Then comes a boy upon the stage; the first speaker inquires of him for the "Fool," and is told he will not perform that night, whereupon he says Well, since there will be ne'er a fool i' the play, I'll have my money again; the comedy Will be as tedious to me as a sermon. Dearly did the merrie men of England love to see strange fights;—the taste is not yet quite extinct among their descendants. Shakespeare knew the weakness of his countrymen in this respect, for Stephano, when meeting with Caliban on Profpero's island, uncertain whether he is fish or man, is made to say, "Were I in England now as once I was, and had this fish painted, not a holiday fool there but would give me a piece of filver. There would this monster make a man,- any strange beast there makes a man." The place of mysteries, and miracle-plays, and moralities, was fupplied H in later times by shows and puppet-plays. The glories of Bartholomew fair have departed, but an old hand-bill preserved among the Harleian MSS. announces that "At Crawley's Booth, over against the Crown Tavern in Smithfield, during the time of Bartholomew Fair, will be prefented a little opera, called the Old Creation of the World, yet newly revived; with the addition of Noah's Flood; also feveral fountains playing water during the time of the play. The last scene does represent Noah and his family coming out of the Ark, with all the beasts 2 by 2, and all the fowls of the air feen in a prospect fitting upon trees; likewife over the Ark is feen the fun rifing in most glorious manner: moreover, a multitude of Angels will be seen in a double rank, which presents a double profpect, one for the fun, the other for a palace, where will be feen fix Angels ringing of bells. Likewife Machines defcend from above, double and treble, with Dives rifing out of Hell, and Lazarus feen in Abraham's bofom, besides several figures dancing jiggs, farabands, and country dances, to the admiration of the spectators; with the merry conceits of fquire Punch and Sir John Spendall." THE MANSIONS OF MERRIE ENGLAND. HILE the lower claffes of England were happy in the good old times, thofe who were above them in rank, and who poffeffed more of the bleffings of fortune, they, too, were merry. The manfions of the old English gentlemen, the caftles of the barons, and the abbeys of olden time, are they not infeparably affociated with ideas of life free from cares and anxiety, and paffed amid fcenes of plenty, manly fport, and healthy pastime? Still among the most picturefque beauties of our native land may be seen the manfions whofe noble halls have witneffed many a gay and festive scene, have rung with the joyous laugh, and echoed the fimple strain of the minstrel in the bygone days of England. The stately homes of England! O'er all the pleasant land! |