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 preparative to their treading the boards of a theatre-royal." One of the players is thus represented as informing a spectator concerning the occupation of an itinerant actor:-"I will, as we say, take you behind the scenes. First then, a valuable actor must sleep in the pit, and wake early to sweep the theatre, and throw fresh sawdust into the boxes; he must shake out the dresses, and wind up and dust 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 keep 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."* An advertisement in the "London Ga zette" of April the 13th, 1682,shows under what authority showmen and similar per sons "labour in their vocation:" "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 they take out licences 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 con * New European Magazine, 1822-3. cerned are hereby desired to take notice of, and to suppress all mountebanks, ropedancers, prize-players, ballad-singers, and such as make show of motions and strange sights, that have not a licence in red and black letters, under the hand and seal of the said Charles Killigrew, Esq. master of the revels to his majesty;" and in particular it requires them to suppress two, one of thera being "Thomas Teats mountebank," who have no licence" that they may be proceeded against according to law." The late John Charles Crowle, Esq. who bequeathed his illustrated copy of "Pennant's London" to the British Museum, which he valued at 50007, was master of the revels. In that quality he claimed a seat in any part of the theatres, and being opposed by the manager of the little theatre in the Haymarket, maintained his right. He was also trumpetmajor of England, to whom every one who blows a trumpet publicly (excepting those of the theatres-royal) must pay a certain sum, and therefore the office has jurisdiction of all the merry-andrews and jack-puddings of every Fair throughout England. The office of master of the revels was created under Henry VIII. in 1546. The identical seal of the office used under five sovereigns, was engraved on wood, and is in the possession of Francis Douce, Esq. F.S.A., who permitted im pressions of it to be inserted first by Mr. Chalmers in his "Apology for the believers in the Shakspeare MSS.," and next by Mr. J. T. Smith, of the British Museum, in his "Ancient Topography of London:" the legend on it is "Sigill: Offic: Jocor: Mascar: et Revell: Dnis. Reg." Mr. Chalmers's work also contains the "arms of the revels."* Thomas Batrich, an ancient barber of DruMr. J. T. Smith was informed by Mr. ry-lane, that Mr. Garrick shortly after his and Shuter's booth; Garrick being rudely marriage conducted Mrs. Garrick to Yates pushed called upon his bill-sticker, old Palmer, who had been engaged to receive the money at the entrance of the booth, for protection. Palmer, though a very strong man, professed himself sorry be ing that few people there knew Garrick could not serve him in Smithfield; alleg off the stage. One of the merry-andrews • Smith's Anc. Tupog. Lond. who attended on the quack doctors was so much superior to the rest of his profession for wit and gesture, that he was noticed by all ranks of people. Between the seasons he sold gingerbread nuts about Covent-garden, and was the most polite and quiet vendor of the article in London; for to keep up his value at fairs, where he had a guinea a day for his performance besides presents from the multitude, he would never laugh or notice a joke when a dealer in nuts. Mr. Edward Oram, who died at Hampstead in his seventy-third year, and was buried at Hendon, was intimate with Hogarth in his youth, and introduced him, soon after he left his master, to the proprietors of Drury-lane theatre, where he and Oram painted scenes conjointly, for several years, and were employed by a famous woman, who kept a droll in Bartholomew Fair to paint a splendid set of scenes. The agreement particularly specified that the scenes were to be gilt; but instead of leaf gold being used, they were covered in the usual way with Dutch metal: the mistress of the drolls declared the contract to be broken, and refused to pay for the scenes.* Without going into a history of Bartholomew Fair, it may be remarked that in 1778 it was attended by a foreigner, who exhibited serpents that danced on silk ropes to the sound of music. In 1782, the late Mrs. Baker, proprietor of the Rochester theatre, brought here her company of comedians as show-folk." In four successive years, from 1779 to 1780, Mr. Hall of the City-road, eminent for his skill in the preservation of deceased animals, exhibited at the Fair his fine collection of stuffed birds and beasts, which he exhibited for many years before and afterwards at his own house. To obt notice to it in Smithfield, he engaged sir Jeffery Dunstan to give his imitations in crying "old wigs;" but the mob were no admirers of "still life:" at Hall's last visit they drew his fine zebra round the Fair; from thenceforth sir Jeffery's imitations ceased to draw, and Hall came no more. The exhibitions of living animals at this Fair have been always attractive. Hither • Smith's Anc. Top. Lond. came the "illustrious" Pidcock, with his wild beasts, and to him succeeded the "not less illustrious" Polito. Hither also came the formerly famous, and still well-remembered Astley, with his "equestrian troop," and his learned horse. These feats were the admiration of never-ceasing audiences, and to him succeeded Saunders with like success. Puppet Shows. Flockton was the last eminent "motionmaster" at Bartholomew Fair. He was himself a good performer, and about 1790 his wooden puppets were in high vogue. He brought them every year till his death, which happened at Peckham, where he resided in a respectable way, upon a handsome competence realized by their exhibition at this and the principal fairs in the country. Flockton's "Punch" was a very superior one to the present street show. He had trained a Newfoundland dog to fight his puppet, representing the devil, whom he always conquered in due time, and then ran away with him. A puppet-show, or play performed by puppets, was anciently called a “motion;" and sometimes, in common talk, a single puppet was called "a motion." These were very favourite spectacles. In the times of the papacy, the priests at Witney, in Oxfordshire, annually exhibited a show of The Resurrection, &c. by garnish ing out certain small puppets represent ing the persons of Christ, Mary, and others. Amongst them, one in the character of a waking watchman, espying Christ to arise, made a continual noise, like the sound caused by the meeting of two sticks, and was therefore commonly called Jack Snacker of Wytney. Lam. barde, when a child, saw a like puppet ir St. Paul's cathedral, London, at the feast of Whitsuntide; where the descent of the Holy Ghost was performed by a white pigeon being let fly out of a hole in the midst of the roof of the great aisle, with a long censer, which descending from the same place almost to the ground, was swung up and down at such a length, that it reached with one sweep almost to the west-gate of the church, and with the other to the choir stairs, breathing out over the whole church and the assembled multitude a most pleasant perfume, from the sweet things that burnt within it. Lambarde says; that they everywhere used the like dumb shows, to fur.ish sundry parts of the church service with spec tacles of the nativity, passion, and ascen sion. There may be added to the particuars of a former exhibition, a puppetshowman's bill at the British Museum, which announces scriptural subjects in the reign of Anne, as follows: “At Craw ey's booth, over against the Crown Tavern, in Smithfield, during the time of Bartho lomew 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 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 descend from above, double and treble, with Dives rising out of hell, and Lazarus seen in Abraham's bosom, besides several figures dancing jigs, sarabands, and country dances, to the admiration of the spectators; with the merry conceits of Squire Punch, and Sir John Spendall." were to show Alexander an heathen phlosopher. When we came to Noar's flood in the show, Punch and his wife were introduced dancing in the ark Old Mrs. Petulant desired both her daughter to mind the moral; then whispered tc Mrs. Mayoress, this is very proper for young people to see.' Punch at the end of the play made Madame Prudentia a bow, and was very civil to the whole company, making bows till his buttons touched the ground." Sir Richard Steele in the "Spectator" of March 16, 1711, intimates that Powell, the puppet-showman, exhibited religious subjects with his puppets, under the little piazza in Covent-garden; and talks of "his next opera of Susannah, or Innocence Betrayed, which will be exhibited next week with a pair of new elders" It is observed in a small pamphlet, that "music forms one of the grand attractions of the Fair, and a number of itinerant musicians meet with constant employment at this time." A band at the west-end of the town, well known for playing on winter evenings before the Spring-garden coffee-house, and opposite Wigley's great exhibition-room, consisted of a double drum, a Dutch organ, the tambourine, violin pipes, and the Turkish jingle, used in the army. This band was generally hired at one of the first booths in the Fair; but the universal noise arising from so many other discordant instruments, with the cry of "show them in! just going to begin!" prevented their being attended to. The pamphlet referred to mentions the performances by a family of tumblers, who went about with a large caravan, and attended all the Fairs near town; and that at the beginning of the last century, Clarke and Higgins made themselves fa These "motions" or puppet-shows were fashionable at this period in other places, and among fashionable people. In the "Tatler" of May 14, 1709, there is an account of a puppet-show in a letter from Bath, describing the rivalry of Prudentia and Florimel, two ladies at that watering-place. Florimel bespoke the play of "Alexander the Great," to be acted by the company of strollers on Thursday evening, and the letter-writer accepted the lady's invitation to be of her party; but he says, "Prudentia had counterplotted us, and had bespoke on the same way. They would extend the body into evening, the puppet-show of the Creation all deformed shapes, stand upon one leg, of the World. She had engaged every and extend the other in a perpendicular body to be there; and to turn our leader line, half a yard above the head. The into ridicule, had secretly let them know tumblers of the present day do not attempt that the puppet Eve was made the most such wonderful exploits, but they put ike Florimel that ever was seen. On their bodies into a variety of singular pos Thursday morning the puppet-drummer, tures, and leap with remarkable facility. with Adam and Eve, and several others mous for their wonderful exertions in this Lane was a celebrated performer at that lived before the flood, passed through this Fair, and had several pupils who suc the streets on horseback to invite us all to ceeded him in practising the grand and the pastime; and Mr. Mayor was so wise sublime art of legerdemain, and various as to prefer these innocent people, the puppets, who he said were to represent 12mo.," published by John Arli, No. christians, before the wicked players who Bartholomew Close," about 1830. tricks with cards and balls. The secrets of fortune were disclosed; unmarried damsels were told when and to whom they were to be married; and the widow when she should strip herself of her weeds, and enter anew into matrimony; knives were run through the hand without producing blood; knives and forks swallowed as of easy digestion; and fire and sparks proceeded out of a man's mouth as from a blacksmith's forge. During Bartholomew Fair there were swings without number, besides roundabouts and up-and-downs. In the latter, the "young gentleman," with his fair partner, were elated by the undulating motion, or rather vertical rotation of the machine; and while thus in motion, could survey the busy scene around, and hear its roar. The effect cannot be described ין which a stranger experienced upon entering Smithfield, and beholding the immense number of these vehicles, which appeared as if soaring into the clouds. Then too, about the year 1815, a wellknown eccentric character might be scen with plum-pudding on a board, which he sold in slices. He possessed as much drollery as any mountebank in the Fair, and had as various characteristic traits of oddity. He always walked without his hat, and his hair powdered and tied a la queue, in a neat dress, with a clean apron: his voice, strong and forcible, made many a humorous appeal in behalf of his pudding, large quantities of which he dealt out for "ready money," and provoked a deal of mirth by his pleasantry. George Alexander Stevens be-rhymes the Fair in his day thus:— Here were, first of all, crowds against other crowds driving Here were drolls, hornpipe-dancing, and showing of postures, alderman Bull filled the civic chair, he 625 Yet we find 2 S ”松 ner than it had done in the memory of man. This quiet, however, was only temporary, for on the 23rd of August, 1749, a gallery in Phillips's booth broke down, and four persons were killed; a silversmith, a plasterer, a woman, and a child, and many others were dangerously bruised; one of the maimed had his leg cut off the next morning. This accident seems to have aroused the citizens: on the 10th of July, 1750, a petition was presented to the lord mayor and court of aldermen, signed by above one hundred graziers, salesmen, and inhabitants in and near Smithfield, against erecting booths for exhibiting shows and entertainments there, during Bartholomew Fair, as not only annoying to them in their callings, but as giving the profligate and abandoned opportunity to debauch the innocent, defraud the unwary, and endanger the public peace. On the 17th of July, 1798, the court of common council referred it to the committee of city lands, to consider the necessity and expediency of abolishing Bartholomew Fair: in the course of the previous debate it was proposed to shorten the period to one day, but this was objected to on the ground that the immense crowd from all parts of the metropolis would endanger life.§ In September, 1825, Mr. Alderman Joshua Jonathan Smith, previous to entering on an examination of forty-five prisoners charged with felonies, misdemeanours, assaults, &c. committed in Smithfield during the Fair of that year, stated, that its ancient limits had been extended into several adjoining streets beyond Smithfield; he said he had particularly noticed this infringement in St. John-street, Clerkenwell on the north side, and nearly half-way down the Old Bailey, on the south; and he was determined, with the aid of his coadjutors, to take such further steps as would in future "lessen the criminal extension which had arisen, if not abolish the degrading scene altogether." || At other periods besides these, there rities, that though shows and interlude were permitted, the Fair of that year was more orderly than any other within memory. Yet even these regulations are in efficient to the maintenance of the reputation the city ought to hold in the estima tion of other corporations. The Fair was instituted for the sale of cloth, cattle, and other necessary commodities: as these have, for many years past, wholly disap peared from it, the use of the Fair has wholly ceased; its abuse alone remains, and that abuse can only be destroyed by the utter extinction of the Fair. To do this is not to "interfere with the amusements of the people," for the people of the metropolis do not require such amusements; they are beyond the power of deriving recreation from them. The wellbeing of their apprentices and servants, and the young and the illiterate, require protection from the vicious contamination of an annual scene of debauchery, which contributes nothing to the city funds, and nothing to the city's character but a shameful stain. Bartholomew Fair must and will be put down. It is for this reason that so much has been said of its former and present No person of respectability now visits it, but as a curious spectator of an annual congregation of ignorance and depravity. state. FLORAL DIRECTORY. Mushroom. Agaricus Campestris September 6. A.D. 385. St. Eleu St. Pambo of Nitria, Cent. St. Eleutherius. Alban Butler boldly says, that this were loud complaints against Bartholo- saint raised a dead man to life. He died mew Fair; and as in 1825, the corpora- at Rome, in St. Andrew's monastery, tion of London appears seriously to have about the year 585. been engaged in considering the nuisance, i's end may be contemplated as near at hand. It is to the credit of the civic autho FLORAL DIRECTORY. Autumnal Dandelion. Apargia Autum nalis. Dedicated to St. Pambo. |