal away, mount his -stage, and strut, and dance, and sing, and trumpet, and roar over again." - -Griffin and Harper drop out of the list of showmen at the London fairs in -this year. Griffin appeared at Drury Lane for the last time on the 12th of -February, and died soon afterwards, with the character of a worthy man and -an excellent actor. He made his first appearance at Lincoln's Inn Fields, -as Sterling in _The Perplexed Lovers_, in 1714. Harper, the jolly, -facetious low comedian, suffered an attack of paralysis towards the close -of 1739, and, though he survived till 1742, he never appeared again on -the stage. - -In the following year, Hippisley and Chapman presented _A Devil of a -Duke_; and Hallam relied for success upon _Fair Rosamond_. Lee and -Woodward, whose booth stood opposite the hospital gate, produced _Darius, -King of Persia_, "with the comical humours of Sir Andrew Aguecheek at the -siege of Babylon." Anachronisms of this kind were common at theatrical -booths in those days, when comic Englishmen of one type or another were -constantly introduced, without regard to the scene or the period of the -drama to be represented. Audiences were not sufficiently educated to be -critical in such matters, and managers could plead the example of -Shakspeare, who was then esteemed a greater authority than he is -considered to be at the present day. Yates made his first appearance as a -showman this year, in partnership with Turbutt, who set up a booth -opposite the King's Head, and produced a pantomime called _Thamas Kouli -Khan_, founded on recent news from the East. An epilogue, in the character -of a drunken English sailor, was spoken by Yates, of whom Churchill -wrote,-- - - "In characters of low and vulgar mould, - Where nature's coarsest features we behold - Where, destitute of every decent grace, - Unmanner'd jests are blurted in your face; - There Yates with justice strict attention draws, - Acts truly from himself, and gains applause." - -There was a second and smaller booth in the name of Hallam, in which -tumbling and rope-dancing were performed; but whether belonging to the -actor or to another showman of the same name is uncertain. Fawkes and -Pinchbeck exhibited the latter's model of the Siege of Carthagena, with -which a comic dramatic performance was combined. - -The office of Master of the Revels was held at this time by Heidegger, a -native of Zurich, who was also manager of the Italian Opera. He was one of -the most singular characters of the time, and as remarkable for his -personal ugliness as for the eccentricity of his manners. The profanity of -his language was less notable in that age than his candour. Supping on one -occasion with a party of gentlemen of rank, the comparative ingenuity of -different nations became the theme of conversation, when the first place -was claimed by Heidegger for his compatriots. - -"I am myself a proof of what I assert," said he. "I was born a Swiss, and -came to England without a farthing, where I have found means to gain five -thousand a year and to spend it. Now, I defy the most able Englishman to -go to Switzerland and either to gain that income, or to spend it there." - -He was never averse to a joke upon his own ugliness, and once made a wager -with Lord Chesterfield that the latter would not be able, within a certain -given time, to produce a more ugly man in all London. The time elapsed; -and Heidegger won the wager. Yet he could never be persuaded to have his -portrait painted, even though requested by the King, and urged by all his -friends to comply with the royal wish. The facetious Duke of Montagu, the -concoctor of the memorable bottle-conjuror hoax at the Haymarket, had -recourse to stratagem to obtain Heidegger's likeness, which afterwards -gave rise to a laughable adventure. He gave a dinner at the Devil Tavern, -near Temple Bar, to several of his friends and acquaintances, selecting -those whom he knew to be the least accessible to the effects of wine, and -the most likely to indulge in vinous conviviality. Heidegger was one of -the guests, and, in a few hours after dinner, became so very much -inebriated that he was carried out of the room in a state of -insensibility, and laid upon a bed. - -An artist in wax, a daughter of the famous Mrs. Salmon, was ready to play -her part in the plot, and quickly made a mould of Heidegger's face in -plaster. From this a mask was made; and all that remained to be done was -to learn from his valet what clothes he would wear on a certain night, and -procure a similar suit and a man of the same stature. All this the Duke -accomplished before a masked ball took place, at which the King had -promised to be present, and the band of the Opera House was to play in a -gallery. The night came; and as the King entered, accompanied by the -Countess of Yarmouth, Heidegger directed the band to play the national -anthem. He had scarcely turned his back, however, when the counterfeit -Heidegger told them to play "Charlie over the water." - -Consternation fell upon all the assembly at the sound of the treasonable -strains; everybody looked at everybody else, wondering what the playing of -a Jacobite air in the presence of the King might presage. Heidegger ran to -the orchestra, and swore, stamped, and raved, accusing the musicians of -being drunk, or of being bribed by some secret enemy to bring about his -ruin. The treasonable melody ceased, and the loyal strains of the national -anthem saluted the royal ears. Heidegger had no sooner left the room, -however, than his double stepped forward, and standing before the -music-gallery, swore at the musicians as Heidegger had done, imitating -his voice, and again directed them to play "Charlie over the water." The -musicians, knowing his eccentricity, and likewise his addiction to -inebriety, shrugged their shoulders, and obeyed. Some officers of the -Guards resented the affront to the King by attempting to ascend to the -gallery for the purpose of kicking the musicians out; but the Duke of -Cumberland, who, as well as the King and his fair companion, was in the -plot, interposed and calmed them. - -The company were thrown into confusion, however, and cries of "shame! -shame!" arose on every side. Heidegger, bursting with rage, again rushed -in, and began to rave and swear at the musicians. The music ceased; and -the Duke of Montagu persuaded Heidegger to go to the King, and make an -apology for the band, representing that His Majesty was very angry. The -counterfeit Heidegger immediately took the same course, and, as soon as -Heidegger had made the best apology his agitation would permit, the former -stepped to his side and said, "Indeed, sire, it was not my fault, but that -devil's in my likeness." Heidegger faced about, pale and speechless, -staring with widely dilated eyes at his double. The Duke of Montagu then -told the latter to take off his mask, and the frolic ended; but Heidegger -swore that he would never attend any public entertainment again, unless -that witch, the wax-work woman, broke the mould and melted the mask before -him. - -In 1742, the first place in Bartholomew Fair was again held, but for the -last time, by Hippisley and Chapman, who revived the ever-popular Scapin -in what they called "the most humorous and diverting droll, called -_Scaramouch Scapin_ or the _Old Miser caught in a Sack_," the managers -playing the same characters as in 1740. Hallam had made his last -appearance at the fair in the preceding year, and his booth was now held -by Turbutt and Yates, who set it up opposite the hospital gate, and -produced _The Loves of King Edward IV. and Jane Shore_. Yates personated -Sir Anthony Lackbrains, Turbutt was Captain Blunderbuss, and Mrs. Yates, -Flora. A new aspirant to public favour appeared in Goodwin, whose booth -stood opposite the White Hart, near Cow Lane, and presented a three act -comedy, called _The Intriguing Footman_, followed by a pantomimic -entertainment "between a soldier, a sailor, a tinker, a tailor, and Buxom -Joan of Deptford." Fawkes and Pinchbeck announced that "Punch's celebrated -company of comical tragedians from the Haymarket," would perform _The -Tragedy of Tragedies_, "being the most comical and whimsical tragedy that -was ever tragedized by any tragical company of comedians, called _The -Humours of Covent Garden_, by Henry Fielding, Esq." - -In 1743, the erection of theatrical booths in Smithfield was prohibited by -a resolution of the Court of Aldermen, and the interdict was repeated in -the following year. The prohibition did not extend to Southwark Fair, -however, though held by the Corporation; for Yates was there in the former -year, with a strong company from the theatres royal playing _Love for -Love_, with Woodward as Tattle, Macklin as Ben, Arthur as Foresight, Mrs. -Yates as Mrs. Frail, and Miss Bradshaw as Miss Prue. The after-piece was -_The Lying Valet_, in which Yates appeared as Sharp, and his wife as Kitty -Pry. - -It was in 1744 that the famous Turkish wire-walker appeared at Bartholomew -Fair, where he performed without a balancing-pole, at the height of -thirty-five feet. He juggled while on the wire with what were supposed to -be oranges; but this feat lost much of its marvellousness on his dropping -one of them, which revealed by the sound that it was a painted ball of -lead. He had formidable rivals in the celebrated Violantes, man and wife, -the latter of whom far exceeded in skill and daring the famous Dutch woman -of the latter years of the seventeenth century. These Italian _artistes_, -like the Turk, performed at a considerable height, which, while it does -not require greater skill, gives the performance a much more sensational -character. - -Violante is the slack-rope performer introduced by Hogarth in his picture -of Southwark Fair. The following feat is recorded of the _artiste_ by -Malcolm, in his 'Londinium Redivivus,' in connection with the building of -the church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields:--"Soon after the completion of the -steeple, an adventurous Italian, named Violante, descended from the -arches, head foremost, on a rope stretched across St. Martin's Lane to the -Royal Mews; the princesses being present, and many eminent persons." -Hogarth has introduced, in the background of his picture, another -performer of this feat, namely, Cadman, who lost his life in 1740 in an -attempt to descend from a church steeple in Shrewsbury. The epitaph on his -gravestone sets forth the circumstances of the catastrophe as follows:-- - - "Let this small monument record the name - Of Cadman, and to future times proclaim - Here, by an attempt to fly from this high spire, - Across the Sabrine stream, he did acquire - His fatal end. 'Twas not for want of skill, - Or courage to perform the task, he fell: - No, no--a faulty cord, being drawn too tight, - Hurried his soul on high to take her flight, - Which bid the body here beneath good night." - -The fairs of London were in the zenith of their fame during the period -embraced in this chapter. During the second quarter of the eighteenth -century, they were resorted to by all classes of the people, even by -royalty; and the theatrical booths by which they were attended boasted the -best talent in the profession. They were not only regarded as the -nurseries of histrionic ability, as the provincial theatres afterwards -came to be regarded, but witnessed the efforts to please of the best -actors of the London theatres, when in the noon of their success and -popularity. Cibber, Quin, Macklin, Woodward, Shuter, did not disdain to -appear before a Bartholomew Fair audience, nor Fielding to furnish them -with the early gushings of his humour. The inimitable Hogarth made the -light of his peculiar genius shine upon them, and the memories of the old -showmen are preserved in more than one of his pictures. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - - A new Race of Showmen--Yeates, the Conjuror--The Turkish - Rope-Walker--Pan and the Oronutu Savage--The Corsican Fairy--Perry's - Menagerie--The Riobiscay and the Double Cow--A Mermaid at the - Fairs--Garrick at Bartholomew Fair--Yates's Theatrical Booth--Dwarfs - and Giants--The Female Samson--Riots at Bartholomew Fair--Ballard's - Animal Comedians--Evans, the Wire-Walker--Southwark Fair--Wax-work - Show--Shuter, the Comedian--Bisset, the Animal Trainer--Powell, the - Fire-Eater--Roger Smith, the Bell-Player--Suppression of Southwark - Fair. - - -The limitation of Bartholomew Fair to three days, and the interdiction of -theatrical booths in two successive years, was a serious blow, regarding -the matter from the professional point of view, to the interests of the -fair. Though actors worked hard during the twelve or eighteen days of the -fair, they earned higher salaries during that time than they would have -received at the theatres, and looked forward to Bartholomew-tide as the -labourer to harvest. Though the theatres remained open during the fair -when theatrical booths and puppet-shows were interdicted by the Court of -Aldermen, actors missed their extra earnings, and managers found their -receipts considerably diminished. In these we have only a passing -interest; but the glory of the fairs began to wane when the great actors -ceased to appear on the boards of the canvas theatres, for the nobility -and gentry withdrew their patronage when the luminaries of Drury Lane and -Covent Garden were no longer to be seen, and fairs began to be voted low -by persons of rank and fashion. - -The removal of the interdict on theatrical booths had little or no effect -in arresting the progress of the decadence which had commenced; for the -three days to which Bartholomew Fair remained limited did not afford to -actors engaged at the London theatres, opportunities for earning money -sufficient to induce them to set up a portable theatre, which, except for -Southwark Fair, they could not use again until the following year. The -case was very different when the fair lasted two or three weeks, and the -theatres were closed during the time; but when its duration was contracted -to three days, the attendance of a theatrical company could be made -remunerative only for inferior _artistes_ who strolled all through the -year from one fair to another. - -Towards the middle of the last century, therefore, a new race of showmen -came prominently before the visitors to the London fairs, and two or three -only of the names familiar to fair audiences afterwards re-appeared in the -bills of the temporary theatres. Even these had, with the exception of -Mrs. Lee, come into notice only since the fair, by being limited to three -days, had lost its attractiveness for actors of the theatres royal. The -site made famous by Fielding was occupied in 1746 by a new manager, -Hussey, who presented a drama of Shakspeare's (without announcing the -title), sandwich-like, between the two parts of a vocal and instrumental -concert, concluding the entertainment with a pantomime called _The Schemes -of Harlequin_, in which Rayner was Harlequin, and his daughter, who did a -tight-rope performance, probably Columbine. Rayner was an acrobat at -Sadler's Wells, where his daughter danced on the tight rope. The pantomime -concluded with a chorus in praise of the Duke of Cumberland, whose victory -at Culloden in the preceding year had finally crushed the hopes of the -disaffected Jacobites. - -The younger Yeates joined Mrs. Lee in a theatrical booth facing the -hospital gate, where they presented _Love in a Labyrinth_, a musical -entertainment called _Harlequin Invader_, and "stiff and slack -rope-dancing by the famous Dutch woman." This can scarcely be the woman -who did such wonders on the rope about the time of the Revolution, though -Madame Saqui performed on the rope at a very advanced age; she may have -been the same, for she does not appear again, but, considering that she is -spoken of as a woman at the time of her first appearance in England, it is -more probable that the rope-dancer of Mrs. Lee's booth was another Dutch -woman, perhaps a daughter of the elder and more famous performer. - -Adjoining Mrs. Lee's booth was one of which Warner and Fawkes were the -proprietors, and in which a drama called _The Happy Hero_ was performed, -followed by a musical entertainment called _Harlequin Incendiary_, in -which the parts of Harlequin and Columbine were sustained by a couple -named Cushing, who afterwards appeared at Covent Garden. Warner personated -Clodpole, a humorous rustic. Not to be outdone in loyalty by Hussey, he -concluded the performance by singing a song in praise of the victor of -Culloden. - -Entertainers are, as a class, loyal, under whatever dynasty or form of -government they live, providing that it does not interfere with the -exercise of their profession; and in this instance their sympathies -accorded with the popular political creed. - -In the following year, Hussey's booth again stood in George Yard, and -presented _Tamerlane the Great_, with singing and "several curious -equilibres on the slack rope by Mahomet Achmed Vizaro Mussulmo, a Turk -just arrived from Constantinople, who not only balances without a pole, -but also plays a variety of excellent airs on the violin when on the slack -rope, which none can perform in England but himself." Though said to have -just arrived from Constantinople, this Turk was probably the same that had -performed at Bartholomew Fair three years previously. - -Warner disconnected himself from Fawkes this year, and joined Yeates and -Mrs. Lee, whose booth stood in the same position as before, presenting the -_Siege of Troy_, and an entertainment of singing and dancing. Adjoining it -stood a new show, owned by Godwin and Reynolds, with "a curious collection -of wax-work figures, being the richest and most beautiful in England;" and -a panoramic view of the world, "particularly an accurate and beautiful -prospect of Bergen-op-Zoom, together with its fortifications and adjacent -forts, and an exact representation of the French besieging it, and the -Dutch defending it from their batteries, etc." The movements of this -exhibition were effected by clock-work. Opposite the Greyhound was another -new venture, Chettle's, in which a pantomimic entertainment called -_Frolicsome Lasses_ was presented, with singing and dancing between the -acts, and a display of fireworks at the end. - -The only theatrical booth at Southwark Fair this year seems to have been -Mrs. Lee's, in which the entertainments were the same as at Bartholomew -Fair. In Mermaid Lane was exhibited "the strange and wonderful monstrous -production of Nature, a sea-elephant head, having forty-six teeth, some of -them ten inches long, fluted, and turning up like a ram's horn." - -The shows increased in number and variety, though the theatrical booths -could no longer boast of the great names of former years. George Yard was -occupied in 1748 by a new theatre, owned by Bridges, Cross, Barton, and -Vaughan, from the theatres royal, who availed of the interest created by -recent events to present a new historical drama called _The Northern -Heroes_, followed by dancing and a farce called _The Volunteers_, founded -on the 'Adventures of Roderick Random.' Smollett was now running Fielding -hard in the race of fame, and the new managers were keen in turning his -popularity to account for their own interests. This booth was the most -important one in the fair, and the charge for admission ranged from -sixpence to half-a-crown. - -Hussey's booth, at which the prices ranged from sixpence to two shillings, -stood opposite the gate of the hospital. The entertainments consisted of -the comedy of _The Constant Quaker_, singing and dancing, including "a new -dance called Punch's Maggot, or Foote's Vagaries," and a pantomime called -_Harlequin's Frolics_. - -In Lee and Yeates's booth, opposite the Greyhound, _The Unnatural Parents_ -was revived, "shewing the manner of her (the heroine) being forced to -wander from home by the cruelty of her parents, and beg her bread; and -being weary, fell into a slumber, in a grove, where a goddess appears to -her, and directs her to a nobleman's house; how she was there taken in as -a servant, and at length, for her beauty and modest behaviour, married to -a gentleman of great fortune, with her return to her parents, and their -happy reconciliation. Also the comical humours and adventures of Trusty, -her father's man, and the three witches." Then follow the _dramatis -personæ_, which show a strong company. "With the original dance performed -by three wild cats of the wood. With dancing between the acts by Mr. -Adams and Mrs. Ogden. A good band of music is provided, consisting of -kettle-drums, trumpets, French horns, hautboys, violins, etc. To begin -each day at twelve o'clock. The scenes and clothes are entirely new, and -the droll the same that was performed by Mrs. Lee fifteen years ago, with -great applause." - -Near Cow Lane stood another new theatrical booth, that of Cousins and -Reynolds, at which the charges for admission ranged from threepence to a -shilling. Here the romantic drama of _The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green_ -was presented, with dancing between the acts, an exhibition of life-size -wax figures, representing the Court of Maria Theresa, and the performance -of the Italian sword-dancers, "who have had the honour of performing -before the Prince of Wales, with great applause." - -Among the minor shows was one at "the first house on the pavement, from -the end of Hosier Lane," where the sights to be seen were a camel, a -hyæna, a panther, "the wonderful and surprising satyr, call'd by Latin -authors, Pan," and a "young Oronutu savage." On the pavement, at the end -of Cow Lane, was a smaller show, the charge for admission to which was -threepence, consisting of a large hog, said to weigh a hundred and twenty -stones, and announced as "the greatest prodigy in Nature;" and an -"amazing little dwarf, being the smallest man in the world." - -Bartholomew Fair was visited this year for the first time by the female -dwarf who obtained such wide-spread celebrity as the Corsican Fairy. It -will be seen from the following copy of the bill issued by her exhibitors -that she was not shown in a booth, but in a room hired for the purpose:-- - - "To the Nobility and Gentry, and to all who are Admirers of the - Extraordinary Productions of Nature. - - "There is to be seen in a commodious Apartment, at the Corner of Cow - Lane, facing the Sheep-Pens, West Smithfield, During the short time of - Bartholomew Fair, - - MARIA TERESIA, - - the Amazing CORSICAN FAIRY, who has had the Honour of being shown - three Times before their Majesties. - - "[Pointing Hand] She was exhibited in Cockspur Street, Haymarket, at - two shillings and sixpence each Person; but that Persons of every - Degree may have a Sight of so extraordinary a Curiosity, she will be - shown to the Gentry at sixpence each, and to Working People, Servants, - and Children at Threepence, during this Fair. - - "This most astonishing Part of the Human Species was born in the - Island of Corsica, on the Mountain of Stata Ota, in the year 1743. She - is only thirty-four Inches high, weighs but twenty-six Pounds, and a - Child of two Years of Age has larger Hands and Feet. Her surprising - Littleness makes a strong Impression at first Sight on the Spectator's - Mind. Nothing disagreeable, either in Person or Conversation, is to be - found in her; although most of Nature's Productions, in Miniature, are - generally so in both. Her Form affords a pleasing Surprise, her Limbs - are exceedingly well proportioned, her admirable Symmetry engages the - attention; and, upon the whole, is acknowledged a perfect Beauty. She - is possessed of a great deal of Vivacity of Spirit; can speak Italian - and French, and gives the inquisitive Mind an agreeable Entertainment. - In short, she is the most extraordinary Curiosity ever known, or ever - heard of in History; and the Curious, in all countries where she has - been shown, pronounce her the finest Display of Human Nature, in - Miniature, they ever saw. - - "[Asterism] She is to be seen by any Number of Persons, from Ten in - the Morning till Nine at Night." - -Hussey's theatrical booth attended Southwark Fair, where it stood on the -bowling-green, the entertainments being the same as in Smithfield. Lee -and Yeates can scarcely have been absent from a scene with which the -former had been so long and intimately associated. Yeates took a benefit -this year at the New Wells, near the London Spa, Clerkenwell, where a -concert was followed by a performance of the _Beggar's Opera_, with the -_bénéficiaire_ as Macheath and his wife as Polly, and the farce of _Miss -in her Teens_, in which the part of Captain Flash was sustained by the -former, and that of Miss Biddy by his wife. The place was probably -unlicensed for theatrical performances, as the dramatic portion of the -entertainment was announced to be free to holders of tickets for the -concert. - -Tottenham Court Fair was continued this year for fourteen days, but does -not appear to have been attended by any of the shows which contributed so -much to the attractiveness of the fairs of Smithfield and Southwark Green. -The only advertisement of the entertainments which I have been able to -find mentions a "great theatrical booth," but it was devoted on the day to -which the announcement relates to wrestling and single-stick playing. As a -relic of a bygone time, it is curious enough to merit preservation:-- - -"For the entertainment of all lovers and encouragers of the sword in its -different uses, and for the benefit of Daniel French, at the great -theatrical booth at Tottenham Court, on Monday the 14th instant, will be -revived a country wake. Three men of Gloucestershire to play at -single-stick against three from any part, for a laced hat, value fifteen -shillings, or half a guinea in gold; he that breaks most heads fairly in -three bouts, and saves his own, to have the prize; half-a-crown for every -man breaking a head fairly, besides stage-money. That gentlemen may not be -disappointed, every gamester designing to engage is desired to enter his -name and place of abode with Mr. Fuller, at the King's Head, next the -booth, before the day of sport, or he will not be admitted to play, and to -meet by eight in the morning to breakfast and settle the play for the -afternoon. Money will be given for the encouragement of wrestling, sword -and dagger, and other diversions usual on the stage, besides stage-money. -That no time may be lost, while two are taking breath, two fresh men shall -engage. The doors to be opened at twelve o'clock, and the sport to begin -precisely at three in the afternoon. Note, there will be variety of -singing and dancing for prizes, as will be expressed in the bills and -papers of the day. Hob, clerk of the revel." - -Newspapers of this year contain advertisements of several shows which -probably visited the London Fairs, where they were sufficiently announced -by their pictures. There are no fewer than three menageries, all on a -small scale. The best seems to have been Perry's, advertised as -follows:--"This is to give notice to all Gentlemen, Ladies, and others, -that Mr. Perry's Grand Collection of Living Wild Beasts is come to the -White Horse Inn, Fleet Street, consisting of a large he-lion, a he-tiger, -a leopard, a panther, two hyenas, a civet cat, a jackall, or lion's -provider, and several other rarities too tedious to mention. To be seen at -any time of the day, without any loss of time. Note.--This is the only -tiger in England, that baited being only a common leopard." The note -alludes to a recent baiting of a leopard by dogs, the animal so abused -being described in the announcements of the combat as a tiger. - -The second menagerie under notice was advertised as follows:-- - -"To be seen, at the Flying Horse, near the London workhouse, Bishopsgate -Street, from eight in the morning till nine at night, the largest -collection of living wild creatures ever seen in Europe. 1. A beautiful -large he-tiger, brought from Bengal by Captain Webster, in the Ann. He is -very tame, and vastly admired. 2. A beautiful young leopard, from Turkey. -3. A civet cat, from Guinea. 4. A young man-tiger, from Angola. 5. A -wonderful hyæna, from the coast of Guinea. 6. A right man-tiger, brought -from Angola by Captain D'Abbadie, in the Portfield Indiaman. This is a -very curious creature, and the only one that has been seen in England for -several years. It comes the nearest to human nature of any animal in the -world. With several others too tedious to mention." Perry seems to have -been in error in announcing that he had the only tiger in England; though -the one exhibited at the Flying Horse may have been a more recent -importation. The "man-tigers" of the latter collection were probably -gorillas, though those animals seem to have been lost sight of -subsequently until attention was recalled to them by M. Du Chaillu. - -The third collection was advertised as follows:-- - -"To be seen, at the White Swan, near the Bull and Gate, Holborn, a -collection of the most curious living wild creatures just arrived from -different parts of the world. 1. A large and beautiful young camel from -Grand Cairo, in Egypt, near eight feet high, though not two years old, and -drinks water but once in sixteen days. 2. A surprising hyæna, from the -coast of Guinea. 3. A beautiful he-panther, from Buenos Ayres, in the -Spanish West Indies. 4. A young Riobiscay, from Russia: and several other -creatures, too tedious to mention. Likewise a travelling post-chaise from -Switzerland, which, without horses, keeps its stage for upwards of fifty -miles a day, without danger to the rider. Attendance from eight in the -morning till eight at night." What the riobiscay was is now beyond -conjecture; but the panther from Buenos Ayres was, of course, a jaguar, -the panther being limited to the eastern hemisphere. This collection was -exhibited in Holbom early in the year, and removed at Easter to the Rose -and Crown, near the gates of Greenwich Park. - -There was a bovine monstrosity shown this year as a "double cow," probably -at the fairs, as the following paragraph, extracted from a newspaper of -the time, refers to a second locality:-- - -"As we are well assured that that most wonderful living curiosity, the -double cow, has given uncommon satisfaction to the several learned bodies -by whom it has hitherto been seen, we hope the following account and -description of it will not be disagreeable to our readers. This wonderful -prodigy was bred at Cookfield in Sussex, being one entire beautiful cow, -from the middle of whose back issues the following parts of the other cow, -viz., a leg with the blade-bone quite perfect, and about two feet long; -the gullet, bowels, teats, and udder, from which udder, as well as from -the udder of the perfect cow, it gives milk in great plenty, though more -than a yard asunder; and what is very extraordinary, and has astonished -the most curious observers, is the discontinuation of the back-bone about -sixteen inches from the shoulder. This wonderful beast is so healthy as to -travel twenty miles a day, is extremely gentle, and by all the gentlemen -and ladies who have already seen it is thought as agreeable as -astonishing. It is now shewn in a commodious room, facing Craigg's Court, -Charing Cross, at one shilling each person." - -There was also exhibited at the Heath Cock, Charing Cross, "a surprising -young Mermaid, taken on the coast of Aquapulca, which, though the -generality of mankind think there is no such thing, has been seen by the -curious, who express their utmost satisfaction at so uncommon a creature, -being half like a woman, and half like a fish, and is allowed to be the -greatest curiosity ever exposed to the public view." - -In 1749, there was again a large muster of shows on the ancient arena of -West Smithfield. Yates re-appeared as a theatrical manager, and in some -measure restored the former repute of the fair, Oates and Miss Hippisley -being members of his company. His booth stood in George Yard, where he -played Gormandize Simple, while Oates personated Jupiter and Miss -Hippisley the wanton chambermaid, Dorothy Squeezepurse, in "a New, -Pleasant, and Diverting Droll, call'd the DESCENT of the HEATHEN GODS, -with the LOVES of JUPITER and ALCMENA; or, Cuckoldom no Scandal. -Interspersed with several Diverting Scenes, both Satyrical and Comical, -particularly the Surprising Metamorphosis of _Jupiter_ and _Mercury_; the -very remarkable Tryal before _Judge Puzzlecause_, with many Learned -Arguments on both sides, to prove that One can't be Two. Likewise the -Adventures and whimsical Perplexities of _Gormandize Simple_ the Hungarian -Footman; with the wonderful Conversation he had with, and the dreadful -Drubbing he received from, _His Own Apparition_; together with the -Intrigues of _Dorothy Squeezepurse_ the Wanton Chambermaid." - -Opposite the George stood the theatrical booth of the elder Yeates, who -had been absent from the fair for a few years, and whom Mr. Henry Morley -confounds with his son, now in partnership with Warner and Mrs. Lee. He -produced _The Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green_, with singing and dancing -between the acts, and the pantomime of _The Amours of Harlequin_. Cross -and Bridges, whose booth stood opposite the gate of the hospital, produced -a new drama, called _The Fair Lunatic_, "founded on a story in real life, -as related in the memoirs of the celebrated Mrs. Constantia Phillips," -with dancing by Master Matthews and Mrs. Annesley. Next to this booth -stood that of Lee, Yeates, and Warner, in which was revived the "true and -ancient history of _Whittington_, Lord Mayor of London," as performed in -Lee's booth fourteen years before, with singing and dancing between the -acts. Cushing whom we have seen playing Harlequin three years before in -Warner and Fawkes's booth, but who was now performing at Covent Garden, -set up a booth opposite the King's Head, and produced _King John_, the -part of Lady Constance being sustained by Miss Yates, a Drury Lane -actress, while Cushing's wife personated Prince Arthur, and the manager -the mirth-provoking Sir Lubberly Lackbrains. - -At a house in Hosier Lane (No. 20), a performing Arabian pony was -exhibited. There were also shows in the fair, which did not advertise, and -the memory of which has, in consequence, not been preserved. Of one, owned -by a person named Phillips, the only record is a very brief newspaper -report of a fatal accident, occasioned by the breaking down of the -gallery, by which four persons were killed, and several others severely -injured. - -Garrick, who had married the dancer Violette two months previously, took -his bride to Bartholomew Fair, where they visited the theatrical booth of -Yates, which was the best in the fair. He was one of the few great actors -of the period who had not performed in the fair; and was probably impelled -by curiosity, rather than by the expectation of seeing good acting, though -it was not many years since he had made his first appearance on any stage -at Goodman's Fields, playing Harlequin at a moment's notice when Yates was -seized with a sudden indisposition as he was about to go on the stage. The -crowd pressing upon his wife and himself very unpleasantly as he -approached the portable theatre, he called out to Palmer, the Drury Lane -bill-sticker, who was acting as money-taker at the booth, to protect them. -"I can't help you here, sir," said Palmer, shaking his head. "There aren't -many people in Smithfield as knows Mr. Garrick." - -It was probably not at Yates's booth, but at one of much inferior grade, -that the money-taker rejected Garrick's offer to pay for admission, with -the remark, "We never take money of one another." The story would be -pointless if the incident occurred at any booth in which dramatic -performances were given by comedians from the principal London theatres. - -We now approach a period when a new series of strenuous efforts for the -suppression of the London fairs was commenced by persons who would -willingly have suppressed amusements of every kind, and were aided in -their endeavours by persons who had merely a selfish interest in the -matter. In the summer of 1750, a numerously signed petition of graziers, -cattle salesmen, and inhabitants of Smithfield was presented to the Court -of Aldermen, praying for the suppression of Bartholomew Fair, on the -ground that it annoyed them in their occupations, and afforded -opportunities for debauchery and riot. The annual Lord Mayor's procession -might have been objected to on the same grounds, and the civic authorities -well knew that the riots which had sometimes occurred in the fair had been -occasioned by their own acts, in the execution of their edicts for the -exclusion of puppet-shows and theatrical booths. Their action to this end -was generally taken so tardily that booths were put up before the -proprietors received notice of the intention of the Court of Aldermen to -exclude them; and then the tardiness of the owners in taking them down, -and the sudden zeal of the constables, produced quarrels and fights, in -which the bystanders invariably took the part of the showmen. - -The revenues which the Corporation derived from rents and tolls during the -fair constituted an element of the question which could not be -overlooked, and which kept it in a state of oscillation from year to -year. The civic authorities would have been willing enough to suppress the -fair, if the question of finance had not been involved. If the fair was -abolished, some other source of revenue would have to be found. So they -compounded with their belief that the fair was a fount of disorder and -immorality by again limiting its duration to three days, and excluding -theatrical booths and puppet-shows, while abstaining from interference -with the gambling-tables and the gin-stalls. - -Giants and dwarfs, and learned pigs and performing ponies had now the fair -to themselves, though their showmen probably took less money than they did -when the theatrical booths and puppet-shows attracted larger numbers of -people. Henry Blacker, a native of Cuckfield, in Sussex, twenty-seven -years of age, and seven feet four inches in height, exhibited himself at -the Swan, in Smithfield, during the three days to which the fair was -restricted in 1751. The principal show seems to have been one containing -two dwarfs, a remarkable negro, a female one-horned rhinoceros, and a -crocodile, said to have been the first ever seen alive in this country. -The more famous of the two dwarfs was John Coan, a native of Norfolk, who -at this time was twenty-three years of age, and only three feet two -inches in height, and of thirty-four pounds weight. His fellow pigmy was a -Welsh lad, fourteen years of age, two feet six inches in height, and -weighed only twelve pounds. The negro could throw back his clasped hands -over his head and bring them under his feet, backward and forward; and was -probably "the famous negro who swings his arms about in every direction," -mentioned in the 'Adventurer.' - -The exclusion of the theatrical booths and puppet-shows from the fair -produced, in the following year, a serious disturbance in Smithfield, in -the suppression of which Birch, the deputy-marshal of the City, received -injuries which proved fatal. This resistance to their edict did not, -however, deter the civic authorities from applying the same rule to -Southwark Fair, which was this year limited to three days, and diminished -of its attractions by the exclusion of theatrical booths and puppet-shows. -The principal shows were Yeates's, which stood in George Yard, and -consisted of an exhibition of wax figures, the conjuring tricks of young -Yeates, and the feats on the slack wire of a performer named Steward; and -the female Samson's, an Italian woman, who exhibited feats of strength in -a booth opposite the Greyhound, similar to those of the French woman seen -by Carter at May Fair, with the addition of supporting six men while -resting on two chairs only by the head and heels. - -Towards the close of this year a man named Ballard brought from Italy a -company of performing dogs and monkeys, and exhibited them as a -supplementary attraction to the musical entertainments then given at a -place in the Haymarket, called Mrs. Midnight's Oratory. The Animal -Comedians, as they were called, became famous enough to furnish the theme -of an 'Adventurer.' The author states that the repeated encomiums on their -performances induced him to be present one evening at the entertainment, -when he "was astonished at the sagacity of the monkies; and was no less -amazed at the activity of the other quadrupeds--I should have rather said, -from a view of their extraordinary elevations, bipeds. - -"It is a peculiar happiness to me as an Adventurer," he continues, "that I -sally forth in an age which emulates those heroick times of old, when -nothing was pleasing but what was unnatural. Thousands have gaped at a -wire-dancer daring to do what no one else would attempt; and thousands -still gape at greater extravagances in pantomime entertainments. Every -street teems with incredibilities; and if the great mob have their little -theatre in the Haymarket, the small vulgar can boast their cheaper -diversion in two enormous bears, that jauntily trip it to the light tune -of a Caledonian jig. - -"That the intellectual faculties of brutes may be exerted beyond the -narrow limits which we have hitherto assigned to their capacities, I saw a -sufficient proof in Mrs. Midnight's dogs and monkies. Man differs less -from beasts in general, than these seem to approach man in rationality. -But while I applaud their exalted genius, I am in pain for the rest of -their kindred, both of the canine and cercopithecan species." The writer -then proceeds to comment humorously upon the mania which the exhibition -had created for teaching dogs and monkeys to perform the tricks for which -the Animal Comedians were famous. "Every boarding-house romp and wanton -school-boy," he says, "is employed in perverting the end of the canine -creation." - -The contributor of this paper seems to have had a familiar acquaintance -with the shows attending the London fairs, for it was he, whoever he was, -who wrote the third number of the 'Adventurer,' in which, giving the -details of a scheme for a pantomime, he says that he has "not only -ransacked the fairs of Bartholomew and Southwark, but picked up every -uncommon animal, every prodigy of nature, and every surprising performer, -that has lately appeared within the bills of mortality." He proceeds to -enumerate them, and to assign parts in his intended entertainment for "the -Modern Colossus," "all the wonderful tall men and women that have been -lately exhibited in this town," "the Female Sampson," "the famous negro -who swings his arms about in every direction," "the noted ox, with six -legs and two bellies," "the beautiful panther mare," "the noted -fire-eater, smoking out of red-hot tobacco pipes, champing lighted -brimstone, and swallowing his infernal mess of broth," "the most amazing -new English _Chien Savant_," "the little woman that weighs no more than -twenty-three pounds," "the wonderful little Norfolk man," "the fellow with -Stentorian lungs, who can break glasses and shatter window-panes with the -loudness of his vociferation," and "the wonderful man who talks in his -belly, and can fling his voice into any part of a room." Incidentally he -mentions also "the so much applauded stupendous ostrich," "the sorcerer's -great gelding," "the wire dancer," and dancing bears. - -The showmen's bills and advertisements of the period enable us to identify -most of the wonders enumerated by this writer. The female Samson and the -wire-walker had been seen that year in the fairs, the famous negro and -the Norfolk dwarf the year before, and the Corsican fairy and the double -cow in 1748. The fire-eater was probably Powell, though I have seen no -advertisement of that human salamander earlier than 1760. - -The Bartholomew Fair riot was repeated in 1753, when Buck, the successor -of the unfortunate Birch, was very roughly handled by the rioters, and -severely bruised. This tumult was followed by an accident to a -wire-walker, named Evans, who, by the breaking of his wire, was -precipitated to the ground, breaking one of his thighs and receiving other -injuries. This was the year of the demonstration against the claim of the -Corporation to levy tolls upon the goods of citizens, as well as upon -those of strangers, during the time of Bartholomew Fair. Richard Holland, -a leather-seller in Newgate Street, had, in the preceding year, refused -the toll demanded on a roll of leather with which he had attempted to -enter the fair, and, on the leather being seized by the collector, had -called a constable, and charged the impounder with theft. The squabble -resulted in an action against the Corporation, which was not tried, -however, till 1754, when the judge pronounced in favour of the citizens. - -While the action was pending, Holland's cart was driven through the fair -with a load of hay, and was not stopped by the collector of the tolls, -who had, probably, been instructed to hold his hand until the matter was -determined. The horses' heads were decorated with ribbons, and on the -leader's forehead was a card, upon which the following doggrel lines were -written in a bold round hand:-- - - "My master keeps me well, 'tis true, - And justly pays whatever is due; - Now plainly, not to mince the matter, - No toll he pays but with a halter." - -On each side of the load of hay hung a halter, and a paper bearing the -following announcement:-- - - "The time is approaching, if not already come, - That all British subjects may freely pass on; - And not on pretence of Bartholomew Fair - Make you pay for your passage, with all you bring near. - When once it is try'd, ever after depend on, - 'Twill incur the same fate as on Finchley Common. - Give Cæsar his due, when by law 'tis demanded, - And those that deserve with this halter be hanged." - -The disturbances occasioned by the interference of the authorities with -the entertainers of the fair-goers were not renewed in 1754, though the -elements of disorder seem to have been present in tolerable strength; for -on a swing breaking down in Smithfield, without any person being -seriously hurt, a number of persons broke up the apparatus, and throwing -the wreck into a heap, set it on fire. Every swing in the fair was then -attacked and wrecked in succession, and the frames and broken cars thrown -upon the blazing pile, which soon sent a column of fire high into the air, -to the immense danger of the many combustible erections on every side. To -keep up the fire, all the tables and benches of the sausage-vendors were -next seized, and cast upon it; and the feeble police of that period was -inadequate to the prevention of this wholesale destruction, which seems to -have gone on without a check. - -The exclusion of theatrical entertainments from Southwark Fair was not -maintained in 1755, when Warner set up a booth on the bowling-green, in -conjunction with the widow of Yeates (who had died about this time), and -revived the favourite London fair drama of _The Unnatural Parents_. In the -following year, Warner's name appears alone, as the proprietor of a "great -tiled booth," in which he produced _The Lover's Metamorphosis_, with -dancing between the acts, and a pantomimic entertainment called _The -Stratagems of Harlequin_. - -In 1757, Yates and Shuter, the former engaged at the time at Drury Lane, -and the latter at Covent Garden, tried the experiment of a variety -entertainment, at the large concert-room of the Greyhound Inn, in -Smithfield, "during the short time of Bartholomew Fair," as all bills and -advertisements had announced since the duration of the fair had been -limited to three days. By this device, they evaded the edict of the Lord -Mayor and the Court of Aldermen, which applied only to temporary erections -in Smithfield. They did not repeat the experiment in Southwark, where the -only booth advertised was Warner's, with "a company of comedians from the -theatres," in _The Intriguing Lover_ and _Harlequin's Vagaries_. - -Yates and Shuter re-appeared at the Greyhound next year, when they -presented _Woman turned Bully_, with singing and dancing between the acts, -and a representation of the storming of Louisbourg. Theatrical -representations were this year permitted or connived at in the fair, for -Dunstall and Vaughan set up a booth in George Yard, associating with them -in the enterprise the more experienced Warner, and announcing "a select -company from the theatres royal." _The Widow Bewitched_ was performed, -with an entertainment of singing and dancing. Next door to the George Inn -was an exhibition of wax-work, the chief feature of which was a collection -of figures representing the royal family of Prussia. - -Southwark Fair was this year extended to four days, so fitful and varying -was the policy of the Court of Aldermen with regard to the fairs, which, -while they professed to regard them as incentives to idleness and vice, -they encouraged in some years as much as they restricted in others. The -names of Dunstall and Vaughan do not appear in the bills issued by Warner -for this fair, but the comedy performed was the same as at Bartholomew -Fair, followed by a representation of the capture of Louisbourg, -concluding with a procession of colours and standards, and a song in -praise of the heroes of the victory. - -Yates and Shuter again attended Bartholomew Fair in the following year. -Mr. Henry Morley claims for the latter the invention of the showman's -device of announcing to the players, by a cant word, that there was -another audience collected in front, and that the performances might be -drawn to a close as soon as possible. Shuter's mystic words are said to -have been "John Audley," shouted from the front. The practice appears, -however, to have been in operation in the earliest days of Sadler's Wells, -where, according to a description of the place and the entertainments -given by Macklin, in a conversation recorded in the fortieth volume of the -'European Magazine,' the announcement was made in the query, "Is Hiram -Fistoman here?" - -It was about this time that the "cat's opera" was announced by the famous -animal-trainer, Bisset, whose pupils, furred and feathered, were regarded -as one of the most wonderful exhibitions ever witnessed. Bisset was -originally a shoemaker at Perth, where he was born in 1721, but, on coming -to London, and entering the connubial state, he commenced business as a -broker, and accumulated a little capital. Having read an account of a -performing horse, which was exhibited at the fair of St. Germain in 1739, -he was induced to try his own skill in the teaching of animals upon a dog, -and afterwards upon a horse, which he bought for the purpose. Succeeding -with these, he procured a couple of monkeys, one of which he taught to -play a barrel-organ, while the other danced and vaulted on the tight-rope. - -Cats are generally regarded as too susceptible of nervous excitement to -perform in public, though their larger relatives, lions, tigers, and -leopards, have been taught to perform a variety of tricks before -spectators, and cats are readily taught to perform the same tricks in -private. Bisset aimed at something higher than the exhibition of the -leaping feats of the species, and succeeded in teaching three cats to play -the dulcimer and squall to the notes. By the advice of Pinchbeck, with -whom he had become acquainted, he hired a large room in the Haymarket, -and announced a public performance of the "cat's opera," supplemented by -the tricks of the horse, the dog, and the monkeys. Besides the -organ-grinding and rope-dancing performance, the monkeys took wine -together, and rode on the horse, pirouetting and somersaulting with the -skill of a practised acrobat. One of them also danced a minuet with the -dog. - -The "cat's opera" was attended by crowded houses, and Bisset cleared a -thousand pounds by the exhibition in a few days. He afterwards taught a -hare to walk on its hind legs, and beat a drum; a feathered company of -canaries, linnets, and sparrows to spell names, tell the time by the -clock, etc.; half-a-dozen turkeys to execute a country dance; and a turtle -(according to Wilson, but probably a tortoise) to write names on the -floor, having its feet blackened for the purpose. After a successful -season in London, he sold some of the animals, and made a provincial tour -with the rest, rapidly accumulating a considerable fortune. Passing over -to Ireland in 1775, he exhibited his animals in Dublin and Belfast, -afterwards establishing himself in a public-house in the latter city. -There he remained until 1783, when he reappeared in Dublin with a pig, -which he had taught to perform all the tricks since exhibited by the -learned grunter's successors at all the fairs in the kingdom. He was on -his way to London with the pig when he became ill at Chester, where he -shortly afterwards died. - -The question of suppressing both Bartholomew and Southwark Fairs was -considered by the Court of Common Council in 1760, and the City Lands -Committee was desired to report upon the tenures of the fairs, with a view -to that end. Counsel's opinion was taken, and the committee reported the -result of the inquiry, upon which the Court resolved that Southwark Fair -should be abolished henceforth, but that the interests of Lord Kensington -in the revenues of Bartholomew Fair prevented the same course from being -pursued in Smithfield. The latter fair was voted a nuisance, however, and -the Court expressed a determination to abate it with the utmost -strictness. Shuter produced a masque, called _The Triumph of Hymen_, in -honour of the approaching royal nuptials; it was the production of a -forgotten poet named Wignell, in a collected edition of whose poems it was -printed in 1762. Among the minor entertainers of this year at Bartholomew -Fair were Powell, the fire-eater, and Roger Smith, who gave a musical -performance upon eight bells, two of which were fixed upon his head-gear, -and one upon each foot, while two were held in each hand. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - - Yates and Shuter--Cat Harris--Mechanical Singing Birds--Lecture on - Heads--Pidcock's Menagerie--Breslaw, the Conjuror--Reappearance of the - Corsican Fairy--Gaetano, the Bird Imitator--Rossignol's Performing - Birds--Ambroise, the Showman--Brunn, the Juggler, on the Wire--Riot at - Bartholomew Fair--Dancing Serpents--Flockton, the - Puppet-Showman--Royal Visit to Bartholomew Fair--Lane, the - Conjuror--Hall's Museum--O'Brien, the Irish Giant--Baker's - Theatre--Joel Tarvey and Lewis Owen, the popular Clowns. - - -The relations between Yates and Shuter in the last two or three years of -their appearance as showmen at Bartholomew Fair are somewhat doubtful; but -all the evidence that I have been able to obtain points to the conclusion -that they did not co-operate subsequently to 1758. In 1761 they seemed to -have been in rivalry, for the former's name appears singly as the -director of the "company of comedians from both the theatres" that -performed in the concert-room at the Greyhound, while an advertisement of -one of the minor shows of the fair describes it as located in George Yard, -"leading to Mr. Shuter's booth." I have not, however, been able to find an -advertisement of Shuter's booth. - -Yates's company performed _The Fair Bride_, which the bills curiously -describe as "containing many surprising Occurrences at Sea, which could -not possibly happen at Land. The Performance will be highly enlivened with -several entertaining Scenes between England, France, Ireland, and -Scotland, in the diverting Personages of Ben Bowling, an English Sailor; -Mons. Soup-Maigre, a French Captain; O'Flannaghan, an Irish Officer; -M'Pherson, a Scotch Officer. Through which the Manners of each Nation will -be characteristically and humorously depicted. In which will be introduced -as singular and curious a Procession as was ever exhibited in this Nation. -The objects that comprise the Pageantry are both Exotic and British. The -Principal Figure is the Glory and Delight of OLD ENGLAND, and Envy of our -ENEMIES. With Variety of Entertainments of Singing and Dancing. The whole -to conclude with a Loyal Song on the approaching Marriage of our great and -glorious Sovereign King GEORGE and the Princess CHARLOTTE of -Mecklenberg." - -There were two shows in George Yard, in one of which "the famous learned -canary bird" was exhibited, the other consisting of a moving picture of a -city, with an artificial cascade, and "a magnificent temple, with two -mechanical birds which have all the exact motions of living animals; they -perform a variety of tunes, either singular or in concert. During the -performance, the just swelling of the throat, the quick motions of the -bills, and the joyous fluttering of the wings, strike every spectator with -pleasing astonishment." - -Shuter seems to have been the last actor who played at Bartholomew Fair -while engaged at a permanent theatre. Some amusing stories are told of his -powers of mimicry. When Foote introduced in a comedy a duet supposed to be -performed by two cats, in imitation of Bisset's feline opera, he engaged -for the purpose one Harris, who was famous for his power of producing the -vocal sounds peculiar to the species. Harris being absent one day from -rehearsal, Shuter went in search of him, and not knowing the number of the -house in which Cat Harris, as he was called, resided, he began to perform -a feline solo as soon as he entered the court in which lived the man of -whom he was in search. Harris opened his window at the sound, and -responded with a beautiful _meeyow_. - -"You are the man!" said Shuter. "Come along! We can't begin the cats' -opera without you." - -There is a story told of Shuter, however, which is strongly suggestive of -his ability to have supplied Cat Harris's place. He was travelling in the -Brighton stage-coach on a very warm day, with four ladies, when the -vehicle stopped to receive a sixth passenger, who could have played -Falstaff without padding. The faces of the ladies elongated at this -unwelcome addition to the number, but Shuter only smiled. When the stout -gentleman was seated, and the coach was again in motion, Shuter gravely -inquired of one of the ladies her motive for visiting Brighton. She -replied, that her physician had advised sea-bathing as a remedy for mental -depression. He turned to the others, and repeated his inquiries; the next -was nervous, the third bilious--all had some ailment which the sea was -expected to cure. - -"Ah!" sighed the comedian, "all your complaints put together are nothing -to mine. Oh, nothing!--mine is dreadful but to think of." - -"Indeed, sir!" said the stout passenger, with a look of astonishment. -"What is your complaint? you look exceedingly well." - -"Ah, sir!" responded Shuter, shaking his head, "looks are deceitful; you -must know, sir, that, three days ago, I had the misfortune to be bitten by -a mad dog, for which I am informed sea-bathing is the only cure. For that -purpose I am going to Brighton; for though, as you observe, I am looking -well, yet the fit comes on in a moment, when I bark like a dog, and -endeavour to bite every one near me." - -"Lord have mercy on us!" ejaculated the stout passenger, with a look of -alarm. "But, sir, you are not in earnest--you--" - -"Bow-wow-wow!" - -"Coachman! coachman! Let me out!--let me out, I say!" - -"Now, your honour, what's the matter?" - -"A mad dog is the matter!--hydrophobia is the matter! open the door!" - -"Bow-wow-wow!" - -"Open the door! Never mind the steps. Thank God, I am safe out! Let those -who like ride inside; I'll mount the roof." - -So he rode to Brighton outside the coach, much to the satisfaction of -Shuter and his fair companions who were very merry at his expense, the -former repeating at intervals his sonorous _bow-wow-wow_! - -Theatrical booths and puppet-shows were again prohibited in 1762, and, as -the jugglers, the acrobats, and the rope-dancers who attended the fairs -did not advertise their performances, only casual notices are to be found -in the newspapers of the period of the amusements which that generation -flocked into Smithfield in the first week of September to witness, and -which lead them somewhat earlier to the greens of Camberwell and Stepney. -Some of the entertainers of the period are mentioned in an anonymous poem -on Bartholomew Fair, which appeared in 1763. The names are probably -fictitious. - - "On slender cord Volante treads; - The earth seems paved with human heads: - And as she springs aloft in air, - Trembling they crouch below for fear. - A well-made form Querpero shows, - Well-skilled that form to discompose; - The arms forget their wonted state; - Standing on earth, they bear his weight; - The head falls downward 'twixt the thighs, - The legs mount upward to the skies; - And thus this topsy-turvy creature - Stalks, and derides the human nature. - Agyrta, famed for cup and ball, - Plays sleight of hand, and pleases all: - The certainty of sense in vain - Philosophers in schools maintain; - This man your sharpest wit defies, - He cheats your watchful ears and eyes. - Ah, 'prentice, well your pockets fence, - And yet he steals your master's pence." - -In 1765, "the celebrated lecture on heads" was advertised to be given, -during the time of Bartholomew Fair, "in a large and commodious room near -the end of Hosier Lane." The name of the lecturer was not announced, but -the form of the advertisement implies that the lecture was Steevens's. The -lecturer may, however, have been only an imitator of that famous humorist; -for the newspapers of the preceding week inform us that a similar -announcement was made at Alnwick, where the audience, finding that the -lecturer was not Steevens, regarded him as an impostor, and demanded the -return of their money, with a threat of tossing him in a blanket. The -lecturer attempted to vindicate himself, but the production of a blanket -completed his discomfiture, and he surrendered, returning to the -disappointed audience the money which they had paid for admission. - -In 1769, the chief attraction of the London fairs was Pidcock's menagerie, -which was the largest and best which had ever been exhibited in a -temporary erection, the animals being hired from Cross's collection at -Exeter Change. Pidcock exhibited his animals at Bartholomew Fair for -several successive years, and was succeeded by Polito, whose zoological -collection attracted thousands of spectators every year. - -Breslaw, the conjuror, appeared in 1772, in a large room in Cockspur -Street, where his tricks of legerdemain were combined with a vocal and -instrumental concert by three or four Italians, imitations by a young lady -announced as Miss Rose of "many interesting parts of the capital actresses -in tragedy and comedy," and imitations by an Italian named Gaetano of the -notes of the blackbird, thrush, canary, linnet, bull-finch, sky-lark, and -nightingale. In 1774, the entertainment was given on alternate days in the -large ball-room of the King's Arms, opposite the Royal Exchange. In 1775, -it was given in Cockspur Street only, and in the following year at -Marylebone Gardens. He then appears to have been absent from London for a -couple of years, as he always was during a portion of each year, when he -made a tour through the provinces. - -Caulfield says that Breslaw was superior to Fawkes, "both in tricks and -impudence," and relates an anecdote, which certainly goes far to bear out -his assertion. Breslaw, while exhibiting at Canterbury, requested -permission to display his cunning a little longer, promising the Mayor -that if he was indulged with the required permission, he would give the -receipts of one night for the benefit of the poor. The Mayor acceded to -the proposition, and Breslaw had a crowded house; hearing nothing about -the money collected on the specified evening, the Mayor called upon -Breslaw, and, in as delicate a manner as possible, expressed his surprise. - -"Mr. Mayor," said the conjuror, "I have distributed the money myself." - -"Pray, sir, to whom?" inquired the Mayor, still more surprised. - -"To my own company, than whom none can be poorer," replied Breslaw. - -"This is a trick!" exclaimed the Mayor indignantly. - -"Sir," returned the conjuror, "we live by tricks." - -In 1773, the Corsican fairy reappeared, having probably made the tour of -Europe since her first exhibition in London in 1748, which has been -overlooked by some writers, though there is no doubt that the girl -exhibited at the latter date was the same person. Two years later, the -Turkish rope-dancer, who had displayed his feats in 1744, reappeared at -Bartholomew Fair. In the same year, Rossignol exhibited his performing -birds at Sadler's Wells, and afterwards at the Smock Alley theatre, in -Dublin. He returned to Sadler's Wells in 1776, where his clever feathered -company attracted as many spectators as before. Twelve or fourteen -canaries and linnets were taken from their cages, and placed on a table, -in ranks, with paper caps on their heads, and tiny toy muskets under their -left wings. Thus armed and accoutred, they marched about the table, until -one of them, leaving the ranks, was adjudged a deserter, and sentenced to -be shot. A mimic execution then took place, one of the birds holding a -lighted match in its claw, and firing a toy cannon of brass, loaded with -powder. The deserter fell, feigning death, but rose again at the command -of Rossignol. - -Breslaw had formidable competitors this year in Ambroise and Brunn, who -gave a variety entertainment in a large room in Panton Street, of which we -have the following account in their advertisements:-- - -"On the part of Mr. Ambroise, the manager of the _Ombres Chinoises_, will -be performed all those scenes which, upon repeated trial, have had a -general approbation, with new pieces every day; the whole to be augmented -with a fourth division. By the particular desire of the company, the -_danses de caractère_ in the intervals are performed to the astonishment -of all, and to conclude with the comic of a magician, who performs -metamorphoses, etc. He had the honour to represent this spectacle before -his Most Christian Majesty Louis XVI. and the Royal Family; likewise -before His Serene Highness the Prince d'Orange and the whole Court, with -an approbation very flattering for the performer. - -"The Saxon Brunn, besides various tricks of his dexterity, will give this -day a surprising circular motion with three forks and a sword; to-morrow, -with a plate put horizontally upon the point of a knife, a sword fixed -perpendicularly, on the top of which another plate, all turning with a -remarkable swiftness; and on Saturday the singular performance with a -bason, called the Clag of Manfredonia; all which are of his own invention, -being the _non plus ultra_ for equilibriums on the wire. The applause they -have already received makes them hope to give an equal satisfaction to the -company for the future. To begin at seven precisely. Admittance, five -shillings." - -In 1778, a foreigner exhibited in Bartholomew Fair the extraordinary -spectacle of serpents dancing on silken ropes to the sound of music, which -performance has never, I believe, been repeated since. The serpents -exhibited by Arab and Hindoo performers, of whose skill an example was -afforded several years ago in the Zoological Gardens in the Regent's Park, -dance on the ground. It was in this year that the fair was visited by the -Duke and Duchess of Gloucester, who entered at Giltspur Street, and -passing the puppet-shows of Flockton and Jobson, the conjuring booths of -Lane and Robinson, and several other shows the names only of whose -proprietors--Ives, Basil, Clarkson,--have been preserved, rode through Cow -Lane into Holborn. - -This year appears to have been the first in which puppet-shows were -allowed to be set up in Smithfield after being excluded for several years; -as in 1776 a more than ordinary degree of irritation was produced by their -exclusion, "Lady Holland's mob" proclaiming the fair without any -restriction, and a disturbance arising afterwards, in the course of which -the windows of nearly every house round Smithfield were broken by the -rioters. Flockton and Jobson attended the fair regularly for many years. -The former used to perform some conjuring tricks on the outside of his -show to attract an audience, but Strutt says that he was a very poor -conjuror. Lane's performances were varied by posturing and dancing by his -two daughters. The following doggrel appears in one of his bills:-- - - "It will make you laugh, it will drive away gloom, - To see how the egg it will dance round the room; - And from another egg a bird there will fly, - Which makes the company all for to cry, - 'O rare Lane! cockalorum for Lane! well done, Lane! - You are the Man!'" - -One of the chief shows of the fair in 1779 was the fine collection of -preserved animals of Hall, of the City Road, who was famous for his skill -in that art. This museum did not prove so attractive as Pidcock's -menagerie, however, the frequenters of the fair preferring to see the -animals living; and in the following year even the expedient of parading a -stuffed zebra round the fair did not attract spectators enough to induce -Hall to attend again. His museum remained open in the City Road, however, -for many years. - -Breslaw, the conjuror, had a room in 1779 at the King's Head, near the -Mansion House, as well as in Cockspur Street (opposite the Haymarket), and -a bill of this year shows, better than any of his earlier announcements, -the nature of the tricks which he performed. His exposition of "how it is -done" was probably not more intelligible than Dr. Lynn's. "Between the -different parts," says the bill, "Mr. Breslaw will discover the following -deceptions in such a manner, that every person in the company shall be -capable of doing them immediately for their amusement. First, to tell any -lady or gentleman the card that they fix on, without asking any -questions. Second, to make a remarkable piece of money to fly out of any -gentleman's hand into a lady's pocket-handkerchief, at two yards distance. -Third, to change four or five cards in any lady's or gentleman's hand -several times into different cards. Fourth, to make a fresh egg fly out of -any person's pocket into a box on the table, and immediately to fly back -again into the pocket." - -Breslaw had Rossignol in his company at this time, as will be seen from -the following programme:--"1. Mr. Breslaw will exhibit a variety of new -magical card deceptions, particularly he will communicate the thoughts -from one person to another, after which he will perform many new -deceptions with letters, numbers, dice, rings, pocket-pieces, &c., &c. 2. -Under the direction of Sieur Changee, a new invented small chest, -consisting of three divisions, will be displayed in a most extraordinary -manner. 3. The famous Rossignol, from Naples, will imitate various birds, -to the astonishment of the spectators. 4. Mr. Breslaw will exhibit several -new experiments on six different metals, watches, caskets, gold boxes, -silver machineries, &c., &c." - -Rossignol (said to be an assumed name) afterwards obtained an engagement -at Covent Garden Theatre, where he attracted attention by an imitation of -the violin with his mouth; but, being detected in the use of a concealed -instrument, he lost his reputation, and we hear of him no more. Breslaw -filled up the vacancy in his company by engaging Novilli, who played "at -one time on the German flute, violin, Spanish castanets, two pipes, -trumpet, bassoon, bass, Dutch drum, and violin-cello, never attempted -before in this kingdom." I have not been able to discover anything that -would throw some light upon the manner in which this extraordinary -performance was accomplished. He engaged for his London season this year a -large room in Panton Street, probably the one in which Ambroise and Brunn -performed in 1775. The entertainment commenced, as before, with a vocal -and instrumental concert, between the parts of which lyrical and -rhetorical imitations were given by "a young gentleman, not nine years of -age;" the concluding portion consisting of the exhibition of Breslaw's -"new invented mechanical watches, sympathetic bell, pyramidical glasses, -magical card deceptions, &c., &c.," and particularly "a new grand -apparatus and experiments never attempted before in this kingdom." - -It was in this year that the famous Irish giant, Patrick O'Brien, first -exhibited himself at Bartholomew Fair, being then nineteen years of age, -and over eight feet high. His name was Cotter, that of O'Brien being -assumed when he began to exhibit himself, to accord with the -representation that he was a descendant of the ancient royal race of -Munster. His parents, who were both of middle height only, apprenticed him -to a bricklayer; but, at the age of eighteen, his extraordinary stature -attracted the attention of a showman, by whom he was induced to sign an -agreement to exhibit himself in England for three years, receiving a -yearly salary of fifty pounds. Soon after reaching England, however, on -his refusing his assent to a proposed cession of his person to another -showman, his exhibitor caused him to be arrested at Bristol for a -fictitious debt, and lodged in the city goal. - -Obtaining his release, and the annulment of the contract, by the -interposition of a benevolent inhabitant of Bristol, he proceeded to -London, and exhibited himself on his own account in Bartholomew Fair, -realising thirty pounds by the experiment in three days. He exhibited in -this fair four or five successive years, but, as he made money, he changed -the scene of his "receptions," as they would now be called, to public -halls in the metropolis, and the assembly-rooms of provincial hotels. He -attained the height of eight feet seven inches, and was proportionately -stout, but far from symmetrical; and so deficient in stamina that the -effort to maintain an upright attitude while exhibiting himself was -painful to him. - -Theatrical booths again appeared at Bartholomew Fair in 1782, when Mrs. -Baker, manageress of the Rochester Theatre, took her company to -Smithfield. Tradition says that Elizabeth Inchbald was at this time a -member of Mrs. Baker's company, but I have not been able to discover any -ground for the belief. The diary of the actress would have set the matter -at rest; but she destroyed it before her death, and Boaden's memoirs of -her were based chiefly upon her letters. They show her to have performed -that year at Canterbury, and it is within the limits of probability that -she may have performed at Rochester also; though it would still remain -doubtful whether she accompanied Mrs. Baker to Bartholomew Fair. According -to Boaden, she proceeded to Edinburgh on the termination of her Canterbury -engagement. - -Lewis Owen, who was engaged by Mrs. Baker as clown for her Bartholomew -Fair performances, was a young man of reputable family and good education, -who had embraced the career of a public entertainer from choice, as more -congenial to his tastes and habits than any other. His eccentric manners -and powers of grimace, joined with a considerable fund of natural wit, -caused him to be speedily recognised as a worthy successor of Joel Tarvey, -who, after amusing more than one generation, as the Merry Andrew of -various shows and places of amusements, had died at Hoxton of extreme old -age in 1777. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - - Lady Holland's Mob--Kelham Whiteland, the Dwarf--Flockton, the - Conjuror and Puppet-Showman--Wonderful Rams--Miss Morgan, the - Dwarf--Flockton's Will--Gyngell, the Conjuror--Jobson, the - Puppet-Showman--Abraham Saunders--Menageries of Miles and Polito--Miss - Biffin--Philip Astley. - - -While the character of the theatrical entertainments presented at the -London fairs declined from the middle of the eighteenth century, when -Yates and Shuter ceased to appear in Smithfield "during the short time of -Bartholomew Fair," the various other shows underwent a gradual -improvement. Menageries became larger and better arranged, while with the -progress of zoological science, they were rendered better media for its -diffusion. Panoramas and mechanical exhibitions began to appear, and, -though it is impossible to estimate the degree in which such agencies -were instrumental in educating the people, it is but fair to allow them -some share in the intellectual progress of the latter half of the century. - -The good or evil arising from the amusements of any class of the people -can only be fairly judged by comparing the amusements with those of other -classes at the same period; and those who will study the dramas and -novels, and especially the newspapers of the last century, will not find -more to commend in the manners and pursuits of the upper and middle -classes than in those of the lower orders of society, as exemplified in -the London fairs. The hand that painted Gin Lane for the contemplation of -posterity left an instructive picture of the morals and manners of the -upper strata of society in the 'Rake's Progress' and the 'Midnight -Conversation.' - -The amusements of the people partake of the mutability of all mundane -matters, and the newspapers of the period show that the London fairs had -begun, at the beginning of the last quarter of the eighteenth century, to -be regarded by the educated portion of society much less favourably than -they had been in earlier times. When St. James's ceased to patronize them, -Bloomsbury voted them low, and Cornhill declared them a nuisance. -Journalists, having as yet no readers in the slums, and therefore writing -exclusively for St. James's, or Bloomsbury, or Cornhill, as the case might -be, adapted their tone to the views current in those sections of London -society. If we first place a paragraph of the 'Times' of the present day -recording a cock-fight or a pugilistic contest, by the side of a report of -a similar encounter in a journal of thirty years ago, we shall have no -difficulty in understanding why Bartholomew Fair was described by the -'Morning Chronicle' in 1784 in language so different to that used by Pepys -and Evelyn a century before. - -After recounting the misdoings of "Lady Holland's mob," the paragraphist -tells his readers that:-- - -"The elegant part of the entertainment was confined to a few booths. At -the Lock and Key, near Cloth Fair, a select company performed the musical -opera of the _Poor Soldier_, with Columbine's escape from Smithfield. Mr. -Flockton, whose name can never be struck off Bartholomew roll, had a -variety of entertainments without and within. The King's conjuror, who -takes more money from out the pocket than he puts in, made the lank-haired -gentry scratch their pates; the walking French puppet-show had hired an -apartment, with additional performers; Punch and the Devil, in his little -moving theatre, were performing without doors, to invite the company into -the grand theatre. Men with wooden mummies in show-boxes were found -straggling about the fair; tall women in cellars, dropping upon their -knees to be kissed by short customers; dwarfs mounted on stools for the -same civil purposes; and men without arms writing with their feet." - -The sneering tone, and the disposition to write down the fair, perceptible -in this account, are more strongly exhibited in the 'Public Advertiser' of -the 5th of September, in the following year:-- - -"Saturday being Bartholomew Fair day, it was, according to annual custom, -ushered in by Lady Holland's Mob, accompanied with a charming band of -music, consisting of marrow-bones and cleavers, tin kettles, &c., &c., -much to the gratification of the inhabitants about Smithfield; great -preparations were then made for the reception of the Lord Mayor, the -Sheriffs, and other City officers, who, after regaling themselves with a -cool tankard at Mr. Akerman's, made their appearance in the fair about one -o'clock, to authorise _mimic_ fools to make _real_ ones of the gaping -spectators. The proclamation being read, and the Lord Mayor retiring, he -was saluted by a flourish of trumpets, drums, rattles, salt-boxes, and -other delightful musical instruments. The noted Flockton, and the -notorious Jobson, with many new managers, exhibited their tragic and comic -performers, as did Penley his drolls. There were wild beasts from all -parts of the world roaring, puppets squeaking, sausages frying, Kings and -Queens raving, pickpockets diving, round-abouts twirling, hackney coaches -and poor horses driving, and all Smithfield alive-o! The Learned Horse -paid his obedience to the company, as did about a score of monkeys, -several _beautiful young_ ladies of forty, Punches, Pantaloons, -Harlequins, Columbines, three giants, a dwarf, and a giantess. These were -not all who came to Smithfield to gratify the public; there were several -sleight-of-hand men and fire-eaters; the last, however, were not quite so -numerous as those who eat of the deliciously flavoured sausages and -oysters with which the fair abounded. The company were _remarkably -genteel_ and crowded, and the different performances went off with loud -and unbounded bursts of applause; they will be repeated this day and -to-morrow for the last times this season." Reports similar in tone to the -foregoing continued to appear in the newspapers for many years. - -That the fairs were visited at and from this time almost exclusively by -the lower orders of society is tolerably obvious from the fact that, -though the number and variety of the shows were greater, and advertising -was more largely resorted to every year as a medium of publicity, the -showmen had ceased to use the columns of the London press for this -purpose. Bills were given away in the fair, or displayed on the outsides -of the shows, but few of these have been preserved, though the few extant -are the only memorials of the London fairs during several years. - -The only bill of 1787 which I have succeeded in finding announces a dwarf -with the remarkable name of Kelham Whiteland; he is said to have been born -at Ipswich, but his height, strange to say, is not stated, a blank being -left before the word _inches_. Probably he was growing, and his exhibitor -deemed it advisable, as a matter of financial economy, to have a large -number of bills printed at one time. - -Flockton, who was the leading showman of this period, was the sole -advertiser of 1789, when he put forth the following announcement:-- - -"MR. FLOCKTON'S Most Grand and Unparallelled Exhibition. Consisting, -first, in the display of the Original and Universally admired ITALIAN -FANTOCCINI, exhibited in the same Skilful and Wonderful Manner, as well as -Striking Imitations of Living Performers, as represented and exhibited -before the Royal Family, and the most illustrious Characters in this -Kingdom. MR. FLOCKTON will display his inimitable DEXTERITY OF HAND, -Different from all pretenders to the said Art. To which will be perform'd -an ingenious and Spirited Opera called The PADLOCK. Principal vocal -performers, Signor Giovanni Orsi and Signora Vidina. The whole to conclude -with his grand and inimitable MUSICAL CLOCK, at first view, a curious -organ, exhibited three times before their Majesties." - -In this clock nine hundred figures were said to be shown at work at -various trades. - -In the following year, two wonderful rams were exhibited in Bartholomew -Fair. One of them had a single horn, growing from the centre of the -forehead, like the unicorn of the heralds; the other had six legs. One of -the principal shows of this year was advertised as "the Original Theatre -(Late the celebrated Yates and Shuter, of facetious Memory), Up the -Greyhound Inn Yard, the only real and commodious place for Theatrical -Performances. The Performers selected from the most distinguished Theatres -in England, Scotland, &c. The Representation consists of an entirely New -Piece, called, The Spaniard Well Drub'd, or the British Tar Victorious." -This clap-trap drama concluded with "a Grand Procession of the King, -French Heroes, Guards, Municipal Troops, &c., to the Champ de Mars, to -swear to the Revolution Laws, as established by the Magnificent National -Assembly, on the 14th of July, 1790." There was "hornpipe dancing by the -renowned Jack Bowling," and an "Olio of wit, whim, and fancy, in Song, -Speech, and Grimace." - -Two years later, the London Fairs were visited by a couple of dwarfs, -almost as famous in their day as Tom Thumb and his Lilliputian bride in -our own. These were Thomas Allen, described in the bill of the show as -"the most surprising small man ever before the public," and who had -previously been exhibited at the Lyceum, where he was visited by the Duke -of York and the Duke of Clarence; and, again to quote the bill, which -seems to have been based on the announcements of the Corsican Fairy, some -of the passages being identical,-- - -"MISS MORGAN, the Celebrated WINDSOR FAIRY, known in _London_ and -_Windsor_ by the Addition of LADY MORGAN, a Title which His Majesty was -pleased to confer on her. - -"This unparallelled Woman is in the 35th year of her age, and only 18 -pounds weight. Her form affords a pleasing surprise, and her admirable -symmetry engages attention. She was introduced to their MAJESTIES at the -_Queen's Lodge, Windsor_, on Saturday the 4th of August, 1781, by the -recommendation of the late Dr. _Hunter_; when they were pleased to -pronounce her the finest Display of Human Nature in _miniature_ they ever -saw.--But we shall say no more of these great Wonders of Nature: let those -who honour them with their visits, judge for themselves. - - "Let others boast of stature, or of birth, - This glorious Truth shall fill our souls with mirth. - 'That we now are, and hope, for years, to sing, - The SMALLEST subject of the GREATEST King!' - -"[Pointing Hand] Admittance to Ladies and Gentlemen, 1_s._ Children, Half -Price. - -"[Asterism] In this and many other parts of the Kingdom, it is too common -to show deformed persons, with various arts and deceptions, under -denominations of persons in miniature, to impose on the public. - -"This little couple are, beyond contradiction, the most wonderful display -of nature ever held out to the admiration of mankind. - -"N.B. The above Lady's mother is with her, and will attend at any Lady or -Gentleman's house, if required." - -Flockton died in 1794, at Peckham, where he had lived for several years in -comfort and respectability, having realised what was then regarded as a -considerable fortune. He had attended the London Fairs, and many of the -chief provincial ones, for many years, retiring to his cottage at Peckham -in the winter. His representation of Punch was not only superior in every -way to that of the open air puppet shows, but famous for the introduction -of a struggle between the mimic representative of the Prince of Darkness -and a fine Newfoundland dog, in which the canine combatant seized the -enemy by the nose, and finally carried him off the stage. - -Flockton had no children, and probably no other relatives, for he -bequeathed his show, with all the properties pertaining to it, to Gyngell, -a clever performer of tricks of sleight of hand, and a widow named Flint, -both of whom had travelled with it for several years; and between these -two persons and other members of his company he divided the whole of his -accumulated gains, amounting to five thousand pounds. His successors were -announced next Bartholomew Fair as "the Widow Flint and Gyngell, at -Flockton's original Theatre, up the Greyhound Yard." Gyngell exhibited his -conjuring tricks, and performed on the musical glasses; and his wife sang -between this part of the entertainment and the exhibition of the -_fantoccini_ and Flockton's celebrated clock, which seems either to have -been over-puffed by its original exhibitor, or to have fallen out of -repair, for it was now said to contain five hundred figures, instead of -the nine hundred originally claimed for it. Perhaps, however, the larger -number was a misprint. - -Widow Flint seems to have died soon after Flockton, or to have disposed of -her share in the show to Gyngell; for the bill of 1795 is the only one I -have found with her name as co-proprietor. Gyngell attended the London -fairs, and the principal fairs for many miles round the metropolis, for -thirty years after Flockton's death, and is spoken of by persons old -enough to remember him as a quiet, gentlemanly man. - -Jobson, the puppet-showman, who had been in the field as long as Flockton, -was prosecuted in 1797, with several other owners of similar shows, for -making his puppets speak, which was held to be an infraction of the laws -relating to theatrical licences. This circumstance proves Strutt to have -been in error in describing Flockton as the last of the "motion-masters," -the latter having been dead three years when his contemporaries were -prosecuted. I have not found Jobson's name among the showmen at the London -fairs in later years, however; and Gyngell's puppets appear to have -dropped out of existence with the musical clock, during the early years of -his career as a showman. - -The suppression of Bartholomew Fair was strongly urged upon the Court of -Common Council in 1798, and the expediency of the measure was referred by -the Court to the City Lands Committee, but nothing came of the discussion -at that time. It was proposed to limit the duration of the fair to one -day, but this suggestion was rejected by the Court of Common Council on -the ground that the limitation would cause the fair to be crowded to an -extent that would be dangerous to life and limb. It is doubtful, however, -whether the showmen would have found the profits of one day sufficient to -induce them, had the experiment been tried, to incur the expense of -putting up their booths. - -The fair went on as before, therefore, and Rowlandson's print sets before -us the scene which it presented in 1799 as thoroughly and as vividly as -Setchel's engraving has done the Bartholomew Fair of the first quarter of -the century. Gyngell's "grand medley" (a name adopted from Jobson) was -there; and the menageries of Miles and Polito, the Italian successor of -Pidcock, and very famous in his day; and Abraham Saunders, whom we meet -with for the first time, with the theatre which he appears to have -sometimes substituted for the circus, perhaps when an execution had -deprived him of his horses, or a bad season had obliged him to sell them; -and Miss Biffin, who, having been born without arms, painted portraits -with a brush affixed to her right shoulder, and exhibited herself and her -productions at fairs as the best mode of obtaining patronage. - -Down to the end of the last century there are no records of a circus -having appeared at the London fairs. Astley is said to have taken his stud -and company to Bartholomew Fair at one time, but I have not succeeded in -finding any bill or advertisement of the great equestrian in connection -with fairs. The amphitheatre which has always borne his name (except -during the lesseeship of Mr. Boucicault, who chose to call it the -Westminster Theatre, a title about as appropriate as the Marylebone would -be in Shoreditch), was opened in 1780, and he had previously given open -air performances on the same site, only the seats being roofed over. The -enterprising character of Astley renders it not improbable that he may -have tried his fortune at the fairs when the circus was closed, as it has -usually been during the summer; and he may not have commenced his season -at the amphitheatre until after Bartholomew Fair, or have given there a -performance which he was accustomed to give in the afternoon at a large -room in Piccadilly, where the tricks of a performing horse were varied -with conjuring and _Ombres Chinoises_, a kind of shadow pantomime. - -But though Astley's was the first circus erected in England, equestrian -performances in the open air had been given before his time by Price and -Sampson. The site of Dobney's Place, at the back of Penton Street, -Islington, was, in the middle of the last century, a tea-garden and -bowling-green, to which Johnson, who leased the premises in 1767, added -the attraction of tumbling and rope-dancing performances, which had become -so popular at Sadler's Wells. Price commenced his equestrian performances -at this place in 1770, and soon had a rival in Sampson, who performed -similar feats in a field behind the Old Hats public-house. It was not -until ten years later, according to the historians of Lambeth, that Philip -Astley exhibited his feats of horsemanship in a field near the Halfpenny -Hatch, forming his first ring with a rope and stakes, after the manner of -the mountebanks of a later day, and going round with his hat after each -performance to collect the largesses of the spectators, a part of the -business which, in the slang of strolling acrobats and other entertainers -of the public in bye-streets and market-places, and on village greens, is -called "doing a nob." - -This remarkable man was born in 1742, at Newcastle-under-Lyme, where his -father carried on the business of a cabinet maker. He received little or -no education--no uncommon thing at that time,--and, having worked a few -years with his father, enlisted in a cavalry regiment. His imposing -appearance, being over six feet in height, with the proportions of a -Hercules, and the voice of a Stentor, attracted attention to him; and his -capture of a standard at the battle of Emsdorff, made him one of the -celebrities of his regiment. While serving in the army, he learned many -feats of horsemanship from an itinerant equestrian named Johnson, and -often exhibited them for the amusement of his comrades. On his discharge -from the army, being presented by General Elliot with a horse, he bought -another in Smithfield, and with these two animals gave the open air -performances in Lambeth, which have been mentioned. - - - - -CHAPTER IX - - Edmund Kean--Mystery of his Parentage--Saunders's Circus--Scowton's - Theatre--Belzoni--The Nondescript--Richardson's Theatre--The Carey - Family--Kean, a Circus Performer--Oxberry, the Comedian--James - Wallack--Last Appearance of the Irish Giant--Miss Biffin and the Earl - of Morton--Bartholomew Fair Incidents--Josephine Girardelli, the - Female Salamander--James England, the Flying Pieman--Elliston as a - Showman--Simon Paap, the Dutch Dwarf--Ballard's Menagerie--A Learned - Pig--Madame Gobert, the Athlete--Cartlich, the Original - Mazeppa--Barnes, the Pantaloon--Nelson Lee--Cooke's Circus--The - Gyngell Family - - -With the present century commenced a period of the history of shows and -showmen specially interesting to the generation which remembers the London -fairs as they were forty or fifty years ago, and to which the names of -Gyngell, Scowton, Samwell, Richardson, Clarke, Atkins, and Wombwell have -a familiar sound. It introduces us, in its earliest years, to the -celebrated Edmund Kean, "the stripling known in a certain wayfaring troop -of _Atellanæ_ by the name of Carey," as Raymond wrote, and whom we find -performing at the London fairs, sometimes tumbling in Saunders's circus, -and sometimes playing juvenile characters in the travelling theatres of -Scowton and Richardson. The early life of this remarkable man is as -strange as any that has ever afforded materials for the biographer, and -the mystery surrounding his parentage as inscrutable a problem as the -authorship of the letters of Junius. - -Phippen, the earliest biographer of Kean, says that he was born in 1788, -and was the illegitimate offspring of _Aaron_ Kean, a tailor, and Anne -Carey, an actress. Proctor, whose account is repeated by Hawkins, states -that his parentage was unknown, but that, according to the best conclusion -he was able to form, he was the son of _Edmund_ Kean, a mechanic employed -by a London builder, and Anne Carey, an actress. Raymond says, on the -authority of Miss Tidswell, who was many years at Drury Lane Theatre, that -he was the son of _Edward_ Kean, a carpenter, and Nancy Carey, the -actress. While these various writers agree as to the name and profession -of the future great tragedian's mother, and the patronymic of his father, -they give us the choice of three baptismal names for the latter, and at -least two occupations. There seems no doubt, however, that his father, -whether he was a carpenter or a tailor, was the brother of Moses Kean, a -popular reciter and imitator of the leading actors at the beginning of the -present century. - -No register of his birth or baptism has ever been discovered, and it is -even a matter of doubt whether he was born in Westminster or in Southwark. -Miss Tidswell seems to have been the only person who possessed any -knowledge of his birth and parentage that was ever revealed, a -circumstance which caused her to be suspected of herself standing in the -maternal relationship to him. Kean, when a child, called her sometimes -mother, and sometimes aunt; but, according to her own account, she was in -no way related to him, but had adopted him on his being deserted by his -real mother, Anne Carey. - -His first appearance in public was made in the character of a monkey, in -the show of Abraham Saunders, at Bartholomew Fair, probably in 1801. He -was then twelve or thirteen years of age, and already innured to a -wandering and vagabond mode of life; being in the habit of absenting -himself for days together from the lodging of Miss Tidswell, in order to -visit the fairs, and sleeping under the trees in St. James's Park, to -avoid being locked up by his guardian, and thus prevented from gazing at -the parades of Saunders and Scowton on the morrow. - -Proctor says, somewhat vaguely, though probably with as much exactness as -the materials for a memoir of Kean's boyhood render possible, that when -about fourteen years of age, he was sometimes in Richardson's company, and -sometimes in Scowton's or Saunders's; and that, besides tumbling in the -circus of the latter, he rode and danced on the tight-rope. In performing -an equestrian act at Bartholomew Fair, he once fell from the pad, and hurt -his legs, which never quite recovered from the effects of the accident. - -In 1803, another notability of the age made his appearance at Bartholomew -Fair, namely, Belzoni, afterwards famous as an explorer of the pyramids -and royal tombs of Egypt. He was a remarkably handsome and finely -proportioned man, and of almost gigantic stature, his height being six -feet six inches. His muscular strength being proportionate to his size, he -was engaged by Gyngell to exhibit feats of strength, as the young -Hercules, _alias_ the Patagonian Samson, in which character he lifted four -men of average weight off the ground, and held out prodigious weights at -arm's length. He afterwards went to Edmonton Fair, where he performed in -a field behind the Bell Inn. Of his engagements during the following six -or seven years we have no account, but in 1810 he sustained the character -of Orson at the Edinburgh theatre, when he was hissed for not being -sufficiently demonstrative in his attentions to the maternal bear. Five -years later, he was exploring the pyramids and sarcophagi of Egypt, as -assistant to the British Consul at Alexandria, and in 1820 his name was -famous. - -In the same year that Belzoni performed his feats of strength in Gyngell's -show, there was exhibited in Bartholomew Fair, together with a two-headed -calf, and a double-bodied calf, "a surprising large fish, the -Nondescript," which "surprising inhabitant of the watery kingdom was," -according to the bill, "drawn on the shore by seven horses and about a -hundred men. She measured twenty-five feet in length and about eighteen in -circumference, and had in her belly when found, one thousand seven hundred -mackerel." - -The first mention of Richardson's theatre in the annals of the London -Fairs occurs in 1804. Of his early career there is no record; probably it -did not differ much from that of his pupil, Kean, or his successor, Nelson -Lee, or of the famous "roving English clown," Charlie Keith, and numerous -others whose lives have been passed in wandering from place to place, -amusing the public as actors, jugglers, conjurors, acrobats, etc. Whatever -his antecedents may have been, there is no doubt as to his character, all -who knew him concurring in representing him as illiterate and ignorant, -but possessing a large fund of shrewdness and common sense; irritable in -temper, but agreeable in his manners so long as nothing occurred to excite -his irascibility; sensitive to any unprovoked insult, which he never -failed to revenge, but always ready and willing to lend a helping hand to -those who had been less fortunate than himself. - -Many stories are current among showmen and the theatrical profession of -Richardson's goodness of heart and his occasional eccentricities of -conduct. On one occasion, while his portable theatre was at St. Albans, a -fire occurred in the town, and many small houses were destroyed, the poor -tenants of which by that means lost all their furniture, and almost -everything they possessed. A subscription was immediately opened for their -relief, and a public meeting was held to promote the benevolent purpose. -Richardson attended, and when the Mayor, who presided, had read a list of -donations, varying in amount from five shillings to twice as many pounds, -he advanced to the table, and presented a Bank of England note for a -hundred pounds. - -"To whom is the fund indebted for this munificent donation?" inquired the -astonished Mayor. - -"Put it down to Muster Richardson, the showman," replied the donor, who -then walked quietly from the room. - -He often paid the ground-rent of the poorer proprietors of travelling -shows, booths, and stalls, whose receipts, owing to bad weather, had not -enabled them to pay the claims of the owner of the field, and who, but for -Richardson's kindness, would have been obliged to remain on the ground, -losing the chance of making money elsewhere, until they could raise the -required sum. He never seemed to expect repayment in such cases, and never -referred to them afterwards. Saunders, who seems to have passed through an -unusually long life in a chronic condition of impecuniosity, once borrowed -ten pounds of him, and honourably and punctually repaid the money at the -appointed time. Richardson seemed surprised, but he took the money, and -made no remark. No very long time elapsed before Saunders wanted another -loan, when, to his surprise, Richardson met his application with a decided -refusal. - -"I paid you honourably the money you lent me before," observed Saunders -with an aggrieved air. - -"That's it, Muster Saunders," rejoined Richardson. "You did pay me that -money, and I was never more surprised in my life; and I mean to take care -you don't surprise me again, either in that way, _or any other way_." - -In recruiting his company, he preferred actors who had learned a trade, -such being, in his opinion, steadier and more to be depended upon than -those who, like Kean, had been strollers from childhood. His pay-table was -the head of the big drum, and his way of discharging an actor or musician -with whom he was dissatisfied was to ask him, when giving him his week's -salary, to leave his name and address with the stage-manager, who was also -wardrobe-keeper and scene-shifter. This post was held for many years by a -man named Lewis, who was also the general servant of Richardson's "living -carriage," and at his winter quarters, Woodland Cottage, Horsemonger Lane, -long since pulled down, the site being occupied by a respectable row of -houses, called Woodland Terrace. - -He always strengthened his company, and produced his best dresses, for the -London fairs, where his theatre, decked with banners and a good display of -steel and brass armour, presented a striking appearance. His wardrobe and -scene-waggon were always well stocked, and the dresses were not, as some -persons imagined, the off castings of the theatres, but were made for him, -and, having to be worn by daylight, were of really excellent quality. -Cloaks were provided for the company to wear on parade when the weather -happened to be wet. - -It was a frequent boast of Richardson, that many of the most eminent -members of the theatrical profession had graduated in his company, and it -is known that Edmund Kean, James Wallack, Oxberry, and Saville Faucit were -of the number. Kean always acknowledged that he made his first appearance -in a principal part as Young Norval in Richardson's theatre; but it is -obvious from what is known of his boyhood that he must have been in the -company several years before he could have essayed that character. So far -as can be made out from his supposed age, he seems to have joined -Richardson's company in 1804, to the early part of which year we must -assign the story told by Davis, who was afterwards associated in -partnership with the younger Astley in the lesseeship of the Amphitheatre. - -"I was passing down Great Surrey Street one morning," Davis is reported to -have said, "when just as I came to the place where the Riding House now -stands, at the corner of the Magdalen as they call it, I saw Master -Saunders packing up his traps. His booth, you see, had been standing -there for some three or four days, or thereabouts; and on the -parade-waggon I saw a slim young chap with marks of paint--and bad paint -it was, for all the world like raddle on the back of a sheep--on his face, -tying up some of the canvas. And when I had shook hands with Master -Saunders, he turns him right round to this young chap, who had just threw -a somerset behind his back, and says, 'I say, you Mr. King Dick, if you -don't mind what you're arter, and pack up that wan pretty tight and -nimble, we shan't be off afore to-morrow; and so, you mind your eye, my -lad.' That Mr. King Dick, as Master Saunders called him, was young Carey, -that's now your great Mr. Kean." - -Kean's engagement with Richardson brings us to a portion of his personal -history which is involved in the profoundest mystery. His biographers -state that his mother, Anne Carey, was at the time a member of -Richardson's company, that Kean was unaware of the fact when he engaged, -and that he left the _troupe_ not very long afterwards, in consequence of -his mother claiming and receiving his salary, the last circumstance being -said to rest on the authority of Kean himself. Not much credence is due to -the story on that account; for the great actor exercised his imagination -on the subject of his origin and antecedents as freely as the Josiah -Bounderby of the inimitable Dickens. But the results of a patient search -among the gatherings relating to Bartholomew Fair in the library of the -British Museum clearly prove that Kean's mother was, when a member of -Richardson's company, the wife of an actor named Carey. - -The only Careys whose names are to be found in any of the bills of -Richardson's theatre which have been preserved were a married couple, who -for many years, including the whole period of Kean's engagement, sustained -the principal parts in those wonderful melodramas for which the -establishment was so famous. If these people were Kean's parents, what -becomes of the story which has been told by his biographers, on the -authority of Miss Tidswell? That they assumed to be his parents is -undoubted, and it is equally beyond doubt that the relationship was -unquestioned by Richardson, and the claims founded upon it acquiesced in -by Kean. - -"Windsor Fair," said Richardson, in relating the story of Kean's -professional visit to Windsor Castle, "commenced on a Friday, and after -all our impediments we arrived safe, and lost no time in erecting our -booth. We opened with _Tom Thumb_ and the _Magic Oak_. To my great -astonishment, I received a note from the Castle, commanding Master Carey -to recite several passages from different plays before his Majesty King -George the Third at the Palace. I was highly gratified at the receipt of -the above note; but I was equally perplexed to comply with the commands of -the King. The letter came to me on Saturday night; and as Master Carey's -wardrobe was very scanty, it was necessary to add to it before he could -appear in the presence of royalty. My purse was nearly empty, and to -increase my dilemma, all shops belonging to Jews were shut, and the only -chance we had left was their being open on Sunday morning. - -"Among the Jews, however, we at last purchased a smart little jacket, -trousers, and body linen; we tied the collar of his shirt through the -button-holes with a piece of black ribbon; and when dressed in his new -apparel, Master Carey appeared a smart little fellow, and fit to exhibit -his talents before any monarch in the world. The King was highly delighted -with him, and so were all the nobility who were present. Two hours were -occupied in recitations; and his abilities were so conspicuous to every -person present that he was pronounced an astonishing boy, and a lad of -great promise. The present he received for his performance was rather -small, being only two guineas, though, upon the whole, it turned out -fortunate for the family. The principal conversation in Windsor for a few -days was about the talents displayed by Master Carey before the King. His -mother, therefore, took advantage of the circumstance, and engaged the -market-hall for three nights for Edmund's recitations. This was an -excellent speculation, and the hall overflowed with company every night. - -"Mrs. Carey joined me on the following Monday at Ewell Fair; and all the -family, owing to their great success, came so nicely dressed that I -scarcely knew them. Mrs. Carey and her children did not quit my standard -during the summer. After a short period, I again got my company together, -and with hired horses went to Waltham Abbey. I took a small theatre in -that town, the rent of which was fifteen shillings per week. It was all -the money too much. My company I considered very strong, consisting of Mr. -Vaughan, Mr. Thwaites, Master Edmund, his mother, and the whole of his -family, Mr. Saville Faucit, Mr. Grosette, Mr. and Mrs. Jefferies, Mr. -Reed, Mrs. Wells, and several other performers, who are now engaged at the -different theatres in the kingdom. Notwithstanding we acted the most -popular pieces, the best night produced only nine shillings and sixpence. -Starvation stared us in the face, and our situation was so truly pitiable -that the magistrate of the town, out of compassion for our misfortunes, -bespoke a night." - -It is singular that Richardson does not mention Carey, his chief actor, in -this communication; but the words "the whole of his family" must be -supposed to include Carey and, I believe, a daughter. In every bill of the -period the names of Mr. H. Carey and Mrs. H. Carey appear as the -representatives of the heroes and heroines of the Richardsonian drama; and -the absence of any direct mention of the former is much less remarkable -than the fact that he has been altogether ignored by every biographer of -Kean, while the supposed mother of the tragedian is invariably styled -_Miss_ Carey. - -It is exceedingly improbable that the mystery involved in these -discrepancies and contradictions will now ever be cleared up in a -satisfactory manner. One thing alone, amidst all the confusion and -obscurity, seems certain; namely, that the Careys were in Richardson's -company before Kean joined it, and that, whether or not he believed them -to be his parents, he dropped their acquaintance when he threw off their -authority. Raymond says that when Kean, after his marriage, visited -Bartholomew Fair, he was recognised by Carey, who was standing on the -parade of Richardson's theatre, and ran down the steps to greet him; the -tragedian seemed mortified, treated the strolling actor coldly, and -"slunk away, literally like a dog in a fair." - -In pondering the probabilities of the case, it is obvious that -considerable allowance must be made for the obscurity which envelopes the -origin of Kean's existence. Their only authority being Miss Tidswell, it -is natural that the biographers should suppose the woman who passed for -Kean's mother with Richardson and his company to be the Nancy Carey of her -story, and mention her as Miss Carey. But the evidence of the bills, which -cannot have been known to them, forces upon us the re-consideration of the -story of Kean's parentage which has hitherto passed current. Miss -Tidswell's story can be reconciled with the facts only by the hypothesis -that Anne Carey, subsequently to Kean's birth, became the wife of H. -Carey, the sameness of name being due to cousinship, or perhaps merely a -coincidence. Kean's illegitimacy may have been known to Richardson, whose -knowledge of the circumstance would explain the reason of his speaking of -Mrs. Carey as the mother of Master Carey, while he says nothing to warrant -the supposition that he regarded her husband as the lad's father. - -But everything about Kean's early life is mysterious and obscure. How and -when did he acquire the classical lore which he seems to have possessed? -Certainly not while he was roaming the streets of London, frequenting all -the fairs, and practising flip-flaps; nor while travelling with Saunders, -Scowton, and Richardson, and rejoicing in the cognomen of Mr. King Dick. -As little likely does it seem that he could have acquired it at that -subsequent period of his life when the leisure which his profession left -him was passed in disreputable taverns, in low orgies with the worst -companions. - -"You see this inequality in the bridge of my nose?" he once observed to -Benson Hill, the author of a couple of amusing volumes of theatrical -anecdotes and adventures. "It was dealt me by a demmed pewter pot, hurled -from the hand of Jack Thurtell. We were borne, drunk and bleeding, to the -watch-house, for the night. When I was taken out, washed, plastered, left -to cogitate on any lie, of an accident in a stage fight, I told it, and -was believed, for the next day I dined with the Bishop of Norwich." - -My task does not, however, require me to follow Kean's fortunes from the -time when he left Richardson's company, and obtained an engagement at a -provincial theatre. The date is uncertain, but his name does not appear in -the bills of 1807, and he had probably turned his back on the travelling -theatre in the preceding year. - -Patrick O'Brien, the Irish giant, exhibited himself for the last time in -1804, when he advertised as follows:-- - -"Just arrived in town, and to be seen in a commodious room, at No. 11, -Haymarket, nearly opposite the Opera House, the celebrated Irish Giant, -Mr. O'Brien, of the Kingdom of Ireland, indisputably the tallest man ever -shown; is a lineal descendant of the old puissant king, Brien Boreau, and -has, in person and appearance, all the similitudes of that great and grand -potentate. It is remarkable of this family, that, however various the -revolutions in point of fortune and alliance, the lineal descendants -thereof have been favoured by Providence with the original size and -stature, which have been so peculiar to their family. The gentleman -alluded to measures nearly nine feet high. Admittance one shilling." - -O'Brien had now realised a considerable fortune, and he resolved to retire -from the public gaze. Having purchased an old mansion near Epping, and on -the borders of the forest, he took up his abode there, keeping a carriage -and pair of horses, and living quietly and unostentatiously the brief -remainder of his life. He died in 1806, in his forty-seventh year, when -his servants made use of his fame and his wardrobe for their own -emolument, dressing a wax figure in his clothes, and exhibiting it at -rooms in the Haymarket, the Strand, and other parts of the metropolis. - -The rival theatres of Richardson and Scowton attended Bartholomew Fair in -1807, when the former produced a romantic and highly sensational drama, -called _The Monk and the Murderer_, in which Carey played the principal -character, Baron Montaldi, and his wife that of Emilina, the Baron's -daughter. The following announcement appears in the head of the bill:-- - -"Mr. Richardson has the honour to inform the Public, that for the -extraordinary Patronage he has experienced, it has been his great object -to contribute to the convenience and gratification of his audience. Mr. R. -has a splendid collection of Scenery, unrivalled in any Theatre; and, as -they are painted and designed by the first Artists in England, he hopes -with such Decorations, and a Change of Performances each day, the Public -will continue him that Patronage it has been his greatest pride to -deserve." - -The scenery of the drama comprised a Gothic hall in the Baron's castle, a -rocky pass in Calabria, a forest, a rustic bridge, with a distant view of -the castle, a Gothic chamber, and a baronial hall, decorated with banners -and trophies. In the fourth scene a chivalric procession was introduced, -and in the last a combat with battle-axes. The drama was followed, as -usual, by a pantomime entitled _Mirth and Magic_, which concluded with a -"grand panoramic view of Gibraltar, painted by the first artists." - -Saunders was there, with a circus, and seems to have attended the fair -with considerable regularity. He was often in difficulties, however, and -on one occasion, after borrowing a trick horse of Astley, his stud was -taken in execution for debt, and the borrowed horse was sold with the -rest. Some time afterwards, two equestrians of Astley's company were -passing a public-house, when they recognised Billy, harnessed to a cart -which was standing before the door. Hearing their voices, the horse -erected his ears, and, at a signal from one of them, stood up on his hind -legs, and performed such extraordinary evolutions that a crowd collected -to witness them. On the driver of the cart coming from the public-house, -an explanation of Billy's appearance in cart-harness was obtained with the -observation that "he was a werry good 'orse, but so full o' tricks that we -calls 'im the mountebank." Billy, I scarcely need say, was returned to his -stall in Astley's stables very soon after this discovery. - -Miss Biffin was still attending the fairs, painting portraits with her -right shoulder, and in 1808 attracted the attention of the Earl of Morton, -who sat to her for his likeness, and visited her "living carriage" several -times for that purpose. In order to test her ability, he took the portrait -away with him, after each sitting, and thus became satisfied that it was -entirely the work of her own hand, or rather shoulder. Finding that the -armless little lady really possessed artistic talent, he showed the -portrait to George III., who was pleased to direct that she should receive -instruction in drawing at his expense. - -The Earl of Morton corresponded with this remarkable artist during a -period of twenty years. She was patronised by three successive sovereigns, -and from William IV. she received a small pension. She then yielded to the -wish of the Earl of Morton that she should cease to travel, and settled at -Birmingham, where, several years afterwards, she married, and resumed, as -Mrs. Wright, the pursuit of her profession. - -Ballard's menagerie held a respectable position between the time of Polito -and Miles and that of Wombwell and Atkins. The newspapers of the period do -not inform us, however, from whose menagerie it was that the leopard -escaped which created so much consternation one summer night in 1810. The -caravans were on their way to Bartholomew Fair, when, between ten and -eleven o'clock at night, while passing along Piccadilly, the horses -attached to one of them were scared by some noise, or other cause of -alarm, and became restive. The caravan was overturned and broken, and a -leopard and two monkeys made their escape. The leopard ran into the -basement of an unfinished house near St. James's Church, and one of the -monkeys into an oyster-shop, the proprietor of which, hearing that a -leopard was loose, immediately closed the door. What became of the other -monkey is not stated. - -The keepers ran about, calling for a blanket and cords, to secure the -leopard; but every person they accosted shut their doors, or took to their -heels, on learning the purpose for which such appliances were required. -After some delay, a cage was backed against the opening by which the -leopard had entered the building, below which it growled threateningly as -it crouched in the darkness. With some risk and difficulty, it was got -into the cage, but not until it had bitten the arm of one of the keepers -so severely that he was obliged to proceed to St. George's hospital for -surgical aid. - -Malcolm, describing Bartholomew Fair as it was seventy years ago, -says,--"Those who wish to form an idea of this scene of depravity may go -at eleven o'clock in the evening. They may then form some conception of -the dreadful scenes that have been acted there in former days. The visitor -will find all uproar. Shouts, drums, trumpets, organs, the roaring of -beasts, assailing the ear; while the blaze of torches and glare of candles -confuse sight, and present as well the horror of executions, and the -burning of martyrs, and the humours of a fair." Though, "the blaze of -torches and glare of candles" cannot be said to constitute a "scene of -depravity," and "shouts, drums, trumpets, organs, the roaring of beasts," -though tending to produce an "uproar," cannot be accepted as evidence of -vice, since the former sounds accompany the civic procession of the 9th of -November, and the latter are heard in the Zoological Gardens, the -newspapers of the period bear testimony to the existence of a considerable -amount of riot and disorder at the late hour mentioned by Malcolm. - -In those days, when the lighting was defective and the police inefficient, -it is not surprising that the "roughs" had their way when the more -respectable portion of the frequenters of the fair had retired, and that -scenes occurred such as the more efficient police of the present day have -had some difficulty in suppressing on Sunday evenings in the principal -thoroughfares of Islington and Pentonville. The newspapers of the period -referred to by Malcolm afford no other support to his statement than -accounts of the disorder and mischief produced by the rushing through the -fair at night of hordes of young men and boys, apparently without anything -being attempted for the prevention of the evil. In 1810, two bands of -these ruffians met, and their collision caused two stalls to be knocked -down, when the upsetting of a lamp on a stove caused the canvas to ignite, -and a terrible disaster was only prevented by the exertions of a gentleman -who was on the spot in extinguishing the flames. In 1812 many persons were -thrown down in one of the wild rushes of the "roughs," and an infant was -dashed from its mother's arms, and trampled to death. - -Richardson, who was always on the alert for novelties, introduced in 1814, -at Portsmouth, the famous Josephine Girardelli, who in the same year -exhibited her remarkable feats in a room in New Bond Street. The following -hand-bill sufficiently indicates their nature:-- - -"Wonders will never cease!--The great Phenomena of Nature. Signora -Josephine Girardelli (just arrived from the Continent), who has had the -honour of appearing before most of the Crowned Heads of Europe, will -exhibit the Powers of Resistance against Heat, every day, until further -notice, at Mr. Laxton's Rooms, 23, New Bond Street. She will, without the -least symptoms of pain, put boiling melted lead into her mouth, and emit -the same with the imprint of her teeth thereon; red-hot irons will be -passed over various parts of her body; she will walk over a bar of red-hot -iron with her naked feet; will wash her hands in aquafortis; put boiling -oil in her mouth! The above are but a few of the wonderful feats she is -able to go through. Her performances will commence at 12, 2, 4, and 6 -o'clock. Admission 3_s._ Any lady or gentleman being dubious of the above -performances taking place, may witness the same, gratis, if not satisfied. -Parties may be accommodated by a private performance, by applying to the -Conductor." - -The portrait of this Fire Queen, as she would be styled at the present -day, was engraved by Page, and published by Smeeton, St. Martin's Lane. It -represents her in her performing costume, a short spangled jacket, worn -over a dress of the fashion of that day; the features are regular and -striking, but their beauty is of a rather masculine type. The hair appears -dark, and is arranged in short curls. - -Elliston engaged in a show speculation at this time, having contracted -with a Dutchman, named Sampoeman, for the exhibition of a dwarf, named -Simon Paap. He hired a room in Piccadilly for the purpose and engaged an -interpreter; but the speculation was a failure, and Elliston was glad to -obtain Sampoeman's consent to the cancelling of the contract. He made a -more successful venture when, at the close of a bad theatrical season at -Birmingham, he announced the advent of a Bohemian giant, who would toss -about, like a ball, a stone weighing nearly a ton. Few modern giants have -possessed the strength ascribed to the seven-feet men of old, and such an -athlete as the Bohemian would have been worth a visit. The theatre was -filled, therefore, for the first time that season; but when the overture -had been performed, and the occupants of the gallery were beginning to -testify impatience, Elliston appeared before the curtain, looking grave -and anxious, as on such occasions he could look to perfection. Evincing -the deepest emotion, he informed the expectant audience that the -perfidious Bohemian had disappointed him, and had not arrived. - -"Here," said he, producing a number of letters from his pockets, "are -letters which must satisfy every one that I am not to blame for this -disappointment, which I assure you, ladies and gentlemen, is to me one of -the bitterest of my existence. As they are numerous and lengthy, and are -all written in German, you will, I am sure, excuse me from reading them; -but, as further evidence of the good faith in which I have acted in this -matter, you shall see the stone." - -The curtain was drawn half-way up, and the disappointed Brums were -consoled with the sight of an enormous mass of stone, and with the -announcement that they would receive, on leaving the theatre, vouchers -entitling them to admission to the boxes on the following night, on -payment of a shilling. Elliston thus obtained two good houses at no other -extra expense than a few shillings for the cartage of the pretended -giant's stone ball, the Bohemian being merely a creation of his own -fertile imagination. - -Sampoeman's arrangement with Elliston having proved a failure, the little -Dutchman was transferred to Gyngell, who exhibited him in his show in -Bartholomew Fair and elsewhere, in 1815. There are three portraits of -Simon Paap in existence, showing a striking resemblance to little Mr. -Stratton, commonly known as Tom Thumb. One of them, drawn by Woolley, and -engraved by Worship, probably for advertising purposes, bears the -following inscription:-- - -MR. SIMON PAAP. - -"_The celebrated Dutch dwarf, 26 years of age, weighs 27 pounds, and only -28 inches high; had the honour of being presented to the Prince Regent and -the whole of the Royal Family at Carleton House, May 5th, 1815, and was -introduced by Mr. Dan. Gyngell to the Right Honourable the Lord Mayor, -Sept. 1st, 1815; and was exhibited in the course of 4 days in Smithfield -to upwards of 20,000 persons; is universally admitted to be the greatest -wonder of the age._" - -Another portrait, engraved by Cooper, and published by Robins and Co., is -better executed; but the third is a poor sketch, taken three years later, -and unsigned. - -Richardson presented this year, on the first day of Bartholomew Fair, _The -Maid and the Magpie_, and a pantomime, "expressly written for this -theatre," entitled _Harlequin in the Deep_, terminating with a panorama, -"taken from the spot, by one of our most eminent artists," representing -Longwood, in the island of St. Helena, and the adjacent scenery, -interesting to the public at that time as the place of exile selected by -the Powers lately in arms against France for Napoleon I. Pocock's drama -was, of course, greatly abridged, for drama and pantomime, with a comic -song between, were got through in half an hour, and often in twenty -minutes, when the influx of visitors rendered it expedient to abbreviate -the performance. Shuter's signal, corrupted into _John Orderly_, was used -by Richardson on such occasions. - -A daily change of performances had at this time become necessary, and -Richardson presented on the second day "an entire new Chinese romantic -melodrama," called _The Children of the Desert_, and a comic pantomime, -entitled _Harlequin and the Devil_. On the third day the pantomime was the -same, preceded by "an entire new melodrama," called _The Roman Wife_. - -This year there first appeared in the fair an eccentric character named -James Sharp England, known as "the flying pieman." He was always neatly -dressed, with a clean white apron before him, but wore no hat, and had his -hair powdered and tied behind in a queue. Like the famous Tiddy-dol of a -century earlier, he aimed at a profitable notoriety through a fantastic -exterior and a droll manner; and he succeeded, his sales of plum-pudding, -which he carried before him on a board, and vended in slices, being very -great wherever he appeared. The present representative of the -perambulating traders of the eccentric order is a man who has for many -years strolled about the western districts of the metropolis, wearing -clean white sleeves and a black velvet cap placed jauntily on his head, -and carrying before him a tray of what, in oily and mellifluous accents, -he proclaims to be, "Brandy balls as big as St. Paul's! Oh, _so_ nice! -They are all sugar and brandy!" - -The following year is memorable among showmen, and especially among -menagerists, for the attack of Ballard's lioness on the Exeter mail-coach. -On the night of the 20th of October, the caravans containing the animals -were standing in a line along the side of the road, near the inn called -the Winterslow Hut, seven miles from Salisbury, to the fair of which city -the menagerie was on its way. The coach had just stopped at this inn for -the guard to deliver his bag of local letters, when one of the leaders was -attacked by some large animal. The alarm and confusion produced by this -incident were so great that two of the inside passengers left the coach, -ran into the house, and locked themselves in a room above stairs; while -the horses kicked and plunged so violently that the coachman feared that -the coach would be overturned. It was soon perceived by the coachman and -guard, by the light of the lamps, that the assailant was a large lioness. -A mastiff attacked the beast, which immediately left the horse, and turned -upon him; the dog then fled, but was pursued and killed by the lioness -about forty yards from the coach. - -An alarm being given, Ballard and his keepers pursued the lioness to a -granary in a farm-yard, where she ran underneath the building, and was -there barricaded in to prevent her escape. She growled for some time so -loudly as to be heard half a mile distant. The excited spectators called -loudly to the guard to despatch her with his blunderbuss, which he seemed -disposed to attempt, but Ballard cried out, "For God's sake, don't kill -her! She cost me five hundred pounds, and she will be as quiet as a lamb -if not irritated." This arrested the guard's hand, and he did not fire. -The lioness was afterwards easily enticed from beneath the granary by the -keepers, and taken back to her cage. The horse was found to be severely -lacerated about the neck and chest, the lioness having fastened the talons -of her fore feet on each side of his throat, while the talons of her hind -feet were forced into his chest, in which position she hung until attacked -by the dog. Death being inevitable, a fresh horse was procured, and the -coach proceeded on its journey, after having been detained three-quarters -of an hour. - -A coloured print of this encounter adorns, or did thirty years ago adorn, -the parlour of the Winterslow Hut, and was executed, according to the -inscription, from the narrative of Joseph Pike, the guard, who, next to -the lioness, is the most conspicuous object in the group. The lioness has -seized the off leader by the throat, and the guard is standing on his seat -with a levelled carbine, as if about to fire. In the foreground is the -dog, which looks small for a mastiff, as if diminished by the artist for -the purpose of making the lioness appear larger by the comparison, as the -human figures on the show-cloths of the menageries always are. The -terrified faces in the inside of the coach, and at the upper windows of -the inn, and the blue coats and yellow vests of the outside passengers, -each grasping an umbrella or a carpet-bag, as if determined not to die -without a struggle, make up a vivid and sensational picture, which would -have found immediate favour with the conductor of the 'Police News,' had -such a periodical existed in those days. - -The following year was signalised by the first appearance at Bartholomew -Fair of the learned pig, Toby, who was exhibited by a showman named Hoare. -There seems to have been a succession of learned pigs bearing the same -name, on the same principle, probably, as Richardson's theatre continues -to be advertised at Easter or Whitsuntide as at the Crystal Palace, or the -Agricultural Hall, or the Spaniards, at Hampstead Heath, twenty years -after the component parts of the structure were dispersed under the -auctioneer's hammer. - -The wonder of 1818 was an athletic French woman, who was advertised as -follows:-- - -"The strongest woman in Europe, the celebrated French Female Hercules, -Madame Gobert, who will lift with her teeth a table five feet long and -three feet wide, with several persons seated upon it; also carry -thirty-six weights, fifty-six pounds each, equal to 2016 lbs. and will -disengage herself from them without any assistance; will carry a barrel -containing 340 bottles; also an anvil 400 pounds weight, on which they -will forge with four hammers at the same time she supports it on her -stomach; she will also lift with her hair the same anvil, swing it from -the ground, and suspend it in that position to the astonishment of every -beholder; will take up a chair by the hind stave with her teeth, and throw -it over her head ten feet from her body. Her travelling caravan (weighing -two tons) on its road from Harwich to Leominster, owing to the neglect of -the driver and badness of the road, sunk in the mud, nearly to the box of -the wheels; the two horses being unable to extricate it, she descended, -and, with apparent ease, disengaged the caravan from its situation, -without any assistance whatever." - -Caulfield says that he visited the show "for the purpose of accurately -observing her manner of performance, which was by lying extended at -length on her back on three chairs; pillows were then placed over her -legs, thighs, and stomach, over those two thick blankets, and then a -moderately thick deal board; the thirty-six weights were then placed on -the board, beginning at the bottom of the legs, and extending upwards -above the knees and thighs, but none approaching towards the stomach. She -held the board on each side with her hands, and when the last weight was -put on, she pushed the board upwards on one side, and tumbled the weights -to the ground. On the whole, there appeared more of trick than of personal -strength in this feat. Her next performance was raising the anvil (which -might weigh nearly 200 lbs.) from the ground with her hair, which is -thick, black, and as strong as that in the tail of a horse; this is -platted on each side, and fixed to two cords, which are attached to the -anvil; then rising from a bending to an erect posture, she raises and -swings the anvil several times backwards and forwards through her legs. -Her next feat was raising a table with her teeth, a slight, rickety thing, -made of deal, with a bar across the legs, which, upon her grasping it, is -sustained against her thighs, and enables her more easily to swing it -round several times, maintaining her hold only by her teeth. The chair she -makes nothing of, but canters it over her head like a plaything. That she -is a wonderfully strong woman is evident, but that she can perform what is -promised in her bills is a notorious untruth. She has an infant which now -sucks at her breast, about eleven months old, that lifts, with very little -exertion, a quarter of a hundred weight." - -Greenwich and Stepney Fairs became popular places of resort with the -working classes of the metropolis during the second decade of the present -century. Old showmen assert that the former was then declining, a state of -things which they ascribe to the growing popularity of the latter; and it -is certain that the number of persons who resort to a fair is no criterion -of the number, size, and quality of the shows by which it is attended, or -of the gains of the showmen. Croydon Fair was never visited by so many -thousands of persons as in the years of its decadence, which commenced -with the opening of the railway; but the average expenditure of each -person, so far from increasing in the same proportion, must have -considerably diminished. - -The Easter Fair at Greenwich was the opening event of the season, and -during its best days Richardson's theatre always occupied the best -position. John Cartlitch, the original representative of Mazeppa, and -James Barnes, afterwards famous as the pantaloon of the Covent Garden -pantomimes, were members of Richardson's company at this time; and it was -joined at Greenwich by Nelson Lee, well known to the present generation as -an enterprising theatrical manager and a prolific producer of pantomimes, -but at that time fresh from school, with no other experience of theatrical -business than he had gained during a brief engagement as a supernumerary -at the old Royalty to serve as the foundation of the fame to which he -aspired. - -James and Nelson Lee were the sons of Colonel Lee, who commanded a line -regiment of infantry during the period of the Peninsular war. At their -father's death, the elder boy was articled to a wine merchant in the City -of London, but evinced so much dislike to trade, and such strong -theatrical proclivities, that the articles were cancelled, and he was -placed under the tuition of Bradley, the famous swordsman of the Coburg. -He declined a second time, however, to fulfil his engagement, and, leaving -Bradley at the expiration of the first year, joined Bannister's circus -company, in what capacity my researches have failed to show. - -The Whitsuntide Fair at Greenwich was followed at this time by a small -fair at Deptford, on the occasion of the annual official visit of the -Master of the Trinity House, which was always made on the morrow of the -festival of the Trinity. Ealing, Fairlop, Mitcham, and Camberwell -followed; then came Bartholomew; the round of the fairs within ten miles -of the metropolis being completed by Enfield and Croydon. - -Richardson generally proceeded from Ealing to Portsmouth, where the three -weeks' town fair was immediately followed by another of a week's duration -on Portsdown Hill. One of the many stories which are current among showmen -and actors of his eccentricities of character has its scene at a -public-house on the Portsmouth road, at which he had, in the preceding -year, been refused water and provender for his horses, the innkeeper -growling that he had been "done" once by a showman, and did not want to -have anything more to do with show folks. Richardson bore the insult in -his mind, and on approaching the house again sent his company forward, -desiring each to order a glass of brandy-and-water, but not to touch it -until he joined them. Twenty glasses of brandy-and-water, all wanted at -once, was an unprecedented demand upon that roadside hostelry; and the -landlord, as he summoned all his staff to assist him, wondered what could -be the cause of such an influx of visitors. While the beverage was being -concocted the waggons came up, with Richardson walking at the head. - -"Here we are, governor!" exclaimed one of the actors, who had, in the -meantime, strolled out upon a little green before the inn. - -"Hullo!" said Richardson, affecting surprise. "I thought you had gone on -to the Black Bull. What are you all doing here?" - -"Waiting for you to pay for the brandy-and-water, governor," replied the -comedian. - -"Not if I know it!" returned Richardson, with a scowl at the expectant -innkeeper. "That's the crusty fellow that wouldn't give the poor beasts a -pail of water and a mouthful of hay last year, and not a shilling of my -money shall ever go into his pocket. So come on, my lads, and I'll stand -glasses all round at the Black Bull." - -And with these words he strode on, followed by his company, leaving the -disappointed innkeeper aghast behind his twenty glasses of -brandy-and-water. - -At Portsmouth some dissension arose between Richardson and William Cooke, -whose equestrians, as the consequence or the cause, paraded in front of -the theatre, and prevented free access to it. - -"We must move them chaps from before our steps, Lewis," said Richardson to -his stage-manager; and having a basket-horse among his properties, he had -some squibs and crackers affixed to it, and sent one of the company to -caper in it in the rear of Cooke's horses. - -Very few of the horses used for circus parades being trained for the -business of the ring, the fireworks no sooner began to fizz and bang than -the equine obstructives became so restive that Cooke found it expedient to -recall them to his own parade waggon. - -Richardson always returned to the metropolis for Bartholomew Fair, where -the shows were, in 1820, arranged for the first time in the manner -described by Hone five years later. They had previously formed a block on -the site of the sheep-pens; but this year swings and roundabouts were -excluded, so as to preserve the area open, and the shows were built round -the sides of the quadrangle. As the fair existed at this time, there were -small uncovered stalls from the Skinner Street corner of Giltspur Street, -along the whole length of the churchyard; and on the opposite side of -Giltspur Street there were like stalls from the Newgate Street corner, -along the front of the Compter prison. At these stalls were sold fruit, -oysters, toys, gingerbread, baskets, and other articles of trifling value. -They were held by the small fry of the stall-keeping fraternity, who -lacked means to pay for space and furnish out a tempting display. The -fronts of these standings were towards the passengers in the -carriage-way. - -Then, with occasional distances of three or four feet for footways from -the road to the pavement, began lines of covered stalls, with their open -fronts opposite the fronts of the houses and close to the curbstone, and -their enclosed backs to the road. On the St. Sepulchre's side they -extended to Cock Lane, and thence to the Smithfield corner of Giltspur -Street, then, turning the corner into Smithfield, they extended to Hosier -Lane, and from thence all along the west side of Smithfield to Cow Lane, -where, on that side, they terminated in a line with the opposite corner -leading to St. John Street, where the line was resumed, and continued to -Smithfield Bars, and there, on the west side, ended. Crossing over to the -east side, and returning south, these covered stalls commenced opposite to -their termination on the west, and ran towards Smithfield, turning into -which they extended westerly towards the pig-market, and thence to Long -Lane, from which point they ran along the east side of Smithfield to the -great gate of Cloth Fair. From Duke Street they continued along the south -side to the great front gate of St. Bartholomew's Hospital, and from -thence to the carriage entrance of the hospital, from whence they -extended along Giltspur Street to the Compter, where they joined the -uncovered stalls. - -These covered stalls, thus surrounding Smithfield, belonged to dealers in -gingerbread, toys, hardwares, pocketbooks, trinkets, and articles of all -prices, from a halfpenny to ten shillings. The largest stalls were those -of the toy-sellers, some of which had a frontage of twenty-five feet, and -many of eighteen feet. The frontage of the majority of the stalls was -eight to twelve feet; they were six or seven feet high in front, and five -at the back, and all formed of canvas stretched upon a light frame-work of -wood; the canvas roofs sloped to the backs, which were enclosed by canvas -to the ground. The fronts were open to the thronging passengers, for whom -a clear way was preserved on the pavements between the stalls and the -houses, all of which, necessarily, had their shutters up and their doors -closed. - -The shows had their fronts towards the area of Smithfield, and their backs -to the backs of the stalls, without any passage between them in any part. -The area of Smithfield was thus entirely open, and persons standing in the -carriage-way could see all the shows at one view. They surrounded -Smithfield entirely, except on the north side. Against the pens in the -centre there were no shows, the space between being kept free for -spectators and persons making their way to the exhibitions. Yet, although -no vehicle of any kind was permitted to pass, this immense carriage-way -was always so thronged as to be almost impassable. Officers were stationed -at the Giltspur Street, Hosier Lane, and Duke Street entrances to prevent -carriages and horsemen from entering, the only ways by which these were -allowed ingress to Smithfield being through Cow Lane, Chick Lane, -Smithfield Bars, and Long Lane; and they were to go on and pass, without -stopping, through one or other of these entrances, and without turning -into the body of the fair. The city officers, to whom was committed the -execution of these regulations, enforced them with rigour, never swerving -from their instructions, but giving no just ground of offence to those -whom the regulations displeased. - -The shows were very numerous this year. There were four menageries, the -proprietors of which are not named in the newspapers of the day, which -inform us further that there was "the usual variety of conjurors, -wire-dancers, giants, dwarfs, fat children, learned pigs, albinoes, &c." -Ballard, Wombwell, and Atkins were probably among the menagerists, though -I have found no bill or other memorial of either of the two great -menageries of the second quarter of the eighteenth century of an earlier -date than 1825. - -Gyngell, like Richardson, never missed Bartholomew Fair in those days; and -he was now supported by a clever grown-up family, consisting of Joseph, -who was a good juggler and balancer; Horatio, who, besides being a dancer, -was a self-taught artist of considerable ability; George, who was a -pyrotechnist; and Louisa, a very beautiful young woman and graceful -tight-rope dancer, who afterwards fell, and broke one of her arms, in -ascending from the stage of Covent Garden Theatre to the gallery. Nelson -Lee joined Gyngell's company on the termination of his engagement with -Richardson; and, having learned the juggling business from a Frenchman in -the _troupe_, shortly afterwards exhibited his skill at the Adelphi, and -other London theatres. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - - Saker and the Lees--Richardson's Theatre--Wombwell, the - Menagerist--The Lion Fights at Warwick--Maughan, the Showman--Miss - Hipson, the Fat Girl--Lydia Walpole, the Dwarf--The Persian Giant and - the Fair Circassian--Ball's Theatre--Atkins's Menagerie--A Mare with - Seven Feet--Hone's Visit to Richardson's Theatre--Samwell's - Theatre--Clarke's Circus--Brown's Theatre of Arts--Ballard's - Menagerie--Toby, the Learned Pig--William Whitehead, the Fat - Boy--Elizabeth Stock, the Giantess--Chappell and Pike's Theatre--The - Spotted Boy--Wombwell's "Bonassus"--Gouffe, the Man-Monkey--De Berar's - Phantasmagoria--Scowton's Theatre--Death of Richardson. - - -Nelson Lee had just completed a round of engagements at the London -theatres when, in 1822, his brother, having terminated his engagement with -Bannister's circus, came to the metropolis, and fitted up an unoccupied -factory in the Old Kent Road as a theatre. Nelson joined him in the -enterprise, which for a time was tolerably successful; but they had -omitted the requisite preliminary of obtaining a licence, and one night a -strong force of constables invaded the theatre, and arrested every one -present, audience as well as actors, with one exception. Saker, who -afterwards won some distinction as a comedian, ascended into a loft on the -first alarm, and drew up the ladder by which he had escaped. When all was -quiet, he descended, and left the building through a window. The -watch-houses of Southwark, Newington, Camberwell, and Greenwich were -filled with the offenders, most of whom, however, were discharged on the -following day, while the Lees, who pleaded ignorance of the law, escaped -with a small fine. - -The same year witnessed the final performances of "Lady Holland's Mob." -About five thousand of the rabble of the City assembled in the -neighbourhood of Skinner Street, about midnight of the eve of St. -Bartholomew, and roared and rioted till between three and four o'clock -next morning, without interference from the watch or the constables. From -this time, however, this annual Saturnalia was not observed, or was -observed so mildly that the newspapers contain no record of the -circumstance. - -In 1823, Richardson presented his patrons with a drama called _The Virgin -Bride_, and an extravaganza entitled _Tom, Logic, and Jerry_, founded upon -Moncrieff's drama, and concluding with a panorama of the metropolis. On -the third day, a romantic drama called _The Wanderer_ was substituted. - -Wombwell's menagerie comes prominently into notice about this time. Its -proprietor is said to have begun life as a cobbler in Monmouth Street, -Seven Dials, then a famous mart of the second-hand clothes trade, and now -called Dudley Street. The steps by which he subsequently advanced to the -position of an importer of wild animals and proprietor of one of the -largest and finest collections that ever travelled are unknown; but that -he preceded Jamrach and Rice in the former vocation is proved by the -existence of a small yellow card, bearing the device of a tiger, and the -inscription-- - - WOMBWELL, - WILD BEAST MERCHANT, - _Commercial Road_, - LONDON. - -_All sorts of Foreign Animals, Birds, &c., bought, sold, or exchanged, at -the Repository, or the Travelling Menagerie._ - -Wombwell never missed Bartholomew Fair, as long as it continued to be -held, but a story is told of him which shows that he was once very near -doing so. His menagerie was at Newcastle-on-Tyne within a fortnight of the -time when it should be in Smithfield, and it did not seem possible to -reach London in time; but, being in the metropolis on some business -connected with his Commercial Road establishment, he found that Atkins was -advertising that his menagerie would be "the only wild beast show in the -fair." The rivalry which appears to have existed at that time between the -two great menagerists prompted Wombwell to post down to Newcastle, and -immediately commence a forced march to London. By making extraordinary -exertions, he succeeded in reaching the metropolis on the morning of the -first day of the fair. But his elephant had exerted itself so much on the -journey that it died within a few hours after its arrival on the ground. - -Atkins heard by some means of his rival's loss, and immediately placarded -the neighbourhood with the announcement that his menagerie contained "the -only living elephant in the fair." Wombwell resolved that his rival should -not make capital of his loss in this manner, and had a long strip of -canvas painted with the words--"The only dead elephant in the fair." This -bold bid for public patronage proved a complete success. A dead elephant -was a greater rarity than a live one, and his show was crowded every day -of the fair, while Atkins's was comparatively deserted. The keen rivalry -which this story illustrates did not endure for ever, for, during the -period of my earliest recollections, from forty to fifty years ago, the -two great menageries never visited Croydon Fair together, their -proprietors agreeing to take that popular resort in their tours in -alternate years. - -I never failed, in my boyhood, to visit Wombwell's, or Atkins's show, -whichever visited Croydon Fair, and could never sufficiently admire the -gorgeously-uniformed bandsmen, whose brazen instruments brayed and blared -from noon till night on the exterior platform, and the immense pictures, -suspended from lofty poles, of elephants and giraffes, lions and tigers, -zebras, boa constrictors, and whatever else was most wonderful in the -brute creation, or most susceptible of brilliant colouring. The difference -in the scale to which the zoological rarities within were depicted on the -canvas, as compared with the figures of men that were represented, was a -very characteristic feature of these pictorial displays. The boa -constrictor was given the girth of an ox, and the white bear should have -been as large as an elephant, judged by the size of the sailors who were -attacking him among his native ice-bergs. - -I have a perfect recollection of Wombwell's two famous lions, Nero and -Wallace, and their keeper, "Manchester Jack," as he was called, who used -to enter Nero's cage, and sit upon the animal, open his mouth, etc. It is -said that, when Van Amburgh arrived in England with his trained lions, -tigers, and leopards, arrangements were made for a trial of skill and -daring between him and Manchester Jack, which was to have taken place at -Southampton, but fell through, owing to the American showing the white -feather. The story seems improbable, for Van Amburgh's daring in his -performances has never been excelled. - -Lion-tamers, like gymnasts, are generally killed half-a-dozen times by -rumour, though they die in their beds in about the same proportion as -other men; and I remember hearing an absurd story which conferred upon -Manchester Jack the unenviable distinction of having his head bitten off -by a lion. He was said to have been exhibiting the fool-hardy trick, with -which Van Amburgh's name was so much associated, of putting his head in -the lion's mouth, and to have been awakened to a sense of his temerity and -its consequences by hearing the animal growl, and feeling its jaw close -upon his neck. - -"Does he whisk his tail, Bill?" he was reported to have said to another -keeper while in this horrible situation. - -"Yes," replied Bill. - -"Then I am a dead man!" groaned Manchester Jack. - -A moment afterwards, the lion snapped its formidable jaws, and bit off the -keeper's head. Such was the story; but it is contradicted by the fact that -Manchester Jack left the menagerie with a whole skin, and for many years -afterwards kept an inn at Taunton, where he died in 1865. - -Nero's tameness and docility made him a public favourite, but the "lion," -_par excellence_, of Wombwell's show, after the lion-baitings at Warwick, -was Wallace. At the time when the terrible death of the lion-tamer, -Macarthy, had invested the subject with extraordinary interest, a -narrative appeared in the columns of a metropolitan morning journal, -purporting to relate the experiences of "an ex-lion king," in which the -story of these combats was revived, but in a manner not easily reconciled -with the statement of the man who communicated his reminiscences to the -"special commissioner" of the journal in question, that he knew the -animals and their keeper. - -"Did you ever," the ex-lion king was reported to have said, "hear of old -Wallace's fight with the dogs? George Wombwell was at very low water, and -not knowing how to get his head up again, he thought of a fight between an -old lion he had--sometimes called Wallace, sometimes Nero--and a dozen of -mastiff dogs. Wallace was as tame as a sheep; I knew him well--I wish all -lions were like him. The prices of admission ranged from a guinea up to -five guineas, and every seat was taken, and had the menagerie been three -times as large it would have been full. It was a queer go, and no mistake! -Sometimes the old lion would scratch a lump out of a dog, and sometimes -the dogs would make as if they were going to worry the old lion; but -neither side showed any serious fight, and at length the patience of the -audience got exhausted, and they went away in disgust. George's excuse -was, 'We can't make 'em fight, can we, if they won't?' There was no -getting over this, and George cleared over two thousand pounds by the -night's work." - -According to the newspaper reports of the time, two of these lion-baitings -took place; and some vague report or dim recollection of the events as -they actually occurred seems to have been in the mind of the "ex-lion -king" when he gave the preceding account of them. The combats were said to -have originated in a bet between two sporting gentlemen, and the dogs were -not a dozen mastiffs, but six bull-dogs, and attacked the lion in "heats" -of three. The first fight, the incidents of which were similar in -character to those described in the foregoing story, was between Nero and -the dogs, and took place in July, 1825; at which time the menagerie was -located in the Old Factory Yard, in the outskirts of Warwick, on the road -to Northampton. This not being considered satisfactory and conclusive, a -second encounter was arranged, in which Wallace, a younger animal, was -substituted for the old lion, with very different results. Every dog that -faced the lion was killed or disabled, the last being carried about in -Wallace's mouth as a rat is by a terrier or a cat. - -Shows had been excluded from Greenwich Fair this year, and Bartholomew's -was looked forward to by the showmen as the more likely on that account to -yield an abundant harvest. Hone says that Greenwich Fair was this year -suppressed by the magistrates, and the absence of shows may be regarded as -evidence of some bungling and wrong-headed interference; but a score of -booths for drinking and dancing were there, only two of which, Algar's and -the Albion, made any charge for admission to the "assembly room," the -charge for tickets at these being a shilling and sixpence respectively. -Algar's was three hundred and twenty-three feet long by sixty wide, -seventy feet of the length constituting the refreshment department, and -the rest of the space being devoted to dancing, to the music of two harps, -three violins, bass viol, two clarionets, and flute. - -According to the account preserved in Hone's 'Everyday Book,' the number -of shows assembled in Smithfield this year was twenty-two, of which, one -was a theatre for dramatic performances, five theatres for the various -entertainments usually given in circuses, four menageries, one an -exhibition of glass-blowing, one a peep-show, one a mare with seven feet, -and the remaining nine, exhibitions of giants, dwarfs, albinoes, fat -children, etc. Of course, the theatre was Richardson's, and the following -bill was posted on the exterior, and given to every one who asked for it -on entering:-- - -[Asterism] _Change of Performance each Day._ - -RICHARDSON'S THEATRE. - -This day will be performed, an entire new Melo-Drama, called the - - "WANDERING OUTLAW; - or, the Hour of Retribution. - -"Gustavus, Elector of Saxony, _Mr. Wright_. Orsina, Baron of Holstein, -_Mr. Cooper_. Ulric and Albert, Vassals to Orsina, _Messrs. Grove_ and -_Moore_. St. Clair, the Wandering Outlaw, _Mr. Smith_. Rinalda, the -Accusing Spirit, _Mr. Darling_. Monks, Vassals, Hunters, &c. Rosabella, -Wife to the Outlaw, _Mrs. Smith_. Nuns and Ladies. - -"The Piece concludes with the DEATH OF ORSINA, and the Appearance of the - -ACCUSING SPIRIT! - -"_The Entertainments to conclude with a New Comic Harlequinade, with New -Scenery, Tricks, Dresses, and Decorations, called_ - - "HARLEQUIN FAUSTUS - OR, THE - DEVIL WILL HAVE HIS OWN. - -"Luciferno, _Mr. Thomas_. Dæmon Amozor, afterwards Pantaloon, _Mr. -Wilkinson_. Dæmon Ziokos, afterwards Clown, _Mr. Hayward_. Violencello -Player, _Mr. Hartem_. Baker, _Mr. Thompson_. Landlord, _Mr. Wilkins_. -Fisherman, _Mr. Rae_. Doctor Faustus, afterwards Harlequin, _Mr. Salter_. -Adelada, afterwards Columbine, _Miss Wilmot_. Attendant Dæmons, Sprites, -Fairies, Ballad Singers, Flower Girls, &c., &c. - - _The Pantomime will finish with_ - A SPLENDID PANORAMA, - _Painted by the First Artists_. - Boxes, 2_s._ Pit, 1_s._ Gallery, 6 _d._" - -The theatre had an elevation exceeding thirty-feet, and occupied a -hundred feet in width. The back of the exterior platform, or -parade-waggon, was formed of green baize, before which deeply fringed -crimson curtains were festooned, except at two places where the -money-takers sat in wide and roomy projections, fitted up like Gothic -shrines, with columns and pinnacles. Fifteen hundred variegated lamps were -disposed over various parts of this platform, some of them depending from -the top in the shape of chandeliers and lustres, and others in wreaths and -festoons. A band of ten performers, in scarlet dresses, similar to those -worn by the Queen's yeomen, played continually, passing alternately from -the parade-waggon and the orchestra, and from the interior to the open air -again. - -The auditorium was about a hundred feet long, and thirty feet wide, and -was hung with green baize and crimson festoons. The seats were rows of -planks, rising gradually from the ground at the end, and facing the stage, -without any distinction of boxes, pit, or gallery. The stage was elevated, -and there was a painted proscenium, with a green curtain, and the royal -arms above, and an orchestra lined with crimson cloth. Between the -orchestra and the bottom row of seats was a large space, which, after the -seats were filled, and greatly to the discomfiture of the lower -seat-holders, was nearly occupied by spectators. There were at least a -thousand persons present on the occasion of Hone's visit. - -"The curtain drew up," he says, "and presented the Wandering Outlaw, with -a forest scene and a cottage; the next scene was a castle; the third was -another scene in the forest. The second act commenced with a scene of an -old church and a market-place. The second scene was a prison, and a ghost -appeared to the tune of the evening hymn. The third scene was the castle -that formed the second scene in the first act, and the performance was -here enlivened by a murder. The fourth scene was rocks, with a cascade, -and there was a procession to an unexecuted execution; for a ghost -appeared, and saved the Wandering Outlaw from a fierce-looking headsman, -and the piece ended. Then a plump little woman sang, 'He loves, and he -rides away,' and the curtain drew up to Harlequin Faustus, wherein, after -Columbine and a Clown, the most flaming character was the devil, with a -red face and hands, in a red Spanish mantle and vest, red 'continuations,' -stockings and shoes ditto to follow, a red Spanish hat and plume above, -and a red 'brass bugle horn.' As soon as the fate of Faustus was -concluded, the sound of a gong announced the happy event, and these -performances were, in a quarter of an hour, repeated to another equally -intelligent and brilliant audience." - -John Clarke, an elderly, gentlemanly-looking showman, whom I saw a few -years afterwards "mountebanking" on a piece of waste land at Norwood, and -whose memory, in spite of his infirmity of temper, is cherished by the -existing generation of equestrians and acrobats, was here with his circus, -a large show, with its back against the side of Samwell's, and its front -in a line with Hosier Lane, and therefore looking towards Smithfield Bars. -The admission to this show was sixpence. The spacious platform outside was -lighted with gas, a distinction from the other shows in the fair which -extended to the interior, where a single hoop, about two feet six inches -in diameter, with little jets of gas about an inch and a half apart, was -suspended over the arena. - -"The entertainment," says Hone, "commenced by a man dancing on the tight -rope. The rope was removed and a light bay horse was mounted by a female -in trousers, with a pink gown fully frilled, flounced, and ribboned, with -the shoulders in large puffs. While the horse circled the ring at full -speed, she danced upon him, and skipped with a hoop like a skipping-rope; -she performed other dexterous feats, and concluded by dancing on the -saddle with a flag in each hand, while the horse flew round the ring with -great velocity. These and the subsequent performances were enlivened by -tunes from a clarionet and horn, and jokes from a clown, who, when she had -concluded, said to an attendant, 'Now, John, take the horse off, and -whatever you do, rub him down well with a cabbage.' Then a man rode and -danced on another horse, a very fine animal, and leaped from him three -times over garters, placed at a considerable height and width apart, -alighting on the horse's back while he was going round. This rider was -remarkably dexterous. - -"In conclusion, the clown got up, and rode with many antic tricks, till, -on the sudden, an apparently drunken fellow rushed from the audience into -the ring, and began to pull the clown from the horse. The manager -interfered, and the people cried, 'Turn him out;' but the man persisted, -and the clown getting off, offered to help him up, and threw him over the -horse's back to the ground. At length the intruder was seated, with his -face to the tail, though he gradually assumed a proper position, and, -riding as a man thoroughly intoxicated would ride, fell off; he then threw -off his hat and great coat, and his waistcoat, and then an under -waistcoat, and a third, and a fourth, and more than a dozen waistcoats. -Upon taking off the last, his trousers fell down, and he appeared in his -shirt; whereupon he crouched, and drawing his shirt off in a twinkling, -appeared in a handsome fancy dress, leaped into the saddle, rode standing -with great grace, received great applause, made his bows, and so the -performance concluded." - -The remainder of the shows of this class charged a penny only for -admission. Of Samwell's, Hone says,--"I paid my penny to the money-taker, -a slender 'fine lady,' with three feathers in a 'jewelled turban,' and a -dress of blue and white muslin, and silver; and within-side I saw the -'fat, contented, easy' proprietor, who was arrayed in corresponding -magnificence. If he loved leanness, it was in 'his better half,' for -himself had none of it. Obesity had disqualified him for activity, and -therefore in his immensely tight and large satin jacket, he was, as much -as possible, the active commander of his active performers. He -superintended the dancing of a young female on the tight rope. Then he -announced 'A little boy will dance a horn-pipe on the rope,' and he -ordered his 'band' inside to play; this was obeyed without difficulty, for -it merely consisted of one man, who blew a hornpipe tune on a Pan's-pipe; -while it went on, the little boy danced on the tight rope; so far it was a -hornpipe dance, and no farther. 'The little boy will stand on his head on -the rope,' said the manager; and the little boy stood on his head -accordingly. Then another female danced on the slack wire; and after her -came a horse, not a dancing horse, but a 'learned' horse, quite as learned -as the horse at Ball's theatre." - -At the show last mentioned was a man who balanced chairs on his chin, and -holding a knife in his mouth, balanced a sword on the edge of the knife; -he then put a pewter plate on the hilt of the sword horizontally, and so -balanced the sword with the plate on the edge of the knife as before, the -plate having previously had imparted to it a rotary motion, which it -communicated to the sword, and preserved during the balance. He also -balanced the sword and plate in like manner, with a crown-piece placed -edge-wise between the point of the sword and the knife; and afterwards -with two crown-pieces, and then with a key. These feats were accompanied -by the jokes and grimaces of a clown, and succeeded by an acrobatic -performance by boys, and a hornpipe by the lady of the company. Then a -learned horse was introduced, and, as desired by his master, indicated a -lady who wished to be married, a gentleman who preferred a quart of ale to -a sermon, a lady who liked lying in bed when she should be up, and other -persons of various proclivities amusing to the rest of the spectators. - -Chappell and Pike's was a very large show, fitted up after the manner of -Richardson's, with a parade, on which a clown and several acrobats in -tights and trunks, and young ladies in ballet costume, alternately -promenaded and danced, until the interior filled, and the performances -commenced. These consisted of tumbling, slack-rope dancing, etc., as at -Ball's, but better executed. The names of these showmen do not appear -again in the records of the London fairs, from which it may be inferred -that the show was a new venture, and failed. There was a performer named -Chappell in the company of Richardson's theatre, while under the -management of Nelson Lee; but whether related to the showman of 1825 I am -unable to say. - -The performances of "Brown's Grand Troop, from Paris," commenced with an -exhibition of conjuring; among other tricks, the conjurer gave a boy beer -to drink out of a funnel, making him blow through it to show that it was -empty, and afterwards applying it to each of the boy's ears, from whence, -through the funnel, the beer appeared to reflow, and poured on the ground. -Afterwards girls danced on the single and double slack wire, and a -melancholy-looking clown, among other things, said they were "as clever -as the barber and blacksmith who shaved magpies at twopence a dozen." The -show concluded with a learned horse. - -The menageries of Wombwell and Atkins were two of the largest shows in the -fair. The back of the former abutted on the side of Chappell and Pike's -theatre, on the north side of Smithfield, with the front looking towards -Giltspur Street, at which avenue it was the first show. The front was -entirely covered with painted show-cloths representing the animals, with -the proprietor's name in immense letters above, and the inscription, "The -Conquering Lion," very conspicuously displayed. There were other -show-cloths along the whole length of the side, surmounted by this -inscription, stretching out in one line of large capital letters, "Nero -and Wallace, the same lions that fought at Warwick." One of the front -show-cloths represented the second fight; a lion stood up, with a bleeding -dog in his mouth, and his left fore paw resting upon another dog. A third -dog was in the act of flying at him ferociously, and one, wounded and -bleeding, was retreating. There were seven other show-cloths on this -front, with the inscription "Nero and Wallace" between them. One of these -show-cloths, whereon the monarch of the forest was painted, was -inscribed, "Nero, the Great Lion, from Caffraria." - -Wombwell's collection comprised at this time four lions and a lioness, two -leopardesses, with cubs, a hyena, a bitch wolf and cubs, a polar bear, a -pair of zebras, two onagers or wild asses, and a large assortment of -monkeys and exotic birds. The bills announced "a remarkably fine tigress -in the same den with a noble British lion;" but Hone notes that this -conjunction, the announcement of which was probably suggested by the -attractiveness of the lion-tiger cubs and their parents in Atkins's -menagerie, was not to be seen in reality. The combats at Warwick produced -a strong desire on the part of the public to see the lions who had figured -in them, and the menagerie was crowded each day from morn till night. -"Manchester Jack" entered Nero's cage, and invited the visitors to follow, -which many ventured to do, paying sixpence for the privilege, on his -assurance that they might do so with perfect safety. - -Hone complains of the confusion and disorder which prevailed, and which -are inseparable from a crowd, and may be not uncharitably suspected of -being exaggerated in some degree by the evident prejudice which had been -created in his mind by the lion-baitings at Warwick. It is certain, -however, that gardens like those of the Zoological Society afford -conditions for the health and comfort of the animals, and for their -exhibition to the public, much more favourable than can be obtained in the -best regulated travelling caravan, or in buildings such as the Tower -menagerie and Exeter Change. It is impossible to do justice to animals -which are cooped within the narrow limits of a travelling show, or in any -place which does not admit of thorough ventilation. Apart from the -impracticability of allowing sufficient space and a due supply of air, a -considerable amount of discomfort to the animals is inseparable from -continuous jolting about the country in caravans, and from the braying of -brass bands and the glare of gas at evening exhibitions. - -It took even the Zoological Society some time to learn the conditions most -favourable to the maintenance of the mammal tribes of tropical countries -in a state of health, while subject to the restraint necessary for their -safe keeping. Too much importance was at first attached to warming the -cages in which the monkeys and carnivora of India and Africa were kept, -and too little to ventilating them. I remember the time when the -carnivora-house in the Society's gardens was a long, narrow building, with -double folding-doors at each end, and a range of cages on each side. The -cages were less than half the size of the light and lofty apartments now -appropriated to the same species, and were artificially heated to such a -degree that the atmosphere resembled that of the small glass-house in Kew -Gardens in which the paper-reed and other examples of the aquatic -vegetation of tropical countries are grown, and was rendered more stifling -by the strong ammoniacal odour which constantly prevaded it. - -It was found, however, that the mortality among the animals, -notwithstanding all the care that was taken to keep them warm, was very -great; and the idea gradually dawned upon the minds of the Council of the -Society that ventilation might be more conducive to the health and -longevity of the animals than any amount of heat. As lions and tigers, -leopards and hyenas, baboons and monkeys, live, in a state of nature, in -the open air of their native forests, the imperfect ventilation of the old -carnivora-house and monkey-house seemed, when once the idea was broached, -to be a very likely cause of the excessive mortality, which, as lions and -tigers cost from a hundred and fifty to two hundred and fifty pounds, was -a constant source of heavy demands upon the Society's funds. It was -determined, therefore, to try the experiment of constructing larger cages, -and admitting the pure external air to them; and the results were so -satisfactory that everybody wondered that the improved hygienic conditions -had not been thought of before. - -Atkins had a very fine collection of the feline genus, and was famous for -the production of hybrids between the lion and the tigress. The cubs so -produced united some of the external characteristics of both parents, -their colour being tawny, marked while they were young with darker -stripes, such as may be observed in black kittens, the progeny of a tabby -cat. These markings disappeared, however, as the lion-tigers approached -maturity, at which time the males had the mane entirely deficient, or very -little developed. I remember seeing a male puma and a leopardess in the -same cage in this menagerie, but I am unable to state whether the union -was fruitful. - -The display of show-cloths on the outside of this menagerie extended about -forty feet in length, and the proprietor's name flamed along the front in -coloured lamps. A brass band of eight performers, wearing scarlet tunics -and leopard-skin caps, played on the outside; and Atkins shouted from time -to time, "Don't be deceived! The great performing elephant is _here_; also -the only lion and tigress in one den to be seen in the fair, or I'll -forfeit a thousand guineas! Walk up!--walk up!" - -The following singularly descriptive bill was posted on the outside and -wherever else it could be displayed:-- - - "MORE WONDERS IN - ATKINS'S ROYAL MENAGERIE. - Under the Patronage of HIS MAJESTY. - G. [Illustration] R. - -"Wonderful Phenomenon in Nature! The singular and hitherto deemed -impossible occurrence of a LION and TIGRESS cohabiting and producing -young, has actually taken place in this menagerie, at Windsor. The -tigress, on Wednesday, the 27th of October last, produced _three fine -cubs_; one of them strongly resembles the tigress; the other two are of a -lighter colour, but striped. Mr. Atkins had the honour (through the kind -intervention of the Marquis of Conyngham) of exhibiting the _lion-tigers_ -to His Majesty, on the first of November, 1824, at the Royal Lodge, -Windsor Great Park; when His Majesty was pleased to observe, they were the -greatest curiosity of the beast creation he had ever witnessed. - -"The royal striped _Bengal Tigress_ has again whelped three fine cubs, -(April 22,) two males and one female; the males are white, but striped; -the female resembles the tigress, and, singular to observe, she fondles -them with all the care of an attentive mother. The sire of the young cubs -is the noble male lion. This remarkable instance of subdued temper and -association of animals to permit the keeper to enter their den, and -introduce their young to the spectators, is the greatest phenomenon in -natural philosophy. - -"That truly singular and wonderful animal, the AUROCHOS. Words can only -convey but a very confused idea of this animal's shape, for there are few -so remarkably formed. Its head is furnished with two large horns, growing -from the forehead, in a form peculiar to no other animal; from the -nostrils to the forehead is a stiff tuft of hair, and underneath the jaw -to the neck is a similar brush of hair, and between the forelegs is hair -growing about a foot and a half long. The mane is like that of a horse, -white, tinged with black, with a beautiful long flowing white tail; the -eye remarkably keen, and as large as the eye of the elephant: colour of -the animal, dark chesnut; the appearance of the head, in some degree -similar to the buffalo, and in some part formed like the goat, the hoof -being divided; such is the general outline of this quadruped, which seems -to partake of several species. This beautiful animal was brought over by -Captain White, from the south of Africa, and landed in England, September -20th, 1823; and is the same animal so frequently mistaken by travellers -for the unicorn: further to describe its peculiarities would occupy too -much space in a handbill. The only one in England. - -"That colossal animal, the wonderful performing - -ELEPHANT, - -Upwards of ten feet high!! Five tons weight!! His consumption of hay, -corn, straw, carrots, water, &c., exceeds 800 lbs. daily. The elephant, -the human race excepted, is the most respectable of animals. In size, he -surpasses all other terrestrial creatures, and by far exceeds any other -travelling animal in England. He has ivory tusks, four feet long, one -standing out on each side of his trunk. His trunk serves him instead of -hands and arms, with which he can lift up and seize the smallest as well -as the largest objects. He alone drags machines which six horses cannot -move. To his prodigious strength, he adds courage, prudence, and an exact -obedience. He remembers favours as well as injuries; in short, the -sagacity and knowledge of this extraordinary animal are beyond anything -human imagination can possibly suggest. He will lie down and get up at the -word of command, notwithstanding the many fabulous tales of their having -no joints in their legs. He will take a sixpence from the floor, and place -it in a box he has in the caravan; bolt and unbolt a door; take his -keeper's hat off, and replace it; and by the command of his keeper, will -perform so many wonderful tricks that he will not only astonish and -entertain the audience, but justly prove himself the half-reasoning beast. -He is the only elephant now travelling. - -"A full grown LION and LIONESS with four cubs, produced December 12, 1824, -at Cheltenham. - -"_Male Bengal Tiger._ Next to the lion, the tiger is the most tremendous -of the carnivorous class; and whilst he possesses all the bad qualities of -the former, seems to be a stranger to the good ones; to pride, to -strength, to courage, the lion adds greatness, and sometimes, perhaps, -clemency; while the tiger, without provocation, is fierce--without -necessity, is cruel. Instead of instinct, he hath nothing but a uniform -rage, a blind fury; so blind, indeed, so undistinguishing, that he -frequently devours his own progeny; and if the tigress offers to defend -them he tears in pieces the dam herself. - -"The _Onagra_, a native of the Levant, the eastern parts of Asia, and the -northern parts of Africa. This race differs from the Zebra, by the size of -the body, (which is larger,) slenderness of the legs, and lustre of the -hair. The only one now alive in England. - -"_Two Zebras_, one full grown, the other in its infant state, in which it -seems as if the works of art had been combined with those of nature in -this wonderful production. In symmetry of shape, and beauty of colour, it -is the most elegant of all quadrupeds ever presented; uniting the graceful -figure of a horse, with the fleetness of a stag; beautifully striped with -regular lines, black and white. - -"A Nepaul _Bison_, only twenty-four inches high. - -"_Panther_, or spotted tiger of Buenos Ayres, the only one travelling. - -"A pair of _rattle-tail Porcupines_. - -"Striped untamable _Hyæna_, a tiger-wolf. - -"An elegant _Leopard_, the handsomest marked animal ever seen. - -"Spotted _Laughing Hyæna_, the same kind of animal described never to be -tamed; but, singular to observe, it is perfectly tame, and its attachment -to a dog in the same den is very remarkable. - -"The spotted _Cavy_. - -"Pair of _Jackalls_. - -"Pair of interesting _Sledge Dogs_, brought over by Captain Parry from one -of the northern expeditions; they are used by the Esquimaux to draw the -sledges on the ice, which they accomplish with great velocitv. - -"A pair of _Rackoons_, from North America. - -"The _Oggouta_, from Java. - -"A pair of Jennetts, or wild cats. - -"The _Coatimondi_, or ant-eater. - -"A pair of those extraordinary and rare birds, PELICANS of the wilderness; -the only two alive in the three kingdoms.--These birds have been -represented on all crests and coats of arms, to cut their breasts open -with the points of their bills, and feed their young with their own blood, -and are justly allowed by all authors to be the greatest curiosity of the -feathered tribe. - -"_Ardea Dubia_, or adjutant of Bengal, gigantic emew, or Linnæus's -southern ostrich. The peculiar characteristics that distinguish this bird -from the rest of the feathered tribe,--it comes from Brazil, in the new -continent; it stands from eight to nine feet high when full grown; it is -too large to fly, but is capable of outrunning the fleetest horses of -Arabia; what is still more singular, every quill produces two feathers. -The only one travelling. - -"A pair of rapacious _Condor Minors_, from the interior of South America, -the largest birds of flight in the world when full grown; it is the same -kind of bird the Indians have asserted to carry off a deer or young calf -in their talons, and two of them are sufficient to destroy a buffalo, and -the wings are as much as eighteen feet across. - -"The great _Horned Owl_ of Bohemia. Several species of gold and silver -pheasants, of the most splendid plumage, from China and Peru. -Yellow-crested cockatoo. Scarlet and buff macaws.--Admittance to see the -whole menagerie, 1_s._--Children 6_d._--Open from ten in the forenoon till -feeding-time, half-past nine, 2_s._" - -Hone says that this menagerie was thoroughly clean, and that the condition -of the animals told that they were well taken care of. The elephant, with -his head protruded between the stout bars of his house, whisked his -proboscis diligently in search of eatables from the spectators, who -supplied him with fruit and biscuits, or handed him halfpence which he -uniformly conveyed by his trunk to a retailer of gingerbread, and got his -money's worth in return. Then he unbolted the door to let in his keeper, -and bolted it after him; took up a sixpence with his trunk, lifted the lid -of a little box fixed against the wall, and deposited it within it, and -some time afterwards relifted the lid, and taking out the sixpence with a -single motion, returned it to the keeper; he knelt down when told, fired -off a blunderbuss, took off the keeper's hat, and afterwards replaced it -on his head as well as the man's hand could have done it; in short, he was -perfectly docile, and well maintained the reputation of his species for a -high degree of intelligence. - -"The keeper," says Hone, "showed every animal in an intelligent manner, -and answered the questions of the company readily and with civility. His -conduct was rewarded by a good parcel of halfpence when his hat went round -with a hope that 'the ladies and gentlemen would not forget the keeper -before he showed the lion and tigress.' The latter was a beautiful young -animal, with playful cubs about the size of bull-dogs, but without the -least fierceness. When the man entered the den, they frolicked and climbed -about him like kittens; he took them up in his arms, bolted them in a back -apartment, and after playing with the tigress a little, threw back a -partition which separated her den from the lion's, and then took the lion -by the beard. This was a noble animal; he was couching, and being inclined -to take his rest, only answered the keeper's command to rise by extending -his whole length, and playfully putting up one of his magnificent paws, as -a cat does when in a good humour. The man then took a short whip, and -after a smart lash or two upon his back, the lion rose with a yawn, and -fixed his eye on his keeper with a look that seemed to say, 'Well, I -suppose I must humour you.' - -"The man then sat down at the back of the den, with his back at the -partition, and after some ordering and coaxing, the tigress sat on his -right hand, and the lion on his left, and, all three being thus seated, -he threw his arms round their necks, played with their noses, and laid -their heads in his lap. He rose, and the animals with him; the lion stood -in a fine majestic position, but the tigress reared, and putting one foot -over his shoulder, and patting him with the other, as if she had been -frolicking with one of her cubs, he was obliged to check her playfulness. -Then by coaxing, and pushing him about, he caused the lion to sit down, -and while in that position opened the animal's ponderous jaws with his -hands, and thrust his face down into the lion's throat, wherein he -shouted, and there held his head nearly a minute. After this he held up a -common hoop for the tigress to leap through, and she did it frequently. -The lion seemed more difficult to move to this sport. He did not appear to -be excited by command or entreaty; at last, however, he went through the -hoop, and having been once roused, he repeated the action several times; -the hoop was scarcely two feet in diameter. The exhibition of these two -animals concluded by the lion lying down on his side, when the keeper -stretched himself to his whole length upon him, and then calling to the -tigress she jumped upon the man, extended herself with her paws upon his -shoulders, placed her face sideways upon his, and the whole three lay -quiescent till the keeper suddenly slipped himself off the lion's side, -with the tigress on him, and the trio gambolled and rolled about on the -floor of the den, like playful children on the floor of a nursery. - -"Of the beasts there is not room to say more than that their number was -surprising, considering that they formed a better selected collection, and -showed in higher condition from cleanliness and good feeding, than any -assemblage I ever saw. Their variety and beauty, with the usual accessory -of monkeys, made a splendid picture. The birds were equally admirable, -especially the pelicans and the emew. This show would have furnished a -dozen sixpenny shows, at least, to a Bartlemy Fair twenty years ago." - -The other menageries were penny shows. One was Ballard's, of which the -great attraction was still, though nine years had elapsed since the event, -the lioness which attacked the Exeter mail-coach. The collection contained -besides a fine lion, a tiger, a large polar bear, and several smaller -quadrupeds, monkeys, and birds. Hone has not preserved the name of the -owner of the fourth collection, which he says was "a really good -exhibition of a fine lion, with leopards, and various other beasts of the -forest. They were mostly docile and in good condition. One of the leopards -was carried by his keeper a pick-a-back." This was probably Morgan's, -which we find at this fair three years later. - -The daily cost of the food of the animals in a menagerie is no trifle. The -amount of animal food required for the carnivora in a first class -menagerie is about four hundredweight daily, consisting chiefly of the -shins, hearts, and heads of bullocks. A full-grown lion or tiger will -consume twelve pounds of meat per day, and this is said to have been the -allowance in Wombwell's menagerie; but it is more, I believe, than is -allowed in the gardens of the Zoological Society. Bears are allowed meat -only in the winter, their food at other seasons consisting of bread, -sopped biscuit, or boiled rice, sweetened with sugar. Then there are the -elephants, camels, antelopes, etc., to be provided for; and the quantity -of hay, cabbages, bread, and boiled rice which an elephant will consume, -in addition to the buns and biscuits given to it by the visitors, is, as -Dominie Sampson would say, prodigious. There is a story told of an -elephant belonging to a travelling menagerie which escaped from the stable -in which it had been placed for the night, and, wandering through the -village, found a baker's shop open. It pushed its head in, and, helping -itself with its trunk, devoured sixteen four-pound loaves, and was -beginning to empty the glass jars of the sweets they contained when the -arrival of its keeper interrupted its stolen repast. - -I now come to the minor exhibitions, of which the first from Hosier Lane, -where it stood at the corner, was a peep-show, in which rudely painted -pictures were successively lowered by the showmen, and viewed through -circular apertures, fitted with glasses of magnifying power. A green -curtain separated the spectators from the outer throng while they gazed -upon such strangely contrasted scenes as the murder of Weare and the Queen -of Sheba's visit to Solomon, the execution of Probert and the conversion -of St. Paul, the Greenland whale fishery and the building of Babel, -Wellington at Waterloo and Daniel in the lions' den! - -Next to this stood a show, on the exterior of which a man beat a drum with -one hand, and played a hurdy-gurdy with the other, pausing occasionally to -invite the gazers to walk up, and see the living wonders thus announced on -the show-cloths:--"_Miss Hipson, the Middlesex Wonder, the Largest Child -in the Kingdom, when young the Handsomest Child in the World.--The Persian -Giant.--The Fair Circassian with Silver Hair.--The Female Dwarf, Two Feet -Eleven Inches high.--Two Wild Indians from the Malay Islands in the -East._" When a company had collected, the wonders were shown from the -floor of a caravan on wheels, one side being taken out, and replaced by a -curtain, which was drawn or thrown back as occasion required. After the -audience had dispersed, Hone was permitted by the proprietor of the show, -Nicholas Maughan, of Ipswich, to go "behind the curtain," where the artist -who accompanied him completed his sketches for the illustrations in the -'Every-day Book,' while Hone entered into conversation with the persons -exhibited. - -"Miss Hipson, only twelve years of age, is," he says, "remarkably -gigantic, or rather corpulent, for her age, pretty, well-behaved, and -well-informed; she weighed sixteen stone a few months before, and has -since increased in size; she has ten brothers and sisters, nowise -remarkable in appearance: her father, who is dead, was a bargeman at -Brentford. The name of the 'little lady' is Lydia Walpole; she was born at -Addiscombe, near Yarmouth, and is sociable, agreeable, and intelligent. -The fair Circassian is of pleasing countenance and manners. The Persian -giant is a good-natured, tall, stately negro. The two Malays could not -speak English, except three words, 'drop o' rum,' which they repeated with -great glee. One of them, with long hair reaching below the waist, -exhibited the posture of drawing a bow. Mr. Maughan described them as -being passionate, and showed me a severe wound on his finger which the -little one had given him by biting, while he endeavoured to part him and -his countryman, during a quarrel a few days ago. A 'female giant' was one -of the attractions of this exhibition, but she could not be shown for -illness: Miss Hipson described her to be a very good young woman. - -"There was an appearance of ease and good condition, with content of mind, -in the persons composing this show, which induced me to put several -questions to them, and I gathered that I was not mistaken in my -conjecture. They described themselves as being very comfortable, and that -they were taken great care of, and well treated by the proprietor, Mr. -Maughan, and his partner in the show. The 'little lady' had a thorough -good character from Miss Hipson as an affectionate creature; and it seems -the females obtained exercise by rising early, and being carried out into -the country in a post-chaise, where they walked, and thus maintained their -health. This was to me the most pleasing show in the fair." - -Between this show and Richardson's theatre was a small temporary stable, -in which was exhibited a mare with seven feet: the admission to this sight -was threepence. The following is a copy of the printed bill:-- - -"To Sportsmen and Naturalists.--Now exhibiting, one of the greatest living -natural curiosities in the world; namely, a thorough-bred chesnut MARE, -with seven legs! four years of age, perfectly sound, free from blemish, -and shod on six of her feet. She is very fleet in her paces, being -descended from that famous horse Julius Cæsar, out of a thorough-bred race -mare descended from Eclipse, and is remarkably docile and temperate. She -is the property of Mr. J. Checketts, of Belgrave hall, Leicestershire; and -will be exhibited for a few days as above." - -Each of this mare's hind legs, besides its natural foot, had another -growing out from the fetlock joint; one of these additions was nearly the -size of the natural foot; the third and least grew from the same joint of -the fore leg. Andrews, the exhibitor, told Hone that they grew slowly, and -that the new hoofs were, at first, very soft, and exuded during the -process of growth. - -The line of shows on the east side of Smithfield, commencing at Long Lane, -began with an exhibition of an Indian woman, a Chinese lady, and a dwarf; -and next to this stood a small exhibition of wax-figures, to which a dwarf -and a Maori woman were added. On a company being assembled, the showman -made a speech: "Ladies and gentlemen, before I show you the wonderful -prodigies of nature, let me introduce you to the wonderful works of art;" -and then he drew a curtain, behind which the wax-figures stood. "This," -said he, "ladies and gentlemen, is the famous old Mother Shipton; and here -is the unfortunate Jane Shore, the beautiful mistress of Edward the -Fourth; next to her is his Majesty George the Fourth of most glorious -memory; and this is Queen Elizabeth in all her glory; then here you have -the Princess Amelia, the daughter of his late Majesty, who is dead; this -is Mary, Queen of Scots, who had her head cut off; and this is O'Brien, -the famous Irish giant; this man here is Thornton, who was tried for the -murder of Mary Ashford; and this is the exact resemblance of Othello, the -Moor of Venice, who was a jealous husband, and depend upon it every man -who is jealous of his wife will be as black as that negro. Now, ladies and -gentlemen, the two next are a wonderful couple, John and Margaret Scott, -natives of Dunkeld, in Scotland; they lived about ninety years ago; John -Scott was a hundred and five years old when he died, and Margaret lived to -be a hundred and twelve; and, what is more remarkable, there is not a soul -living can say he ever heard them quarrel." - -Here he closed the curtain, and while undrawing another, continued his -address as follows: "Having shown you the dead, I have now to exhibit to -you two of the most extraordinary wonders of the living; this is the -widow of a New Zealand chief, and this is the little old woman of Bagdad; -she is thirty inches high, twenty-two years of age, and a native of -Boston, in Lincolnshire." - -The next show announced, for one penny, "_The Black Wild Indian Woman--The -White Indian Youth--and the Welsh Dwarf--All Alive!_" There was this -further announcement on the outside: "_The Young American will Perform -after the Manner of the French Jugglers at Vauxhall Gardens, with Balls, -Rings, Daggers, &c._" The Welsh dwarf was William Phillips, of Denbigh, -fifteen years of age. The "White Indian youth" was an Esquimaux; and the -exhibitor assured the visitors upon his veracity that the "black wild -Indian woman" was a Court lady of the island of Madagascar. The young -American was the exhibitor himself, an intelligent and clever fellow in a -loose striped frock, tied round the middle. He commenced his performances -by throwing up three balls, which he kept constantly in the air, as he -afterwards did four, and then five, with great dexterity, using his hands, -shoulders, and elbows apparently with equal ease. He afterwards threw up -three rings, each about four inches in diameter, and then four, which he -kept in motion with similar success. To end his performance, he produced -three knives, which, by throwing up and down, he contrived to preserve in -the air altogether. The young American's dress and knives were very -similar to those of the Anglo-Saxon glee-man, as Strutt has figured them -from a MS. in the Cotton collection. - -The inscriptions and paintings on the outside of the next show announced -"_The White Negro, who was rescued from her Black Parents by the bravery -of a British Officer--the only White Negro Girl Alive--The Great Giantess -and Dwarf--Six Curiosities Alive!--Only a Penny to see them All Alive!_" -One side of the interior was covered by a pictorial representation of a -tread-mill, with convicts at work upon it, superintended by warders. On -the other side were several monkeys in cages, an old bear in a jacket, and -sundry other animals. When a sufficient number of persons had assembled, a -curtain was withdrawn, and the visitors beheld the giantess and the white -negro, whom the showman pronounced "the greatest curiosity ever seen--the -first that has been exhibited since the reign of George II.--look at her -head and hair, ladies and gentlemen, and feel it; there's no -deception--it's like ropes of wool!" The girl, who had the flat nose, -thick lips, and peculiarly-shaped skull of the negro, stooped to have her -hair examined. It was of a dull flaxen hue, and hung, according to Hone's -description, "in ropes, of a clothy texture, the thickness of a quill, and -from four to six inches in length." Her skin was the colour of an -European's. Then there stepped forth a little fellow about three feet -high, in a military dress, with top boots, who "strutted his tiny legs, -and held his head aloft with not less importance than the proudest general -officer could assume upon his promotion to the rank of field marshal." - -The next show was announced as an "exhibition of real wonders," and the -following bill was put forth by its proprietor:-- - - "REAL WONDERS! - SEE AND BELIEVE. - Have you seen - THE BEAUTIFUL DOLPHIN, - _The Performing Pig, and the Mermaid_? - -If not, pray do! as the exhibition contains more variety than any other in -England. Those ladies and gentlemen who may be pleased to honour it with a -visit will be truly gratified. - - TOBY, - _The Swinish Philosopher, and Ladies' Fortune Teller_. - -That beautiful animal appears to be endowed with the natural sense of the -human race. He is in colour the most beautiful of his race; in symmetry -the most perfect; in temper the most docile; and far exceeds anything yet -seen for his intelligent performances. He is beyond all conception: he has -a perfect knowledge of the alphabet, understands arithmetic, and will -spell and cast accounts, tell the points of the globe, the dice-box, the -hour by any person's watch, &c. - - _The Real Head of_ - MAHOURA, - THE CANNIBAL CHIEF! - -At the same time the public will have an opportunity of seeing what was -exhibited so long in London, under the title of - -THE MERMAID: - -The wonder of the deep! not a fac-simile or copy, but the same curiosity - - ADMISSION MODERATE. - [Asterism] _Open from Eleven in the Morning till Nine in the Evening._" - -Foremost among the attractions of this show were the performing pig and -the show-woman, who drew forth the learning of the "swinish philosopher" -admirably. He went through the alphabet, and spelt monosyllabic words with -his nose; and did a sum of two figures in addition. Then, at her desire, -he indicated those of the company who were in love, or addicted to excess -in drink; and grunted his conviction that a stout gentleman, who might -have sat to John Leech for the portrait of John Bull "loved good eating, -and a pipe, and a jug of ale better than the sight of the Living -Skeleton." The "beautiful dolphin" was a fish-skin stuffed. The mermaid -was the last manufactured imposture of that name, exhibited for -half-a-crown in Piccadilly, about a year before. The "real head of -Mahoura, the cannibal chief," was a skull, with a dried skin over it, and -a black wig; "but it looked sufficiently terrific," says Hone, "when the -show-woman put the candle in at the neck, and the flame illuminated the -yellow integument over the holes where eyes, nose, and a tongue had been." - -Adjoining this was another penny show, with pictures large as life on the -show-cloths outside of the living wonders within, and the following -inscription:--"_All Alive! No False Paintings! The Wild Indian, the Giant -Boy, and the Dwarf Family! Never here before. To be seen alive!_" Thomas -Day, the reputed father of the dwarf family, was also proprietor of the -show; he was thirty-five years of age, and only thirty-five inches high. -There was a boy six years old, only twenty-seven inches high. The "wild -Indian" was a mild-looking mulatto. The "giant boy," William Wilkinson -Whitehead, was fourteen years of age, stood five feet two inches high, -measured five feet round the body, twenty-seven inches across the -shoulders, twenty inches round the arm, twenty-four inches round the calf, -and thirty-one inches round the thigh, and weighed twenty-two stones. His -father and mother were "travelling merchants" of Manchester; he was born -at Glasgow, during one of their journeys, and was a fine healthy youth, -fair complexioned, intelligent looking, active in his movements, and -sensible in speech. He was lightly dressed in plaid to show his limbs, -with a bonnet of the same. - -Holden's glass-working and blowing was the last show on the east side of -Smithfield, and was limited to a single caravan. The first on the south -side, with its side towards Cloth Fair, and the back towards the corner of -Duke Street, presented pictures of a giant, a giantess, and an Indian -chief, with the inscription, "_They're all alive! Be assured they're all -alive! The Yorkshire Giantess--Waterloo Giant--Indian Chief. Only a -penny!_" An overgrown girl was the Yorkshire giantess. A tall man with his -hair frizzed and powdered, aided by a military coat and a plaid -roquelaire, made the Waterloo giant. - -Next to this stood another show of the same kind and quality, the -attractions of which were a giantess and two dwarfs. The giantess was a -Somerset girl, who arose from the chair whereon she was seated to the -height of six feet nine inches and three-quarters, with "Ladies and -gentlemen, your most obedient." She was good-looking and affable, and -obliged the company by taking off her tight-fitting slipper, and handing -it round for their examination. It was of such dimensions that the largest -man present could have put his booted foot into it. She said that her name -was Elizabeth Stock, and that she was only sixteen years of age. This -completed the number of shows pitched in Smithfield in 1825. - -There was a visible falling off in the following year, when the number of -shows diminished to eight. The west side of Giltspur Street, along its -whole length, was occupied by book-stalls; and grave-looking men in black -suits, with white cravats, looking like waiters out of employment, walked -solemnly through the fair, giving to all who would take them tracts headed -with the startling question--"_Are you prepared to die?_" Richardson's -theatre was there, and Clarke's circus; but Samwell, and Ball, and -Chappell and Pike did not attend, and Wombwell's was the only menagerie. -"Brown's grand company, from Paris," presented a juggling and tight-rope -performance, with the learned horse, and a clown who extracted musical -sounds from a salt-box, with the aid of a rolling-pin; Holden, the -glass-blower, in a glass wig, made tea-cups for threepence each, and -tobacco-pipes for a penny; the learned pig displayed his acquirements in -orthography and arithmetic; there was a twopenny exhibition of -rattlesnakes and young crocodiles, hatched by steam from imported eggs; -and a show in which a dwarf and a "silver-haired lady" were exhibited for -a penny. - -Among the unique of the living curiosities exhibited by the showmen of -this period was the famous spotted boy, described in the bills issued by -his original exhibitor as "one of those wonderful productions of Nature, -which excite the curiosity, and gratify the beholder with the surprising -works of the Creator; he is the progeny of Negroes, being beautifully -covered over by a diversity of spots of transparent brown and white; his -hair is interwoven, black and white alternately, in a most astonishing -manner; his countenance is interesting, with limbs finely proportioned; -his ideas are quick and penetrating, yet his infantine simplicity is truly -captivating. He must be seen to convince; it is not in the power of -language to convey an adequate idea of this Fanciful Child of Nature, -formed in her most playful mood, and allowed by every lady and gentleman -that has seen it, the greatest curiosity ever beheld. May be seen from -Ten in the Morning till Ten in the Evening. Admittance for Ladies and -Gentlemen 1_s._ Servants and Children half price. Ladies and Gentlemen -wishing to see this Wonderful Child at their own houses, may be -accommodated by giving a few hours' notice. Copper plate Likenesses of the -Boy may be had at the Place of Exhibition." - -Richardson introduced this boy several seasons, between the drama and the -pantomime; and became so much attached to him that he directed, by his -will, that he should be buried in the grave in which, a few years before, -he had deposited the remains of the lively, docile, and affectionate -African lad, in the church-yard of Great Marlow. - -I have found no account of the number of shows which attended Bartholomew -Fair in 1827, but in the following year they must have been nearly as -numerous as in 1825, an enumeration of the principal ones reaching to -sixteen. All the menageries attended, and, besides Richardson's and Ball's -theatres, Keyes and Laine's, Frazer's, Pike's, and a couple of clever -Chinese jugglers. The receipts of these and the other principal shows were -returned, in round numbers, as follows:--Wombwell's menagerie, £1,700; -Richardson's theatre, £1,200; Atkins's menagerie, £1,000; Morgan's -menagerie, £150; exhibition of "the pig-faced lady," £150; ditto, fat boy -and girl, £140; ditto, head of William Corder, who was hanged at -Chelmsford for the murder of Maria Martin, a crime which had created a -great sensation, owing to its discovery through a dream of the victim's -mother, £100; Ballard's menagerie, £90; Ball's theatre, £80; diorama of -the battle of Navarino, £60; the Chinese jugglers, £50; Pike's theatre, -£40; a fire-eater, £30; Frazer's theatre, £26; Keyes and Laine's theatre, -£20; exhibition of a Scotch giant, £20. Some curious lights are thrown by -these figures on the comparative attractiveness of different -entertainments and exhibitions. - -Considerable excitement was created among the visitors to the fair in the -following year by the announcement that Wombwell had on exhibition "that -most wonderful animal, the bonassus, being the first of the kind which had -ever been brought to Europe." As no one had ever seen or heard of the -animal before, or had the faintest conception of what it was, the curious -flocked in crowds to see the beast, which proved to be a very fine bull -bison, or American buffalo. Under the name given to it by Wombwell, it was -introduced into the epilogue of the Westminster play as one of the wonders -of the year. It was afterwards sold by Wombwell to the Zoological -Society, and placed in their collection in the Regent's Park; but it had -been enfeebled by confinement and disease, and it died soon afterwards. -The Hudson's Bay Company subsequently supplied its place by presenting the -Society with a young cow. - -Atkins offered the counter attractions of an elephant ten feet high, and -another litter of lion-tigers, the latter addition to his collection being -announced as follows:-- - -"Wonderful Phenomenon in Nature--The singular and hitherto deemed -impossible occurrence of a Lion and Tigress cohabiting and producing young -has again taken place in the Menagerie, on the 28th of October, 1828, at -Windsor, when the Royal Tigress brought forth three fine cubs!!! And they -are now to be seen in the same den with their sire and dam. The first -litter of these extraordinary animals were presented to Our Most Gracious -Sovereign, when he was pleased to express considerable gratification, and -to denominate them Lion-Tigers, than which a more appropriate name could -not have been given. The great interest the Lion and Tigress have excited -is unprecedented; they are a source of irresistible attraction, especially -as it is the only instance of the kind ever known of animals so directly -opposite in their dispositions forming an attachment of such a singular -nature; their beautiful and interesting progeny are most admirable -productions of Nature. The Group is truly pleasing and astonishing, and -must be witnessed to form an adequate idea of them. The remarkable -instance of subdued temper and association of animals to permit the Keeper -to enter their Den, and to introduce their performance to the Spectators, -is the greatest Phenomenon in Natural History." - -Most of the shows enumerated in the list of 1828 attended Bartholomew Fair -in 1830, and there were a few additional ones, making the total number -about the same. They comprised the menageries of Wombwell, Atkins, and -Ballard, the first containing "the great Siam elephant, and the two -smallest elephants ever seen in Europe," and the last offering an unique -attraction in a seal, floundering in a large tub of water; Richardson's -theatre, Ball's tumbling and rope-dancing, Keyes and Laine's conjuring, -Frazer's conjuring, a learned pony, the pig-faced lady, a shaved bear (to -expose the imposture preceding), the "living skeleton," the fire-eater, -the Scotch giant, the diorama of Navarino, the fat boy and girl, and a -couple of peep-shows, one exhibiting, as its chief attraction, the lying -in state of George IV., the other the murder of Maria Martin. - -One of the novel characters whom Richardson picked up in his wanderings -was the once famous Gouffe, "the man-monkey," as he was called. His real -name was Vale, and when the old showman became acquainted with him he was -following the humble occupation of a pot-boy in a low public-house. -Richardson, happening to enter the tap-room in which Master Vale waited, -found the young gentleman amusing the guests by walking about on pewter -pint measures, with his hobnailed boots turned towards the smoke-begrimed -ceiling. The performance was a novel one, and Richardson, calling the lad -aside on its conclusion, made him an offer too gratifying to be refused. -After travelling with Richardson for some time, Vale appeared at several -of the minor theatres of the metropolis, always in the part of an ape, and -under the assumed name of Gouffe. His pantomimic powers were considerable, -and his agility was scarcely inferior to that of the four-handed brutes -whom he represented. - -The receipts of the shows were not always so large as in 1828. In 1831, -which seems to have been a bad year for them, Richardson lost fifty pounds -by Bartholomew Fair, though he had half the receipts of Ewing's wax-work -exhibition in addition to those of the theatre, under an agreement with -the proprietor, by which he paid for the ground and the erection of the -show. Wombwell only cleared his expenses, though he had at that time -acquired Morgan's menagerie, which stood at the corner of the Greyhound -Yard, and by that means secured the pennies as well as the sixpences. - -In 1832, the charge for admission to Clarke's circus was reduced from -sixpence to threepence. There was a novelty in Bartholomew Fair that year -in the show of an Italian conjuror, named Capelli, namely, a company of -cats, that beat a drum, turned a spit, ground knives, played the organ, -hammered upon an anvil, ground coffee, and rang a bell. One of them -understood French as well as Italian, obeying orders in both languages. -Capelli's bills announce also a wonderful dog, to "play any gentleman at -dominoes that will play with him." - -In 1833, the number of shows at this fair rose to thirty-two, Richardson's -theatre, Clarke's circus, five for tumbling, rope-dancing, etc., three -menageries, four wax-work exhibitions, three phantasmagorias, Holden's -glass-blowing, two learned pigs, six exhibitions of giants, dwarfs, etc., -and six peep-shows, in which the coronation of William IV., the battle of -Navarino, the murder of Maria Martin, and other events of contemporary -interest were shown. Only two shows charged so much as sixpence for -admission, namely, Richardson's and Wombwell's. The threepenny shows were -Ewing's and Clarke's, the latter giving "an excellent display for the -money," according to a contemporary account, which continues as follows:-- - -"The performance began by tight-rope dancing by Miss Clarke, with and -without the balance pole, through hoops, with 'flip-flaps,' standing on -chairs, &c. Slack-rope vaulting by a little boy named Benjamin Saffery, -eight years of age; he exhibited several curious feats. There was also -some very extraordinary posturing by two young men, one dressed as a -Chinese, the other in the old costume of Pierrot; among many other -exploits, they walked round the ring with each a leg put up to their neck, -and another on each other's shoulders. They also performed an -extraordinary feat of lying on their backs, and throwing their legs up -under their arms, and going round the ring by springing forward upon the -ground, without the aid of their hands; one of them, while on the ground, -supported two men on his thighs. A black man also exhibited some feats of -strength; among others, he threw himself backward and, resting on his -hands, formed an arch, and then bore two heavy men on his stomach with -ease. The horsemanship commenced with the old performance of the rider -going round the ring tied up in a sack. During the going round a -transformation took place, and he who went into the sack a man came out to -all appearance a woman on throwing the sack off. The whole concluded with -a countryman who, suddenly starting from the ring, desires to be permitted -to ride, which is at first refused, but at length allowed; he mounts, and -after a short time, beginning to grow warm, pulls off his coat, then his -waistcoat, then another and another to the number of thirteen, at last -with much apparent modesty and reluctance his shirt; having done this, he -appears a splendid rider, and after a few evolutions, terminates the -performance. This rider's name was Price. The show was well attended." - -The other shows of this class were Ball's, which, besides tumbling and -rope-dancing, gave a pantomime, but without scenery; Keyes and Laine's, -which now presented posturing, balancing, and rope-dancing; Samwell's, in -which, besides tumbling and dancing, a real Indian executed the war-dance -of his tribe; the Chinese jugglers; and a posturing and tumbling show, the -proprietor of which was too modest to announce his name. The Chinese -jugglers had performed during the summer at Saville House, the building -on the north side of Leicester Square, which, after being the locality of -several exhibitions, was converted into a music-hall, called the Imperial, -and afterwards Eldorado. One of these pig-tailed entertainers pretended to -swallow fifty needles, which were afterwards produced from his mouth, each -with a thread in its eye. Another balanced a bowl on a stick nine feet -long; while a third played the Chinese violin with a single string. - -Wombwell's menagerie extended from the hospital gate nearly to Duke -Street, and was the largest show in the fair. Drury and Drake's was a -small but interesting collection, consisting of a very tame leopard, a -couple of hyenas, a good show of monkeys, and several very fine boa -constrictors. The third menagerie was Wombwell's smaller concern, formerly -Morgan's. - -The best of the wax-work exhibitions was Ewing's, which was well arranged -in ten caravans. The others were Ferguson's, with the additional -attraction of "the beautiful albiness," a really beautiful woman, named -Shaw, who was then in her twenty-second year; Hoyo's; and a small and poor -collection at a house in Giltspur Street, where the wax figures were -supplemented by the exhibition of twin infants united at the breast, -"extremely well preserved." - -Phantasmagorial exhibitions were at this time a novelty to the masses. The -best of those shown this year in Smithfield was the _Optikali Illusio_ of -a Frenchman, named De Berar, who startled the spectators with the -appearance of a human skeleton, the vision of Death on a pale horse, etc. -There was another in Long Lane; and a third at a house in Giltspur Street, -where the public were invited to witness "the raising of the devil!" A -fire-eater named Haines stood at the door of the last show, emitting a -shower of sparks from a lump of burning tow in his mouth. Sir David -Brewster, who witnessed a phantasmagorial exhibition at Edinburgh, -describes it as follows:-- - -"The small theatre of exhibition was lighted only by one hanging lamp, the -flame of which was drawn up into an opaque chimney or shade when the -performance began. In this 'darkness visible' the curtain rose, and -displayed a cave, with skeletons and other terrific figures in relief upon -its walls. The flickering light was then drawn up beneath its shroud, and -the spectators, in total darkness, found themselves in the midst of -thunder and lightning. A thin transparent screen had, unknown to the -spectators, been let down after the disappearance of the light, and upon -it the flashes of lightning, and all the subsequent appearances, were -represented. This screen, being halfway between the spectators and the -cave which was first shown, and being itself invisible, prevented the -observers from having any idea of the real distance of the figures, and -gave them the entire character of aerial pictures. - -"The thunder and lightning were followed by the figures of ghosts, -skeletons, and known individuals, whose eyes and mouths were made to move -by the action of combined sliders. After the first figure had been -exhibited for a short time, it began to grow less and less, as if removed -to a great distance, and at last vanished in a small cloud of light. Out -of this same cloud the germ of another figure began to appear, and -gradually grew larger and larger, and approached the spectators, till it -attained its perfect development. In this manner the head of Dr. Franklin -was transformed into a skull; figures which retired with the freshness of -life came back in the form of skeletons, and the retiring skeletons -returned in the drapery of flesh and blood. The exhibition of these -transmutations was followed by spectres, skeletons, and terrific figures, -which, instead of receding and vanishing as before, suddenly advanced upon -the spectators, becoming larger as they approached them, and finally -vanished by appearing to sink into the ground. The effect of this part of -the exhibition was naturally the most impressive. The spectators were not -only surprised, but agitated, and many of them were of opinion that they -could have touched the figures." - -Dupain's French theatre combined the exhibition of a dwarf, Jonathan -Dawson, three feet high, and fifty years of age, with posturing by a -performer named Finch, and two mechanical views, one representing Algiers, -with the sea in motion, and vessels entering and leaving the harbour; the -other a storm at sea, with a vessel in distress, burning blue lights, -firing guns, and finally becoming a wreck. - -Broomsgrove's show, which made its first appearance, contained three human -curiosities, namely, Clancy, an Irishman, whose height was seven feet two -inches; Farnham, who was only three feet two inches in height, but so -strong that he carried two big men on his shoulders with ease; and Thomas -Pierce, "the gigantic Shropshire youth," aged seventeen years, five feet -ten inches in height, and thirty-five stones in weight. - -Simmett's show contained four "living wonders" of this kind, namely, -Priscilla and Amelia Weston, twin Canadian giantesses, twenty years of -age; Lydia Walpole, the dwarf exhibited in Maughan's show in 1825; and an -albino woman, aged nineteen. Harris added to a peep-show a twelve years -old dwarf, named Eliza Webber; a sheep with singularly formed hind hoofs; -and a very fine boa constrictor. Another show combined the performances of -a monkey, which, in the garb of an old woman, smoked a pipe, wheeled a -barrow, etc., with the exhibition of several mechanical figures, -representing artisans working at their various trades, and a juvenile -albino, named Mary Anne Chapman. Another exhibited, as an "extraordinary -hermit," a man named Daniel Mackenzie, whose only distinction rested upon -his statement that he had voluntarily secluded himself from the world for -five years, which he had passed in a coal-mine near Dalkeith. - -Toby, the learned pig, if he was the original porcine wonder of that name, -must have been, at least, seventeen years of age, but showed no symptoms -of declining vigour or diminished intelligence. He was now exhibited by -James Burchall, in conjunction with the proprietor's monstrously fat -child, and was announced as,-- - -"The Unrivalled Chinese Swinish Philosopher, Toby the Real Learned Pig. He -will spell, read, and cast accounts, tell the points of the sun's rising -and setting, discover the four grand divisions of the Earth, kneel at -command, perform blindfold with 20 handkerchiefs over his eyes, tell the -hour to a minute by the watch, tell a card, and the age of any party. He -is in colour the most beautiful of his race, in symmetry the most perfect, -in temper the most docile. And when asked a question, he will give an -Immediate Answer." - -Toby had a rival this year in the "amazing pig of knowledge," exhibited by -James Fawkes, at the George Inn. This pig could tell the number of pence -in a shilling, and of shillings in a pound, count the spectators, tell -their thoughts (so at least it was pretended), distinguish colours, and do -many other wonderful things. The following doggrel verses, extracted from -Fawkes's bill, are offered as a curiosity; they seem _apropos_ of nothing, -and show that the exhibitor was ignorant or oblivious of the fact that -George IV. had been dead three years:-- - - "A learned Pig in George's reign - To Æsop's Brutes an equal Boast; - Then let Mankind again combine - To render Friendship still a Toast. - - "Let Albion's Fair superior soar, - To Gallic Fraud, or Gallic Art; - Britons will e'er bow down before - The Virtues seated in the Heart." - -In 1836, a new show appeared in the field, namely, Brown's Theatre of -Arts, in which were shown mechanical representations of the battle of -Trafalgar, the passage of the Alps by the French army, and the Marble -Palace at St. Petersburg, the ships in the first and the figures in the -others being in actual motion. - -Scowton, who had been absent from Bartholomew Fair for several years, made -a final appearance there in 1837, when his bills contained the following -announcement:-- - -"Mr. SCOWTON, deeply impressed with heartfelt gratitude for the liberal -Patronage and Support which he has for a series of Years experienced from -his Friends and a Generous Public, and which will enable him to spend his -future Days in comfortable Retirement: begs leave to announce that the -whole of his Extensive Concern, is to be disposed of by Private Contract; -and, therefore, at the same time, as he takes leave, requests them to -believe that the Memory of their favours and indulgence will never be -eradicated from his Memory." - -Richardson's theatre stood beside Scowton's, and it is remarked by a -newspaper of the time that "the former displayed the trappings of modern -grandeur, and the latter evinced his taste for the ancient by exposing to -view a couple of centaurs and a sphynx." Scowton presented a "new grand -dramatic romance," called _The Treacherous Friend_, in which he played -the character of Alphonsus himself. - -This was the last appearance of both these veteran showmen. Scowton -retired, and Richardson died shortly afterwards at his cottage in -Horsemonger Lane, and was buried, as his will directed, at Great Marlow, -in the same grave with the spotted boy. He bequeathed the greater part of -his property to Charles Reed, who had travelled with him for many years; -his old friend, Johnson, afterwards co-lessee with Nelson Lee of the City -of London Theatre, received a legacy of five hundred pounds, and Davy, who -had superintended the building and removal of the theatre from the -beginning of its existence, two hundred pounds. - -Looking backward forty years, I can recall the quaint figure of the old -showman as he stood on the steps of his portable theatre, clad in a loose -drab coat and a long scarlet vest, which looked as if it had been made in -the reign of George II. As I think of Croydon Fair as it used to be in -Richardson's days, with the show standing between Clarke's circus and -Wombwell's menagerie, I can almost fancy that I hear the booming of the -old man's gong. Many a time afterwards have I seen Nelson Lee beating that -memorable instrument of discord, and heard him shouting, "Walk up! walk -up! Just going to begin!" But _he_ wore a suit of black, and did not -impress me half so much as his predecessor. The change seemed, indeed, a -symptom of the declining glory of the fair, which has, within the last few -years, become a thing of the past. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - - Successors of Scowton and Richardson--Nelson Lee--Crowther, the - Actor--Paul Herring--Newman and Allen's Theatre--Fair in Hyde - Park--Hilton's Menagerie--Bartholomew Fair again - threatened--Wombwell's Menagerie--Charles Freer--Fox Cooper and the - Bosjesmans--Destruction of Johnson and Lee's Theatre--Reed's - Theatre--Hales, the Norfolk Giant--Affray at Greenwich--Death of - Wombwell--Lion Queens--Catastrophe in a Menagerie--World's Fair at - Bayswater--Abbott's Theatre--Charlie Keith, the Clown--Robson, the - Comedian--Manders's Menagerie--Macomo, the Lion-Tamer--Macarthy and - the Lions--Fairgrieve's Menagerie--Lorenzo and the Tigress--Sale of a - Menagerie--Extinction of the London Fairs--Decline of Fairs near the - Metropolis--Conclusion. - - -The change in the proprietorship of the travelling theatres conducted -during so many years by Scowton and Richardson may be regarded as a stage -in the history of the people's amusements. The decline which showmen had -noted during the preceding years had not been perceptible to the public, -who had crowded the London fairs more densely than ever, and found as many -showmen catering for their entertainment as in earlier years. But while -the crowds that gazed at Wombwell's show-cloths, and the parades of -Richardson's theatre and Clarke's circus, became more dense every year, -the showmen found their receipts diminish and their expenses increase. The -people had more wants than formerly, and their means of supplying them had -not, at the time of the decadence of the London fairs, experienced a -corresponding increase. The vast and ever-growing population of the -metropolis furnished larger crowds, but the middle-class element had -diminished, and continued to diminish; and the showmen found reduced -charges to be a necessity, without resulting in the augmented gains which -follow a reduction of prices in trade. - -Scowton's theatre was sold by private contract to Julius Haydon, who, -after expending a considerable sum upon it, making it rival Richardson's -in size, found the results so little to his advantage that he disposed of -the whole concern a year afterwards to the successors of Richardson. - -These were the showman's old friends, John Johnson, to whom he left a -legacy of five hundred pounds, and Nelson Lee, who, after the unfortunate -speculation with his brother in the Old Kent Road, had travelled for a -time with Holloway's show, then gone to Scotland with Grey's _fantoccini_, -and, after a turn at Edinburgh with Dodsworth and Stevens's automatons, -had returned to London, and was at the time of Richardson's death managing -Sadler's Wells theatre for Osbaldiston. When he saw Richardson's property -advertised for sale, he conferred with Johnson on the subject of its -purchase by them, which they effected by private contract, Lee resigning -his post at Sadler's Wells to undertake the management. - -The new proprietors furnished the theatre with a new front, and provided -new dresses for the ballet in _Esmeralda_, which was then attracting large -audiences to the Adelphi. They did not propose to open with this drama, -but they thought the ballet would be a success on the parade outside, -which managers of travelling theatres find it necessary to make as -attractive as possible, the public forming their anticipations of the -entertainment to be witnessed inside by what they see outside, as they do -of tenting circus performances by the extent and splendour of the parade -round the town and neighbourhood which precedes them. I once saw a very -pretty harvest-dance of reapers and gleaners on the parade of Richardson's -theatre, and on another occasion a fantastic dance of Indians, who held -cocoa-nuts in their hands, and struck them together, assuming every -variety of attitude, each dancer sometimes striking his own nuts together, -and sometimes his own against those of his _vis-à-vis_. - -They were in time for the Whitsuntide Fair at Greenwich, where the theatre -stood at the extreme end of the fair, near the bridge at Deptford Creek. -The Esmeralda dance was a great success, and Oscar Byrne, who had arranged -the ballet for the Adelphi, visited the theatre, and complimented Lee on -the manner in which it was produced. The drama was _The Tyrant Doge_, and -the pantomime, arranged by Lee for the occasion, had local colour given to -it, and the local title of _One Tree Hill_. The season opened very -favourably, though both the management and the public experienced -considerable annoyance from a party of dissolute young men, of whom the -Marquis of Waterford was one, and who threw nuts at the actors, and talked -and laughed loudly throughout the performance. - -Delamore had succeeded Lewis as stage-manager, scene-shifter, and -wardrobe-keeper, a few years before Richardson's death, and he was -retained in that position by the new proprietors. John Douglass and Paul -Herring were in the company at this time; also Crowther, who was -subsequently engaged at Astley's, and married Miss Vincent, who was for -so many years a popular favourite at the Victoria as the heroine of a -series of successful domestic dramas. - -Among the minor shows attending the fairs of the southern counties at this -period was the portable theatre of Newman and Allen, which, towards the -end of the summer, was pitched upon a piece of waste ground at Norwood, -and remained there two or three weeks. The fortunes of the company seemed -at low ebb, and the small "houses" which they had nightly, with a charge -for admission of twopence to front seats, and a penny to the back, did not -place the treasury in a very flourishing condition. Small as the company -was, they aimed at a higher performance than was usually given in a -portable theatre, for on the two occasions that I patronised the canvas -temple of Thespis the plays were _Virginius_ and _John Bull_, considerably -cut down, as was to have been expected, the smallness of the company -rendering it necessary to excise some of the characters. - -Only one performance was given each night, and a farce preceded the play, -the interval between the pieces being filled up with a comic song, sung by -the low comedy man, and an acrobatic performance by a young lady whose -name I learned was Sarah Saunders. Whether she was related to old Abraham -Saunders, I do not know; but the tendency of show-folks to make their -vocations hereditary renders it very probable. She was the first female -acrobat I ever saw, and an actress besides; and the peculiarity of her -acrobatic performance was, that she did not don trunks and tights for it, -like Madame Stertzenbach and others of her sex at the present day, but did -her "flips," etc., in her ordinary attire, like the little drabs from the -back slums of Westminster who may sometimes be seen turning heels over -head in St. James's Park. - -When the brief season of the canvas theatre was brought to a close, and -the fittings, scenery, properties, etc., had left the village behind a -bony horse, it seemed that the proprietors had dissolved the partnership -which had existed between them; for a living carriage remained on the -ground, the occupants of which were old Newman, who had played the heavy -parts, and his nephew, Charles Little, the low comedy man. Whether the old -gentleman had realised a competency which satisfied his wants, or had some -small pension or annuity, or investment of some kind, never became known; -but there the wheeled abode of the two men stood for several years, Newman -cultivating a patch of the waste, and producing therefrom all the -vegetables they required for their own table, while his nephew -perambulated the neighbourhood with a basket, offering for sale tapes and -cottons, needles and pins, and other small wares of a similar description. -This new vocation seemed more lucrative than that of low comedian and -comic singer in a travelling theatre; for Charlie, as he was familiarly -called, dressed better every year, and, on the death of his uncle, took to -himself a wife, and, abandoning the living carriage, settled in a -neighbouring cottage. - -From this episode of show-life I must return to Johnson and Lee, who, -after visiting Deptford and Camberwell Fairs, took their renovated theatre -to Smithfield, where it stood with its back to the George Inn. At Croydon -Fair it occupied its usual position between Clarke's circus and Wombwell's -menagerie; and there a singular and amusing adventure occurred to the -clown, who, however, did not find it so amusing himself. The first day -being very wet, and the fair in consequence very thinly attended, he -thought to divert the tedium of the situation by strolling through the -town, and for this purpose put on the uniform over-coat of a policeman, a -character then, as now, always diverting in the pantomime. Some short time -previously, several robberies had been committed in the town by a thief -similarly dressed; and a constable on duty in High Street, seeing a -seeming policeman whom he did not know, and who gazed about him as if he -was a stranger, took the astonished clown into custody on the charge of -personating a constable and loitering about for an unlawful purpose. On -being taken to the station-house, the clown made an explanatory statement, -and the inspector sent a constable to the theatre to ascertain its truth, -testimony to which was given by Lee. The clown was thereupon released from -custody, and hurried back to the fair, vowing that he would never -promenade in the garb of a policeman again. - -In the following year, Johnson and Lee presented a memorial to the Home -Office, asking permission to hold a fair in Hyde Park, to celebrate the -coronation of the Queen. The Government acceded to the request, and -Superintendent Mallalieu was associated with the memorialists in the -organisation and management of the undertaking. A tent was pitched in the -centre of the ground selected for the purpose, and the three managers -attended daily to arrange the plan, classify the shows, stalls, etc., and -receive applications for space, which were so numerous that it became -necessary to post constables before the tent to maintain order. As each -applicant stated the nature of his business, the application was entered -in a book kept for the purpose, and a day was named for the allotment of -ground. Every foot of space granted for the purpose by the Commissioners -of Her Majesty's Woods and Forests was taken within a week, and every -intending exhibitor received a ticket in the following form:-- - - FAIR IN HYDE PARK. - - No. ____ ALLOTMENT OF GROUND. - - The Bearer ____, of ____, ____, is hereby entitled to ____ feet - frontage on the ____ side of the area for the purpose of erecting a - ____. - - __ June, 1838. - - J. M. MALLALIEU, - _Supt._ - -Every ticket-holder was requested to fit up his show or stall in a -becoming manner, and to display as illumination some device suitable to -the occasion. The undertaking to this effect was adhered to in a -commendable manner, and a very pretty effect was thus produced when the -fair was opened, on the 28th of June, and the numerous shows, booths, and -stalls were illuminated at night with so many thousands of coloured lamps. -As the boom of the first gun announcing the departure of the Queen for -Westminster Abbey was heard, Nelson Lee, standing on the parade of his -theatre, struck the gong, and all the showmen unfurled their show-cloths, -and the keepers of booths and stalls rolled up their canvas fronts, and -commenced business. - -The fair was a great success, the financial results being as satisfactory -as its organisation and management. Many of the nobility visited it, and -even patronised the amusements, as they had been wont to do at Bartholomew -Fair in the seventeenth century, and the first half of the eighteenth. -Johnson and Lee's theatre filled on the opening day in five minutes, and -the time occupied by the performances was reduced to fifteen minutes. The -drama was _The Mysterious Stranger_, which, thus contracted, became more -mysterious than ever. All the principal avenues were crowded from noon -till night, and the demand upon the resources of the refreshment booths -was so great that Algar and other principal booth-keepers charged, and had -no difficulty in obtaining, a shilling for a pot of beer, and sixpence for -a lettuce or a penny loaf, other articles being sold at proportionate -rates. - -During the fair, the wife of a gingerbread vendor gave birth to a child, -which, in commemoration of the occasion was registered by the name of Hyde -Park. The stall was, in consequence of this event, allowed to remain -several days after the time by which the promoters of the fair had -undertaken to have the ground cleared, and it was visited by many ladies, -who made presents to the child and its parents. Though the ground had been -let at a low rate, a surplus of sixty pounds remained after defraying all -expenses, and this sum was awarded to Johnson and Lee; but they did not -apply for it, and it was divided among the constables who did police duty -in the fair. The services of Johnson and Lee in promoting and organising -the fair, and of Superintendent Mallalieu in supervising the arrangements -and maintaining order, were so well appreciated by the showmen and the -keepers of booths and stalls, that they joined in presenting each with a -silver cup, at a dinner which took place at the Champion Tavern, -Paddington. - -At the ordinary fairs visited during the latter part of this year, Johnson -and Lee exhibited a panorama of the coronation, painted by Marshall, which -proved very attractive. Enfield Fair being spoiled by wet weather, -application was made to the local magistrate for an extra day, which at -Croydon was always conceded in such circumstances; but it was refused, the -Enfield justice seeming to be of opinion that actors and acrobats were -vagabonds who ought to be discouraged by every possible means. Resolved -not to be disappointed, Johnson and Lee issued a bill in the name of -Jones, a man who sold refreshments in the theatre, announcing that, in -consequence of the wet weather having prevented him from clearing his -stock of nuts, the proprietors had given him the use of the theatre for an -extra day, when the usual performances would be given without charge, but -prices ranging from a shilling to three shillings would be charged for -nuts to be supplied to the persons admitted. - -Haydon's theatre made its last appearance at Croydon Fair, where great -exertions were made to render it as attractive as Johnson and Lee's, but -it was not patronised to near the same extent as the latter; and Johnson -and Lee's offer to purchase the concern being entertained by the -proprietor, it from that time ceased to exist, being absorbed into the -more popular establishment. - -Croydon Fair used, at this time, to be visited by large numbers of -persons, not only from the surrounding villages, but even from the -metropolis. All the inhabitants of the town prepared for visitors, for -everyone who had a relative or acquaintance in Croydon was sure to make -the fair an occasion for a visit. Two time-honoured customs were connected -with the October fair, everybody commencing fires in their sitting-rooms -on the first day of the fair, and dining on roast pork or goose. The -latter custom was observed even by those who, having no friends to visit, -dined in a booth; and the number of geese and legs of pork to be seen -roasting before glowing charcoal fires in grates of immense width, in the -rear of the booths, was one of the sights of the fair. - -There were two entrances to the fair from the town, one at the gate which -gave access at ordinary times to the foot-path across the field, leading -to Park Hill; and the other, made for the occasion, farther southward, for -the accommodation of those who approached the field from the avenues on -the east side of High Street. Each was bordered for a short distance by -the standings of itinerant vendors of walnuts, oysters, and fried -sausages, beyond which was a long street of gingerbread stalls, -terminated, in the one case, by the shows of the exhibitors of wax-work, -living curiosities, and pictorial representations of great historical -events, and in the other by the smaller and less pretentious -drinking-booths. At right angles to these canvas streets, and opening from -them near their commencement, was a third, covered over with an awning, -and composed of the stalls of the dealers in toys and fancy goods. This -was called Bond Street. - -Parallel with this avenue, and connecting the further ends of the two -streets of gingerbread stalls, was one broader than the others, bordered -on the side from which it was approached with gingerbread stalls, and on -the further side with the principal shows and booths. First in order, on -the latter side, stood Clarke's circus, with the proprietor on the steps, -in a scarlet coat and white breeches, smacking a whip, and shouting, "This -way for the riders! the riders!" Three or four spotted and cream-coloured -horses, gaily caparisoned, stood on the platform, and a clown cracked his -"wheeze" with a couple of young fellows in tights and trunks, in their -intervals of repose from acrobatic feats of the ordinary character. - -Next to the circus stood a portable theatre, usually Scowton's, in rivalry -with the neighbouring show of the famous Richardson, which was always the -largest, and was worked by the strongest company. On the exterior -platforms of both, practical jokes were played upon the pantaloon by the -harlequin and the clown; young ladies in short muslin skirts danced to the -lively strains of the orchestra, and broad-sword combats were fought in -the approved one! two! three! over and under style. Next to Richardson's -show stood the menagerie of Wombwell or Atkins, where a broad array of -pictorial canvas attracted a wondering crowd, and the brazen instruments -of musicians, attired in uniforms copied from those of the royal -"beef-eaters," brayed and blared from noon till night. - -Then came the principal booths, wherein eating and drinking was the order -of the day, and dancing that of the night. The largest and best appointed -of these was the Crown and Anchor, well known to fair-goers for half a -century, the name of Algar being "familiar in their mouths as household -words," as that of an experienced caterer for their entertainment. There -was a tolerable quadrille band in attendance from eve till midnight, and, -in the best days of the fair, the sons and daughters of the shopkeepers of -the town and the farmers of the surrounding neighbourhood mingled in the -dance in the "assembly room" of Algar's booth without fear of scandal or -loss of caste. There was dancing in the other booths, but they were -smaller, the music and the lighting were inferior, and the company less -select. Among those that stood in a line with Algar's were the Fives -Court, kept by an ex-pugilist, and patronised chiefly by gentlemen of the -"fancy;" and the gipsies' booth, which had no other sign than the ancient -one of a green bough, and was resorted to for the novelty of being waited -upon by dark-eyed and dusky-complexioned Romanies, wearing bright-coloured -silk handkerchiefs over their shoulders, and long gold pendants in their -ears. - -Within the area enclosed by these avenues were swings and round-abouts, -while the "knock 'em downs," the "three shies a penny" fellows, the -predecessors of the Aunt Sallies of a later day, occupied the vacant -spaces on the skirts of the pleasure fair, wherever the ground was not -covered, on the first day, with horses, sheep, and cattle. - -At midnight on the 1st the fair was opened by the ceremony of carrying an -enormous key through it, and the booth-keepers were then allowed to serve -any customers who might offer. By daylight next morning the roads leading -to the fair-field were thronged with sheep and cattle, thousands of which, -with scores of horses, changed owners before sunset. There was little -movement in the long avenues of shows, booths, and stalls, until near -noon, when nursery maids led their charges through Bond Street, and -mothers took their younger children there to buy toys. About mid-day the -showmen unfurled their pictures, which appealed so strongly to the -imaginations of the spectators, the bands of the larger shows began to -play, and clowns and acrobats, dancers and jugglers, appeared upon the -exterior platforms. From this time till sunset the throng of visitors -increased rapidly, and on fine days the crowd before the principal shows -was so dense as to offer considerable impediment to locomotion. - -When darkness began to descend upon the field, lamps flared and flickered -on the fronts of the shows, smaller lights glimmered along the toy and -gingerbread stalls, and thousands of tiny lamps, blue, and amber, and -green, and ruby, arranged in the form of crowns, stars, anchors, feathers, -etc., illuminated the booths. Then the showmen beat their gongs with -redoubled vigour, and bawled through speaking-trumpets till they were -hoarse; the bands brayed and blared louder than before; and the sounds of -harps and violins showed that dancing had commenced in the booths. - -In those days it sometimes happened that two circuses attended the fair, -when the larger of the two was pitched in a field on the west side of the -road, and bounded on the south side by Mint Walk, one of the avenues by -which the fair was approached from High Street. In a circus thus -located--I think it was Clarke's--Miss Woolford, afterwards the second -wife of the great equestrian, Andrew Ducrow, exhibited her grace and -agility on the tight-rope in a blaze of fireworks, in emulation of the -celebrated Madame Saqui's performance at Vauxhall Gardens. The equestrian -profession still numbers Ducrows in its ranks, two young men of that name -belonging at the present time to Newsome's circus company; but I have not -met with the name of Woolford since 1842, when a young lady of that name, -and then about twelve or thirteen years of age, danced on the tight-rope -in a small show pitched at the back of the town-hall at Croydon, during -the July Fair. - -The October fair at Croydon closed the season of the shows which confined -their perambulations to a distance of fifty miles from the metropolis, -where, or in the provincial towns possessing theatres, the actors, clowns, -acrobats, etc., obtained engagements for the pantomime season. This year, -the entire company of Johnson and Lee's theatre was engaged for the -Marylebone. - -In 1839, this theatre, with John Douglass and Paul Herring still in the -company, stood next to Hilton's menagerie at Greenwich, where the season -commenced with most of the shows which made London their winter quarters. -It was about this time that James Lee, who was then manager of Hilton's -menagerie, suggested the certain attractiveness of the exhibition by a -young woman of the performances with lions and tigers which had been found -so productive to the treasuries of the Sangers, Batty, and Howes and -Cushing, when exhibited by a man. It was proposed to bring out as a "lion -queen" the daughter of Hilton's brother Joseph, a circus proprietor; and -the young lady, being familiar with her uncle's lions, did not shrink -from the distinction. She made her first public appearance with the lions -at Stepney Fair, and the performance proved so attractive that the example -was contagious. Edmunds had at this time a fine group of lions, tigers, -and leopards, and a young woman named Chapman (now Mrs. George Sanger) -volunteered to perform with them, as a rival to Miss Hilton. - -Miss Chapman, who had the honour of appearing before the royal family at -Windsor Castle, had not long been before the public when a third "lion -queen" appeared in Wombwell's menagerie in the person of Helen Blight, the -daughter of a musician in the band. The career of this poor girl was as -brief as its termination was shocking. She was performing with the animals -at Greenwich Fair, when a tiger exhibited some sullenness or waywardness, -for which she very imprudently struck it with a riding-whip which she -carried. With a terrible roar, the infuriated beast sprang upon her, -seized her by the throat, and killed her before she could be rescued. This -melancholy affair led to the prohibition of such performances by women; -but the leading menageries have continued to have "lion kings" attached to -them to the present day. - -It was in this year that the war against the shows was renewed by the -authorities of the City of London, who doubled the charges hitherto made -for space in Smithfield, Wombwell, for instance, having his rent raised -from forty to eighty pounds, Clarke's from twenty-five to fifty, and -others in the same proportion. After the fair, the London City Missions -Society presented a memorial to the Corporation, praying for the -suppression of the fair, and the City Lands Committee was instructed by -the Court of Aldermen to consider whether, and by what means, its -suppression could be legally accomplished. The committee referred the -question to the solicitor of the City, who was requested to report to the -Markets Committee "as to the right of the Corporation of London to -suppress Bartholomew Fair, or otherwise to remove the nuisances and -obstructions to trade to which it gives rise." - -The solicitor accordingly examined the archives in the town-clerk's -office, as well as books in the City Library and the British Museum, for -the purpose of tracing the history of the fair, and of other fairs which -formerly existed in the metropolis, and the right to hold which was -likewise founded upon charters, and which had been abolished or fallen -into disuse. His researches led him to the conclusion that "the right to -hold both fairs having been granted for the purpose of promoting the -interests of trade, it is quite clear that no prescriptive right can be -set up to commit any nuisance incompatible with the purposes for which -they were established; if, therefore, the Corporation should be satisfied -that the interests of the public can be no otherwise protected than by -confining the fair to its original objects and purposes, they may -undoubtedly do so, and this would in fact, be equivalent to its entire -suppression." - -This course was, however, that which had been adopted, without success, in -1735, and the legal adviser of the Corporation could not avoid seeing that -"it is at all times difficult, by law, to put down the ancient customs and -practices of the multitude." Both May Fair and Lady Fair had been -suppressed without the intervention of Parliament, however, and it seemed -probable that "old Bartlemy" would be extinguished before long by natural -decay, and that the best course would be to provide for its due regulation -during its decline. - -"When we consider," said the report, "the improved condition and conduct -of the working classes in the metropolis, and reflect upon the -irrefragable proofs continually before us, that the humbler orders are -fast changing their habits, and substituting country excursions by -railroad and steamboat, and other innocent recreations, for vicious -amusements of the description which prevailed in Bartholomew Fair, it is, -perhaps, not too much to conclude that it is unnecessary for the -Corporation to apply to Parliament to abate the nuisance; but that, if -they proceed to lay down and enforce the observance of judicious -regulations in the fair, and to limit its duration and extent, it may be -permitted to continue, in the confident belief that many years will not -elapse ere the Corporation may omit to proclaim the fair, and thus -suppress it altogether, without exciting any of those feelings of -discontent and disapprobation with which its compulsory abolition would -probably be now attended." - -When this report was submitted to the Court of Common Council, in July, -1840, considerable diversity of opinion was found to prevail as to the -course which should be adopted. The majority either adopted the view of -the London City Missions Society, or the more moderate sentiments of the -reporter, Mr. Charles Pearson; but the principles therein enunciated did -not pass without challenge. Mr. Anderton was "decidedly opposed to the -canting and Methodistical grounds for interfering with one of the only -amusements now remaining to the poor inhabitants of London." Mr. Wells -thought that the fair, under proper regulations for the prevention of -disorder, would be innoxious, and that the gaming-houses of the -metropolis were a fitter subject for suppression. Mr. Taylor regarded the -objections to the fair as "the wild chimeras of fanaticism." But after a -long discussion, the report was adopted by forty-three votes against -fourteen. The Market Committee declined, however, to limit the fair to two -days, or to exclude shows entirely, though they resolved to again raise -the rents of the shows that were admitted, to permit no disturbance of the -pavement, to continue the exclusion of swings and roundabouts, and to -admit no theatres for dramatic performances. - -The policy resolved upon was, therefore, simply one of vexation and -annoyance, and contributed nothing to the promotion of morality and order. -Johnson and Lee's theatre, Clarke's circus, Frazer's acrobatic -entertainment, Laskey's giant and giantess, and Crockett's and Reader's -exhibitions of living curiosities, were refused space in Smithfield; and -the only shows admitted were the menageries of Wombwell, Hilton, and -Wright, and Grove's theatre of arts. Why the performances of lions and -tigers should be regarded with more favour than those of horses, Miss -Clarke on the tight-rope be considered a more demoralising spectacle then -Miss Hilton or Miss Chapman in a cage of wild beasts, and the serpents and -crocodile in Crockett's caravan more suggestive of immoral ideas than the -monkeys in the menageries, is a problem which does not admit of easy -solution, and which only an aldermanic mind could have framed. - -The suburban fairs were declining so much at this time that Johnson and -Lee were deterred by their diminished receipts at Greenwich and Deptford -from visiting Ealing, Camberwell, and Enfield; and, on being excluded from -Smithfield, proceeded to Chatham, whence they moved to Croydon. The -decadence was still more manifest in the following year, and at Enfield an -attempt was made by the magistrate to prevent them from opening on the -third day, the more officious than learned administrator of the law being -ignorant of the fact that, though the fair had for many years been held on -two days only, the charter by which it was held allowed three days. Lee -had taken care to obtain a copy of the charter, and on the superintendent -of police going to the theatre with the magistrate's order for its -immediate removal, he positively refused obedience to the mandate, and -produced the charter. The superintendent thereupon apologised, and -returned to the magistrate with the news of his discomfiture. - -At Bartholomew Fair, Wombwell's was the only show of any consequence. His -collection had at this time grown to be, not only the largest and best -travelling, but equal, and in some respects superior, to any in the world. -He had twelve lions, besides lionesses and cubs, and eight tigers, a -tigress, and cubs, in addition to a puma, a jaguar, a black tiger, several -leopards, an ocelot, a serval, and a pair of genets. There were also -striped and spotted hyenas, wolves, jackals, coati-mondies, racoons, a -polar bear, a sloth bear, black and brown bears, a honey bear, and a -couple of porcupines. The hoofed classes were represented by three -elephants, a fine one-horned rhinoceros, a pair of gnus, a white antelope, -a Brahmin cow, an axis deer, and three giraffes, which had lately been -brought from Abyssinia by M. Riboulet, a French traveller, and were the -first of their kind ever exhibited in the fair. - -Croydon Fair was disturbed this year by a fight between the youths of the -East India Company's military college at Addiscombe, about a mile from the -town, and the members of Johnson and Lee's company. The _fracas_ -originated with an insulting remark made by one of the cadets, as they -were generally called, to a young lady of the theatrical company, -promenading at the time on the parade. The insult was promptly resented by -a male member of the _troupe_, who hurled the offender down the steps. A -dozen of his companions immediately rushed up the steps, and assailed the -champion, who was supported by the rest of the company; and the -consequence was a sharp scrimmage, ending in the arrival of several -constables, and the removal to the station-house of as many of the cadets -as could not escape by flight. Next morning they were taken before the -magistrates, and, being proved to have been the aggressors, they were -fined; and from that time the military aspirants of Addiscombe were -forbidden to enter the town during the three days of the fair. - -Charles Freer was the leading actor of the company at this time, and the -principal lady was Mrs. Hugh Campbell, whom I remember seeing a year or -two afterwards at the Gravesend theatre. She was subsequently engaged, as -was Freer also, at the Pavilion. Her successor on the Richardsonian boards -was Mrs. Yates, who was afterwards engaged at the Standard. - -The harlequin was a nervous, eccentric, one-eyed young man named Charles -Shaw, who was dismissed from the company towards the close of the season -on account of his freaks reaching a pitch which at times raised a doubt as -to his sanity, besides threatening detriment to the interests of the -theatre. When the time approached at which the campaign of 1842 was to be -commenced, it was found necessary to advertise for a harlequin; and the -announcement of the want produced a response from Charles Wilson, who -stated that he had been engaged through the preceding pantomime season at -the Birmingham theatre. This gentleman seeming eligible, he was engaged, -but was not seen by Lee, or any of the company, until he presented himself -at the theatre on Easter Sunday, at Greenwich. Lee was immediately struck -with the new harlequin's remarkable resemblance to the old one, which -extended to every feature but the eyes; these were the same colour as -Shaw's, but he had two, while Shaw had lost one. On the second day of the -fair, however, it was discovered that the eye which had thus long puzzled -every one as to his identity was a glass one; and on his being charged -with being Shaw, he acknowledged the deception, observing that he had felt -sure that he would not be re-engaged if he applied in his proper name. The -deception was pardoned, and Shaw's subsequent freaks seem to have been -fewer, and of a milder character. - -The effects of the policy resolved upon by the City authorities in 1840 -became more perceptible every year. In 1842, only one of the few shows -that appeared in Smithfield issued a bill, which, as a curiosity, being -the last ever issued for Bartholomew Fair, I subjoin:-- - - EXTRAORDINARY PHENOMENON!!! - THE GREATEST WONDER IN THE WORLD - Now Exhibiting Alive, - _At the Globe Coffee House, No. 30, King Street_, - SMITHFIELD, - A FEMALE CHILD WITH TWO PERFECT HEADS, - -Named Elizabeth Bedbury, Daughter of Daniel and Jane Bedbury, Born at -Wandsworth, Surrey, April 17th, 1842. The public is respectfully informed -that the Child is now LIVING; and hundreds of persons has been to see it, -and declares that it is the most Wonderful Phenomenon of Nature they'd -ever seen. - - ADMISSION 1_d._ Each. - No Deception; if dissatisfied, the Money Returned. - -Nelson Lee played a trick at Croydon Fair this year which can only be -defended on the principle that "all is fair at fair time." Finding that -the Bosjesmans were being exhibited in the town, and were attracting great -numbers of persons to their "receptions," he hung out, on the second day -of the fair, a show-cloth with the announcement, in large black letters, -"_Arrival of the Real Bosjesmen_." to represent the strange specimens of -humanity which had lately been discovered in South Africa, and their -appearance on the parade in an antic dance produced a rush to witness the -further representations of the manners and sports of savage life to be -seen inside. - -A startling event occurred on the following morning. One of Wombwell's -elephants escaped from confinement, and at the early hour of three in the -morning was seen, to the amazement and alarm of old Winter, the watchman, -walking in a leisurely manner down High Street. He was in the habit of -being taken every morning by his keeper to bathe in Scarbrook pond, a -small piece of water skirted by a lane connecting the modern and now -principal portion of the town with the Old Town; and on such occasions he -was regaled with a bun at a confectioner's shop at the corner which he had -to turn out of High Street, near the Green Dragon. While a constable ran -to the George the Fourth, where some of Wombwell's _employés_ were known -to be located, the elephant reached the confectioner's shop, and, finding -it closed, butted the shutters with his enormous head, and, amidst a crash -of wood and glass, proceeded to help himself to the delicacies inside. On -the arrival of his keeper, the docile beast submitted himself to his -guidance, and was led back to his stable; but Wombwell had to pay the -confectioner seven or eight pounds for the damage done to the shop window -and shutters. - -Johnson and Lee commenced the season of 1843 with several members of the -Pavilion company in their fair _corps_; but they attended fewer fairs than -in any previous year, and in 1844 their theatre appeared only at -Greenwich, Enfield, and Croydon. In the following year, it was burned, -while standing in a field at Dartford, and the proprietors, not being -insured, suffered a loss of seventeen hundred pounds. Nothing was saved -but the parade waggon, which was dragged away before the flames reached -it, and, with the scene waggon and other effects which had been bought of -Haydon in 1838, formed the nucleus of the new theatre with which the -proprietors opened the fair campaign of 1847. Henry Howard joined the -travelling company in that year at Ealing Fair, on the closing of the -Standard. - -During the latter part of their career as proprietors of a travelling -theatre, the successors of Richardson found it more profitable to conduct -their business on the system, since adopted by Newsome and Hengler with -their circuses, of locating the theatre for two or three weeks at a time -in some considerable town, than to wander from fair to fair, staying at -each place only three or four days. At the present day, the circuses just -named draw good houses, as a rule, for three months; but a quarter of a -century ago this was not thought practicable, and in 1849, when Johnson -and Lee erected their theatre at Croydon (in the Fair Field, but some time -before the fair), they did not deem it expedient to extend their stay -beyond three weeks. The company was drawn chiefly from the minor theatres -of the metropolis, and included Leander Melville, Billington, Seaman, -Phillips, Mrs. Barnett, Mrs. Campbell, and Miss Slater. _The Stranger_ was -selected for the first night, and drew a good audience, as it invariably -does, wherever it is played. Under the able and judicious management of -Nelson Lee, and with a change of performances every night, good business -was done to the last. The experiment was repeated with equal success at -Uxbridge and Reading. - -Another step towards the extinction of Bartholomew Fair was taken this -year by the exclusion from Smithfield of shows of every description; a -step which would have been at least consistent, if the civic authorities -had not made arrangements for the standing of shows of all kinds on a -large piece of ground adjoining the New North Road, called Britannia -Fields, near the site of the Britannia theatre. If the suppression of the -fair had been sought on the ground of its interference with the trade and -traffic of the city, this step would have been intelligible; but the moral -grounds upon which it was urged served to cover with ridicule the removal -of what was alleged to be a hot-bed of vice from Smithfield to Hoxton. -What right had the corporation to demoralise the dwellers in one part of -the metropolis, in order to preserve from further contamination the -inhabitants of another part? - -Bartholomew Fair was reduced by this step to a dozen stalls, and from that -time may be considered as practically extinct. In Britannia Fields, what -was called New Bartholomew Fair was attended by the shows which of late -years had resorted to Smithfield and one or two others, among which was -Reed's theatre, the prices of admission to which ranged from sixpence to -two shillings. The performances consisted of _The Scottish Chieftain_, in -which Saker played Ronald, the principal character, and a pantomime called -_Harlequin Rambler_. Among the minor shows was that of Hales and his -sister, the Norfolk giant and giantess, who issued a bill containing the -following effusion of the Muse that inspired the poet of Mrs. Jarley's -wax-work:-- - - "Miss Hales and her Brother are here to be seen, - O come let us visit the sweet lovely Queen; - Behold she is handsome--in manners polite-- - Both she and her brother near eight feet in height! - I have seen all the tallest in towns far and near, - But never their equal to me did appear! - All England and Scotland, and Ireland declare, - Their like was ne'er seen yet in them anywhere. - - "Here's the smallest of women creation can show, - Complete in proportion from top to the toe; - And a Lady of rank from New Zealand secured, - Escap'd from the murder her husband endured! - And a fine youthful female presented to sight, - All spangled and spotted with brown and with white; - Large Crocodiles here, and a Boa behold, - With a fine Anaconda all glistening with gold. - - "Here's a silver-haired Lady, with skin white as snow, - Whose eyes are like rubies that roll to and fro! - You will find her a species different from all, - The black and the whites, or the low and the tall! - But to sing all her beauties I need not begin, - Nor the fine azure veins that appear through her skin; - For these, mind, no poet or painter can show, - But when you behold her, O then you may know! - - "Exhibitions like this may to us be of use-- - What a contrast of creatures this world can produce! - See the tallest and smallest before us in state. - What a prodigy rare and phenomena great! - From such wonders eccentric presented to view - We now may our study of nature pursue; - And philosophy truly may draw from it then, - That Temp'rance produces the tallest of men." - -Hales made enough money by the exhibition of himself to purchase the lease -and goodwill of a public-house in Drury Lane, where he lived several -years. Many persons visited the house purposely to see him, but he never -appeared in the bar before eleven o'clock, and was careful to avoid making -himself too cheap. I saw him once, in crossing the street towards his -house, stoop to raise in his arms a little girl, suggesting to my mind the -giant and fairy of a pantomime. - -In pursuance of the policy indicated in the report of 1840, Bartholomew -Fair, now represented by a few stalls, was proclaimed in 1850 by deputy; -and this course was followed until 1855, when not a single stall-keeper -applied for space, and the ceremony of proclaiming the fair was omitted -altogether. The new fair in Britannia Fields was held only two or three -years, that concession to the showmen and to the fair-going portion of the -public having been designed only for the purpose of facilitating the -extinction of the old fair in Smithfield. - -Greenwich Fair was the scene in 1850 of an outrageous and dastardly attack -on Johnson and Lee's theatre by a body of soldiers from Woolwich. It seems -to have originated in a practical joke played by a soldier upon a young -man in the crowd before the theatre, and which, being resented, was -followed by an assault. On the latter retreating up the steps of the -parade waggon, followed by his assailant, Nelson Lee interposed for his -protection, and was himself assaulted by the soldier, who was thereupon -ejected. A number of soldiers, witnessing the discomfiture of their -comrade, immediately rushed up the steps, and began an indiscriminate -attack upon everybody on the parade. The company, finding themselves -over-matched, took refuge in the interior, or jumped off the parade, and -fled as if for their lives. - -An actor named Chappell stood by Nelson Lee after the rest had fled, but -he joined in the stampede ultimately, and the proprietor of the theatre -was left alone, defending himself and property against a swarm of foes. -The story told long afterwards of the harlequin of the company was, that -he ran without pause to the railway station, and jumped into a train just -starting for London. He then ran from London Bridge to Shoreditch, and -rushing, exhausted and excited, into a public-house adjoining the City of -London theatre, gasped, "Blood--soldiers--Mr. Lee--frightful affair--three -pen'orth o' brandy!" - -The soldiers, having driven their opponents off the field, began -destroying the front of the theatre, and smashing the lamps, which, -fortunately, were not lighted. If they had been burning, the result would -probably have been a terrific conflagration, which might have swept the -fair, and destroyed many thousands of pounds' worth of property. Nelson -Lee, resisting with all his might the destruction of his property, had a -rope made fast round his body, and was about to be hoisted to the top of -the front, when a dozen constables arrived, and the assailants immediately -abandoned the field, and, leaping off the parade, mixed with the crowd. -Many of them were captured, however, and, being taken before a magistrate, -were committed for trial at the ensuing Old Bailey sessions. Johnson and -Lee withdrew from the prosecution, however, expecting that their -forbearance would be rewarded by pecuniary compensation for the -destruction of their property, which the Recorder had suggested should be -given by the officers of the regiment to which the offenders belonged; -but, on application being made to the officers, they informed Lee that -there were _no regimental funds_ available for the purpose, and I believe -not a penny was ever received by Johnson and Lee by way of compensation. - -During the Whitsuntide Fair, the soldiers were confined to their barracks; -but, as many of them were in the habit of visiting the theatre with their -friends, this measure diminished the receipts, and thus added loss to -loss. Johnson and Lee attended no other fairs that year, but removed the -theatre to Croydon, where they erected it in a field adjoining the -Addiscombe Road, near the Brighton and South-Eastern railway stations. -Henry Howard and Mrs. Campbell played the leading characters here, and -afterwards at Hertford and Uxbridge. - -Wombwell died this year in his living carriage at Richmond, at the age of -seventy-three. He was buried in Highgate cemetery, his coffin being made -of oak from the timbers of the _Royal George_, which sank off Spithead in -1782. As his executors were instructed by his will to have no nails used -in its construction, it was put together on the dove-tailing system. The -menagerie was divided in accordance with his will into three parts, which -were bequeathed respectively to his widow, a niece named Edmunds, and -another relative named Day. - -The expectation of such results as attended the Hyde Park Fair of 1838 -from the concourse of people flocking into the metropolis during the -summer of 1851, when the first great international exhibition was held, -caused arrangements to be made for a "world's fair" on a large scale, to -be held during the same time at Bayswater. A committee was formed for its -organisation and management, consisting of Johnson and Lee, Algar, -Mussett, Mills, Trebeck, and Young. Algar was the proprietor of the Crown -and Anchor refreshment and dancing booth, well-known to the frequenters of -Greenwich and Croydon Fairs; Mussett and Mills were almost as well known -as leading names among the stall-keepers attending the great fairs; -Trebeck was a toy-dealer in Sun Street, Bishopsgate. - -The undertaking was as complete a failure, however, as the fair of 1838 -had been a success. The ground was in bad condition, and its softness was -a difficulty at the commencement. Mrs. Wombwell's elephant waggon stuck in -the mud, and had to be left there until the next day; and the elephant -extricated himself with difficulty by lifting one leg at a time, and -stepping upon trusses of straw laid down to give him a firm footing. -Edmunds would not venture to the ground which he had taken for his -menagerie, but arranged his caravans at the entrance of the field. The -weather was cold and cheerless when the fair was opened, and the railway -companies had not begun running trains at low fares. When the fine weather -and the excursion trains did come, the fair had come to be regarded as a -failure, and it never recovered from the chill and blight of its -commencement. - -Johnson and Lee's theatre appeared at Greenwich Fair for the last time in -1852, and proceeded thence to Uxbridge, where the company was joined by -James Robson, afterwards so famous as a comedian at the Olympic. In the -following year, the property was sold by auction, and, as a memorial of -an event which has seldom occurred, and will never occur again, I subjoin -the advertisement:-- - -"Notice.--To Carmen, Builders, Proprietors of Tea Gardens, Exhibitors, Van -Proprietors, Travelling Equestrians, Providers of Illuminations, &c.--The -Travelling Theatrical Property known as Richardson's Theatre, comprising -Covered Vans and Parade Waggons, Scenery, Wings, Stage Front, Orchestra, -with a double stock of beautiful scenery, waterproof covering, draperies, -massive chandeliers, a great quantity of baize, flags, &c. Large coat of -arms, variegated lamps and devices, eight capital 6-inch wheels, parade -waggons, with two large flaps to each, two capital excursion vans, trucks, -double stock of new scenery, shifting flies, fourteen long forms, large -stock of book-cloths and baize of large dimensions, battened -dancing-boards, erection of booths, handsome imitation stone front, two -capital money-takers' boxes, with fittings up, handsome ornamental urns, -large figures on pedestals, four guns and carriages, handsome pilasters, -machinery, flooring throughout the building, with numerous scenery and -stage devices, and every other article connected with the stage, a -quantity of quartering, iron, old wheels, &c., &c., &c. Which will be sold -by auction by Mr. Lloyd, on the premises, Richardson's Cottage, -Horsemonger-lane, Boro'. May be viewed, and catalogues had on the -premises, and of the Auctioneers, 5, Hatfield-street, Blackfriars-road." - -The property was completely dispersed; the timber and wood-work being -purchased by builders, the waggons by wheelwrights, the canvas and -tilt-cloths by farmers, and the green baize, curtains, fittings, etc., by -Jew dealers. There is not the shadow of a pretence, therefore, for the use -of the name, "Richardson's theatre," by any showman of the present day. - -The shows travelling after the sale and dispersion of Johnson and Lee's -were, exclusive of menageries and exhibitions, Abbott's theatre, Jackman's -theatre, and Fossett's circus. I am not sure that Reed's theatre was still -in existence. Abbott's theatre was at the Easter fair at Greenwich in -1852, when Charlie Keith, since famous all over Europe as "the roving -English clown," was fulfilling his first engagement in it as an acrobat. -Robson, the comedian, was at the same time performing in Jackman's -theatre, from which he transferred his services to Johnson and Lee's. - -Fossett's circus was pitched that summer at Primrose Hill for a few days, -when one of the irregular fairs which are occasionally held in the -neighbourhood of London was held. It is a small concern, with only two or -three horses. Miss Fossett, the proprietor's daughter, is a tight-rope -performer, in which capacity she appeared a few years ago in Talliott's -circus, when the company and stud appeared one winter in a temporary -building at the rear of some small houses in New Street, Lambeth Walk. -James Talliott, to whom the houses belong, was then well known to the -frequenters of the London music-halls, and may be remembered as a trapeze -performer in conjunction with Burnett, who called himself Burnetti, but -was known among the professional fraternity as Bruiser. He afterwards -performed singly at the Strand Music-hall, now the Gaiety Theatre, and -other places of amusement in the metropolis, and has since owned a small -circus, with which he travels during the summer within a circle of a dozen -miles from London. - -Hilton's menagerie had at this time passed into the possession of Manders, -and the lion-tamer of the show was an Irishman named James Strand, who had -formerly kept a gingerbread-stall, and had been engaged to perform with -the beasts when those attractive exhibitions had been threatened with -temporary suspension by the abruptness with which his predecessor, -Newsome--a brother, I believe, to the circus-proprietor of that name--had -terminated his engagement. Strand's qualifications for the profession were -not equal to his own estimate of them, however, and Manders had to look -out for his successor. - -One day, when the menagerie was at Greenwich Fair, a powerful-looking -negro accosted one of the musicians, saying that he was a sailor just -returned from a voyage, and would like a berth in the show. The musician -communicated the man's wish to Manders, and the negro was invited to enter -the show. His appearance and confident manner impressed the showman -favourably, and, on his being allowed to enter the lion's cage, at his own -request, he displayed so much address and ability to control the animals -that he was engaged at once, and "the gingerbread king," as Strand was -called, was informed that his services could, for the future, be dispensed -with. This remarkable black man was the famous Macomo, who for several -years afterwards travelled with the menagerie, exhibiting in his -performances with lions and tigers as much daring as Van Amburgh, and as -much coolness as Crockett. - -One of the finest tigers ever imported into this country, and said to be -the identical beast that escaped from Mr. Jamrach's premises in St. -George's Street (better known by its old name of Ratcliffe Highway), and -killed a boy before it was recaptured, was purchased by Manders, and -placed in a cage with another tiger. The two beasts soon began fighting -furiously, upon which Macomo entered the cage, armed only with a -riding-whip, and attempted to separate them. His efforts caused both the -tigers to turn their fury upon him, and they severely lacerated him; but, -covered with blood as he was, he continued the struggle for supremacy -until the beasts cowered before him, and he was able, with the assistance -of the keepers, to separate them. - -It is worthy of remark, in connection with the causes of accidents with -lions and tigers, that Macomo, like Crockett, was a strictly sober man, -never touching intoxicating liquors of any kind. "It's the drink," said -the ex-lion king, who was interviewed by the special commissioner of a -London morning journal two years ago; "It's the drink that plays the -mischief with us fellows. There are plenty of people always ready to treat -the daring fellow that plays with the lions as if they were kittens; and -so he gets reckless, lets the dangerous animal--on which, if he were -sober, he would know he must always keep his eye--get dodging round behind -him; or hits a beast in which he ought to know that a blow rouses the -sleeping devil; or makes a stagger, and goes down, and then they set upon -him." - -Macomo's fight with the two tigers was not the only occasion on which he -received injuries, the scars of which he bore upon him to the day of his -death, which, contrary to the expectation of every one who witnessed his -performances, was a peaceful one. He died a natural death in 1870, when he -was succeeded by an Irishman named Macarthy, who had previously been -attached in a similar capacity to the circus of Messrs. Bell and Myers. -While performing, in 1862, with the lions belonging to that establishment, -he had had his left arm so severely mangled by one of the beasts that -amputation became necessary. This circumstance seems to have added to the -_éclat_ of his performances; but he had neither the nerve of Macomo, nor -his resolution to abstain from stimulants. Unlike his predecessor, he -frequently turned his back upon the lions, though he had frequently been -cautioned against the danger he thereby incurred; and it was believed that -his disregard of the warning was one of the causes of the terrible -encounter which terminated his existence. - -Macarthy was bitten on two occasions while performing with Manders's -lions, prior to the disaster at Bolton. The first time was while -performing at Edinburgh, when one of the beasts made a snap at his -remaining arm, but only slightly grazed it. The second occasion was a few -days before the fatal accident occurred, when one of the Lions bit him -slightly on the wrist. He lost his life in representing a so-called "lion -hunt," an exhibition which was introduced by Macomo, and consists in -chasing the animals about the cage, the performer being armed with a sword -and pistols, and throwing into the mimic sport as much semblance of -reality as the circumstances allow. The exhibition is acknowledged by -lion-tamers themselves to be a dangerous one, and it should never be -attempted with any but young animals. For their ordinary performances, -most lion-tamers prefer full-grown animals, as being better trained; but a -full-grown lion does not like to be driven and hustled about, as the -animals are in the so-called "lion hunt," and when such are used for this -exhibition they are frequently changed. - -Macarthy was driving the animals from one end of the cage to the other -when one of them ran against his legs, and threw him down. He soon -regained his feet, however, and drove the animals into a corner. Whilst -stamping his feet upon the floor, to make the animals run past him, one -of them crept stealthily out from the group, and sprang upon him, seizing -him by the right hip and throwing him down upon his side. For a moment the -spectators imagined that this was part of the performance, but Macarthy's -agonised features soon convinced them of the terrible reality of the scene -before them. As he struggled to rise, three other lions sprang upon him, -one of them seizing his arm, from which he immediately dropped the sword. - -The keepers now hurried to the unfortunate man's assistance, some of them -endeavouring to beat off the infuriated lions, while others inserted a -partition between the bars of the cage, with a view to driving the animals -behind it. This was a task of considerable difficulty, however, for as one -beast was obliged to relinquish its hold of the unfortunate man, another -rushed into its place. Heated irons were then brought, and by their aid, -and the discharge of fire-arms, four of the lions were driven behind the -partition. Macarthy was lying in the centre of the cage, still being torn -by the lion that had first attacked him. A second partition was attempted -to be inserted, but was found to be too large; and then one of the keepers -drew the first one out a little, with the view of driving the fifth lion -among the rest. More blank cartridges were fired, without effect, and it -was not until the hot irons were applied to the nose of the infuriated -brute that it loosed its hold, and ran behind the partition. - -Even then, before the opening could be closed, the lion ran out again, -seized the dead or dying man by one of his feet and dragged him into the -corner, where four of the beasts again fell upon him with unsatiated -thirst of blood. The terrible scene had now been going on for a quarter of -an hour, and, even when all the animals were at length secured, it was -found that they were next the entrance of the cage, the opposite end of -which had to be broken open before the mangled corpse of the lion-tamer -could be lifted out. - -As lion-tamers are well paid, and this was only the second fatal accident -in the course of half a century, it is not surprising that, as soon as the -catastrophe became known, there were several candidates for the vacancy -created by Macarthy's death. Mrs. Manders had resolved to discontinue the -exhibition, however, and the applicants for the situation received an -intimation to that effect. - -Mrs. Wombwell retired from the menagerie business in 1866, and was -succeeded in the proprietorship by Fairgrieve, who had married her niece. - -Fairgrieve retired from the occupation in the spring of 1872, when his -fine collection of animals was sold by auction at Edinburgh. As the -public sale of a menagerie is a rare event, and Mr. Jamrach and Mr. Rice -do not publish prices current, the reader may be glad to learn the prices -realised. - -The first lot was a racoon--"a very pleasant, playful pet," the auctioneer -said--which was knocked down to the Earl of Roseberry for one pound. Mr. -Bell Lamonby, another private collector, became the possessor of a pair of -agoutis; which he was assured were "sharp, active little animals, and -could sing like canaries," for an equally moderate sum. Then came a -strange-looking and ferocious animal called the Tasmanian devil, of which -there is a specimen in the gardens of the Zoological Society, and which -the auctioneer assured his hearers was as strong in the jaw as a hyena, -but not to be recommended for purchase as a domestic pet. Bids were slow, -and even the prospect of purchasing the devil for three pounds did not -render buyers enthusiastic; so that Mrs. Day bought the animal for five -shillings more. - -Then came the baboons and monkeys. The Diana monkey, a white and -rose-breasted little animal, was purchased by Dr. Mackendrick for seven -pounds; while the Capuchin monkey, full of intelligence, and belonging to -a kind fancied by Italian organ-grinders, was knocked down to Mr. Rice -for thirty shillings. Mr. Jamrach purchased the drill, "a playful little -drawing-room pet, worth twenty pounds to put on the kitchen shelf to look -at," for five guineas; and Mr. Rice paid thirty pounds for a male -mandrill, five for a female of the same species, eighteen guineas for a -pair of Anubis baboons, and fifteen pounds for five dog-faced baboons. - -Passing on to the bird carriage, the first specimen submitted to -competition was the black vulture, one of the largest birds of the -species, and in excellent plumage. Mr. Rice bought this bird for three -pounds ten shillings, and the condor, which had been forty years in the -show, for fifteen pounds. Next came the emu, "a very suitable bird for a -gentleman's park, and a nice show thing for the ladies in the morning, -after breakfast," which Mrs. Day secured for her collection at seven -pounds. Mr. Jamrach gave thirteen pounds for the pair of pelicans, bought -at the sale of the Knowsley collection, and which had been trained to run -races. The fine collection of parrots, macaws, and cockatoos was dispersed -among a number of local fanciers of ornithological beauties. - -Proceeding to the larger mammals, the auctioneer knocked down a male -nylghau to Mr. Van Amburgh, the great American menagerist, for twenty-six -pounds, and a female of the same species to the proprietor of the -Manchester Zoological Gardens for ten guineas; while Mr. Jamrach secured a -llama for fifteen pounds, and Mr. Rice a young kangaroo for twelve pounds. -Professor Edwards, who had come over from Paris to pick up a few good -specimens for the Jardin des Plantes, purchased the white bear, "young, -healthy, and lively as a trout," for forty pounds, and a jackal for three -pounds. A Thibet bear and three performing leopards were knocked down to -Mr. Jamrach for five guineas and sixty pounds respectively. Another -leopard, advanced in years, realised only six guineas. Mr. Van Amburgh -secured the spotted hyena for fifteen pounds; while a performing striped -hyena brought only five shillings above three pounds. Among objects of -minor interest, a pair of wolves were sold for two guineas, an ocelot for -six pounds ten shillings, three porcupines for ten pounds more, a wombat -for seven pounds, a Malabar squirrel for five pounds, and a pair of boa -constrictors for twelve pounds. - -The large carnivora excited much attention, and fair prices were realised, -though in some instances they were less than was expected. Mr. Rice gave a -hundred and eighty-five pounds for the famous lion with which Signor -Lorenzo used to represent the well-known story of Androcles, two other -lions for a hundred and forty pounds each, two young ones for ninety -pounds each, and a lioness for eighty pounds. A black-maned lion, said to -be the largest and handsomest lion in Britain, was sold to Mr. Jackson, -for the Bristol Zoological Gardens, for two hundred and seventy pounds; -and his mate, in the interesting condition of approaching maternity, to -Mr. Jennison, of the Belle Vue Gardens, Manchester, for a hundred guineas. -Mr. Jamrach gave two hundred pounds for a fine lion, and a hundred and -fifty-five pounds for the magnificent tigress that used to figure -conspicuously in the performances of Signor Lorenzo. - -Mr. Rice, who was the largest purchaser, bought the gnu for eighty-five -pounds, and the zebra for fifty pounds. The camels and dromedaries, bought -principally for travelling menageries, realised from fourteen to thirty -pounds each, with the exception of a young one, bought by Dr. Mackendrick -for nine pounds ten shillings. Menagerists restrict the word "camel" to -the two-humped or Bactrian variety, and call the one-humped kind -dromedaries; but the dromedary, according to naturalists, is a small -variety of the Syrian camel, bearing the same relation to the latter as a -pony does to a horse. The dromedaries of Mr. Fairgrieve's collection were, -on the contrary, taller than the Bactrian camels. - -There was a spirited competition for the two elephants, ending in the -magnificent full-tusked male, seven feet six inches in height, being -knocked down to Mr. Jennison for six hundred and eighty pounds, and the -female, famous for her musical performances, to Mr. Rice for a hundred and -forty-five pounds. The former animal was described as the largest and -cleverest performing elephant ever exhibited. In stature he is exceeded, -it is said, by the elephant kept by the Emperor of Russia at the gardens -of Tsarski-Seloe; but, while the performances of that beast have been -confined to the occasional killing of a keeper, the animal now in the -Belle Vue Gardens at Manchester, besides performing many tricks evincing -great docility and intelligence, was accustomed to draw the band carriage, -would pull a loaded waggon up a hill, and had for the last eighteen months -preceding the sale placed all the vans of the menagerie in position, with -the assistance of a couple of men. The entire proceeds of the sale were a -little under three thousand pounds. - -I do not remember ever visiting a travelling menagerie that afforded me -greater pleasure than one of the smaller class which I saw some thirty -years ago at Mitcham Fair, and subsequently at Camberwell Fair. There were -no lions or tigers in the collection, but it included four performing -leopards, a tame hyena, and a wolf that seemed equally tame, if such an -inference could be drawn from the presence of a lamb in its cage. The -showman, who wore neither spangled trunks, nor a coat of chain-mail, but -corduroy breeches and a sleeved vest of cat's skin, entered the leopard's -cage, with a riding whip in one hand and a hoop in the other. The animals -leaped over the whip, through the hoop, and over the man's back, -exhibiting throughout the performance as much docility as dogs or cats. -The whip was used merely as part of the "properties." The man afterwards -entered the cage of the hyena, which rubbed its head against him, after -the manner of a cat, and allowed him to open its mouth. The hyena has the -reputation of being untameable; but, in addition to this instance to the -contrary, Bishop Heber had a hyena at Calcutta which followed him about -like a dog. - -Tigers are little used as performing animals, partly perhaps from being -less easily procured, but also, I believe, from greater distrust of them -on the part of brute-tamers. There was a splendid tigress in Fairgrieve's -menagerie, however, with which Signor Lorenzo used to do a wonderful -performance; and I saw, some five-and-thirty years ago, in a show pitched -upon a piece of waste ground at Norwood, a tiger that played a prominent -part in a sensational drama, the interest of which was evolved from the -hair-breadth escapes of a British traveller in the wilds of Africa. The -author did not seem to have been aware that there are no tigers in that -part of the world, the animals so called by the Cape colonists being -leopards; but, as the old woman who took money replied to my remonstrance -that one tiger could not, without an outrage upon Lindley Murray, be -called performing _animals_, "what can you expect for a penny?" - -The old showmen are now virtually extinct, and the London fairs have all -ceased to exist. "Old Bartlemy" died hard, but its time must soon have -come, in the natural order of things. Its extinction was followed closely -by that of all the other fairs formerly held in the suburbs of the -metropolis. Camberwell Fair was abolished in 1856, and the Greenwich Fairs -in the following year. I cannot better express my opinion as to the causes -which have led to the decline of fairs generally, but especially of those -held within half an hour's journey from the metropolis, and the -suppression of most of those formerly held within a shorter distance, than -by quoting a brief dialogue between a showman and an acrobat in 'Bob -Lumley's Secret,' a story which appeared anonymously a few years ago in a -popular periodical:-- - -"'Fairs is nearly worked out, Joe,' said the red-faced individual, -speaking between the whiffs of blue smoke from his _dhudeen_. 'Why, I can -remember the time when my old man used to take more money away from this -fair with the Russian giant, and the Polish dwarf, and the Circassian -lady, than I can make now in a month. Them was the times, when old Adam -Lee, the Romany, used to come to this fair with his coat buttons made of -guineas, and his waistcoat buttons of seven-shilling pieces. Ah, you may -laugh, Joey Alberto; but I have heard my old man speak of it many's the -time.' - -"'There's good fairs now down in the shires,' observed the younger man; -'but this town is too near the big village.' - -"'That's it!' exclaimed the showman. 'It's all along o' them blessed -railways. They brings down lots o' people, it is true; but, lor'! they -don't spend half the money the yokels used to in former times.' - -"'Besides which,' rejoined he of the spangled trunks, 'the people about -here can run up to London and back for a shilling any day in the week, all -the year round, and see all the living curiosities in the Zoo, and the -stuffed ones in the Museum, and go in the evening to a theatre or a -music-hall.'" - -The fair referred to was the October fair at Croydon; and I may add that -views similar to those which I have put into the mouths of the acrobat and -the showman were expressed to me in 1846 by a showman named Gregory, who -exhibited various natural curiosities and well-contrived mechanical -representations of the falls of Niagara and a storm at sea. He had just -received from the printer five thousand bills, which he carefully stowed -away. - -"This fair don't pay for bills," said he. "I want these for Canterbury -Fair, where there's more money to be taken in one day than in this field -in three." - -"Which do you reckon the best fair in your circuit?" I inquired. - -"Sandwich," he replied. "That's a good distance from London, you see, and -though it's a smaller town than this, there's plenty of money in it. This -is too near London, now the rail enables people to go there and back for a -shilling, see all the sights and amusements, and get back home the same -night." - -The fairs within half an hour's journey from London which are still held -are in a state of visible decadence. I walked through Kingston Fair last -year, about three o'clock in the afternoon, at which time Croydon Fair -would, even twenty or thirty years ago, have been crowded. The weather was -unusually fine, the sun shining with unwonted brilliance for the season, -and the ground in better condition for walking than I had ever seen the -field at Croydon on the 2nd of October. Yet there were fewer people -walking through the fair than I had seen in the market-place. The -gingerbread vendors and other stall-keepers looked as if they were weary -of soliciting custom in vain; the swings and the roundabouts stood idle; -some of the showmen had not thought the aspect of the field sufficiently -promising to be encouraged to unfurl their pictorial announcements, and -those who had done so failed to attract visitors. - -Day's menagerie was there, and was the principal show in the fair; but the -few persons who paused to gaze at the pictures passed on without entering, -and even the beasts within were so impressed with the pervading -listlessness and inactivity that I did not hear a sound from the cages as -I walked round to the rear of the show to observe its extent. There was no -braying of brass bands, no beating of gongs or bawling through -speaking-trumpets. One forlorn showman ground discordant sounds from a -barrel-organ with an air of desperation, and another feebly clashed a pair -of cymbals; but these were all the attempts made to attract attention, -and they were made in vain. - -This was on Saturday afternoon, too, when a large number of the working -classes are liberated who could not formerly have attended the fair at -that time without taking a holiday. There was a good attendance in the -evening, I heard; but, however well the shows and stalls may be patronised -after six o'clock, it is obvious that their receipts must be less than -half what they amounted to in the days when they were thronged from noon -till night. - -Fairs are becoming extinct because, with the progress of the nation, they -have ceased to possess any value in its social economy, either as marts of -trade or a means of popular amusement. All the large towns now possess -music-halls, and many of them have a theatre; the most populous have two -or three. The circuses of Newsome and Hengler are located for three months -at a time in permanent buildings in the larger towns, and the travelling -circuses visit in turn every town in the kingdom. Bristol and Manchester -have Zoological Gardens, and Brighton has its interesting Aquarium. The -railways connect all the smaller towns, and most of the villages, with the -larger ones, in which amusements may be found superior to any ever -presented by the old showmen. What need, then, of fairs and shows? The -nation has outgrown them, and fairs are as dead as the generations which -they have delighted, and the last showman will soon be as great a -curiosity as the dodo. - - - - -INDEX - - - Abbott's theatrical booth, 358 - - Adams, the dancer, 154 - - African dwarfs, 80 - - Albinoes, 295, 310, 313 - - Albion dancing-booth, 263 - - Algar's dancing-booth, 263, 328, 333, 355 - - Allen, the dwarf, 205 - - Ambroise, the showman, 189 - - Amburgh, Van, the lion-tamer, 260 - - American juggler, 294 - - Annesley, Mrs., the dancer, 164 - - Appleby, the showman, 63 - - Arthur, the comedian, 144 - - Astley, the equestrian, 211 - - Aston, the comedian, 109, 121 - - Atkins's menagerie, 258, 277, 302, 304 - - - Baker, Mrs., the theatrical manageress, 196 - - Ball, the showman, 271, 303, 309 - - Ballard's animal comedians, 169 - - " menagerie, 232, 241, 287, 303, 305 - - Banks and his performing horse, 23 - - Barnes, the showman, 63 - - " " pantaloon, 246 - - Barnett, Mrs., the actress, 349 - - Basil, the showman, 191 - - Baudouin, the comic dancer, 131 - - Bearded women, 33, 47 - - Belzoni's feats of strength, 216 - - Berar's _optikali illusio_, 311 - - Biffin, Miss, the armless portrait painter, 210, 231 - - Billington, the comedian, 349 - - Birds, performing, 178, 182, 188 - - Bisset, the animal trainer, 177 - - Blacker, the dwarf, 167 - - Blight, Helen, the lion-performer, 337 - - Boheme, the tragedian, 96 - - Booth, the theatrical manager, 94 - - Bradshaw, Miss, the actress, 144 - - Breslaw, the conjuror, 187, 192 - - Bridge's theatrical booth, 152, 163 - - Broomsgrove, the showman, 313 - - Brown, the showman, 272, 300 - - Brown's theatre of arts, 315 - - Brunn, the juggler, 189 - - Bullock, the comedian, 78, 95, 105, 107, 114, 119, 132 - - Burchall, the showman, 314 - - Burnett, the trapezist, 359 - - - Cadman, the flying man, 145 - - Campbell, Mrs., the actress, 344, 349, 355 - - Canterel, Mrs., the actress, 110 - - Capelli, the conjuror, 307 - - Carey, the actor, 223, 230 - - Cartlitch, the actor, 246 - - Cats, performing, 178, 307 - - Chapman, Mary Anne, the albino, 314 - - " Miss, the lion-performer, 337 - - " the comedian, 114, 119, 127, 132, 138, 143 - - Chappell, the actor, 353 - - " the showman, 272 - - Charke, Mrs., the actress, 114 - - Cheshire girl, wonderful, 49 - - Chettle's theatrical booth, 151 - - Chetwood, the prompter, 105 - - Chinese jugglers, 302, 309 - - " lady, 292 - - Christoff, the rope-dancer, 20 - - Cibber, the tragedian, 107, 114 - - Circassian lady, 290 - - Clancy, the giant, 313 - - Clark, the posturer, 59 - - Clarke's circus, 268, 307, 332, 341 - - Clarke, Miss, the rope-dancer, 308 - - Clarkson, the showman, 191 - - Clench, the whistling man, 80 - - Coan, the dwarf, 167 - - Cooke's circus, 249 - - Corder, the murderer, head of, 303 - - Cornwell, the showman, 61 - - Corsican dwarf, 155, 188 - - Cousins's theatrical booth, 154 - - Cow, a double, 161 - - Cox, the comedian, 37 - - Crawley, the puppet-showman, 83 - - Crockett, the showman, 341 - - Crocodile, the first exhibited, 167 - - Crowther, the actor, 322 - - Cushings, the pantomimists, 150, 165 - - - Dale's music booth, 64 - - Dancey, Mrs. and Miss, the dancers, 131 - - Day, the showman, 298 - - Day's menagerie, 355, 375 - - Dawson, the dwarf, 313 - - Derrum, Miss, the female tumbler, 115 - - Doggett, the comedian, 74, 79 - - Dogs, performing, 85, 169, 178, 307 - - Drury's menagerie, 310 - - Ducrow, Madame, the rope-dancer, 335 - - Dunstall's theatrical booth, 175 - - Dupain, the showman, 313 - - Dutch boy, wonderful, 70 - - " rope-dancer, 53, 150 - - Dwarf family, 298 - - Dyan, Ursula, the bearded woman, 47 - - - Edmunds, the menagerist, 337, 355 - - Egleton, Mrs., the actress, 108 - - Elephant, performing, 284 - - " escape of an, 288, 347 - - Elliston, the theatrical manager, 236 - - England, the flying pieman, 240 - - Esquimaux youth, 294 - - Evans, the wire-walker, 172 - - Ewing's wax-work exhibition, 306, 310 - - Excell, the duettist, 123 - - - Fairgrieve's menagerie, 365 - - Farnham, the dwarf, 313 - - Faucit, the actor, 221 - - Fawkes, the conjuror, 110, 112, 117 - - " " showman, 116, 123, 139, 150 - - Ferguson's wax-work exhibition, 310 - - Fielding, the novelist, 103, 107, 110, 113, 119, 124, 127 - - Finch, the posturer, 313 - - Finley, the acrobat, 73 - - " Mary, the rope-dancer, 73, 78 - - Fitzgerald, Mrs., the actress, 110, 123 - - Fives Court drinking booth, 333 - - Flemish giantess, 47 - - Flockton, the juggler and showman, 191, 200, 202, 206 - - Ford, the gingerbread vendor, 99 - - Fossett's circus, 358 - - Frano, Mdlle. de, the dancer, 131 - - Frazer, the conjuror, 303 - - Frazer's acrobatic entertainment, 341 - - Freer, the tragedian, 344 - - French, the single-stick player, 158 - - - Gaetano, the bird imitator, 187 - - Garrick, the actor, 165 - - German rope-dancers, 50, 63, 73 - - Giffard, the theatrical manager, 106, 130 - - Gipsies' drinking booth, 333 - - Girardelli, Josephine, the fire-eater, 235 - - Glee-men and glee-maidens, 19 - - Gobert, Madame, the athlete, 244 - - Godwin, the showman, 151 - - Goodwin's theatrical booth, 143 - - Gouffe, the man-monkey, 306 - - Gregory, the showman, 374 - - Griffin, the actor, 107, 114, 137 - - Grosette, the actor, 225 - - Grove's theatre of arts, 341 - - Gyngell, the showman, 207, 238, 254 - - - Haines, the fire-eater, 311 - - Hales, the Norfolk giant, 350 - - Hall, the rope-dancer, 43, 45 - - " " actor, 108, 119 - - Hall's museum, 192 - - Hallam, the tragedian, 107, 114, 119, 127, 131, 138, 143 - - Harper, the comedian, 96, 103, 109, 111, 114, 118, 137 - - Harris, the cat imitator, 182 - - Harris, the showman, 313 - - Haydon's theatrical booth, 320 - - Heads, lecture on, 186 - - Heidegger, Master of the Revels, 139 - - Herring, the pantomimist, 322, 336 - - Hewet, the comedian, 109 - - Hilton's menagerie, 336, 341, 359 - - Hilton, Miss, the lion-performer, 336 - - Hind, the actor, 121 - - Hippisley, the tragedian, 108, 110, 113, 119, 127, 132, 138, 143 - - " Miss, the actress, 162 - - Hipson, Miss, the fat girl, 289 - - Hoare, the showman, 243 - - Hocus Pocus, the King's conjuror, 30 - - Hog, enormous, 154 - - Holden's glass-blowing exhibition, 299, 301 - - Holland's, Lady, mob, 125, 201, 256 - - Horses, performing, 20, 23, 43, 83, 164, 178, 202, 305 - - Horton, Mrs., the actress, 94 - - Howard, the actor, 348, 355 - - Hoyo's wax-work exhibition, 310 - - Hulett, the comedian, 105, 109, 114, 120 - - Hussey's theatrical booth, 145, 151, 153, 156 - - Hyenas, tame, 308, 371 - - - Inchbald, Elizabeth, the actress, 196 - - Irish giant, 52 - - Italian rope-dancer, 40 - - " sword-dancers, 154 - - Ives, the showman, 191 - - - Jack, Manchester, the lion-keeper, 260 - - Jackman's theatrical booth, 358 - - Jano, the rope-dancer, 115, 130 - - Jefferies, the actor, 225 - - Jobson, the puppet-showman, 191, 202, 208 - - Johnson, the showman, 317, 320 - - " and Lee's theatrical booth, 321, 325, 336, 341, 343, 348, 352, - 356 - - - Kean, the tragedian, 214, 221 - - Keith, the clown, 358 - - Keyes and Laine, the conjurors, 303 - - Killigrew, Charles, Master of the Revels, 50 - - " Thomas, the King's jester, 49 - - - Lacy, Mrs., the actress, 121 - - Ladder dance, 85 - - Laguerre, the actor, 119 - - Lane, the conjuror, 191 - - Laskey, the showman, 341 - - Lee, Nelson, the theatrical manager, 247, 254, 320, 346 - - Lee's theatrical booth, 102, 106, 108, 111, 114, 119, 121, 132, 138, - 152, 163 - - " unlicensed theatre, 255 - - Legar, the actor, 132 - - Leigh, the comedian, 95 - - Leopard, escape of a, 232 - - " a tame, 287, 310 - - Leopards, performing, 368, 371 - - Lincolnshire dwarf, 294 - - Lion, a tame, 32, 274, 285 - - " baiting with dogs, 261 - - Lioness, escape of a, 241 - - Lion-tiger cubs, 277, 285, 304 - - Little, the comedian-hawker, 324 - - Living skeleton, the, 305 - - Lorenzo, the lion performer, 368 - - Lorme, Madlle. de, the dancer, 106 - - Luce, the dancer, 106 - - - Macarthy, the lion performer, 362 - - Mackenzie, the hermit, 314 - - Macklin, the comedian, 144 - - Macomo, the lion performer, 360 - - Madagascar woman, 294 - - Mahoura, the cannibal chief, head of, 298 - - Malay savages, 290 - - Manchester Jack, the lion keeper, 260 - - Manders's menagerie, 359 - - March, the clown, 50 - - Maori woman, 292, 351 - - Mare with seven feet, 291 - - Master of the Revels, office of, 30 - - Matthews, the dancer, 164 - - Maughan, the showman, 289 - - Melville, the actor, 349 - - Menagerie, the first, 88 - - Mermaids, 162, 298 - - Miles's music booth, 64, 85 - - " menagerie, 209 - - Miller, the comedian, 75, 77, 107, 114, 119 - - Mills, the comedian, 107, 114, 119 - - Monkeys, performing, 20, 23, 40, 169, 178, 314 - - Monstrosities, 22, 32, 60, 161, 204, 217, 291, 310, 314, 346 - - Morgan, the comedian, 121 - - " Miss, the dwarf, 205 - - Morgan's menagerie, 287, 302 - - Morosini, the rope-dancer, 115 - - Mullart, the tragedian, 111 - - Mussulmo, the rope-dancer, 151 - - Mynn's theatrical booth, 86 - - - Negro, wonderful, 168 - - Newman and Allen's theatrical booth, 323 - - Newsome, the lion performer, 359 - - Nichols, the comedian, 109 - - Nokes, Mrs., the actress, 104 - - - Oates, the comedian, 105, 114, 119, 134, 162 - - " Miss, the actress, 114, 120 - - O'Brien, the Irish giant, 194, 229 - - Ogden, Mrs., the dancer, 154 - - Oronutu savage, 154 - - Orsi, the singer, 204 - - Owen, the clown, 196 - - Oxberry, the comedian, 221 - - - Paap, the dwarf, 236 - - Pack, the comedian, 95 - - Palmer, the theatrical bill-sticker, 165 - - Parker's theatrical booth, 79 - - Peep-shows, 289, 305, 307 - - Penkethman, the elder, comedian, 71, 79, 95, 106 - - " " younger, comedian, 106, 108, 113, 120, 132 - - Penley, the showman, 200 - - Perry's menagerie, 159 - - Persian giant, 290 - - Peters, the comic dancer, 131 - - Petit, the showman, 115 - - Phantasmagorial exhibitions, 311 - - Philips, the fiddler and clown, 54, 57 - - Phillips, the posturer, 113 - - " " showman, 164 - - " " comedian, 133 - - " Mrs., the dancer, 134 - - " the Welsh dwarf, 294 - - Pidcock's menagerie, 186 - - Pierce, the gigantic Shropshire youth, 313 - - Pig-faced lady, 303, 305 - - Pigs, learned, 178, 243, 297, 301, 314 - - Pike's theatrical booth, 303 - - Pinchbeck, the mechanist, 110, 116, 123, 134, 139 - - Pinkethman, the puppet showman, 83 - - Polito's menagerie, 187, 209 - - Powell, the comedian, 105 - - " " fire-eater, 179 - - " " puppet showman, 83 - - Price, the equestrian, 309 - - Pritchard, Mrs., the actress, 113, 120, 127 - - Pullen's theatrical booth, 105 - - Punch and Judy shows, 27 - - Punchinello, the puppet showman, 29 - - Purden, Mrs., the actress, 121 - - - Quin, the comedian, 95 - - - Rapinese, the posturer, 131 - - Ray, the comedian, 104 - - Rayner's theatrical booth, 105 - - " the tumbler, 149 - - " Miss, the rope-dancer, 149 - - Reader, the showman, 341 - - Reed, the actor, 225, 317 - - Reed's theatrical booth, 350 - - Reverant, Madlle. de, the rope-dancer, 115 - - Reynolds, the comedian, 104, 106 - - " " showman, 151, 154 - - Richardson, the fire-eater, 48 - - " " showman, 217, 230, 235, 239, 248, 264, 302, 306, 316 - - River, the tumbler, 115 - - Roberts, the tragedian, 121 - - Roberts, Mrs., the actress, 114 - - Robinson, the conjuror, 191 - - Robson, the comedian, 356, 358 - - Rose's, Miss, imitations of actresses, 187 - - Rossignol, the bird trainer, 188, 193 - - Roy, Madlle. le, the dancer, 131 - - Rudderford, the mountebank, 50 - - Ryan, the comedian, 95, 119, 127 - - - Saffery, the rope-vaulter, 308 - - Saffry's theatrical booth, 50 - - Saker, the comedian, 256, 350 - - Salway, the comedian, 113 - - Samwell, the showman, 270, 309 - - Saunders, Sarah, actress and acrobat, 323 - - " the showman, 209, 219, 221, 231 - - Scotch dwarf, 61 - - " giant, 303 - - Scowton's theatrical booth, 230, 316 - - Seaman, the actor, 349 - - Serpents, performing, 190 - - Settle, the dramatist, 86 - - Shaw, Miss, the beautiful albino, 310 - - " the harlequin, 344 - - Shuter, the comedian, 174, 179, 182 - - Silver-haired lady, 301, 351 - - Simmett, the showman, 313 - - Simpson, the vaulter, 80 - - Skeleton, the living, 305 - - Slater, Miss, the columbine, 349 - - Smith, the hand-bell ringer, 179 - - Spanish youth, wonderful, 61 - - Spellman, Mrs., the actress, 110 - - Spiller, the comedian, 95 - - " Mrs., the actress, 109, 111, 121 - - Spotted boy, 301 - - " girl, 351 - - Steward, the slack-wire performer, 168 - - Stock, Elizabeth, the giantess, 300 - - Stokes, the vaulter, 58 - - Strand, the lion performer, 359 - - Strength, feats of, 40, 98, 168, 244 - - Sword dancers, 64, 85 - - - Talliott's circus, 359 - - Tarvey, the clown, 197 - - Taylor, the dancer, 123 - - Terwin, the showman, 134 - - Thwaites, the actor, 225 - - Thompson, the comic dancer, 131 - - Tiger, a tame, 159, 283 - - Tigers, performing, 371 - - Tarbutt, the comedian, 138, 143 - - Turkish rope-dancer, 33, 151 - - " wire-walker, 144, 188 - - - Vanbeck, Barbara, the bearded woman, 33 - - Vaughan, the actor, 225 - - Vidina, Signora, the singer, 204 - - Violantes, the, rope-walkers, 144 - - - Walker, the comedian, 94 - - Wallack, the actor, 221 - - Walpole, Lydia, the dwarf, 290, 313 - - Warner's theatrical booth, 150, 163, 174 - - Waterloo giant, 299 - - Wax-work exhibition, the first, 31 - - Webber, Eliza, the dwarf, 313 - - Wells, the actor, 225 - - Welsh dwarf, 167 - - Weston, Priscilla and Amelia, the twin giantesses, 313 - - Whitehead, the fat boy, 298 - - Whiteland, the dwarf, 203 - - Wignell, the poet, 179 - - Williamson, Mrs., the actress, 109 - - Wombwell's Menagerie, 257, 273, 302, 305, 307, 310, 337, 341, 347, 355, - 365 - - Woodward, harlequin and actor, 97, 138, 144 - - Woolford, Miss, the rope-dancer, 336 - - Wright's menagerie, 341 - - - Yates, the comedian, 134, 138, 143, 162, 174, 180 - - " Mrs., the actress, 144 - - " Miss, the actress, 164 - - Yeates, the showman, 116, 131, 163, 168 - - " the conjuror, 116, 131, 133, 149, 151, 153, 157, 163, 168 - - " Mrs., the actress, 157 - - Yorkshire giantess, 299 - - -THE END. - - - PRINTED BY TAYLOR AND CO., - LITTLE QUEEN STREET, LINCOLN'S INN FIELDS. - - - - -Transcriber's Notes: - -Passages in italics are indicated by _italics_. - -The original text includes an asterism symbol that is represented as -[Asterism] in this text version. - -The original text includes a right pointing hand symbol that is -represented as [Pointing Hand] in this text version. - - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Old Showmen and the Old London -Fairs, by Thomas Frost - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK OLD SHOWMEN, OLD LONDON FAIRS *** - -***** This file should be named 41961-8.txt or 41961-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/4/1/9/6/41961/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, -set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to -copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to -protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project -Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you -charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you -do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the -rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose -such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and -research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do -practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is -subject to the trademark license, especially commercial -redistribution. - - - -*** START: FULL LICENSE *** - -THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE -PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK - -To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free -distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work -(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project -Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project -Gutenberg-tm License available with this file or online at - www.gutenberg.org/license. - - -Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic works - -1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to -and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property -(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all -the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy -all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. -If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the -terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or -entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. - -1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be -used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who -agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few -things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works -even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See -paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement -and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. See paragraph 1.E below. - -1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" -or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the -collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an -individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are -located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from -copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative -works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg -are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project -Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by -freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of -this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with -the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by -keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project -Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. - -1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern -what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in -a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check -the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement -before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or -creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project -Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning -the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United -States. - -1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: - -1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate -access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently -whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the -phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project -Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, -copied or distributed: - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - -1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived -from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is -posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied -and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees -or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work -with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the -work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 -through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the -Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or -1.E.9. - -1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted -with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution -must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional -terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked -to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the -permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. - -1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this -work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. - -1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this -electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without -prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with -active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project -Gutenberg-tm License. - -1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, -compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any -word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or -distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than -"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version -posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), -you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a -copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon -request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other -form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm -License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. - -1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, -performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works -unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. - -1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing -access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided -that - -- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from - the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method - you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is - owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he - has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the - Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments - must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you - prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax - returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and - sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the - address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to - the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." - -- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies - you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he - does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm - License. You must require such a user to return or - destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium - and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of - Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any - money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the - electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days - of receipt of the work. - -- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free - distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. - -1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm -electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set -forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from -both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael -Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the -Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. - -1.F. - -1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable -effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread -public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm -collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain -"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or -corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual -property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a -computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by -your equipment. - -1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right -of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project -Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project -Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all -liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal -fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT -LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE -PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE -TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE -LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR -INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH -DAMAGE. - -1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a -defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can -receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a -written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you -received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with -your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with -the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a -refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity -providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to -receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy -is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further -opportunities to fix the problem. - -1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth -in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS', WITH NO OTHER -WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO -WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. - -1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied -warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. -If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the -law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be -interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by -the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any -provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. - -1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the -trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone -providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance -with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, -promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, -harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, -that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do -or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm -work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any -Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. - - -Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm - -Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of -electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers -including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists -because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from -people in all walks of life. - -Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the -assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's -goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will -remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project -Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure -and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. -To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation -and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 -and the Foundation information page at www.gutenberg.org - - -Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive -Foundation - -The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit -501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the -state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal -Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification -number is 64-6221541. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent -permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. - -The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. -Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered -throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at 809 -North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887. Email -contact links and up to date contact information can be found at the -Foundation's web site and official page at www.gutenberg.org/contact - -For additional contact information: - Dr. Gregory B. Newby - Chief Executive and Director - gbnewby@pglaf.org - -Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg -Literary Archive Foundation - -Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide -spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of -increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be -freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest -array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations -($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt -status with the IRS. - -The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating -charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United -States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a -considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up -with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations -where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To -SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any -particular state visit www.gutenberg.org/donate - -While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we -have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition -against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who -approach us with offers to donate. - -International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make -any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from -outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. - -Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation -methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other -ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. -To donate, please visit: www.gutenberg.org/donate - - -Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic -works. - -Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm -concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared -with anyone. For forty years, he produced and distributed Project -Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. - -Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed -editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. -unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |