the uncommercial traveller-第7章

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appearance　of　the　audience；　as　seen　from　the　proscenium　…　with

every　face　in　it　commanding　the　stage；　and　the　whole　so　admirably

raked　and　turned　to　that　centre；　that　a　hand　can　scarcely　move　in

the　great　assemblage　without　the　movement　being　seen　from　thence　…

is　highly　remarkable　in　its　union　of　vastness　with　compactness。

The　stage　itself；　and　all　its　appurtenances　of　machinery；

cellarage；　height　and　breadth；　are　on　a　scale　more　like　the　Scala

at　Milan；　or　the　San　Carlo　at　Naples；　or　the　Grand　Opera　at　Paris；

than　any　notion　a　stranger　would　be　likely　to　form　of　the　Britannia

Theatre　at　Hoxton；　a　mile　north　of　St。　Luke's　Hospital　in　the　Old…

street…road；　London。　　The　Forty　Thieves　might　be　played　here；　and

every　thief　ride　his　real　horse；　and　the　disguised　captain　bring　in

his　oil　jars　on　a　train　of　real　camels；　and　nobody　be　put　out　of

the　way。　　This　really　extraordinary　place　is　the　achievement　of　one

man's　enterprise；　and　was　erected　on　the　ruins　of　an　inconvenient

old　building　in　less　than　five　months；　at　a　round　cost　of　five…and…

twenty　thousand　pounds。　　To　dismiss　this　part　of　my　subject；　and

still　to　render　to　the　proprietor　the　credit　that　is　strictly　his

due；　I　must　add　that　his　sense　of　the　responsibility　upon　him　to

make　the　best　of　his　audience；　and　to　do　his　best　for　them；　is　a

highly　agreeable　sign　of　these　times。



As　the　spectators　at　this　theatre；　for　a　reason　I　will　presently

show；　were　the　object　of　my　journey；　I　entered　on　the　play　of　the

night　as　one　of　the　two　thousand　and　odd　hundreds；　by　looking　about

me　at　my　neighbours。　　We　were　a　motley　assemblage　of　people；　and　we

had　a　good　many　boys　and　young　men　among　us；　we　had　also　many　girls

and　young　women。　　To　represent；　however；　that　we　did　not　include　a

very　great　number；　and　a　very　fair　proportion　of　family　groups；

would　be　to　make　a　gross　mis…statement。　　Such　groups　were　to　be

seen　in　all　parts　of　the　house；　in　the　boxes　and　stalls

particularly；　they　were　composed　of　persons　of　very　decent

appearance；　who　had　many　children　with　them。　　Among　our　dresses

there　were　most　kinds　of　shabby　and　greasy　wear；　and　much　fustian

and　corduroy　that　was　neither　sound　nor　fragrant。　　The　caps　of　our

young　men　were　mostly　of　a　limp　character；　and　we　who　wore　them；

slouched；　high…shouldered；　into　our　places　with　our　hands　in　our

pockets；　and　occasionally　twisted　our　cravats　about　our　necks　like

eels；　and　occasionally　tied　them　down　our　breasts　like　links　of

sausages；　and　occasionally　had　a　screw　in　our　hair　over　each　cheek…

bone　with　a　slight　Thief…flavour　in　it。　　Besides　prowlers　and

idlers；　we　were　mechanics；　dock…labourers；　costermongers；　petty

tradesmen；　small　clerks；　milliners；　stay…makers；　shoe…binders；

slop…workers；　poor　workers　in　a　hundred　highways　and　byways。　　Many

of　us　…　on　the　whole；　the　majority　…　were　not　at　all　clean；　and　not

at　all　choice　in　our　lives　or　conversation。　　But　we　had　all　come

together　in　a　place　where　our　convenience　was　well　consulted；　and

where　we　were　well　looked　after；　to　enjoy　an　evening's

entertainment　in　common。　　We　were　not　going　to　lose　any　part　of

what　we　had　paid　for　through　anybody's　caprice；　and　as　a　community

we　had　a　character　to　lose。　　So；　we　were　closely　attentive；　and

kept　excellent　order；　and　let　the　man　or　boy　who　did　otherwise

instantly　get　out　from　this　place；　or　we　would　put　him　out　with　the

greatest　expedition。



We　began　at　half…past　six　with　a　pantomime　…　with　a　pantomime　so

long；　that　before　it　was　over　I　felt　as　if　I　had　been　travelling

for　six　weeks　…　going　to　India；　say；　by　the　Overland　Mail。　　The

Spirit　of　Liberty　was　the　principal　personage　in　the　Introduction；

and　the　Four　Quarters　of　the　World　came　out　of　the　globe；

glittering；　and　discoursed　with　the　Spirit；　who　sang　charmingly。

We　were　delighted　to　understand　that　there　was　no　liberty　anywhere

but　among　ourselves；　and　we　highly　applauded　the　agreeable　fact。

In　an　allegorical　way；　which　did　as　well　as　any　other　way；　we　and

the　Spirit　of　Liberty　got　into　a　kingdom　of　Needles　and　Pins；　and

found　them　at　war　with　a　potentate　who　called　in　to　his　aid　their

old　arch　enemy　Rust；　and　who　would　have　got　the　better　of　them　if

the　Spirit　of　Liberty　had　not　in　the　nick　of　time　transformed　the

leaders　into　Clown；　Pantaloon；　Harlequin；　Columbine；　Harlequina；

and　a　whole　family　of　Sprites；　consisting　of　a　remarkably　stout

father　and　three　spineless　sons。　　We　all　knew　what　was　coming　when

the　Spirit　of　Liberty　addressed　the　king　with　a　big　face；　and　His

Majesty　backed　to　the　side…scenes　and　began　untying　himself　behind；

with　his　big　face　all　on　one　side。　　Our　excitement　at　that　crisis

was　great；　and　our　delight　unbounded。　　After　this　era　in　our

existence；　we　went　through　all　the　incidents　of　a　pantomime；　it　was

not　by　any　means　a　savage　pantomime；　in　the　way　of　burning　or

boiling　people；　or　throwing　them　out　of　window；　or　cutting　them　up；

was　often　very　droll；　was　always　liberally　got　up；　and　cleverly

presented。　　I　noticed　that　the　people　who　kept　the　shops；　and　who

represented　the　passengers　in　the　thoroughfares；　and　so　forth；　had

no　conventionality　in　them；　but　were　unusually　like　the　real　thing

…　from　which　I　infer　that　you　may　take　that　audience　in　（if　you

wish　to）　concerning　Knights　and　Ladies；　Fairies；　Angels；　or　such

like；　but　they　are　not　to　be　done　as　to　anything　in　the　streets。　　I

noticed；　also；　that　when　two　young　men；　dressed　in　exact　imitation

of　the　eel…and…sausage…cravated　portion　of　the　audience；　were

chased　by　policemen；　and；　finding　themselves　in　danger　of　being

caught；　dropped　so　suddenly　as　to　oblige　the　policemen　to　tumble

over　them；　there　was　great　rejoicing　among　the　caps　…　as　though　it

were　a　delicate　reference　to　something　they　had　heard　of　before。



The　Pantomime　was　succeeded　by　a　Melo…Drama。　　Throughout　the

evening　I　was　pleased　to　observe　Virtue　quite　as　triumphant　as　she

usually　is　out　of　doors；　and　indeed　I　thought　rather　more　so。　　We

all　agreed　（for　the　time）　that　honesty　was　the　best　policy；　and　we

were　as　hard　as　iron　upon　Vice；　and　we　wouldn't　hear　of　Villainy

getting　on　in　the　world　…　no；　not　on　any　consideration　whatever。



Between　the　pieces；　we　almost　all　of　us　went　out　and　refreshed。

Many　of　us　went　the　length　of　drinking　beer　at　the　bar　of　the

neighbouring　public…house；　some　of　us　drank　spirits；　crowds　of　us

had　sandwiches　and　ginger…beer　at　the　refreshment…bars　established

for　us　in　the　Theatre。　　The　sandwich　…　as　substantial　as　was

consistent　with　portability；　and　as　cheap　as　possible　…　we　hailed

as　one　of　our　greatest　institutions。　　It　forced　its　way　among　us　at

all　stages　of　the　entertainment；　and　we　were　always　delighted　to

see　it；　its　adaptability　to　the　varying　moods　of　our　nature　was

surprising；　we　could　never　weep　so　comfortably　as　when　our　tears

fell　on　our　sandwich；　we　could　never　laugh　so　heartily　as　when　we

choked　with　sandwich；　Virtue　never　looked　so　beautiful　or　Vice　so

deformed　as　when　we　paused；　sandwich　in　hand；　to　consider　what

would　come　of　that　resolution　of　Wickedness　in　boots；　to　sever

Innocence　in　flowered　chintz　from　Honest　Industry　in　striped

stockings。　　When　the　curtain　fell　for　the　night；　we　still　fell　back

upon　sandwich；　to　help　us　through　the　rain　and　mire；　and　home　to

bed。



This；　as　I　have　mentioned；　was　Saturday　night。　　Being　Saturday

night；　I　had　accomplished　but　the　half　of　my　uncommercial　journey；

for；　its　object　was　to　compare　the　play　on　Saturday　evening　with

the　preaching　in　the　same　Theatre　on　Sunday　evening。



Therefore；　at　the　same　hour　of　half…past　six　on　the　similarly　damp

and　muddy　Sunday　evening；　I　returned　to　this　Theatre。　　I　drove　up

to　the　entrance　（fearful　of　being　late；　or　I　should　have　come　on

foot）；　and　found　myself　in　a　large　crowd　of　people　who；　I　am　happy

to　state；　were　put　into　excellent　spirits　by　my　arrival。　　Having

nothing　to　look　at　but　the　mud　and　the　closed　doors；　they　looked　at

me；　and　highly　enjoyed　the　comic　spectacle。　　My　modesty　inducing　me

to　draw　off；　some　hundreds　of　yards；　into　a　dark　corner；　they　at

once　forgot　me；　and　applied　themselves　to　their　former　occupation

of　looking　at　the　mud　and　looking　in　at　the　closed　doors：　　which；

being　of　grated　ironwork；　allowed　the　lighted　passage　within　to　be

seen。　　They　were　chiefly　people　of　respectable　appearance；　odd　and

impulsive　as　most　crowds　are；　and　making　a　joke　of　being　there　as

most　crowds　do。



In　the　dark　corner　I　might　have　sat　a　long　while；　but　that　a　very

obliging　passer…by　informed　me　that　the　Theatre　was　already　full；

and　that　the　people　whom　I　saw　in　the　street　were　all　shut　out　for

want　of　room。　　After　that；　I　lost　no　time　in　worming　myself　into

the　building；　and　creeping　to　a　place　in　a　Proscenium　box　that　had

been　kept　for　me。



There　must　have　been　full　four　thousand　people　present。　　Carefully

estimating　the　pit　alone；　I　could　bring　it　out　as　holding　little

less　than　fourteen　hundred。　　Every　part　of　the　house　was　well

filled；　and　I　had　not　found　it　easy　to　make　my　way　along　the　back

of　the　boxes　to　where　I　sat。　　The　chandeliers　in　the　ceiling　were

lighted；　there　was　no　light　on　the　stage；　the　orchestra　was　empty。

The　green　curtain　was　down；　and；　packed　pretty　closely　on　chairs　on

the　small　space　of　stage　before　it；　were　some　thirty　gentlemen；　and

two　or　three　ladies。　　In　the　centre　of　these；　in　a　desk　or　pulpit

covered　with　red　baize；　was　the　presiding　minister。　　The　kind　of

rostrum　he　occupied　will　be　very　well　understood；　if　I　liken　it　to

a　boarded…up　fireplace　turned　towards　the　audience；　with　a

gentleman　in　a　black　surtout　standing　in　the　stove　and　leaning

forward　over　the　mantelpiece。



A　portion　of　Scripture　was　being　read　when　I　went　in。　　It　was

followed　by　a　discourse；　to　which　the　congregation　listened　with

most　exemplary　attention　and　uninterrupted　silence　and　decorum。　　My

own　attention　comprehended　both　the　auditory　and　the　speaker；　and

shall　turn　to　both　in　this　recalling　of　the　scene；　exactly　as　it

did　at　the　time。



'A　very　difficult　thing；'　I　thought；　when　the　discourse　began；　'to

speak　appropriately　to　so　large　an　audience；　and　to　speak　with

tact。　　Without　it；　better　not　to　speak　at　all。　　Infinitely　better；

to　read　the　New　Testament　well；　and　to　let　THAT　speak。　　In　this

congregation　there　is　indubitably　one　pulse；　but　I　doubt　if　any

power　short　of　genius　can　touch　it　as　one；　and　make　it　answer　as

one。'



I　could　not　possibly　say　to　myself　as　the　discourse　proceeded；　that

the　minister　was　a　good　speaker。　　I　could　not　possibly　say　to

myself　that　he　expressed　an　understanding　of　the　general　mind　and

character　of　his　audience。　　There　was　a　supposititious　working…man

introduced　into　the　homily；　to　make　supposititious　objections　to

our　Christian　religion　and　be　reasoned　down；　who　was　not　only　a

very　disagreeable　person；　but　remarkably　unlike　life　…　very　much

more　unlike　it　than　anythi