nounce judgments on their respective Having given a short history of the rise of this modern addition to the legitimate drama, it remains for me to fulfil my promise of placing a specimen of a Procession among the Beauties of the Living Dramatists. I now perceive that the promise was a rash one, and I was to blame in contracting it. In this species of dramatic literature there is nothing tangible to the understanding; it addresses itself solely to the eye. To embody and exhibit its beauties on paper is therefore nearly impossible; it is something like an attempt to write a dance upon the tight rope'; and how can the pen represent the ù-plomb with which MADAME SAQUI, and a company of French tumblers, capered upon three tight ropes at the Theatre Royal Covent Garden, or the agility with which she ran up a rope extended from the back of its classical and national stage to the centre of its enlightened and admiring two shilling gallery? Yet, since altogether to omit so important a According to the play-bills, it appears that poor Giovanni had to struggle against "factious efforts previously organized," which, for a time, were "completely overpowercd." In the end, however, they completely overpowered him. Factious efforts previously organized! Unless I give a positive reference, I am persuaded that it will never be believed that a London theatre would dare to qualify by such a phrase the disapprobation expressed by a London public. See then the Drury Lane play-bill of Friday, December 28, 1821, at the bottom of which will be found, in unusually large characters, the following sentence : "GIOVANNI IN IRELAND, on its second performance, last night, was received with tumultuous approbation, every factious effort previously organized being completely overpowered."--Would it not have been more decent to use the customary formula, as thus: "The public is most respectfully informed that its factious efforts previously organized being completely overpowered, &c." Yes, reader, on the stage of a great national theatre, acting under the authority of the royal patent, have we beheld a set of buffoons and rope dancers, brought from the outskirts of Paris, where, in a trumpery building, they exhibit before a French rabble for two-pence!! The following passage, which occurs in Cibber's Life, is so apt to the present subject, and applies so closely to the actual state of our theatres, that I must beg leave to quote it: speaking of the then patentee of Drury-Lane, he says: "It seems he had not purchased his share of the patent to mend the stage, but to make money of it: and to say truth, his sense of every thing to be shown there was much upon a level with the taste of the multitude, whose opinion and whose money weighed with him just as much as that of the best judges. His point was to please the majority, who could more easily comprehend any thing they saw, than the daintiest things that could be said to them. But in this notion he kept no medium; for in my memory he carried it so far that he was (some years before this time) actually dealing for an extraordinary fine elephant, at a certain sum, for any day he might think fit to show the tractable genius of that vast quiet creature in any play or farce in the theatre (then standing) in Dorset Garden." [Who would not imagine this to have been written of Covent Garden, where we have actually seen that "vast quiet creature."] "But from his bricklayer's assuring him it might endanger the fall of the house, he gave up so hopeful a prospect of making the receipt of the stage run higher than all the wit and force of the best writers had ever yet raised them to. "About the same time, he put in practice another project, which was his introducing a set of rope-dancers into the same theatre; for the first day of whose performance he had given out some play in which I had a material part." [Now mark well what followed about a century ago.] "But I was hardy enough to go into the pit and acquaint the spectators near me, that I hoped they would not think it a mark of my disrespect to them if I declined acting upon any stage that was brought to so low a disgrace as ours was like to be by that day's entertainment. My excuse was so well taken, and the whole body of actors, too, protesting against such an abuse of their profession, our cautious master was too much alarmed and intimidated to repeat it." feature of the modern drama would leave my collection glaringly deficient and incomplete, I will endeavour to illustrate the only two prominent literary qualities it possesses; † and if, after all, the result of my efforts should prove unsatisfactory to my readers, I trust that they will make ample allowances on my behalf, in consideration of the difficulties of the task which I have iraposed on myself. The specimens I shall exhibit are from three original MSS. in my possession; but though they are greatly inferior in puffability and trapacity to those already marched, I prefer se lecting from them to having recourse to well-known works; not only on account of their novelty, but that the public may be enabled to judge of the activity excited in the cultivation of this new branch of the drama, and also to form some idea of the stock of talent on which it may calculate for its future amusement and edification. The first is a project for the revival of Foote's Farce of the Mayor of Garrate, for the purpose of introducing the procession of the newlyelected mayor through the village.The opening is not amiss. Order of the procession. Mob. Hot-spice gingerbread-man selling hot-spice gingerbread. Mob. Drum and fife. Cobblers two and two, in their best clothes. Pedlars, &c. &c. and a long line of followers of different trades and occupa- Marrow-bones and cleavers. * [Shortly after appears the bellman, the author's master-stroke, as the reader may judge.] THE BELLMAN. In his best clothes, a gold-laced three-corner'd hat with gold buttons and loop on his head, carrying in his right hand a magnificent brass bell, decorated with blue ribbons. || N. B. The public is respectfully informed that the magnificent real brass + There is yet wanting to the modern drama a polite nomenclature expressive of its peculiar beauties. The terms trash, stuff, gag, humbug, &c. are all very appropriate, but rather coarse. The procession, as being the latest invention in the dramatic art, is, consequently, the most deficient in this respect; so that, in order to designate the two literary qualities I have alluded to, I am compelled to make use of two words, which, though remarkably definite and exact, are somewhat vulgar-puff and trap. Having diligently searched my Johnson for a pair of polite, and at the same time efficient substitutes, and none being to be found, I must be content with the services of puff and trap. I will, however, be as sparing as possible in my employment of them, for were I to bring forward puff and trap on every occasion where the qualities they imply appear in the play-bills of the London Theatres-Royal, poor puff and trap would find their office no sinecure. This piece of trap is not ill-conceived. The author seems aware that finery is requisite in a procession, but forgets that it must be glittering finery. In the Drury-Lane Coronation we have "Trumpeters in full state liveries with silver trumpets.' But this begets the idea of gold-lace and spangles; a specimen of trap the author may profit by in his next work. § An imitation of that interesting point in the Drury-Lane play-bill: High Constable of Westminster, with his staff." Not only is this the best point in the procession, but it will stand a comparison with one of the most effective pieces of trap in the Drury-Lane Coronation: "The King in his royal robes, wearing his cap of estate, under a canopy of cloth of gold, supported by the barons of the cinque-ports, &c." The N. B. which follows is admirable; though, perhaps, the imitation of the famous "Messrs. Johnston and Brookes, New-street-square, for all the magnificent gilt and brass-work," is .00 apparent. bell, carried by the bell-man, was cast expressly for this procession, by Messrs. Clapper and Co. Bell Founders, High Holborn. THE MAYOR OF GARRAT. Riding on a real ass decorated with blue ribbons. † Punch and Judy. Cobblers two and two, &c. &c. Mob. And thus closes the procession. The next is The progress of the beautiful lady Godiva through the High Street of the city of Coventry. Had the author adhered to the naked truth of the history of this event, his exhibition, however beautiful and interesting, must have been destitute of pomp and splendour; for, as it is well known that it was declared death to him that should dare to look upon her ladyship while pass- The Town-Crier of Coventry, blindfolded. Cross-bow-men, two and two, blindfolded. The High Sheriff of the County of Warwick (bearing his wand), blindfolded. Virgins, two and two, dancing and strewing flowers. Matrons, two and two, bearing banners, on which are embroidered icicles, drifted snow, white roses, and other emblems of chastity. + The introduction of a real ass on the boards of a London theatre is not altogether new, but I believe this is the first time that such an event was ever intended to be formally announced. Real elephants, real horses, real dogs, and real monkeys, have frequently been held out as the chief attraction in an evening's amusement at the legitimate patent national theatres. Might not the licenser, suspecting a latent satire, object to the decorating of real asses with blue ribbons? Considering this procession as intended for a London Theatre Royal, I cannot say much in its favour. The subject is injudiciously chosen, for though it will admit of noise, it excludes show and glitter. With the exception of the tumblers and the bellman, there is no opportunity for the display of a yard of gold lace, or one single ounce of spangles. I cannot deny it the praise of purity and precision in its conduct, and of a classical adherence to character and costume; but those very qualities, inasmuch as they render the work unfit for its destination, become so many defects; and whatever pleasure this procession may produce in the closet, I do unhesitatingly pronounce it unfit for representation on the stage. The author, it seems, is a young man whose ambition it is to write for the British stage. Processions being the order of the day, the favoured objects of the managers as of the town, he naturally writes a procession, as perhaps he would essay a comedy were comedy in vogue. His first step in the career he has chosen is indicative of talent; but if he would write successfully and profitably, he must in future be more attentive to glitter, noise, and show. LADY GODIVA, Mounted on a beautiful milk-white mare, decorated with white ribbons; her long black hair flowing down her neck and shoulders, and disposed so as completely to conceal her SADDLE. Matrons, two and two. In the course of this scene is introduced an incident which is highly creditable to the author's fancy. Lady Godiva pauses-a garret window is seen to open-Tom (emphatically called Peeping Tom) appears with an opera glass, a telescope, or some other magnifying instrument—as he puts it to his eye, Diana appears in the clouds-she touches it with her bow-it explodes, and strikes Tom with blindness.- -Thus is a wellattested fact represented in a manner highly poetical. It is said, that the farce of Peeping Tom is about to be revived, for the purpose of introducing this procession, which, though deficient in glitter, contains natural beauties which cannot fail of attracting admiring audiences. Mlle. Bégrand, who acts the Chaste Susannah at the Porte St. Martin, in a costume of antediluvian simplicity, might be engaged for the part of Lady Godiva. The last specimen I shall produce is from a procession pure and undefiled, that is to say, a procession unaccompanied by inferior dramatic matter, as play, or opera, or any such impertinent appendage-something after the manner of the Drury Lane Coronation. The subject is remarkably fertile, and affords abundant opportunities for the exercise of those qualities which are the life and soul of the processional drama, puff and trap. Of those opportunities the author has availed himself with considerable adroitness, and some originality; but as his imitations of his predecessors, where he does imitate them, are so glaring and palpable as almost to amount to plagiarisms, I shall take particular note of them whenever they occur, not only with a view to the benefit of the art, but in justice to the illustrious dramatists whose works have served as models for THE LORD MAYOR'S SHOW BY LAND AND WATER. A superb, grand, splendid, and magnificent processionical pageant in five acts.t Act the first represents the procession by land, as seen from the obelisk in Bridge-street, Blackfriars. [Its principal features are] The City Marshal in a magnificent full uniform, with his staff, Warden of the Fishmongers' Company. Warden of the Grocers' Company. § + As these five acts form a programme as long as a bill of the entertainments at Astley's or Drury-Lane, it is impossible to do more than just select its most attractive beauties. The term, processionical pageant, is new and very expressive. This is an improvement on "The high constable of Westminster, with his staff." See D. L. Coronation. § Banners of Spain,-Ambassador of Spain,-Spaniards. C. G. Public Entry of the Emp. Eliz. drawn by SIX REAL HORSES. In the coach are seen the Right Honorable the Lord Mayor, bowing graciously to the populace, and the Mace Bearer, immovable at the middle window, bearing the City Mace-all as large as life!! Act the second is a representation of the ceremony of swearing in the Lord Mayor at Westminster; the chief incident in which is his Lordship's counting the hob-nails; and the only very striking beauty in the arrangement of this part of the bill is THE JUDGES IN REAL WIGS! NB. Messrs. Frizzle and Co. of Lincoln's Inn Fields for all the judicial wigs. § Act the third gives us the Lord Mayor's Show by Water, as it is seen from the Temple Gardens; with an accurate representation of Blackfriars Bridge and the Patent Shot Manufactory. Here we have barges with bands of music, barges with double bands of music, the River Fencibles firing salutes, the Clothworkers' barge, the Vintners' barge, &c. and THE LORD MAYOR'S BARGE (in large letters,) gliding down THE RIVER THAMES (in larger.) The fourth act represents the interior of Guildhall, magnificently illuminated, at the upper end of which are seen GOG AND MAGOG, THE GIANTS, who come down to dinner when they hear the clock strike one! || with the GRAND ENTRY of THE RIGHT HONORABLE THE LORD MAYOR through the great centre door of the hall, decorated with variegated lamps expressly for the occasion; his Lordship being attended by all the City officers, with the Aldermen, and the Deputies of all the City wards; together with many persons of distinction from the west end of the town. ++ The fifth and concluding act is a representation of the ball in the Court + See D. L. Coronation. It is impossible to avoid recurring to the "Car of the Empress drawn by six real horses," in the C. G. Public Entry. § Again an imitation of "All the magnificent gilt and brass work." This was a masterly touch of puff certainly, but like excellence of all kinds it has excited a wearisome quantity of imitations. || The author seems to consider this as one of the most fortunate hits in his piece, and is desirous of obtaining for it the honour of red letters. I think it deserves it. There are but few touches of puff or trap in the play-bills of the Theatres Royal which surpass it, and as for the minor theatres, they never attempt such mighty flights. ++ This is imitating with a vengeance. The author has made too free with that exquisite piece of trap which occurs in a Covent Garden bill, and is literally as follows: 66 THE GRAND PUBLIC ENTRY of the EMPRESS ELIZABETH, through & TRIUMPHAL ARCH, decorated for the occasion. The procession proceeds in its course to the cathedral, attended by deputations from her TRIBUTARY STATES, by all the dignitaries and public functionaries of the city; and the AMBASSADORS from all the various courts of Europe and Asia." |