---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,note3 ,this version of the text cannot represent certain typographical effects4 ,italics are delimited with the #8' character as italic4 ,the few minor errors1 attributable to the printer1 have been corrected4 ,please see the transcriber's note at the end of this text for details regarding the handling of any textual issues encountered during its preparation4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,circus ,,life ,,and ,,circus ,,celebrities ,,by ,,thomas ,,frost ,,author ,,of #8,,the ,,old ,,showmen ,,and ,,the ,,old ,,london ,,fairs1' #8,,lives ,,of ,,the ,,conjurers1' ,,etc4 ,illustration ,a ,,new ,,edition ,london ,,chatto ,,and ,,windus1 ,,piccadilly #ahha ,,preface4 ------- ,there are probably few persons who do not number among the most pleasant recollections of their youth their first visit to a circus1 whether their earliest sniff of the saw-dust was inhaled in the building made classical by ,ducrow1 or under the canvas canopy of ,samwell or ,clarke4 ,in my boyish days1 the cry of #8,this way for the riders6' bawled from the stentorian vocal organs of the proprietor or ring-master of a travelling circus1 never failed to attract all the boys1 and no small proportion of the men and women1 to the part of the fair from which it proceeded4 ,fairs have become things of the past within twelve or fifteen miles of the metropolis2 but ever and anon a tenting circus pitches1 for a day or two1 in a meadow1 and the performances prove as attractive as ever4 ,the boys1 who protest that they are better than a play1--the young women1 who are delighted with the #8loves of horses1'--the old gentlemen1 who are never so pleased as when they are amusing their grandchildren1--the admirers of graceful horsemanship of all ages1--crowd the benches1 and find the old tricks and the old #8wheezes1' as the poet found the view from ,grongar ,hill1 #8ever charming--ever new4' ,what boy is there who1 though he may have seen it before1 does not follow with sparkling eyes the ,pawnee ,chief in his rapid career upon a bare-backed steed1--the lady in the scarlet habit and high hat1 who leaps over hurdles1--the stout farmer who1 while his horse bears him round the ring1 divests himself of any number of coats and vests1 until he finally appears in tights and trunks1--the juggler who plays at cup and ball1 and tosses knives in an endless shower1 as he is whirled round the arena8 ,and which of us has not1 in the days of our boyhood1 fallen in love with the fascinating young lady in short skirts who leaps through #8balloons' and over banners8 ,even when we have attained man's estate1 and learned a wrinkle or two1 we take our children to ,astley's or ,hengler's1 and enjoy the time-honoured feats of equitation1 the tumbling1 the gymnastics1 and the rope-dancing1 as much as the boys and girls4 ,but of the circus artistes--the riders1 the clowns1 the acrobats1 the gymnasts1--what do we know8 ,how many are there1 unconnected with the saw-dust1 who can say that they have known a member of that strange race8 ,charles ,dickens1 who was perhaps as well acquainted with the physiology of the less known sections of society as any man of his day1 whetted public curiosity by introducing his readers to the humours of ,sleary's circus2 and the world wants to know more about the subject4 ,when1 it is asked1 will another saw-dust artiste give us such an amusing book as ,wallett presented the world with1 in his autobiography8 ,when are the reminiscences of the late ,nelson ,lee to be published8 ,with the exception of the autobiography of ,wallett1 and a few passages in ,elliston's memoirs1 the circus has hitherto been without any exponent whatever4 ,under the heading of #8,amphitheatres1' ,watts's ,bibliotheca ,britannica1 that boon to literary readers at the ,british ,museum in quest of information upon occult subjects1 mentions only a collection of the bills of ,astley's from #ahai to #ahde4 ,circus proprietors are not1 as a rule1 so garrulous as poor old ,sleary2 they are specially reticent concerning their own antecedents1 and the varied fortunes of their respective shows4 ,to this cause must be ascribed whatever shortcomings may be found in the following pages in the matter of circus records4 ,circus men1 too1 are very apt to meet a hint that a few reminiscences of their lives and adventures would be acceptable with the reply of ,canning's needy knife-grinder1--#8,story6 ,god bless you6 ,i have none to tell1 sir4' ,there are exceptions1 however1 and as a rule the better educated members of the profession are the least unwilling to impart information concerning its history and mysteries to those outside of their circle4 ,to the kindness and courtesy of several of these ,i am considerably indebted1 and beg them to accept this public expression of my thanks4 ,t4 ,,frost4 ,,long ,,ditton1 ,oct4 #ast1 #ahgc4 ,,contents4 ------- ,,chapter ,i4 ,,page ,beginnings of the ,circus in ,england--,tumblers and ,performing #a-cg ,horses of the ,middle ,ages--,jacob ,hall1 the ,rope-dancer--,francis ,forcer and ,sadler's ,wells--,vauxhall ,gardens--,price's ,equestrian ,performances at ,johnson's ,gardens--,sampson's ,feats of ,horsemanship--,philip ,astley--,his ,open-air ,performances near ,halfpenny ,hatch--,the ,first ,circus--,erection of the ,amphitheatre in ,westminster ,road--,first ,performances there--,rival ,establishment in ,blackfriars ,road--,hughes and ,clementina ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,fortunes of the ,royal ,circus--,destruction of ,astley's #ch-eg ,amphitheatre by ,fire--,its ,reconstruction--,second ,conflagration--,astley in ,paris--,burning of the ,royal ,circus--,erection of the ,olympic ,pavilion--,hengler1 the ,rope-dancer--,astley's ,horses--,dancing ,horses--,the ,trick ,horse1 ,billy--,abraham ,saunders--,john ,astley and ,william ,davis--,death of ,philip ,astley--,vauxhall ,gardens--,andrew ,ducrow--,john ,clarke--,barrymore's ,season at ,astley's--,hippo-dramatic ,spectacles--,the first ,circus ,camel ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,ducrow at ,covent ,garden--,engagement at ,astley's--,double ,acts #eh-gb in the circle--,ducrow at ,manchester--,rapid ,act on ,six ,horses--#8,raphael's ,dream'--,miss ,woolford--,cross's performing ,elephant--,o',donnel's ,antipodean ,feats--,first year of ,ducrow and ,west--,henry ,adams--,ducrow at ,hull--,the ,wild ,horse of the ,ukraine--,ducrow at ,sheffield--,travelling ,circuses--,an ,entre at ,holloway's--,wild's ,show--,constantine1 the ,posturer--,circus ,horses--,tenting at ,fairs--,the ,mountebanks ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,a few words about ,menageries--,george ,wombwell--,the ,lion #gc-hg ,baitings at ,warwick--,atkins's ,lion and ,tigress at ,astley's--,a ,bull-fight and a ,zebra ,hunt--,ducrow at the ,pavilion--,the ,stud at ,drury ,lane--,letter from ,wooler to ,elliston--,ducrow and the ,drury #8,supers'--,zebras on the ,stage--,the first ,arab ,troupe--,contention between ,ducrow and ,clarkson ,stanfield--,deaths of ,john ,ducrow and ,madame ,ducrow--,miss ,woolford ,,chapter ,v4 ,lions and ,lion-tamers--,manchester ,jack--,van ,amburgh--,carter's #hh-ii ,feats--,what is a ,tiger8--,lion-driving and ,tiger-fighting--,van ,amburgh and the ,duke of ,wellington--,vaulting ,competition between ,price and ,north--,burning of the ,amphitheatre--,death of ,ducrow--,equestrian ,performances at the ,surrey ,theatre--,travelling ,circuses--,wells and ,miller--,thomas ,cooke-,van ,amburgh--,edwin ,hughes--,william ,batty--,pablo ,fanque ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,conversion of the ,lambeth ,baths into a ,circus--,garlick and #ajj-abb the ,wild ,beasts--,gar-lick ,company at the ,surrey--,white ,conduit ,gardens--,re-opening of ,astley's--,batty's ,circus on its ,travels--,batty and the ,sussex ,justices--,equestrianism at the ,lyceum--,lions and ,lion-tamers at ,astley's--,franconi's ,circus at ,cremorne ,gardens--,an ,elephant on the ,tight-rope--,the ,art of ,balancing--,franconi's ,company at ,drury ,lane--,van ,amburgh at ,astley's--,the ,black ,tiger--,pablo ,fanque--,rivalry of ,wallett and ,barry--,wallett's ,circus--,junction with ,franconi's ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,hengler's ,circus--,john and ,george ,sanger--,managerial #abc-acd ,anachronisms and ,incongruities--,james ,hernandez--,eaton and ,stone--,horses at ,drury ,lane--,james ,new-some--,howes and ,cushing's ,circus--,george ,sanger and the ,fighting ,lions--,crockett and the ,lions at ,astley's--,the ,lions at large--,hilton's ,circus--,lion-queens--,miss ,chapman--,macomo and the ,fighting ,tigers ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,pablo ,fanque--,james ,cooke--,pablo ,fanque and the #ace-aee ,celestials--,ludicrous affair in the ,glasgow ,police-court--,batty's ,transactions with ,pablo ,fanque--,the ,liverpool ,amphitheatre--,john ,clarke--,william ,cooke--,astley's--,fitzball and the ,supers--,batty's ,hippodrome--,vauxhall ,gardens--,garnett's ,circus--,the ,alhambra--,gymnastic ,performances in ,music-halls--,gymnastic ,mishaps ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,cremorne ,gardens--,the ,female ,blondie--,fatal ,accident at ,aston #aef-agc ,park--,reproduction of the ,eglinton ,tournament--,newsome and ,wallett--,pablo ,fanque's ,circus--,equestrianism at ,drury ,lane--,spence ,stokes--,talliott's ,circus--,the ,gymnasts of the ,music-halls--,fatal ,accident at the ,canterbury--,gymnastic ,brotherhoods--,sensational ,feats--,sergeant ,bates and the ,berringtons--,the ,rope-trick--,how to do it ,,chapter ,x4 ,opening of the ,holborn ,amphitheatre--,friend's ,season at #agd-aic ,astley's--,adah ,isaacs ,menken--,sanger's ,company at the ,agricultural ,hall--,the ,carr ,troupe at the ,holborn ,amphitheatre--,wandering ,stars of the ,arena--,albert ,smith and the ,clown--,guillaume's ,circus--,the ,circo ,price--,hengler's ,company at the ,palais ,royal--,re-opening of ,astley's by the ,pal's--,franconi's ,circus--,newsome's ,circus--,miss ,newsome and the ,cheshire ,hunt--,rivalry between the ,sangers and ,howes and ,cushing ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,reminiscences of the ,henglers--,the ,rope-dancing ,henglers at #aid-bac ,astley's--,circus of ,price and ,powell--,its ,acquisition by the ,henglers--,clerical ,presentation to ,frowde1 the ,clown--,circus ,difficulties at ,liverpool--,retirement of ,edward ,hengler--,rivalry of ,howes and ,cushing--,discontinuance of the ,tenting ,system--,miss ,jenny ,louise ,hengler--,conversion of the ,palais ,royal into an ,amphitheatre--,felix ,rivolti1 the ,ring-master ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,the ,brothers ,sanger--,first ,appearance in ,london--,vicissitudes #bad-bbb of ,astley's--,batty and ,cooke--,purchase of the ,theatre by the ,brothers ,sanger--,their ,travelling ,circus--,the ,tenting ,system--,barnum and the ,sangers ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,american ,circuses--,american ,performers in ,england1 and #bbc-bec ,english ,performers in the ,united ,states--,the ,cookes in ,america--,barnum's ,great ,show--,yankee ,parades--,van ,amburgh's ,circus and ,menagerie--,robinson's ,combined ,shows--,stone and ,murray's ,circus--,the ,forepaughs--,joel ,warner--,side ,shows--,amphitheatres of ,new ,york and ,new ,orleans ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,reminiscences of a ,gymnast--,training and ,practising--,a #bed-bfg ,professional ,rendezvous--,circus ,agencies--,the ,first ,engagement--,springthorp's ,music-hall--,newsome's ,circus--,reception in the ,dressing-room--,the ,company and the ,stud--,the ,newsome ,family--,miss ,newsome's wonderful ,leap across a ,green ,lane--,the ,handkerchief ,trick--,an ,equine ,veteran from the ,crimea--,engagement to ,travel ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,continuation of the ,gymnast's ,reminiscences--,a ,circus on the #bfh-bgi move--,three ,months at ,carlisle--,performance for the ,benefit of local ,charities--,removal to ,middlesborough--,a ,stockton ,man's ,adventure--,journey to ,york--,circus ,ballets--,the ,paynes in the ,arena--,accidents in the ,ring--,a ,circus ,benefit--,removal to ,scarborough--,a ,gymnastic ,adventure--,twelve ,nights at the ,pantheon--,on the ,tramp--,return to ,london ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,continuation of the ,gymnast's ,reminiscences--,circus ,men in #bhj-bij ,difficulties--,heavy ,security for a ,small ,debt--,the ,sheriff's ,officer and the ,elephant--,taking ,refuge with the ,lions--,another ,provincial ,tour--,with a ,circus in ,dublin--,a ,joke in the ,wrong ,place--,a ,fenian ,hoax--,a ,case of ,pikes--,return to ,england--,at the ,kentish ,watering-places--,off to the ,north ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,lions and ,lion-tamers--,lorenzo and the ,lions--,andros and the #bia-cjd ,lion--,the ,successor of ,macomo--,accident in ,bell and ,myers's ,circus--,lion ,hunting--,death of ,mc,carthy--,true ,causes of ,accidents with ,lions and ,tigers--,performing ,leopards--,anticipating the ,millennium--,tame ,hyenas--,aggrieves ,menagerie--,performing ,lions1 ,tigers1 ,leopards1 and ,hyenas--,camels and ,dromedaries--,the ,great ,elephant ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,circus ,slang--,its ,peculiarities and ,derivation--,certain #cje-cah ,phrases used by others of the ,amusing ,classes--,technicalities of the ,circus--,the ,riders and ,clowns of ,dickens--,sleary's ,circus--,circus ,men and ,women in ,fiction and in ,real ,life--,domestic ,habits of ,circus ,people--,dress and ,manners--,the ,professional ,quarter of the ,metropolis ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,circus ,,life ,,and ,,circus ,,celebrities4 ------- ,,chapter ,i4 ,beginnings of the ,circus in ,england--,tumblers and ,performing ,horses of the ,middle ,ages--,jacob ,hall1 the ,rope-dancer--,francis ,forcer and ,sadler's ,wells--,vauxhall ,gardens--,price's ,equestrian ,performances at ,johnson's ,gardens--,sampson's ,feats of ,horsemanship--,philip ,astley--,his ,open-air ,performances near ,halfpenny ,hatch--,the ,first ,circus--,erection of the ,amphitheatre in ,westminster ,road--,first ,performances there--,rival ,establishment in ,blackfriars ,road--,hughes and ,clementina4 ,considering the national love of everything in which the horse plays a part1 and the lasting popularity of circus entertainments in modern times1 it seems strange that the equine amphitheatre should have been unknown in ,england until the close of the last century4 ,that the ,romans1 during their occupation of the southern portion of our island1 introduced the sports of the arena1 in which chariot-racing varied the combats of the gladiators1 and the fierce encounters of wild beasts1 is shown by the remains of the ,amphitheatre at ,dorchester1 and by records of the existence of similar structures near ,st ,alban's1 and at ,banbury and ,caerleon4 ,after the departure of the ,romans1 the amphitheatres which they had erected fell into disuse and decay2 but at a later period they were appropriated to bull-baiting and bear-baiting1 and the arena at ,banbury was known as the bull-ring down to a comparatively recent period4 ,an illumination of one of the ,anglo-,saxon manuscripts in the ,harleian collection shows one of these ancient amphitheatres1 outside a town2 there is a single musician in the arena1 to whose music a man is dancing1 while another performer exhibits a tame bear1 which appears to be simulating sleep or death2 the spectators are sitting or standing around1 and one of them is applauding the performance in the modern manner1 by clapping his hands4 ,but from the ,anglo-,saxon period to about the middle of the seventeenth century1 the nearest approximation to circus performances was afforded by the #8glee-men1' and the exhibitors of bears that travestied a dance1 and horses that beat a kettle-drum with their fore-feet4 ,some of the #8glee-men' were tumblers and jugglers1 and their feats are pourtrayed in several illuminated manuscripts of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries4 ,one of these illuminations1 engraved in ,strutt's ,sports1 shows a boy leaping through a hoop2 another1 in the ,cottonian collection1 represents a juggler throwing three balls and three knives alternately4 ,what is technically called #8the shower' is shown in another illumination of medival juggling2 and that there were female acrobats in those days appears from a drawing in one of the ,sloane collection of manuscripts1 in which a girl is shown in the attitude of bending backward4 ,one of the ,arundel manuscripts1 in the ,british ,museum1 shows a dancing bear2 and other illuminations1 of a later date1 represent a horse on the tight-rope1 and an ox standing on the back of a horse4 ,strutt quotes from the seventh volume of the ,archologia1 the following account of a rope-flying feat performed by a ,spaniard in the reign of ,edward ,,vi4 #8,there was a great rope1 as great as the cable of a ship1 stretched from the battlements of ,paul's steeple1 with a great anchor at one end1 fastened a little before the ,dean of ,paul's house-gate2 and when his ,majesty approached near the same1 there came a man1 a stranger1 being a native of ,arragon1 lying on the rope with his head forward1 casting his arms and legs abroad1 running on his breast on the rope from the battlement to the ground1 as if it had been an arrow out of a bow1 and stayed on the ground4 ,then he came to his ,majesty1 and kissed his foot2 and so1 after certain words to his ,highness1 he departed from him again1 and went upwards upon the rope1 till he came over the midst of the churchyard1 where he1 having a rope about him1 played certain mysteries on the rope1 as tumbling1 and casting one leg from another4 ,then took he the rope1 and tied it to the cable1 and tied himself by the right leg a little space beneath the wrist of the foot1 and hung by one leg a certain space1 and after recovered himself again with the said rope1 and unknit the knot1 and came down again4 ,which stayed his ,majesty1 with all the train1 a good space of time4' ,holinshed mentions a similar feat which was performed in the following reign1 and which1 unhappily1 resulted in the death of the performer4 ,in the reign of ,elizabeth lived the famous ,banks1 whom ,sir ,walter ,raleigh thought worthy of mention in his ,history of the ,world1 saying that #8if ,banks had lived in older times1 he would have shamed all the enchanters in the world2 for whosoever was most famous among them could never master or instruct any beast as he did4' ,the animal associated with the performer so eulogized was a bay horse named ,morocco1 which was one of the marvels of the time4 ,an old print represents the animal standing on his hind legs1 with ,banks directing his movements4 ,morocco seems to have been equally famous for his saltatory exercises and for his arithmetical calculations and his powers of memory4 ,moth1 in ,love's ,labour ,lost1 puzzling ,armado with arithmetical questions1 says1 #8,the dancing horse will tell you1' an allusion which is explained by a line of one of ,hall's satires-- #8,strange ,morocco's dumb arithmetic4' ,sir ,kenelm ,digby records that the animal #8would restore a glove to the due owner after the master had whispered the man's name in his ear2 and would tell the just number of pence in any piece of silver coin newly showed him by his master4' ,de ,melleray1 in a note to his translation of the ,golden ,ass of ,apuleius1 says that he witnessed the performance of this animal in the ,rue ,st ,jacques1 in ,paris1 to which city ,banks proceeded in or before #afjh2 and he states that ,morocco could not only tell the number of francs in a crown1 but knew that the crown was depreciated at that time1 and also the exact amount of the depreciation4 ,the fame which ,banks and his horse acquired in ,france1 brought the former under the imputation of being a sorcerer1 and he probably had a narrow escape of being burned at a stake in that character4 ,bishop ,morton tells the story as follows3-- #8,which bringeth into my remembrance a story which ,banks told me at ,frankfort1 from his own experience in ,france among the ,capuchins1 by whom he was brought into suspicion of magic1 because of the strange feats which his horse ,morocco played 7as ,i take it7 at ,orleans1 where he1 to redeem his credit1 promised to manifest to the world1 that his horse was nothing less than a devil4 ,to this end he commanded his horse to seek out one in the press of the people who had a crucifix on his hat2 which done1 he bade him kneel down unto it1 and not this only1 but also to rise up again and to kiss it4 ,and now1 gentlemen 7quoth he71 ,i think my horse hath acquitted both me and himself2 and so his adversaries rested satisfied2 conceiving 7as it might seem7 that the devil had no power to come near the cross4' ,that ,banks travelled with his learned horse from ,paris to ,orleans1 and thence to ,frankfort1 is shown by this extract2 but his further wanderings are unrecorded4 ,it has been inferred1 from the following lines of a burlesque poem by ,jonson1 that he suffered at last the fate he escaped at ,orleans2 but the grounds which the poet had for supposing such a dreadful end for the poor horse-charmer are unknown4 #8,but 'mongst these ,tiberts1 who do you think there was8 ,old ,banks1 the juggler1 our ,pythagoras1 ,grave tutor to the learned horse2 both which1 ,being1 beyond sea1 burned for one witch1 ,their spirits transmigrated to a cat4' ,these itinerant performers seem to have divided their time between town and country1 as many of them do at the present day4 ,sir ,william ,davenant1 describing the street sights of the metropolis in his curious poem entitled ,the ,long ,vacation in ,london1 says-- #8,now1 vaulter good1 and dancing lass ,on rope1 and man that cries1 ,hey1 pass6 ,and tumbler young that needs but stoop1 ,lay head to heel to creep through hoop2 ,and man in chimney hid to dress ,puppet that acts our old ,queen ,bess2 ,and man1 that while the puppets play1 ,through nose expoundeth what they say2 ,and white oat-eater that does dwell ,in stable small at sign of ,bell1 ,that lifts up hoof to show the pranks ,taught by magician styled ,banks2 ,and ape led captive still in chain ,till he renounce the ,pope and ,spain2 ,all these on hoof now trudge from town ,to cheat poor turnip-eating clown4' ,about the middle of the seventeenth century1 some of these wandering performers began to locate themselves permanently in the metropolis4 ,jacob ,hall1 the rope-dancer1 was scarcely less famous as an acrobat1 being clever and alert in somersaults and flip-flaps1 performing the former over naked rapiers and men's heads1 and through hoops4 ,he is mentioned by contemporary memoir writers as the first lover of ,nell ,gwynne1 who appears1 however1 in a short time to have transferred her favours to ,harte1 the actor4 ,in #afhc1 one ,sadler opened the music-house at ,islington which1 from the circumstance of a mineral spring being discovered on the spot1 became known by the name of ,sadler's ,wells1 which it has retained to this day4 ,it was not until after ,sadler's death1 however1 that rope-dancing and acrobats' performances were added to the musical entertainments which1 with the water1 were the sole attraction of the place in its earliest days4 ,the change was made by ,francis ,forcer1 whose son was for several years the principal performer there4 ,forcer sold the establishment to ,rosamond1 the builder of ,rosamond's ,row1 ,clerkenwell1 who contrived1 by judicious management1 to amass a considerable fortune4 ,of the nature of the amusements in ,forcer's time we have a curious account in a communication made to the ,european ,magazine by a gentleman who received it from ,macklin1 the actor1 whom he met at ,sadler's ,wells towards the close of his life4 #8,sir1' said the veteran comedian1 #8,i remember the time when the price of admission here was threepence1 except a few places scuttled off at the sides of the stage at sixpence1 and which were usually reserved for people of fashion1 who occasionally came to see the fun4 ,here we smoked and drank porter and rum-and-water as much as we could pay for1 and every man had his doxy that liked2 and1 although we had a mixture of very odd company1--for ,i believe it was a good deal the baiting-place of thieves and highwaymen1--there was little or no rioting4' ,during the period between ,rosamond's management and the conversion of the place into a theatre for dramas of the kind for which the ,adelphi and the ,coburg became famous at a later day1 the entertainments at ,sadler's ,wells consisted of pantomimes and musical interludes4 ,in ,forcer's time1 according to the account said to have been given by ,macklin1 they consisted of #8hornpipes and ballad singing1 with a kind of pantomime-ballet1 and some lofty tumbling2 and all done by daylight1 with four or five exhibitions every day4 ,the proprietors had always a fellow on the outside of the booth to calculate how many people were collected for a second exhibition2 and when he thought there were enough1 he came to the back of the upper seats1 and cried out1 8,is ,hiram ,fisteman here80 ,that was the cant word agreed upon between the parties to know the state of the people without3 upon which they concluded the entertainment with a song1 dismissed the audience1 and prepared for a second representation4' ,joseph ,clark1 the posturer1 was one of the wonders of ,london during the reigns of ,james ,,ii4 and ,william ,,iii41 obtaining mention even in the ,transactions of the ,philosophical ,society1 as having #8such an absolute command of all his muscles and joints that he could disjoint almost his whole body4' ,his exhibitions do not seem1 however1 to have been of a pleasing character1 consisting chiefly in the imitation of every kind of human deformity4 ,he could produce at will1 and in a moment1 without padding1 the semblance of a ,quasimodo or a ,tichborne ,claimant1 his #8fair round belly1 with good capon lined1' shift his temporary hump from one side to the other1 project either hip1 and twist his limbs into every conceivable complication4 ,he could change his form so much as to defy a tailor to measure him1 and imposed so completely on ,molins1 a famous surgeon of that time1 as to be regarded by him as an incurable cripple4 ,his portrait in ,tempest's collection shows him shouldering his leg1 an antic which is imitated by a monkey4 ,there was a famous vaulter of this time1 named ,william ,stokes1 who seems to have been the first to introduce horses in the performance2 and in a book called the ,vaulting ,master1 published at ,oxford in #afeb1 boasts that he had reduced vaulting to a method4 ,the book is illustrated by plates1 representing different examples of his practice1 in which he is shown vaulting over one or more horses1 or leaping upon them2 in one alighting in the saddle1 and in another upon the bare back of a horse4 ,it is singular that this last feat should not have been performed after ,stokes's time1 until ,alfred ,bradbury exhibited it a few years ago at the ,amphitheatre in ,holborn4 ,it is improbable that ,bradbury had seen the book1 and his performance of the feat is1 in that case1 one more instance of the performance of an original act by more than one person at considerable intervals of time4 ,may ,fair1 which has given its name to a locality now aristocratic1 introduces us1 in #agjb--the year in which the fearful riot occurred in which a constable was killed there--to ,thomas ,simpson1 an equestrian vaulter1 described in a bill of ,husband's booth as #8the famous vaulting master of ,england4' ,a few years later a bill of the entertainments of ,bartholomew ,fair1 preserved in ,bagford's collection in the library of the ,british ,museum1 mentions tight-rope dancing and some performing dogs1 which had had the honour of appearing before ,queen ,anne and #8most of the quality4' ,the vaulters1 and posturers1 and tight-rope performers of this period were not all the vagabonds they were in the eye of the law4 ,fawkes1 a posturer and juggler of the first half of the eighteenth century1 started1 in conjunction with a partner named ,pinchbeck1 a show which was for many years one of the chief attractions of the ,london fairs1 and appears to have realized a considerable fortune4 ,the earliest notice of ,vauxhall ,gardens occurs in the ,spectator of ,may #bjth1 #agab1 in a paper written by ,addison1 when they had probably just been opened4 ,they were then a fashionable promenade1 the entertainments for which the place was afterwards famous not being introduced until at least a century later4 ,in #agcb they were leased to ,jonathan ,tyers1 whose name is preserved in two neighbouring streets1 ,tyers ,street and ,jonathan ,street2 and ten years later they were purchased by the same individual1 and became as famous as ,ranelagh ,gardens for musical entertainments and masked balls4 ,admission was by season tickets only1 and it is worthy of note that the inimitable ,hogarth1 from whose designs of the four parts of the day ,hayman decorated the concert-room1 furnished the design for the tickets1 which were of silver4 ,tyers gave ,hogarth a gold ticket of perpetual admission for six persons1 or one coach2 and the artist's widow bequeathed it to a relative4 ,this unique relic of the departed glories of ,vauxhall was last used in #ahcf1 and is now in the possession of ,mr ,frederick ,gye1 who gave twenty pounds for it4 ,hogarth's picture of ,southwark ,fair introduces to us more than one of that generation of the strange race whose several varieties contribute so much to the amusement of the public4 ,the slack-rope performer is ,violante1 of whom we read in ,malcolm's ,londinium ,redivivus that1 #8soon after the completion of the steeple ,st ,martin's in the ,fields1 an adventurous ,italian1 named ,violante1 descended from the arches1 head foremost1 on a rope stretched thence across ,st ,martin's ,lane to the ,royal ,mews2 the princesses being present1 and many eminent persons4' ,hogarth shows another performer of this feat in the background of his picture1 namely1 ,cadman1 who was killed in #agdj1 in an attempt to descend from the summit of a church-steeple in ,shrewsbury4 ,the circumstances of this sad catastrophe are set forth in the epitaph on the unfortunate man's gravestone1 which is as follows3-- #8,let this small monument record the name ,of ,cadman1 and to future times proclaim ,here1 by an attempt to fly from this high spire ,across the ,sabrine stream1 he did acquire ,his fatal end4 ',twas not for want of skill ,or courage to perform the task1 he fell3 ,no1 no--a faulty cord1 being drawn too tight ,hurried his soul on high to take her flight1 ,which bid the body here beneath good night4' ,the earliest advertisement of ,sadler's ,wells which ,i have been able to find is one of #agci1 which states that #8the usual diversions will begin this day at five o'clock in the evening1 with a variety of rope-dancing1 tumbling1 singing1 and several new entertainments of dancing1 both serious and comic2 concluding with the revived grotesque pantomime called ,happy ,despair1 with additions and alterations4' ,an advertisement of the following year introduces ,miss ,rayner as a performer on the tight rope1 who in #agdh appeared in conjunction with a younger sister4 ,the acrobats of the latter period were ,williams1 ,hough1 and ,rayner1 the latter probably father or brother of the fair performers on the corde elastique4 ,the ,new ,wells1 at the bottom of ,leman ,street1 ,goodman's ,fields1 were opened at this time1 and introduced to the public a ,french rope-dancer named ,duge1 who also tumbled1 in conjunction with ,williams1 who had left the ,islington place of entertainment1 and another acrobat named ,janno4 ,williams is announced in an advertisement of #agdh to vault over the heads of ten men4 ,the admission here was by payment for a pint of wine or punch1 which was the case also at ,sadler's ,wells at this time2 but in an announcement of a benefit the charges for admission are stated at eighteen-pence and half-a-crown1 with the addition that the night will be moonlight1 and that wine may be obtained at two shillings per bottle4 ,twenty years later1 we find announced at ,sadler's ,wells1 #8feats of activity by ,signor ,nomora and ,signora ,rossi1 and many curious and uncommon equilibres by ,le ,chevalier des ,linges4' ,in #agga the rope-dancers here were ,ferzi 7sometimes spelt ,farci7 and ,garmon1 who was1 a few years later1 a member of the first company formed by the celebrated ,philip ,astley for the ,amphitheatre in the ,westminster ,road4 ,the first equestrian performances ever seen in ,england1 other than those of the itinerant exhibitors of performing horses1 were given on the site of ,dobney's ,place1 at the back of ,penton ,street1 ,islington4 ,it was then a tea-garden and bowling-green1 to which one ,johnson1 who obtained a lease of the premises in #agfg1 added such performances as then attracted seekers after amusement to ,sadler's ,wells4 ,one ,price1 concerning whose antecedents the strictest research has failed to discover any information1 gave equestrian performances at this place in #aggj1 and soon had a rival in one ,sampson1 who performed similar feats in a field behind the ,old ,hats4 ,about the same time1 feats of horsemanship were exhibited in ,lambeth1 in a field near ,halfpenny ,hatch1 which1 it may be necessary to inform your readers1 stood where a broad ditch1 which then ran through the fields and market gardens now covered by the streets between ,westminster ,road and ,blackfriars ,road1 was crossed by a swivel bridge4 ,there was a narrow pathway through the fields and gardens1 for the privilege of using which a halfpenny was paid to the owners at a cottage near the bridge4 ,in one of these fields ,philip ,astley--a great name in circus annals--formed his first ring with a rope and some stakes1 going round with his hat after each performance to collect the loose halfpence of the admiring spectators4 ,this remarkable man was born in #agdb1 at ,newcastle-under-,lyme1 where his father carried on the business of a cabinet-maker4 ,he received little or no education1 and after working a few years with his father1 enlisted in a cavalry regiment4 ,his imposing appearance1 being over six feet in height1 with the proportions of a ,hercules1 and the voice of a ,stentor1 attracted attention to him2 and his capture of a standard at the battle of ,emsdorff made him one of the celebrities of his regiment4 ,while serving in the army1 he learned some feats of horsemanship from an itinerant equestrian named ,johnson1 perhaps the man under whose management ,price introduced equestrian performances at ,sadler's ,wells1--and often exhibited them for the amusement of his comrades4 ,on his discharge from the army1 he was presented by ,general ,elliot with a horse1 and thereupon he bought another in ,smithfield1 and commenced those open-air performances in ,lambeth which have already been noticed4 ,after a time1 he built a rude circus upon a piece of ground near ,westminster ,bridge which had been used as a timber-yard1 being the site of the theatre which has been known by his name for nearly a century4 ,only the seats were roofed over1 the ring in which he performed being open to the air4 ,one of his horses1 which he had taught to perform a variety of tricks1 he soon began to exhibit1 at an earlier period of each day1 in a large room in ,piccadilly1 where the entertainment was eked out with conjuring and ombres ,chinoises--a kind of shadow pantomime4 ,one of the earliest advertisements of the ,surrey side establishment sets forth that the entertainment consisted of #8horsemanship by ,mr ,astley1 ,mr ,taylor1 ,signor ,markutchy1 ,miss ,vangable1 and other transcendent performers1'--a minuet by two horses1 #8in a most extraordinary manner1'--a comical musical interlude1 called ,the ,awkward ,recruit1 and an #8amazing exhibition of dancing dogs from ,france and ,italy1 and other genteel parts of the globe4' ,one of the advertisements of ,astley's performances for #aggb1 one of the very few that can be found of that early date1 is as follows3-- #8,horsemanship and ,new ,feats of ,activity4 ,this and every ,evening at six1 ,mr and ,mrs ,astley1 ,mrs ,griffiths1 ,costmethopila1 and a young ,gentleman1 will exhibit several extraordinary feats on one1 two1 three1 and four horses1 at the foot of ,westminster ,bridge4 #8,these feats of activity are in number upwards of fifty2 to which is added the new ,french piece1 the different characters by ,mr ,astley1 ,griffiths1 ,costmethopila1 c4 ,each will be dressed and mounted on droll horses4 #8,between the acts of horsemanship1 a young gentleman will exhibit several pleasing heavy balances1 particularly this night1 with a young ,lady nine years old1 never performed before in ,europe2 after which ,mr ,astley will carry her on his head in a manner quite different from all others4 ,mrs ,astley will likewise perform with two horses in the same manner as she did before their ,majesties of ,england and ,france1 being the only one of her sex that ever had that honour4 ,the doors to be opened at five1 and begin at six o'clock4 ,a commodious gallery1 #abj feet long1 is fitted up in an elegant manner4 ,admittance there as usual4 #8,n4,b4 ,mr ,astley will display the broad-sword1 also ride on a single horse1 with one foot on the saddle1 the other on his head1 and every other feat which can be exhibited by any other4 ,with an addition of twenty extraordinary feats1 such as riding on full speed1 with his head on a common pint pot1 at the rate of twelve miles an hour1 c4 #8 ,to specify the particulars of ,mr ,astley's performance would fill this side of the paper1 therefore please to ask for a bill at the door1 and see that the number of fifty feats are performed1 ,mr ,astley having placed them in acts as the performance is exhibited4 ,the amazing little ,military ,horse1 which fires a pistol at the word of command1 will this night exhibit upwards of twenty feats in a manner far superior to any other1 and meets with the greatest applause4' ,an advertisement issued at the close of the season1 in #agge1 announces #8the last new feats of horsemanship1 four persons on three horses1 or a journey to ,paris2 also1 the pynamida on full speed by ,astley1 ,griffin1 and ,master ,phillips4' ,this curious word is probably a misprint for #8pyramids4' ,in this year1 ,richer1 the famous harlequin1 revived the ladder-dancing feat at ,sadler's ,wells1 where he also joined in the acrobatic performances of ,rayner1 ,garmon1 and ,huntley1 the last being a new addition to the troupe4 ,other #8feats of activity' were performed by the ,sigols1 and ,ferzi and others exhibited their evolutions on the tight-rope4 ,the same names appear in the advertisements of the following year1 when rivals appeared in vaulting and tight-rope dancing at ,marylebone ,gardens4 #8,as ,mr ,astley's celebrated new performances at ,westminster ,bridge draws near to a conclusion1' says one of the great equestrian's advertisements of #aggf1 #8it is humbly requested the present opportunity may not escape the notice of the ladies and gentlemen4 ,perhaps such another exhibition is not to be found in ,europe4 ,to the several entertainments of the riding-school is added1 the ,grand ,temple of ,minerva1 acknowledged by all ranks of people to be extremely beautiful4 ,the curtain of the ,temple to ascend at five o'clock1 and descend at six1 at which time the grand display will be made in a capital manner1 consisting of rope-vaulting on full swing1 with many new pleasing additions of horsemanship1 both serious and comic2 various feats of activity and comic tumbling1 the learned little horse1 the ,roman battle1 le force d',hercule1 or the ,egyptian pyramids1 an entertainment never seen in ,england2 with a variety of other performances extremely entertaining4 ,the doors to be opened at five1 and begin at six precisely4 ,admittance in the gallery #bs41 the riding school #as4 ,a price by no means adequate to the evening's diversion4' ,having saved some money out of the proceeds of these performances1 ,astley erected the ,amphitheatre1 which1 in its early years1 resembled the present circus in ,holborn more than the building subsequently identified with the equestrian triumphs of ,ducrow4 ,chinese shadows were still found attractive1 it seems1 for they constitute the first item in one of the programmes of #aghj1 in which year the ,amphitheatre was opened4 ,then came feats of horsemanship by ,griffin1 ,jones1 and ,miller1 the clown to the ring being ,burt4 ,tumbling--#8acrobatics' had not been extracted from the ,greek dictionary in those days--by ,nevit1 ,porter1 ,dawson1 and ,garmon followed2 and it is worthy of remark that none of the circus performers of the last century seem to have deemed it expedient to ,italianize their names1 or to assume fanciful appellations1 such as the ,olympian ,brothers1 or the ,marvels of ,peru4 ,after the tumbling1 the feat of riding two and three horses at the same time was exhibited1 the performer modestly concealing his name1 which was probably ,philip ,astley4 ,next came #8slack-rope vaulting in full swing1 in different attitudes1' tricks on chairs and ladders1 a burlesque equestrian act by the clown1 and1 lastly1 #8the amazing performance of men piled upon men1 or the ,egyptian pyramid4' ,about the same time that the ,amphitheatre was opened1 the ,royal ,circus1 which afterwards became the ,surrey ,theatre1 was erected in ,blackfriar's ,road by the elder ,dibdin and an equestrian named ,hughes1 who is described as a man of fine appearance and immense strength4 ,the place being unlicensed1 the lessees had to close it in the midst of success2 but a license was obtained1 and it was re-opened in ,march1 #aghc4 ,burlettas were here combined with equestrian performances1 and for some time a spirited competition with ,astley's was maintained4 ,the advertisements of the ,circus are as curious for their grammar and strange sprinkling of capitals as for their personal allusions4 ,a few specimens culled from the newspapers of the period are subjoined3-- ,no4 #a4--#8,the celebrated ,sobieska ,clementina and ,mr ,hughes on ,horseback will end on ,monday next1 the #dth of ,october2 until then they will display the whole of their ,performances1 which are allowed1 by those who know best1 to be the completest of the kind in ,europe4 ,hughes humbly thanks the ,nobility1 c41 for the honour of their support1 and also acquaints them his ,antagonist has catched a bad cold so near to ,westminster bridge1 and for his recovery is gone to a warmer ,climate1 which is ,bath in ,somersetshire4 ,he boasts1 poor ,fellow1 no more of activity1 and is now turned ,conjuror1 in the character of #8,sieur the ,great4' ,therefore ,hughes is unrivalled1 and will perform his surprising feats accordingly at his ,horse ,academy1 until the above ,day4 ,the ,doors to be opened at ,four o'clock1 and ,mounts at half-past precisely4 ,h4 has a commodious ,room1 eighty feet long4 ,n4 ,b4 ,sobieska rides on one1 two1 and three horses1 being the only one of her ,sex that ever performed on one1 two1 and three4' ,no4 #b4--#8;,hughes has the honour to inform the ,nobility1 c41 that he has no intention of setting out every day to ,france for three following ,seasons1 his ,ambition being fully satisfied by the applause he has received from ,foreign ,gentlemen who come over the ,sea to ,see him4 ,clementina and ,miss ,huntly ride one1 two1 and three horses at full speed1 and takes ,leaps surprising4 ,a little ,lady1 only ,eight ,years old1 rides ,two ,horses at full gallop by herself1 without the assistance of any one to hold her on4 ,enough to put any one in fits to see her4 ,h4 will engage to ride in ,twenty ,attitudes that never were before attempted2 in particular1 he will introduce his ,horse of ,knowledge1 being the only wise animal in the ,metropolis4 ,a ,sailor in full gallop to ,portsmouth1 without a bit of ,bridle or ,saddle4 ,the ,maccaroni ,tailor riding to ,paris for new ,fashions4 ,this being ,mr ,pottinger's night1 he will speak a ,prologue adapted to the noble art of ,riding1 and an ,epilogue also suited to ,extraordinary ,leaps4 ,tickets 7#bs47 to be had of ,mr ,wheble1 bookseller1 ,paternoster-row1 and at ,h4's ,riding ,school4 ,mounts half-past four4' ,no4 #c4--#8;,hughes1 with the celebrated ,sobieska ,clementina1 the famous ,miss ,huntly1 and an astonishing ,young ,gentleman 7son of a ,person of ,quality71 will exhibit at ,blackfriars-road more ,extraordinary things than ever yet witnessed1 such as leaping over a ,horse forty times without stopping between the springs--,leaps the ,bar standing on the ,saddle with his ,back to the ,horse's ,tail1 and1 ,vice-,versa1 ,rides at full speed with his right ,foot on the ,saddle1 and his left ,toe in his ,mouth1 two surprising ,feet4 ,mrs ,hughes takes a fly and fires a ,pistol--rides at full speed standing on ,pint ,pots--mounts pot by pot1 higher still1 to the terror of all who see her4 ,h4 carries a lady at full speed over his head--surprising6 ,the young gentleman will recite verses of his own making1 and act ,mark ,antony1 between the leaps4 ,clementina every night--a commodious room for the nobility4' ,the excitement of apparent danger was evidently as much an element of the popular interest in circus performances a century ago as at the present day4 ,colonel ,west1 to whom the ground on which the circus was erected belonged1 became a partner in the enterprise1 and invested a large amount in it4 ,on his death the concern became very much embarrassed1 and struggled for several years with a load of debt4 ,hughes was succeeded as manager by ,grimaldi1 a ,portuguese1 the grandfather of the famous clown whom some of us remember at ,covent ,garden2 and ,grimaldi1 in #aghj1 by ,delpini1 an ,italian buffo singer1 under whose management the novel spectacle of a stag-hunt was introduced in the arena4 ,sadler's ,wells continued to give the usual entertainment1 the advertisements of #aghj announcing #8a great variety of singing1 dancing1 tumbling1 posturing1 rope-dancing1' c41 by the usual very capital performers1 and others1 more particularly tumbling by ,rayner1 ,tully1 ,huntley1 ,garmon1 and ,grainger1 #8pleasing and surprising feats of strength and agility' by ,richer and ,baptiste1 and their pupils1 and tight-rope dancing by ,richer1 ,baptiste1 and ,signora ,mariana1 varied during a portion of the season by the last-named artiste's #8new and extraordinary performance on the slack wire1 particularly a curious display of two flags1 and a pleasing trick with a hoop and three glasses of wine4' ,astley's soon became a popular place of amusement for all classes4 ,horace ,walpole1 writing to ,lord ,stafford1 says3-- #8,london1 at this time of the year ,september1 is as nauseous a drug as any in an apothecary's shop4 ,i could find nothing at all to do1 and so went to ,astley's1 which1 indeed1 was much beyond my expectation4 ,i do not wonder any longer that ,darius was chosen ,king by the instructions he gave to his horse2 nor that ,caligula made his ,consul4 ,astley can make his dance minuets and hornpipes4 ,but ,i shall not have even ,astley now3 ,her ,majesty the ,queen of ,france1 who has as much taste as ,caligula1 has sent for the whole of the dramatis person to ,paris4' ,among the expedients to which ,astley occasionally had recourse for the purpose of drawing a great concourse of people to the ,surrey side of the ,thames was a balloon ascent1 an attraction frequently had recourse to in after times at ,vauxhall1 the ,surrey ,gardens1 ,cremorne1 the ,crystal ,palace1 and other places of popular resort4 ,the balloon was despatched from ,st ,george's ,fields on the #abth of ,march1 #aghd1 #8in the presence1' says a writer in the ,gentleman's ,magazine1 #8of a greater number of spectators than were1 perhaps1 ever assembled together on any occasion2' and he adds that1 #8many of the spectators will have reason to remember it2 for a more ample harvest for the pickpockets never was presented4 ,some noblemen and gentlemen lost their watches1 and many their purses4 ,the balloon1 launched about half-past one in the afternoon1 was found at ,faversham4' ,this ascent took place within two months after that of the ,montgolfiere balloon at ,lyons1 and was1 therefore1 probably the first ever attempted in this country2 while1 by a strange coincidence1 the first aerostatic experiment ever made in ,scotland was made on the same day that ,astley's ascended1 but about an hour later1 from ,heriot's ,gardens1 ,edinburgh4 ,horace ,walpole writes1 in allusion to a subsequent balloon ascent1 and the excitement which it created in the public mind1-- #8,i doubt it has put young ,astley's nose out of joint1 who went to ,paris lately under their ,queen's protection1 and expected to be ,prime ,minister1 though he only ventured his neck by dancing a minuet on three horses at full gallop1 and really in that attitude has as much grace as the ,apollo ,belvedere4' ,the fame of the ,astleys receives further illustration from a remark of ,johnson's1 that #8,whitfield never drew as much attention as a mountebank does3 he did not draw attention by doing better than others1 but by doing what was strange4 ,were ,astley to preach a sermon standing on his head1 or on a horse's back1 he would collect a multitude to hear him2 but no wise man would say he had made a better sermon for that4' ,the earliest displayed advertisement of ,astley's which ,i have been able to discover1 is as follows1 which appeared in #aghh3 ,,astley',s ,,amphitheatre1 ,,westminster ,,bridge4 ,,young ,,astley',s ,,surprising ,,equestrian ,,exercises4 ,in the intervals ,a ,,new ,,war ,,entertainment1 ,in which will be introduced a ,,single ,,combat with the ,,broadsword between ,,young ,,astley1 as a ,british ,sailor1 and ,,mr ,j4 ,,taylor1 as a ,savage ,chief2 after which a ,general ,engagement between ,british ,sailors and ,savages4 ,the ,scenery1 ,machinery1 ,songs1 ,dances1 and ,dresses1 adapted to the manners of the different ,countries4 ,,tumbling ,by a most capital ,group4 ,a ,,new ,,comic ,,dance1 ,,called ,,the ,,german ,,chasseurs1 ,with ,new ,music1 ,dresses1 c4 ,a ,,musical ,,entertainment1 ,,called ,,the ,,invitation4 ,the ,songs and ,choruses1 together with the ,dresses1 entirely new4 ,a ,,grand ,,entry ,,of ,,horses4 ,a ,,minuet ,,dance ,,by ,,two ,,horses1 ,and other extraordinary performances by the ,horses4 ,a ,new ,comic ,dance1 called ,,the ,,ethiopian ,,festival1 ,in which will be introduced a ,new ,pas de ,trois1 never performed in ,london1 ,composed by ,mons4 ,vermigli1 ,eleve de l',opera1 and danced by him1 ,mr ,marqui1 and ,mr ,j4 ,taylor1 representing the whimsical ,actions and ,attitudes made use of by the ,negroes4 ,after which a ,pas de ,deux1 composed by ,mons4 ,ferrer1 and danced by him and ,mad4 ,fuzzi1 in the character of an ,indian ,prince and ,princess4 ,the ,music and ,dresses entirely new4 ,a ,new favourite ,song1 by ,,mr ,,johannot1 ,called ,bow-wow-wow4 ,,horsemanship4 ,,and ,,other ,,exercises1 ,by ,master ,crossman1 ,mr ,jenkins1 ,mr ,lonsdale1 ,mr ,j4 ,taylor1 and ,miss ,vangabel2 ,clown1 ,mr ,miller4 ,the whole to conclude with a ,new ,entertainment of ,singing1 ,dancing1 and ,dumb-,shew to ,speaking ,music1 called the ,,magic ,,world4 ,in which will be introduced1 behind a large transparent ,painting1 representing the enchanted ,world1 a variety of ,magical1 ,pantomimical1 ,farcical1 ,tragical1 ,comic ,deceptions2 together with a grand ,procession of ,caricature ,figures1 displaying a variety of whimsical ,devices in a manner entirely ,new4 ,doors to be opened at half-past ,five1 and to begin precisely at half-past ,six4 ,,boxes #cs4--,,pit #bs4--,,gall4 #as4--,,side ,,gall4 #f;d4 ,i found this advertisement1 and the following one1 which was issued in the same year1 but at a later period1 in a collection of similar literary curiosities purchased at the sale of the effects of the late ,mr ,lacey1 the well-known theatrical bookseller1 of the ,strand4 ,,this ,,evening1 will be presented at ,,astley',s1 ,an entire new pantomimic ,dance1 called ,,the ,,humours ,,of ,,gil ,,blas 7,a ,parody7 ,as performed with applause at the ,theatres on the ,boulevards1 ,paris4 ,gil ,blas1 ,mr ,jenkins--,his ,father1 ,mr ,henley--,uncle1 ,mr ,lonsdale--,servant1 ,mr ,bell--,flash the ,spaniard1 ,mr ,ferrere--,mungo1 his ,servant1 ,master ,collet--,doctor1 ,mr ,fox--,maria 7fat ,cook71 ,mr ,connell--,spanish ,lady1 ,mrs ,stevens--,gil ,blas ,mother1 ,mrs ,henley--,post ,boy1 ,master ,crossman--,captain of the ,banditti1 ,mr ,johannot--,lieutenant1 ,mr ,fox--,signal ,man1 ,mr ,de ,castro--,spy1 ,mr ,millard--,captain of the ,cavern1 ,mr ,wallack4 ,the ,rest of the ,banditti1 by the ,remainder of the ,company4 ,dancers1 ,mons4 ,vermigli1 ,madame ,ferrere1 and ,mademoiselle ,meziere4 ,to conclude with ,a ,,spanish ,,fair1 ,in which will be introduced a multiplicity of ,drolls1 ,shews1 c41 with a surprising ,real ,gigantic ,spanish ,pig1 measuring from head to tail #ab feet1 and #ab hands high1 weighing #ab cwt41 which will be rode by a ,monkey4 ,,horsemanship ,by ,,young ,,astley1 and other ,capital ,performers4 ,a ,musical ,piece1 called ,,the ,,diamond ,,ring3 ,or1 ,,the ,,jew ,,outwitted4 ,israel1 ,mr ,de ,castro--,harry1 ,mr ,millard--,feignlove1 ,mr ,fox--,maid1 ,mrs ,wallack--,lucy ,feignlove1 ,mrs ,henley4 ,,tumbling ,by ,mr ,lonsdale1 ,mr ,jenkins1 ,mr ,bell1 ,master ,crossman1 ,master ,jenkinson1 ,master ,collet1 and others4 ,a favourite ,dance1 composed by ,mons4 ,vermigli1 7,eleve de l',opera7 called ,,the ,,sports ,,of ,,the ,,village4 ,a ,musical ,piece1 called ,,the ,,black ,,and ,,white ,,milliners4 ,tiffany1 ,mr ,connell--,myrtle1 ,mr ,wallack--,timewell1 ,mr ,miller--,doctor ,spruce1 ,mr ,fox--,sprightly1 ,mr ,johannot--,nancy1 ,mrs ,wallack--,fanny1 ,mrs ,wigley--,mrs ,tiffany1 ,mrs ,henley4 ,the whole to conclude with a ,pantomime1 called ,,the ,,magic ,,world1 ,in which will be introduced behind a large transparent ,painting1 representing the enchanted ,world1 a variety of magical1 pantomimical1 farcical1 tragical1 comic ,deceptions1 together with a ,grand ,procession of ,caricature ,figures1 displaying a variety of whimsical ,devices1 with the ,emblems of the ,inhabitants of the ,four ,quarters of the ,globe1 in a ,manner entirely ,new4 ,to finish with ,,the ,,gibraltar ,,charger3 ,surrounded by a ,chain of ,fire4 ,equestrianism does not make a very important figure in the announcements of the ,royal ,circus at this period1 which simply inform the public that #8the performances will commence with horsemanship by ,mr ,hughes and his unrivaled pupils4' ,the programme was chiefly musical1 and concluded with a pantomime1 in which ,rayner1 the acrobat1 from ,sadler's ,wells1 sustained the part of ,harlequin4 ,at the latter place of amusement1 charges ranging from a shilling to three shillings and sixpence were now made for admission1 and the performances1 other than music and dancing1 consisted of posturing by a boy called the ,infant ,hercules1 and tight-rope dancing by ,madame ,romaine1 another female artiste known as ,la ,belle ,espagnole1 and two lads1 one of whom was a son of ,richer1 the other known as the ,little ,devil4 ,grimaldi the ,second1 son of the manager of the ,royal ,circus1 and father of the famous ,joey ,grimaldi1 was clown at this establishment for many years1 commencing1 it is said1 at the munificent salary of three shillings per week1 which was gradually raised until1 in #agid1 we find him receiving four pounds per week4 ,i cannot better conclude this chapter than with the following strictures upon the places of amusement to which it chiefly relates1 culled from a newspaper of #aghh3-- #8,if the objections which are made to permitting the present existing theatres or places of public amusement to continue arises from a principle of morality1 which indeed is the only plea of opposition which can be alleged1 it is somewhat strange that the only exception should be made in favour of ,sadler's ,wells1 at which alone1 it is worthy of remark1 a man may if he chooses get drunk4 ,a pint of liquor is included in the price of admittance1 but as much more may be had as any person chooses to call for4 ,the heat of the place is a great inducement1 and we believe many females have from that cause drank more than has let them depart in their sober senses1 the consequences of which are obvious4 ,this is not permitted at ,astley's1 the ,circus1 or the ,royalty4' ,the last-mentioned place of amusement was a ,variety ,theatre1 in ,wells ,street1 ,goodman's ,fields1 which had risen out of the ,new ,wells1 and gave entertainments similar to those of ,sadler's ,wells and the ,royal ,circus4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,fortunes of the ,royal ,circus--,destruction of ,astley's ,amphitheatre by ,fire--,its ,reconstruction--,second ,conflagration--,astley in ,paris--,burning of the ,royal ,circus--,erection of the ,olympic ,pavilion--,hengler1 the ,rope-dancer--,astley's ,horses--,dancing ,horses--,the ,trick ,horse1 ,billy--,abraham ,saunders--,john ,astley and ,william ,davis--,death of ,philip ,astley--,vauxhall ,gardens--,andrew ,ducrow--,john ,clarke--,barrymore's ,season at ,astley's--,hippo-dramatic ,spectacles--,the first ,circus ,camel4 ,for nearly forty years after the opening of ,astley's ,amphitheatre1 the performances did not differ1 in any respect1 from the usual entertainment of the smallest tenting company now travelling4 ,the earliest bill of the collection in the library of the ,british ,museum was issued in #agia1 when the great attraction of the place appears to have been the somersault over twelve horses1 called le grand saut du ,trampolin1 of ,james ,lawrence1 whose vaulting feats gained him the name 7in the bills7 of the ,great ,devil4 ,in #agib1 the entertainments comprised a considerable musical element1 and concluded with a pantomime4 ,one of the advertisements of this year announces the performances in the arena as follows3-- #8,horsemanship1 and exercises for the ,light ,dragoons--,ground and lofty tumbling--,a grand entry of horses--,equestrian exercises1 particularly the metamorphose of the sack--,wonderful equilibres on a single horse--,whimsical piece of horsemanship1 called ,the ,taylor riding to ,brentford4' ,sadler's ,wells continued to vary its programme with tumbling and rope-dancing1 and in #agib gave #8a pleasing exhibition of strength and posture-work1 entirely new1 called ,le ,tableau ,chinois1 by ,signor ,bologna and his children1 in which will be displayed a variety of curious and striking manuvres4 ,tight-rope dancing by the ,little ,devil and ,master ,bologna1 with the comic accompaniment of ,signor ,pietro ,bologna4' ,from the ,royal ,circus announcements of the following year1 ,i select the following two1 as good illustrations of the kind of performances then given1 and curious examples of circus bills eighty years ago3-- ,,royal ,,circus4 ,the ,company at the ,,circus beg leave to acquaint the ,nobility1 ,gentry1 and ,public1 that young ,,crossman will appear this present ,evening1 ,august #g1 on ,,horseback1 and challenge all the ,horsemen in ,europe4 ,,fricapee ,,dancing1 ,,vaulting1 ,,tight-,,rope ,,dancing1 ,,pyramids1 ,,ground ,,and ,,lofty ,,tumbling1 c4 c4 c4 ,the performance will commence with a ,grand ,entry of ,horses1 mounted by the ,troop4 ,young ,,crossman',s unparalleled ,peasant ,hornpipe1 and ,hag ,dance1 not to be equalled by any ,horseman in this ,kingdom4 ,,le ,,grand ,,saut ,,de ,,trampoline by ,mr ,,porter1 7,clown7 who will jump over a garter #ae feet from the ground1 and fire off two ,pistols4 ,,the ,,musical ,,child1 7only nine years of age7 will go through his wonderful ,performance4 ,mr ,,smith will go through a variety of ,performances on a ,single ,horse4 ,,the ,,humours ,,of ,,the ,,sack1 ,,or1 ,,the ,,clown ,,deceived ,,by ,a ,,woman4 ,,fricassee ,,dance1 ,by ,mr ,,crossman and ,mr ,,porter4 ,mr ,,ingham 7from ,dublin7 will throw an innumerable ,row of ,flipflaps4 ,mr ,,crossman will vault over the ,horse backwards and forwards1 with his ,legs ,tied1 in a manner not to be equalled by any ,performer in this ,kingdom4 ,,ground ,,and ,,lofty ,,tumbling1 by the whole ,troop4 ,the ,,african will go through his astonishing ,stage and ,equestrian ,performances4 ,,la ,,force ,,de ,,hercules3 ,or1 ,,the ,,ruins ,,of ,,troy4 ,mr ,,porter will perform on a single ,horse1 in a ludicrous manner4 ,young ,,crossman will leap from a single ,horse over ,two ,garters1 #ab feet high1 and alight again on the ,saddle1 and ,play the ,violin in various ,attitudes4 ,,the ,,taylor',s ,,disaster1 ,or1 his ,wonderful ,journey to ,brentford1 ,by ,,mr ,,porter4 ,to conclude with a ,,real ,,fox and ,,stag ,,chase1 by twelve couple of ,hounds1 and two real ,,foxes1 and a real ,,stag ,,hunt1 as performed before their ,majesties4 ,crossman1 it will be seen1 had transferred his services from ,astley's to the rival establishment1 where he must have been an acquisition of some importance4 ,the ,ducrow mentioned in the second bill1 must have been the father of the celebrated equestrian of that name4 ,,change ,,of ,,performances4 ,,the ,,windsor ,,hunt4 ,this and every ,evening1 until further ,notice1 at the ,,royal ,,circus1 ,in which will be introduced a ,representation of ,,the ,,deer ,,carriage ,,and ,,stag1 ,with ,horsemen and ,women coming out of ,holyport ,mead to see the ,stag turned out2 the ,hunt will be then joined by ,ten ,male and ,three ,female ,equestrians4 ,the ,stag will be ,twice1 and the ,horsemen and ,horsewomen ,five ,times1 in ,,full ,,view4 ,,an ,,entire ,,new ,,dance1 ,,called ,,the ,,croatian ,,merchants1 ,composed by ,,mons4 ,,ferrere4 ,principal ,dancers1 ,mons4 ,ferrere1 ,madame ,ferrere1 ,mons4 ,d',egville1 and ,signora ,fuzi1 with ,six ,couple of ,figurants4 ,the ,dresses and ,decorations entirely ,new1 by ,mr ,,risleben4 ,,young ,,crossman ,will appear this and every ,evening on ,,horseback1 and challenge all the ,horsemen in ,europe4 ,,tight-,,rope ,,dancing1 ,by the celebrated ,,saxoni1 from ,rome4 ,,pyramids1 ,,ground and ,,lofty ,,tumbling1 c4 ,the ,grand ,leaps over ,,seven ,,horses4 ,also1 through the ,,hoop on ,,fire1 fourteen feet high1 by ,,mr ,,porter and ,,mr ,,ducrow4 ,the former will leap over more ,horses than any ,man in ,europe4 ,,mr ,,franklin',s inimitable ,performances with ,,the ,,child ,,of ,,promise1 ,in various attitudes4 ,playing on the violin1 c41 ,,mr ,,smith1 ,,mr ,,ingham1 ,,mr ,,porter1 ,,mr ,,ducrow1 ,,mr ,,meredith1 ,,mr ,,allers1 ,,mr ,,jones1 ,,mr ,,benge1 ,,mr ,,quin1 ,,mr ,,francis1 and ,,the ,,famous ,,african1 7,who is not to be equalled7 will go through the ,,tilts and ,,tournaments1 and ,,military ,,exercises1 as performed on ,,horseback1 in the ,,field and ,,manage4 ,to which will be added1 ,,the ,,taylor',s ,,disaster6 ,,and ,,fox ,,hunt4 ,by the above ,male and ,female ,equestrians4 ,the performances at ,sadler's ,wells this year included #8a series of varied equilibres and posture-work1 called ,le ,tableau ,chinois1 by ,signor ,bologna and his children1' and #8a capital display of agility on the tight-rope by the inimitable ,mr ,richer1 from ,petersburgh2 also the pleasing exertions of ,la ,belle ,espagnole4' ,there does not appear to have been many changes in the programme of this establishment1 which in the following year presented #8a new and picturesque exhibition1 called the ,pastimes of ,pekin1 or ,kien ,quang's ,family ,tree2 in which will be displayed1 by a group of ten capital performers1 under the direction of the ,great ,kien ,quang1 a variety of entertainments and active manuvres1 a la ,chinois1 with banners1 garlands1 and umbrellas2' and #8the pleasing and varied exertions of ,messrs ,bologna and ,la ,belle ,espagnole4' ,astley's ,amphitheatre was destroyed by fire in #agid1 to the serious loss of the proprietor1 who was not insured2 but such was his indomitable energy and enterprise that it was rebuilt in time to be opened on ,easter ,monday1 in the following year4 ,in the mean while1 in order to keep his company and stud employed1 he had converted the ,lyceum into a circus1 in conjunction with a partner named ,handy4 ,the ,royal ,circus was far from prosperous4 ,the load of debt upon it kept the lessees in a position of constant difficulty and embarrassment1 and in #agie ,mrs ,west levied an execution on the premises4 ,it was then opened by ,jones and ,cross1 the latter a writer of spectacles and pantomimes for ,covent ,garden2 and in their hands it remained until it was destroyed by fire in #ahje4 ,handy was still ,astley's partner in #agif1 when the advertisements announce #8thirty-five new acts by ,astley's and ,handy's riders1 and two surprising females1' in addition to pony races1 the performances of a clever little pony1 only thirty inches in height1 a performance on two ropes1 and a novel act by a performer named ,carr1 who stood on his head in the centre of a globe1 and ascended thirty feet #8turning round in a most surprising manner1 like a boy's top4' ,later advertisements of this year describe the ,amphitheatre as #8under the patronage of the ,duke of ,york1' and announce the special engagement of two ,catawba ,indians--both chiefs1 of course1 as ,american ,indians and ,arabs who appear in the arena always are represented to be4 ,these copper-coloured gentlemen gave their war dance and tomahawk exercise1 and performed feats of dexterity with bows and arrows4 ,the only mention of equestrianism at this time is1 that #8various equestrian and other exercises' will be given #8by pupils of both the ,astleys4' ,sadler's ,wells gave this year #8various elegant and admired exercises on the tight-rope1 by the inimitable ,mr ,richer and ,la ,belle ,espagnole1 particularly ,richer's astonishing leap over the two garters1 with various feats of agility and comic accompaniment by ,dubois4' ,this establishment and the ,royalty gradually abandoned entertainments of this kind1 and were at length converted into theatres2 and the like change was effected at the ,royal ,circus1 or rather at the building which rose upon the ruins made by the conflagration of #ahje4 ,astley's was burned again in #ahjc1 when ,mrs ,woodhams1 the mother of ,mrs ,astley1 perished in the flames4 ,astley was again a heavy sufferer1 the insurance not covering more than a fourth of the damage2 but once more the building rose from its ruins1 and it was again re-opened in #ahjd4 ,astley being occupied at the time with the construction of a circus in ,paris1 since known as ,franconi's1 the new ,amphitheatre was leased by him to his son1 ,john ,astley1 with whom ,william ,davis soon became associated as a partner4 ,in #ahje1 the ,royal ,circus having been destroyed by fire1 ,philip ,astley leased the site of the ,olympic ,theatre from ,lord ,craven for a term of sixty-one years1 at a yearly rental of one hundred pounds1 with the stipulation that two thousand five hundred pounds should be expended in the erection of a theatre4 ,it was an odd-shaped piece of ground1 and required some contrivance to adapt it to the purpose2 but ,astley1 who was his own architect and surveyor1 and indeed his own builder1 for he is said to have employed the workmen he required without the intervention of a master1 overcame all difficulties with his usual energy and fertility of resource4 ,he bought the timbers of an old man-of-war1 captured from the ,french1 and with these built the framework of the theatre1 a portion of which could1 it was said1 be seen at the rear of the boxes of the old ,olympic ,theatre before it was destroyed by fire4 ,there was very little brickwork1 the frame being covered externally with sheet iron1 and internally with canvas4 ,the arrangements of the auditorium were very similar to those of the provincial circuses of the present day2 there was a single tier of boxes1 a pit running round the circle1 and a gallery behind1 separated from the pit by a grating1 which caused the #8gods' to be likened to the wild beasts in ,cross's menagerie1 ,exeter ,change4 ,there was no orchestra1 but a few musicians sat in a stage box on each side4 ,the chandelier was a present from the king4 ,the building was licensed for music1 dancing1 and equestrian performances1 and called the ,olympic ,pavilion4 ,it passed in #ahab into the possession of ,elliston1 who purchased it1 with the remaining term of the lease1 for two thousand eight hundred pounds and an annuity of twenty pounds contingent on the continuance of the license4 ,the annuity soon ceased to be payable1 for ,elliston opened the theatre for burlettas and musical farces in #ahac1 and it was closed a few weeks afterwards by order of the ,lord ,chamberlain1 on the ground that the license had been granted on the supposition that the theatre was to be used for the same kind of entertainment as had been given by ,astley1 and only during the same portion of the year4 ,the ,amphitheatre continued to be conducted in the same manner as it had been when in the hands of the proprietor1 and brought before the public a succession of clever equestrians1 tumblers1 and rope-dancers4 ,in a bill of #ahjg we first meet with the name of ,hengler1 its then owner being a performer of some celebrity on the tight-rope4 ,the travelling circuses which were springing into existence at this time1 both in ,england and on the continent1 furnished the lessees with a constant succession of artistes2 and the admirably trained horses fairly divided the attention of the public with the biped performers4 ,philip ,astley was the best breaker and trainer of horses then living4 ,he bought his horses in ,smithfield1 seldom giving more than five pounds for one1 and selecting them for their docility1 without regard to symmetry or colour4 ,he seems to have been the first equestrian who taught horses to dance1 the animals going through the figure1 and stepping in time to the music4 ,one of his horses1 called ,billy1 would lift a kettle off a fire1 and arrange the tea equipage for company1 in a manner which elicited rounds of applause4 ,he was a very playful animal1 and would play with ,astley and the grooms like a kitten4 ,his owner was once induced to lend him for a week or two to ,abraham ,saunders1 who had been brought up by ,astley1 and was at that time1 as well as at many other times1 involved in pecuniary difficulties4 ,while ,billy was in the possession of ,saunders1 he was seized for debt1 with the borrower's own stud1 and sold before his owner could be communicated with4 ,two of ,astley's company1 happening shortly afterwards to be perambulating the streets of the metropolis1 were surprised to see ,billy harnessed to a cart4 ,they could scarcely believe their eyes1 but could doubt no longer when the animal1 on receiving a signal to which he was accustomed1 pricked up his ears1 and began to caper and curvet in a manner seldom seen out of the circle4 ,his new owner was found in a public-house1 and was not unwilling to part with him1 as ,billy1 #8though a main good-tempered creature1' as he told the equestrians1 #8is so full o' all manner of tricks that we calls him the ,mountebank4' ,saunders1 at this time a prisoner for debt in the now demolished ,fleet ,prison1 was well known as a showman and equestrian for three quarters of a century4 ,many who remember him as the proprietor of a travelling circus1 visiting the fairs throughout the south of ,england1 are not aware that he once had a lease of the old ,royalty ,theatre1 and that in #ahjh he opened1 as a circus1 the concert-rooms afterwards known as the ,queen's ,theatre1 now the ,prince of ,wales's4 ,after experiencing many vicissitudes1 he fell in his old age into poverty1 owing to two heavy losses1 namely1 by the burning of the ,royalty ,theatre1 and by the drowning of fifteen horses at sea1 the vessel in which they were being transported being wrecked in a storm4 ,in his latter years1 he was the proprietor of a penny #8gaff' at ,haggerstone1 and1 being prosecuted for keeping it1 drove to ,worship ,street police-court in a box on wheels1 drawn by a ,shetland pony1 and presented himself before the magistrate in a garment made of a bearskin4 ,he was then in his ninetieth year1 and died two years afterwards1 in a miserable lodging in ,mill ,street1 ,lambeth ,walk4 ,there is a story told of ,astley1 by way of illustration of his ignorance of music1 which1 if true1 would show that the ,amphitheatre boasted an orchestra even in these early years of its existence4 ,the nature of the story requires us to suppose that the orchestral performers were then engaged for the first time2 and1 as we are told by ,fitzball that the occasion was the rehearsal of a hippo-dramatic spectacle1 it seems probable that there is some mistake1 and that the anecdote should be associated with ,ducrow1 instead of with his precursor1 no performances of that kind having been given at the ,amphitheatre in ,astley's time4 ,but ,fitzball may have been in error as to the occasion4 ,as the story goes1 ,astley1 on some of the musicians suspending their performances1 demanded the reason4 #8,it is a rest1' returned the leader4 #8,let them go on1 then1' said the equestrian4 #8,i pay them to play1 not to rest4' ,presently a chromatic passage occurred4 #8,what do you call that8' demanded ,astley4 #8,have you all got the stomach-ache8' #8,it is a chromatic passage1' rejoined the leader1 with a smile4 #8,rheumatic passage8' said ,astley1 not comprehending the term4 #8,it is in your arm1 ,i suppose2 but ,i hope you'll get rid of it before you play with the people in front4' #8,you misunderstand me1 ,mr ,astley1' returned the leader4 #8,it is a chromatic passage2 all the instruments have to run up the passage4' #8,the devil they do6' exclaimed ,astley4 #8,then ,i hope they'll soon run back again1 or the audience will think they are running away4' ,hitherto the quadrupeds whose docility and intelligence rendered them available for the entertainment of the public had been limited to the circle2 but in #ahaa the example was set at ,covent ,garden of introducing horses1 elephants1 and camels on the stage4 ,this was done in the grand cavalcade in ,bluebeard1 the first representation of which was attended with a singular accident4 ,a trap gave way under the camel ridden by an actor named ,gallot1 who saved his own neck or limbs from dislocation or fracture1 by throwing himself off as the animal sank down4 ,he was unhurt1 but the camel was so much injured by the fall that it died before it could be extricated4 ,the elephant1 though docile enough1 could not be induced to go upon the stage until one of the ladies of the ballet1 who had become familiar with the animal during the rehearsals1 led it on by one of its ears4 ,this went so well with the audience1 that the young lady repeated the performance at every representation of the spectacle4 ,philip ,astley died in ,paris1 at the ripe age of seventy-two1 in #ahad1--the year in which the celebrated ,ducrow made his first appearance on the stage as ,eloi1 the dumb boy1 in the ,the ,forest of ,bondy4 ,the ,amphitheatre was conducted1 after the death of its founder1 by his son1 ,john ,astley1 in conjunction with ,davis2 but not without opposition4 ,the ,surrey had ceased to present equestrian performances under the management of ,elliston2 but in #ahae1 on his lease expiring1 it was taken by ,dunn1 ,heywood1 and ,branscomb1 who were encouraged by the success of ,astley to convert it into a circus4 ,the experiment was not1 however1 a successful one4 ,in the following year1 ,vauxhall ,gardens assumed the form and character by which they were known to the present generation2 and the celebrated ,madame ,saqui was engaged for a tight-rope performance1 in which she had long been famous in ,paris4 ,she was then in her thirty-second year1 and even then far from prepossessing1 her masculine cast of countenance and development of muscle giving her the appearance of a little man1 rather than of the attractive young women we are accustomed to see on the corde elastique in this country4 ,her performance created a great sensation1 however1 and she was re-engaged for the two following seasons4 ,she mounted the rope at midnight1 in a dress glistening with tinsel and spangles1 and wearing a nodding plume of ostrich feathers on her head2 and became the centre of attraction for the thousands who congregated to behold her ascent from the gallery1 under the brilliant illumination of the fireworks that rained their myriads of sparks around her4 ,andrew ,ducrow1 who now came into notice1 was born in ,southwark1 in #agic1 in which year his father1 ,peter ,ducrow1 who was a native of ,bruges1 appeared at ,astley's as the ,flemish ,hercules1 in a performance of feats of strength4 ,andrew was as famous in his youthful days as a pantomimist as he subsequently became as an equestrian1 and was the originator of the poses plastiques1 the performance in which he first attracted attention1 and which was at that time a novel feature of circus entertainments1 being a series of studies of classical statuary on the back of a horse4 ,he appeared at the ,amphitheatre during only one season1 however1 leaving ,england shortly afterwards1 accompanied by several members of his family1 to fulfil engagements on the continent4 ,the first of these was with ,blondin's ,cirque ,olympique1 then in ,holland4 ,he had at this time only one horse2 but1 as his gains increased with his fame1 he was soon enabled to procure others1 until he had as many as six4 ,after performing at several of the principal towns in ,belgium and ,france1 he was engaged1 with his family and stud1 for ,franconi's ,cirque1 where he was the first to introduce the equestrian pageant termed an entre4 ,there he exhibited his double acts of ,cupid and ,zephyr1 ,red ,riding ,hood1 c41 in which he was accompanied by his sister1 a child of three or four years old1 whose performances were at that time unequalled4 ,simultaneously with the rise of ,ducrow1 the well-known names of ,clarke and ,bradbury appear in circus records4 ,when ,barrymore1 the lessee of the ,coburg ,theatre 7now the ,victoria71 opened ,astley's in the autumn of #ahai for a limited winter season1 his company was joined by ,john ,clarke1 fresh from saw-dust triumphs at ,liverpool1 and ,bradbury1 who was the first representative on the equestrian stage of ,dick ,turpin1 the renowned highwayman1 whose famous ride to ,york had not then been related by ,ainsworth1 but was preserved in the sixpenny books1 with folding coloured plates1 which constituted the favourite reading of boys fifty years ago4 ,clarke's little daughter1 only five years of age1 made her appearance on the tight-rope in the following year1 when ,madame ,saqui re-appeared at ,vauxhall1 and was one of the principal attractions of that season4 ,john ,astley survived his father only a few years1 dying in #ahba1 on the same day of the year1 in the same house1 and in the same room1 as his more famous progenitor4 ,after his death the ,amphitheatre was conducted for a few years by ,davis alone2 and by him hippo-dramatic spectacles1 the production of which afterwards made ,ducrow so famous1 and which greatly extended the popularity of ,astley's1 were first introduced there4 ,davis also signalized his management by the introduction of a camel on the stage for the first time in a circus1 the occasion being the production of the romantic spectacle of ,alexander the ,great and ,thalestris the ,amazon4 ,in the circle a constant variety of attractive1 and often novel1 feats of horsemanship and gymnastics continued to be presented4 ,all through the season of #ahba the great attraction in the circle was the graceful riding of a young lady named ,bannister--probably the daughter of the circus proprietor of that name1 whose name we shall presently meet with1 and who had1 shortly before that time1 fallen into difficulties4 ,during the following season the public were attracted by the novel and sensational performance of ,jean ,bellinck on the flying rope1 stretched across the pit at an altitude of nearly a hundred feet1 according to the bills1 in which a little exaggeration was probably indulged4 ,the great attraction of #ahbc was ,longuemare's ascent of a rope from the stage to the gallery1 amidst fireworks1 which had been the sensation of the preceding season at ,vauxhall ,gardens1 where1 at the same time1 ,ramo ,samee1 the renowned ,indian juggler1 made his first appearance in this country4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,ducrow at ,covent ,garden--,engagement at ,astley's--,double ,acts in the circle--,ducrow at ,manchester--,rapid ,act on ,six ,horses--#8,raphael's ,dream'--,miss ,woolford--,cross's performing ,elephant--,o',donnel's ,antipodean ,feats--,first year of ,ducrow and ,west--,henry ,adams--,ducrow at ,hull--,the ,wild ,horse of the ,ukraine--,ducrow at ,sheffield--,travelling ,circuses--,an ,entre at ,holloway's--,wild's ,show--,constantine1 the ,posturer--,circus ,horses--,tenting at ,fairs--,the ,mountebanks4 ,when ,elliston produced the spectacle of the ,cataract of the ,ganges at ,drury ,lane ,theatre1 in #ahbc1 ,bunn1 who was then lessee of ,covent ,garden ,theatre1 was induced by its success to engage ,ducrow1 who made his first appearance at that theatre on ,easter ,monday1 #ahbd1 in the lyrical and spectacular drama of ,cortez4 ,davis1 fearing a rival in the famous equestrian1 offered him an engagement at ,astley's1 where he soon became the chief attraction4 ,the double act of ,cupid and ,zephyr1 now represented by himself and his wife1 was received with as much applause as it had elicited at ,franconi's2 and a perfect furore was created when he appeared on two bare-back horses1 as an ,indian hunter4 ,cline's rope-walking feats varied the programme of the circle in #ahbf1 and in the following year ,ducrow1 having first given the performance with immense success at ,manchester1 introduced his great feat1 then unparalleled1 of riding six horses at the same time1 in his rapid act as a ,russian courier4 ,fresh novelties were produced in #ahbh1 the most attractive being the equestrian act called #8,raphael's ,dream1' in which ,ducrow reproduced1 on horseback1 the finest conceptions of the sculptors of ancient ,greece1 receiving immense applause at every exhibition4 ,miss ,woolford and ,george ,cooke made their first appearance at ,astley's in this year1 in a double performance on the tight-rope1 in which the former artiste was for a long time without a rival4 ,aptitude for this exhibition seems1 as in other branches of circus business1 to be hereditary2 and a ,miss ,woolford may have been found as a tight-rope performer in some circus or other any time within the last half-century4 ,i remember seeing a tight-rope performer of this name in a little show which attended the ,july fair at ,croydon about thirty years ago4 ,ducrow's stud was engaged this year for ,vauxhall ,gardens1 where the hippo-dramatic spectacle of ,the ,battle of ,waterloo was revived1 and proved as attractive as it had been some years previously at ,astley's4 ,the year #ahbh is also memorable for the first introduction of an elephant into the arena1 a colossal performing animal of that genus being brought1 with its keeper1 from ,cross's menagerie1 which many readers1 even old residents in the metropolis1 may require to be informed had its location on the site of what afterwards became ,exeter ,arcade1 in the rear of the houses on the north side of the ,strand1 between ,exeter ,street and ,catherine ,street4 ,the elephant was also led in the bridal procession which constituted one of the displays of the quadrupedal resources of the establishment in the spectacular drama of ,bluebeard4 ,in travelling over the records of saw-dust performances1 we are frequently reminded of the saying of the wise monarch of ,israel1 that there is no new thing under the sun4 ,the bills of ,astley's1 the advertisements of the ,royal ,circus and the ,olympic ,pavilion1 the traditions of travelling circuses1 present us with the originals of almost every feat that the acrobats and posturers of the present day have ever attempted4 ,ducrow1 it has been seen1 was the originator of the poses plastiques1 revived and made famous a quarter of a century ago by ,madame ,wharton and troupe1 at the ,walhalla1 in ,leicester ,square1 and subsequently by ,harry ,boleno1 the clown1 at the ,alhambra4 ,another instance comes under notice in #ahbi1 when a performer named ,o',donnel exhibited at ,astley's the antipodean feats performed a few years ago at the ,london ,pavilion1 and other music-halls1 by ,jean ,bond4 ,o',donnel mounted a ladder1 stood on his head on the top of one of the uprights1 kicked away the other1 with all its rungs1 and in that position drank a glass of wine1 and performed several tricks4 ,the kicking away of the unfixed portion of the ladder invariably creates a sensation among the spectators1 but adds nothing to the difficulty or danger of the performance4 ,on the lease of the ,amphitheatre expiring in #ahcj1 the owner of the premises raised the rent so much that ,davis relinquished the undertaking4 ,ducrow1 who possessed much of the energy and enterprise by which ,philip ,astley had been distinguished1 saw his opportunity at once1 and1 obtaining a partner in ,william ,west1 took the lease on the terms which his less enterprising predecessor had shrunk from4 ,he produced a gorgeous ,eastern spectacle1 and engaged ,stickney and young ,bridges for the circle4 ,stickney was an admirable equestrian1 the first of the many famous riders who have learned their art on the other side of the ,atlantic1 where he had already achieved a considerable reputation4 ,bridges was a rope-dancer1 and gained great applause by turning a somersault on the rope1 a feat which he appears to have been the first to perform4 ,later in the season1 ,henry ,adams 7the father of ,charles ,adams7 made his appearance as a performer of rapid acts of equitation1 the travelling circus which he had lately owned having passed into the possession of his late groom1 ,john ,milton4 ,during the portion of this year when ,astley's was closed1 ,ducrow and his company1 bipeds and quadrupeds1 performed for a short time at ,hull4 ,returning to the metropolis1 he opened the ,amphitheatre for the season of #ahca with the spectacular drama of ,mazeppa1 the only enduring performance of the kind with which ,astley's was for so many years associated4 ,most of them1 elaborately as they were got up1--for ,ducrow never spared expense1--and attractive as they proved at the time of their production1 owed their popularity to recent military events2 but the fortunes of the daring youth immortalized by the genius of ,byron1 and the headlong flight of the wild horse of the ,ukraine1 have proved an unfailing source of attraction1 and made ,mazeppa the trump-card of every hippo-dramatic manager who possesses or can borrow a white horse qualified to enact the part of the #8fiery1 untamed steed' upon whose bare back the hero is borne into the steppes of the ,don ,cossack country4 ,adams and ,stickney continued to attract in the circle1 but ,ducrow engaged in addition an acrobatic performer named ,williams1 who turned tourbillions at the height of twelve feet from the ground1 and repeated them through hoops at the same height1 over a tilted waggon1 over eight horses1 and1 finally1 over a troop of mounted cavalry4 ,the famous performing elephant1 ,mdlle ,jeck1 also made its appearance during this season4 ,when the ,amphitheatre closed1 ,ducrow took his company and stud to ,sheffield1 where he had had an immense structure of a temporary character erected for their performances4 ,he ruined the prospect of a successful provincial season1 however1 by indulgence of his overbearing disposition1 which manifested itself on all occasions1 in and out of the arena4 ,the ,master ,cutler and ,town ,council determined to patronize the circus officially1 and appeared at the head of a cortege of between forty and fifty carriages1 containing the principal manufacturers and their families4 ,but1 on the ,master ,cutler sending his card to ,ducrow1 in the anticipation of being personally received1 ,ducrow replied1 through one of his subordinates1 that he only waited upon crowned heads1 and not upon a set of dirty knife-grinders4 ,the astounded and indignant chief magistrate immediately ordered his coachman to turn about1 and the entire cavalcade returned to the ,town ,hall1 where a ball was improvised1 instead of the intended visit to the circus4 ,thus ,ducrow's prospects in the hardware borough were ruined by his own hasty temper and overbearing disposition4 ,it is now time to say a few words about the travelling circuses that had been springing into existence during the preceding fifteen or sixteen years1 and some of which have already been mentioned4 ,the northern and midland counties were travelled at this time by ,holloway's1 ,milton's1 ,wild's1 and ,bannister's2 the eastern1 southern1 and western by ,saunders's1 ,cooke's1 ,samwell's1 and ,clarke's4 ,we find ,holloway in possession of the circus at ,sheffield after its vacation by ,ducrow4 ,wallett1 who first comes into observation about this time1 was one of ,holloway's clowns1 and also did posturing1 and played ,simkin in saw-dust ballets4 ,he states1 in his autobiography1 that they opened with a powerful company and a numerous stud2 but it seems that there were not a dozen of the troupe1 including grooms1 who could ride4 ,the first item in the programme for the opening night was an entre of twelve1 five of whom were thrown off their horses before the round of the circle had been made1 one of them having three of his fingers broken4 ,the horses do not appear to have been in fault1 for they continued their progress as steadily as if nothing had happened4 ,wallett accounts for this untoward incident by stating that the dismounted cavaliers were clowns and acrobats1 and that few members of those sections of the profession can ride2 but1 considering that grooms could have been made available1 a #8powerful company' should have been able to mount twelve horses for an entre without putting into the saddle men who could not ride4 ,james ,wild's show was a small concern1 combining a drama1 la ,richardson1 with the performances of a tight-rope dancer and a fortune-telling pony4 ,wallett1 who had made his first appearance before the public as a #8super' at the theatre of his native town1 ,hull1 when ,ducrow was there1 and had afterwards clowned on the outside of ,charles ,yeoman's ,royal ,pavilion at ,gainsborough fair1 joined ,wild's show at ,leeds1 but soon transferred his talent to a rival establishment4 ,both shows were soon afterwards at ,keighley fair1 for which occasion ,wild had engaged four acrobats from ,london1 named ,constantine1 ,heng1 ,morris1 and ,whitton4 ,the popularity of ,ducrow's representations of ,grecian statuary had induced ,constantine to study them1 and having provided himself with the requisite properties1 he exhibited them very successfully in ,wild's show4 ,the proprietor of the rival establishment was in agony1 for his loudest braying through a speaking-trumpet1 and the wildest beating of his gong1 did not avail to stop the rush to ,wild's which left the front of his own show deserted4 ,wallett ruminated over the situation1 and at night sought ,constantine1 and made overtures to him for the purchase of his tights and #8props4' ,the acrobat entertained them1--perhaps the bargain was very liberally wetted1--and ,wallett became the triumphant possessor of the means of personating ,ajax and ,achilles1 and all the gods and heroes of ,homer's classic pages4 ,next day1 the show in which he was engaged was crowded to see him #8do the ,grecian statues1' while ,wild's was deserted1 ,constantine dejected1 and his employer despairing4 ,bannister's circus travelled ,scotland and the northern counties of ,england1 and it is a noteworthy point in his history that ,david ,roberts was engaged by its proprietor as scene painter when he added a stage and a company of pantomimists to the attractions of the ring4 ,this was in #ahag1 when the circus was located in ,edinburgh1 and the future ,r4,a4 had just completed his apprenticeship to a house-painter4 ,roberts says1 in his diary1 that he could never forget the tremor he felt1 the faintness that came over him1 when he ascended to the second floor of the house in ,nicholson ,street in which ,bannister lodged1 and1 after much hesitation1 mustered courage to ring the bell4 ,bannister received him very kindly1 looked at his drawings1 and engaged him to paint a set of wings for a palace4 ,the canvas was brought1 and laid down on the floor1 and ,roberts began to work there and then4 ,at the close of the circus season1 he was engaged at a salary of twenty-five shillings a week to travel with the company into ,england1 paint all the scenery and properties that might be required1 and make himself generally useful4 ,roberts says that he found that the last clause of the contract involved the necessity of taking small parts in pantomimes1 which1 he says1 he rather over-did than under-did4 ,his circus experiences were brief1 however1 for ,bannister became bankrupt before long1 and ,roberts betook himself to house-painting again until he was engaged by ,corri to paint scenery for the ,pantheon1 at ,edinburgh4 ,it may be remarked that he received no higher salary from ,corri than from ,bannister1 and did not reach thirty shillings a week until he was engaged as scene-painter to the theatre at ,glasgow4 ,the tenting circuses of those days were on a more limited scale than those of the present time1 and were met with chiefly at fairs4 ,they had seldom more than three or four horses1 of which perhaps only two appeared in the circle4 ,their proprietors were not so regardless of colour as ,philip ,astley was1 and favoured cream-coloured1 pied1 and spotted horses4 ,while the acrobats performed #8flips' and hand springs1 and the clown cracked his #8wheezes1' on the outside1 while the proprietor beat his gong1 or bawled through a speaking-trumpet his invitations to the spectators to #8walk up1' the horses stood in a row on the platform2 and when the proprietor shouted #8all in1 to begin6' the animals were led or ridden down the steps in front1 and taken round to the entrance at the side1 whence they emerged on the conclusion of the performance1 to ascend the steps1 and resume their position on the platform4 ,the performances were short1 consisting of two or three acts of horsemanship1 some tumbling1 and a tight-rope performance2 but they were repeated from noon till near midnight as often as the seats could be filled4 ,even in the palmy days of fairs1 the vicissitudes of showmen were a marked feature of their lives1 owing1 in part at least1 to their dependence upon the weather for success1 and the variability of the ,english climate4 ,a wet fair was a serious matter for them1 and the ,october fair at ,croydon1 one of the best in the south1 seldom passed over without rain1 which sometimes reduced the field to such a state of quagmire that hurdles had to be laid down upon the mud for the pleasure-seekers to walk upon4 ,saunders1 as we have seen1 was seldom out of difficulties2 and ,clarke had not always even a tent1 but pitched his ring in a field1 or on a common1 in the open air1 after the manner of ,philip ,astley and his predecessors1 ,price and ,sampson1 in the early days of equestrian performances4 ,he did not1 however1 make a collection--called in the slang of the profession1 #8doing a nob1'--but made his gains by the sale1 at a shilling each1 of tickets for a kind of #8lucky-bag' speculation among the spectators whom the performances attracted to the spot4 ,sometimes additional clat would be given to the event by the announcement that a greasy pole would be climbed by competitors for the leg of mutton affixed to the top1 or a piece of printed cotton would be offered as a prize for the winner in a race1 for which only girls were allowed to enter4 ,then1 while the equestrian of the company enacted the ,drunken ,hussar1 or the ,sailor's ,return1 or ,billy ,button's ride to ,brentford1 the acrobats would walk round with the tickets2 or the equestrian would condescend to do so1 while the ,polish ,brothers tied themselves up in knots1 or wriggled between the rungs of a ladder1 or ,miss ,clarke delighted the spectators by her graceful movements upon the tight-rope4 ,the business concluded with the drawing for prizes1 which were few in proportion to the blanks1 and consisted of plated tea-pots and milk jugs1 work-boxes1 japanned tea-trays1 silk handkerchiefs1 c4 ,this kind of entertainment was given within the last forty years2 but ,clarke was then an old man1 and with his death the race of the mountebanks1 as they were popularly called1 became extinct4 ,the last section of a mock ,act of ,parliament published about this time gives a good idea of the clown's business five-and-thirty years ago1 and affords the means of comparing the circus wit and humour of that period with the laughter-provocatives of the ,merrymans of the present day4 ,it runs as follows3-- #8,and be it further enacted1 that when the scenes in the circus commence1 the ,merriman1 ,grotesque1 or ,clown shall not1 after the first equestrian feat1 exclaim1 8,now ,i'll have a turn to myself10 previous to his toppling like a coach-wheel round the ring2 nor shall he fall flat on his face1 and then collecting some saw-dust in his hands drop it down from the level of his head1 and say his nose bleeds2 nor shall he attempt to make the rope-dancer's balance-pole stand on its end by propping it up with the said saw-dust2 nor shall he1 after chalking the performer's shoes1 conclude by chalking his own nose1 to prevent his foot from slipping when he treads on it2 nor shall he take long pieces of striped cloth for ,mr ,stickney to jump over1 while his horse goes under2 previous to which he shall not pull the groom off the stool1 who holds the other end of the same cloth1 neither shall he find any difficulty in holding it at the proper level2 nor1 after having held it higher and lower1 shall he ask1 8,will that do80 and1 on being answered in the affirmative1 he shall not jump down1 and put his hands in his pockets1 saying1 8,i'm glad of it20 nor shall he pick up a small piece of straw1 for fear he should fall over it1 and afterwards balance the said straw on his chin as he runs about4 ,neither shall the ,master of the ,ring say to the ,merriman1 ,grotesque1 or ,clown1 when they are leaving the circus1 8,i never follow the fool1 sir20 nor shall the fool reply1 8,then ,i do10 and walk out after him2 nor1 moreover1 shall the ,clown say that 8the horses are as clever as the barber who shaved bald magpies at twopence a dozen20 nor tell the groom in the red jacket and top boots1 when he takes the said horses away1 to 8rub them well down with cabbage-puddings1 for fear they should get the collywobbleums in their pandenoodles20 such speeches being manifestly very absurd and incomprehensible4 #8,saving always1 that the divers ladies and gentlemen1 young ladies and young gentlemen1 maid-servants1 apprentices1 and little boys1 who patronise the theatre1 should see no reason why the above alterations should be made2 under which circumstances1 they had better remain as they are4' ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,a few words about ,menageries--,george ,wombwell--,the ,lion ,baitings at ,warwick--,atkins's ,lion and ,tigress at ,astley's--,a ,bull-fight and a ,zebra ,hunt--,ducrow at the ,pavilion--,the ,stud at ,drury ,lane--,letter from ,wooler to ,elliston--,ducrow and the ,drury #8,supers'--,zebras on the ,stage--,the first ,arab ,troupe--,contention between ,ducrow and ,clarkson ,stanfield--,deaths of ,john ,ducrow and ,madame ,ducrow--,miss ,woolford4 ,circuses and menageries are now so frequently associated1 and the inmates of the latter have at all times been so frequently brought into connection with the former1 that it becomes desirable1 at this stage of the record1 to say a few words about the zoological collections of former times4 ,without going back to the formation of the royal menagerie in the ,tower of ,london in the thirteenth century1 it may be stated that1 when that appendage of regal state was abolished1 most of the animals were purchased by an enterprising speculator named ,cross1 who located them at ,exeter ,change4 ,the want of sufficient space there subsequently induced ,cross to remove the collection to the site afterwards known as the ,surrey ,gardens1 where1 under the more favourable conditions as to space1 light1 and air afforded by that locality1 it long rivalled that of the ,royal ,zoological ,society1 which had1 in the mean time1 grown up on the north side of ,regent's ,park4 ,the travelling menageries probably grew1 on a small scale1 side by side1 as it were1 with the royal collection at the ,tower1 until they developed into such exhibitions as1 half a century ago1 travelled from fair to fair1 in company with ,richardson's and ,gyngell's theatres1 ,cooke's and ,samwell's circuses1 ,algar's dancing booth1 and the pig-faced lady4 ,wombwell's menagerie was formed about #ahje1 and ,atkins's must have begun travelling soon afterwards4 ,these two shows were for many years among the chief attractions of the great fairs1 in the days when fairs were annual red-letter days in the calendar of the young1 and even the upper classes of society did not deem it beneath their dignity to patronize the itinerant menagerie and the tenting circus4 #8,wombwell's1' said the reporter of a ,london morning journal1 about three years ago1 by way of introducing a report of the sale of ,fairgrieves's menagerie1 #8had its great show traditions2 for its founder was a showman of no ordinary enterprise and skill4 ,he built up the menagerie1 so to speak1 and he made it by far the finest travelling collection of wild animals in the country4 ,his heart was in his work1 and he spared nothing that could help it forward4 ,tales of his enterprise are many4 ,he never missed ,bartlemy fair as long as it was held2 once1 however1 he was very near doing so4 ,his show was at ,newcastle within a fortnight of ,bartlemy's1 and there were no railways4 ,he had given up all intention of going to the fair2 but1 being in ,london buying specimens1 he found that his rival--a man named ,atkins--was advertising that his would be the only wild beast show at the fair4 #8,forthwith ,wombwell posted down to ,newcastle1 struck his tent1 and began to move southward4 ,by dint of extraordinary exertions he reached ,london on the morning of the fair4 ,but a terrible loss was his4 ,the one elephant in the collection--a fine brute--had so over-exerted itself on the journey that it died just as it arrived at the fair4 ,atkins thought to make capital of this1 and placarded at once that he had 8the only live elephant in the fair40 ,wombwell saw his chance1 and had a huge canvas painted1 bearing the words that within his show was to be seen 8the only dead elephant in the fair40 ,there never was a greater success2 a live elephant was not a great rarity1 but the chance of seeing a dead elephant came only once now and then4 ,atkins's was deserted2 ,wombwell's was crowded4' ,it is not easy to reconcile the keen rivalry between the two shows which this story is intended to illustrate with the fact that they never visited ,croydon fair together1 but always agreed to take that popular resort in their tours in alternate years4 ,the story may be true1 or it may be as apocryphal as that of the lion and dog fights with which the readers of another ,london morning journal were entertained three months previously1 when the tragical incident of the death of the lion-tamer1 ,macarthy1 had invested leonine matters with more than ordinary interest4 #8,did you ever hear of old ,wallace's fight with the dogs8' an ex-lion-tamer was reported as having said to the gentleman by whom the conversation was communicated to the journal4 #8,george ,wombwell was at very low water1 and not knowing how to get his head up again1 he thought of a fight between an old lion he had sometimes called ,wallace1 sometimes ,nero1 and a dozen of mastiff dogs4 ,wallace was tame as a sheep--,i knew him well--,i wish all lions were like him4 ,the prices of admission ranged from a guinea up to five guineas1 and had the menagerie been three times as large it would have been full4 ,it was a queer go1 and no mistake6 ,sometimes the old lion would scratch a lump out of a dog1 and sometimes the dogs would make as if they were going to worry the old lion1 but neither side showed any serious fight2 and at length the patience of the audience got exhausted and they went away in disgust4 ,george's excuse was1 8,we can't make 'em fight1 can we1 if they won't80 ,there was no getting over this2 and ,george cleared over two thousand pounds by the night's work4' ,in this account two different animals are confounded2 the old lion1 whose name was ,nero1 and a younger1 but full-grown one1 named ,wallace4 ,the blunder is strange and unaccountable in one who professes to have known the animals and their keeper1 and renders it probable that he is altogether in error about the fight he describes4 ,the newspapers and sporting magazines of the period--about fifty years ago--describe two lion-baitings1 which took place in ,wombwell's menagerie in the ,old ,factory ,yard1 at ,warwick2 and some vague report or dim recollection of them seems to have been in the mind of the #8ex-lion-king1' when he dictated the graphic narrative for the morning journal4 ,the fights were said to have originated in a bet between two sporting gentlemen1 and the dogs were not mastiffs1 but bull-dogs4 ,the first fight1 the incidents of which were similar in character to those described by the #8ex-lion-king1' was between ,nero and the dogs2 and1 this not being considered satisfactory1 a second encounter was arranged1 in which ,wallace was substituted for the old lion1 with very different results4 ,every dog that faced the lion was killed or disabled1 the last that did so being carried about in the lion's mouth as a rat is by a terrier or a cat4 ,i may add1 that ,i have a perfect recollection of both the lions1 having made their acquaintance at ,croydon fair when a very small boy4 ,i remember the excitement which was once created amongst the visitors to that fair by ,wombwell's announcement that he had on exhibition that most wonderful animal1 the #8bonassus1' being the first specimen which had ever been brought to ,europe4 ,as no one had ever seen1 heard1 or read of such an animal before1 the curious flocked in crowds to see the beast1 which proved to be a very fine male specimen of the bison1 or ,american buffalo4 ,under the name given to it by ,wombwell1 it found its way into the epilogue of the ,westminster play as one of the wonders of the day4 ,it was afterwards purchased by the ,zoological ,society2 but it had been enfeebled by confinement and disease1 and died soon after its removal to the ,society's gardens in the ,regent's ,park4 ,the ,hudson's ,bay ,company supplied its place by presenting a young cow1 which lived there for many years4 ,atkins had a very fine collection of the feline genus1 and was famous for the production of hybrids between the lion and the tigress4 ,the cubs so produced united some of the external characteristics of both parents1 their colour being tawny1 marked while they were young with dark stripes1 such as may be observed in the fur of black kittens1 the progeny of a tabby cat4 ,these markings disappeared1 however1 as they do in the cat1 as the lion-tigers attained maturity1 at which time the males had the mane entirely deficient1 or very little developed4 ,i remember seeing a male puma and a leopardess in the same cage in this menagerie1 but am unable to state whether the union was fruitful4 ,atkins's lion and tigress1 with their playful cubs1 were engaged by ,ducrow and ,west as one of the attractions of the season of #ahcb1 and were introduced to the frequenters of ,astley's by their keeper1 ,winney4 ,a zebra hunt was also exhibited in the circle1 in which four zebras appeared2 and with this novel spectacle was combined1 on the occasion of ,ducrow's benefit1 a mimic representation of a ,spanish bull-fight1 in which the great equestrian enacted the part of the matador4 ,when a similar exhibition was got up1 many years afterwards1 at the ,alhambra1 during the time when it was temporarily converted into a circus1 a horse was trained to wear the horns and hide of an ox1 and do duty for ,toro2 and1 though ,i have not been able to verify the fact1 this was probably the case at ,astley's4 ,it was during this season that ,ducrow had the honour of performing before ,william ,,iv41 who ordered a temporary amphitheatre to be erected within the grounds of the ,pavilion at ,brighton1 in order that he might witness the performances of this celebrated equestrian1 which included several of his most admired feats of horsemanship4 ,in the following year the bull-fight was repeated1 and the zebras re-appeared in the spectacle of ,aladdin4 ,after the ,amphitheatre was closed the stud appeared at ,drury ,lane1 instead of going into the provinces2 and this arrangement between ,elliston and the lessees of ,astley's was repeated in more than one season4 ,elliston's biographer relates that when the stud was engaged for ,croly's ,enchanted ,courser1 the horses and their grooms were at the stage door of ,drury ,lane ,theatre1 at the time fixed for the first rehearsal1 but there was no one to direct the important share which they were to take in the performance4 ,a note was sent to ,ducrow1 who replied that his agreement with ,elliston only related to the horses4 ,this was found to be correct1 though undoubtedly an oversight on the part of ,elliston1 the ,drury ,lane manager1 who had to make a second agreement with ,ducrow for his personal services in superintending the training of the horses1 and the general arrangement of the scenes in which they were to be introduced4 ,the introduction of horses on the stage of ,drury ,lane was the subject of a letter to ,elliston from ,thomas ,wooler1 of ,yellow ,dwarf fame1 from which the following passages1 are extracted1 as bearing upon the long subsequent production of ,richard ,,iii4 at ,astley's1 while under the management of ,william ,cooke4 #8,what think you of mounting ,shakespeare's heroes1 as the bard himself would rejoice they should be8 ,why not allow the wand of ,ducrow to aid the representation of his dramas1 as well as the pencil of ,stanfield8 8,saddle ,white ,surrey0 in good earnest1 and1 as from ,the ,surrey you once banished these animals1 and have taken them up at ,drury ,lane1 think of doing them justice4 ,i fancy your giving up the circle in ,st ,george's ,fields1 and bringing your stable into a ,theatre ,royal1 a little inconsistent2 but no matter1 it is done1 and reminds me of a friend of mine1 who swept away his poultry-yard from his suitable villa at ,fulham1 and yet kept cocks and hens in ,fleet ,street4 #8,but to return2 instead of niggardly furnishing ,richard and ,richmond with armies that do not muster the force of a serjeant's guard1 give them an efficient force of horse and foot4 ,your two-legged actors would be in arms against this project1 but disregard their jealousy1 and remember that four to two are two to one in your favour4 ,richard should march to the field in the full panoply of all your cavalry1 and not trudge like a poor pedlar1 whom no one would dream of 8interrupting in his expedition10 ,he might impressively dismount in compliment to the ladies2 and when in the field he cries1 8,my kingdom for a horse60 the audience might fairly deem such a price only a fair offer for the recovery of so noble an animal4 ,the audience would wish ,hotspur to manage his roan as well as his lady1 and though amongst your spectators there might be perhaps a grey mare1 yet she would be content that ,hotspur should be the 8better horse0 for her night's amusement4' ,what ,wallett says of the absence of a good seat on horseback from the list of the qualifications of clowns and acrobats is true of actors1 and in a greater degree1 in the sense1 ,i mean1 that is attached to riding by professional entertainers of the public4 ,the number of actors who can ride at all is comparatively small2 and among those who can1 and who make a decent figure in ,rotten ,row1 there are probably not two who would venture to gallop across a stage1 and much less to take part in an equestrian combat or joust4 ,hence it is only in the arena of a circus that ,richmond wins his crown as he did at ,bosworth2 and1 though horses were again introduced on the stage of ,drury ,lane in the drama of ,rebecca1 they were not ridden by the actors whose names appeared in the bills4 ,the horses belonged to a circus company1 and were ridden by the practised equestrians accustomed to bestride them--#8doubles' of the ,knight of ,ivanhoe and ,sir ,brian ,bois-,guilbert4 ,when ,bernard's hippo-dramatic spectacle of ,st ,george and the ,dragon was produced at ,drury ,lane1 under the superintendence of ,ducrow1 who had acquired great experience in the arrangement of equestrian cavalcades1 pageants1 and tableaux1 there was a great deal of trouble with the supernumeraries1 who were not accustomed to doing their business in the manner expected from them by so accomplished a pantomimist as the lessee of ,astley's4 ,while the scene was being rehearsed in which the people appear excitedly before the ,egyptian king1 with the news of the devastation and dismay caused by the dragon1 the #8supers' exhausted ,ducrow's not very large stock of patience1 and1 after making them go through their business two or three times1 without any improvement1 his temper burst out1 in his characteristic manner4 #8,look here1 you damned fools6' he exclaimed4 #8,you should rush up to the ,king1--that chap there--and say1 8,old fellow1 the dragon has come1 and we are in a mess1 and you must get us out of it40 ,the ,king says1 8,go to ,brougham10 and you all go off to ,brougham2 and he says1 8,what the devil do ,i know about the dragon8 ,go to your gods10 and your gods is that lump of tow burning on that block of timber4' ,this strange address was accompanied by an exhibition of the pantomimic skill of which ,ducrow possessed a greater degree than any man of his day1 and which was intended to impress the subordinate actors and supernumeraries of the theatre with a correct idea of the manner in which their business should be performed4 ,this was ,ducrow's manner on all occasions4 ,one morning1 during the season of #ahcc1 he was on the stage1 in his dressing-gown and slippers1 to witness the first rehearsal of a new feat by the ,german rope-walker1 ,cline4 ,the rope was stretched from the stage to the gallery1 and the performer was to ascend it1 and return4 ,cline was a little nervous2 perhaps the rope had been arranged more in accordance with ,ducrow's ideas than with his own4 ,whatever the cause1 he hesitated to ascend the rope1 when ,ducrow snatched the balancing-pole from his hands1 and walked up the rope in his slippers1 his dressing-gown flapping about his legs in the draught from the stage in a manner that caused his ascent to be watched with no small amount of anxiety1 though he did not appear to feel the slightest trepidation himself4 ,the special attractions in the circle during the season of #ahcd were the ,vintner family1 who presented a novel performance on two and three ropes1 with double and single ascensions1 which had been much applauded the year before at ,franconi's2 and a troupe of ,arab vaulters and acrobats1 who seem to have been the first of their race who had visited ,europe in that capacity4 ,on the conclusion of the season at ,astley's1 the stud went again to ,drury ,lane1 where ,pocock's spectacle of ,king ,arthur and the ,knights of the ,round ,table was produced4 ,the production of this piece was the occasion of an unfortunate contention between ,ducrow and ,clarkson ,stanfield1 who was then scene-painter to ,drury ,lane4 ,the scenic artist had painted a beautiful view of ,carlisle1 which he wished to be seen by the spectators before their attention was diverted from it by the entry of ,arthur and his knights4 ,ducrow crowded the stage with men and horses1 and wished1 the curtain to rise upon this animated spectacle--knights caracoling1 banners waving1 trumpets blaring1 people shouting their welcome4 ,bunn sided with ,ducrow1 and ,stanfield retired from his post1 mortified and offended4 ,queen ,adelaide witnessed the performance of this spectacle1 as she had that of the preceding season1 and was so much gratified that she ordered a hundred pounds to be distributed among the company4 ,count ,d',orsay was so pleased with it1 that he presented ,ducrow with a gold and ivory-mounted dirk1 and a pair of pistols inlaid with gold1 which had been worn by ,lord ,byron1 and presented by him to the ,count4 ,henry ,adams was again a prominent member of ,ducrow's company in #ahce1 when he appeared in the circle as the ,mexican lasso-thrower1 a part which he performed with great dexterity4 ,in the following year1 the ,vintners and the ,arabs were found a source of undiminished attraction1 but were joined with ,price1 called the ,bounding ,ball1 who exhibited the then unparalleled feat of throwing thirty somersaults4 ,john ,ducrow1 brother of the renowned equestrian1 who had been the principal clown of the ,amphitheatre during the preceding ten years1 died in #ahcd2 and ,andrew ,ducrow's first wife1 the companion of his early triumphs1 died about two years afterwards4 ,widdicomb1 who had been ring-master of the establishment for many years1 died the same year1 at the age of sixty-seven4 ,ducrow subsequently married ,miss ,woolford1 who had for several years been one of the leading attractions of his establishment1 and various members of whose family helped to supply the travelling circuses with equestrians and tight-rope performers for a long period4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,lions and ,lion-tamers--,manchester ,jack--,van ,amburgh--,carter's ,feats--,what is a ,tiger8--,lion-driving and ,tiger-fighting--,van ,amburgh and the ,duke of ,wellington--,vaulting ,competition between ,price and ,north--,burning of the ,amphitheatre--,death of ,ducrow--,equestrian ,performances at the ,surrey ,theatre--,travelling ,circuses--,wells and ,miller--,thomas ,cooke--,van ,amburgh--,edwin ,hughes--,william ,batty--,pablo ,fanque4 ,he must have been a bold man who first undertook to tame and train a lion4 ,it has been jocosely remarked that he must have been a courageous man who first ventured to eat an oyster2 but a very different degree of courage must have been possessed by the man who first ventured upon familiarities with the tawny monarch of the ,african forests4 ,the distinction is attributed to ,hanno1 the ,carthaginian general2 but the first public exhibition of trained lions was given in the ,amphitheatre at ,rome1 where ,mark ,antony1 seated in a car1 with a lady by his side1 drove a pair of lions round the arena4 ,but we must come down to modern times for the first exhibition of tamed and trained lions and tigers in this country4 ,van ,amburgh is generally credited with the distinction of having been the first lion-tamer of modern times2 but ,i remember seeing1 when a very small boy1 the keeper of the lions in ,wombwell's menagerie enter the cage of a fine old lion1 ,nero2 and sit on the animal's back1 open his mouth1 c4 ,as this was more than forty years ago1 the performer must have been #8,manchester ,jack1' who was enacting the part of #8lion king' in ,wombwell's menagerie when ,van ,amburgh1 an ,american of ,dutch descent1 arrived in ,england with his trained lions1 tigers1 and leopards4 ,it has been said that arrangements were made for a trial of skill and daring between the ,american and ,manchester ,jack1 and that it was to have taken place at ,southampton1 but fell through in consequence of ,van ,amburgh showing the white feather4 ,the story seems improbable1 for ,van ,amburgh's daring in his performances has never been exceeded4 #8,were you ever afraid8' the ,duke of ,wellington once asked him4 #8,the first time ,i am afraid1 your ,grace1' replied the lion-tamer1 #8or that ,i fancy my pupils are no longer afraid of me1 ,i shall retire from the wild beast line4' ,after having been killed in the newspapers half a dozen times1 his back broken twice1 and his head once bitten off by a tiger1 ,van did retire1 undevoured1 and died quietly in his bed about five years ago4 ,manchester ,jack also retired from the profession1 and kept an inn at ,taunton for many years afterwards1 dying in #ahfe4 ,van ,amburgh and his trained animals were engaged by ,ducrow and ,west during the season of #ahch at ,astley's1 and proved a great attraction4 ,then came ,carter1 another lion-tamer1 who appeared with his animals1 in a drama specially written for them1 as ,afghar1 a lion-tamer1 in which part he drove a lion in harness and maintained a mimic fight with an animal called in the bills a tiger4 ,i have not been able to ascertain whether this animal was really a tiger1 a point upon which doubt arises from the fact of ,carter's collection being announced as containing a fine #8,brazilian tiger1' and from the application of the name by travellers and colonists imperfectly acquainted with zoology to every feline animal which is larger than a cat1 and does not possess a mane4 ,the beautiful striped animal properly called a tiger has very circumscribed range1 being found only in the hot regions of ,asia1 south of the ,himalayan mountains and east of the ,indus4 ,but the ,south ,african colonists call the leopard a tiger1 and many travellers in the tropical regions of ,america speak of the jaguar by that name4 ,carter's #8,brazilian tiger' was1 of course1 a jaguar2 but his collection may have contained a veritable tiger1 and it may have been the latter animal that he engaged in mimic conflict with on the stage4 ,tigers are not usually sufficiently docile to be trusted in such performances2 but the possibility of their being so trained is proved by the fact that ,i saw a struggle between a man and a tiger1 about five and thirty years ago1 in a small show pitched on a piece of waste ground at ,norwood4 ,it was a rather tame affair1 however1 and1 coupled with the fact that the tiger was the sole representative of the #8group of trained animals' announced in the bills1 caused my boyish disappointment to vent itself1 as ,i passed out of the show1 in a remark on the discrepancy between the promise and the performance4 #8,what can you expect for a penny8' was the rejoinder of the shabby woman who acted as money-taker2 and1 though ,i felt that ,i ought to have seen at least another animal1 ,i passed on1 silently wondering how a tiger and several human beings could be fed upon the scanty receipts of a little penny show2 for there was a drama produced1 the hero of which was an ,english traveller1 who underwent harrowing adventures among savages and wild beasts in ,central ,africa4 ,the ex-lion king1 whose reminiscences and experiences were recorded three years ago in a ,london morning journal1 computes the number of lions in this country at about fifty2 but this seems erroneous1 as there were ten in ,fairgrieve's menagerie1 and probably as many in each of the other two shows into which ,wombwell's collection was divided at his death1 five in ,manders's1 and five attached to ,sanger's circus1 besides those in ,hilton's1 ,day's1 and other menageries1 ,bell and ,myers's circus1 and the ,zoological ,gardens of ,london1 ,bristol1 and ,manchester4 ,the greater number of them have been bred in cages4 ,these are cheaper than the imported lions1 but seldom attain so large a size as the latter4 ,jamrach1 of ,ratcliffe ,highway1 is the agent through whom most of the imported lions are procured4 ,he has agents abroad1 and also buys from captains and stewards of ships1 who sometimes bring home wild animals as a commercial speculation4 ,as ,i lay claim to no practical knowledge of the business of lion-taming and lion-training1 ,i quote here what the #8ex-lion king' said on the subject two years ago1 in preference to writing at random about it4 #8,the lion-tamer1' we are told1 #8likes to get his beasts as young as he can1 because then they are more easily brought into order1 although1 no doubt1 there are many instances where a full-grown forest lion has been trained to high perfection4 ,the lion-tamer begins by taking the feeding of them into his own hands1 and so gets them to know him4 ,he commences feeding them from the outside of the den1 then ventures inside to one at a time1 always carefully keeping his face to the animal1 and avoiding any violence1 which is a mistake whenever it can be avoided1 as it rouses the dormant devil in the beasts4 ,getting to handle the lion1 the tamer begins by stroking him down the back1 gradually working up to the head1 which he begins to scratch1 and the lion1 which1 like a cat1 likes friction1 begins to rub his head against the hand4 ,when this familiarity is well established1 a board is handed in to the trainer1 which he places across the den1 and teaches the lion to jump over it1 using a whip with a thong1 but not for the purpose of punishment4 ,gradually this board is heightened1 the lion jumping over it at every stage2 and then come the hoops1 c41 held on the top of the board to quicken the beast's understanding4 ,to teach the animal to jump over the trainer1 the latter stoops alongside the board1 so that when the lion clears one he clears the other1 and half a dozen lessons are ordinarily about sufficient to teach this4 ,to get a lion to lie down1 and allow the tamer to stand on him1 is more difficult4 ,it is done by flicking the beast over the back with a small tickling whip1 and at the same time pressing him down with one hand4 ,by raising his head1 and taking hold of the nostril with the right hand1 and the under lip and lower jaw with the left1 the lion1 by this pressure on the nostril and lip1 loses greatly the power of his jaws1 so that a man can pull them open1 and put his head inside the beast's mouth1 the feat with which ,van ,amburgh's name was so much associated4 ,the only danger is1 lest the animal should raise one of its fore-paws1 and stick his talons in2 and if he does1 the tamer must stand fast for his life till he has shifted the paw4' ,this is a fool-hardy feat1 in which a considerable amount of risk is incurred1 without exhibiting any intelligence1 grace1 or docility on the part of the lion4 ,but the concluding bit of advice is noteworthy1 as lions and tigers1 like cats1 sometimes extend their claws without intending any mischief1 and many injuries from them might be prevented by presence of mind on the part of the exhibitor4 ,stickney re-appeared at ,astley's during the season of ,van ,amburgh and ,carter1 and the vaulting performances of ,price were supplemented by the engagement of an ,american vaulter named ,north4 ,between these two famous vaulters a competition took place in the circle1 when the unprecedented number of one hundred and twenty somersaults were turned by each man4 ,ducrow's stud appeared1 for a short season1 in the summer of #ahda1 at ,vauxhall ,gardens1 returning to the ,amphitheatre for the winter4 ,his last production was the ,dumb ,man of ,manchester1 and the performance of the principal character in that drama was one of the most successful efforts as a pantomimist which he ever exhibited4 ,the conflagration by which the ,amphitheatre was destroyed for the third time gave such a shock to his system that mental aberration and physical paralysis resulted1 and he died on the #bgth of ,january #ahdb4 ,his remains were interred in ,kensal ,green cemetery1 where the monument erected to his memory is one of the most remarkable objects which arrest the eye of the visitor4 ,the performers at ,astley's1 biped and quadruped1 found a temporary refuge1 after the conflagration1 at the ,surrey theatre1 which1 having been originally an amphitheatre1 admitted of ready adaptation to circus requirements4 ,the dramatic company being retained1 a melo-drama was first presented1 and then the orchestra and a portion of the benches of the pit were removed1 and a ring formed in its place4 ,during the performance of the scenes in the circle the orchestra and the displaced spectators occupied seats amphitheatrically arranged on the stage4 ,the original status was then restored and the performances concluded with the popular hippodramatic spectacle of ,mazeppa4 ,as the taste for equestrian and acrobatic performances became more widely diffused1 amphitheatres were erected at ,liverpool by ,copeland1 and at ,bristol1 ,birmingham1 and ,sheffield by ,james ,ryan2 while the travelling circuses increased yearly in number and repute4 ,samwell's was still travelling1 but the rapid increase of wealth and population in the northern towns1 consequent upon the development of manufactures1 had induced its proprietor to leave the southern circuit1 and pitch his show near the great industrial hives of ,yorkshire and ,lancashire4 ,new names are presented to us in ,wells and ,miller1 in whose circus1 then located at ,wakefield1 ,wallett first assumed the distinctive designation of #8the ,shakspearian ,jester4' ,tom ,barry1 afterwards so well known in connection with ,astley's1 was then clowning in ,samwell's circus4 ,wells and ,miller soon dissolved their partnership1 and the former started a separate concern1 opening a very fine circus at ,dewsbury4 ,thomas ,cooke1 after a professional tour in the ,united ,states1 returned to ,england and opened at ,hull1 afterwards visiting the principal towns in the northern and midland counties4 ,van ,amburgh also1 obtaining a partner with capital1 started a circus with his performing lions1 tigers1 and leopards as an adjunct of no inconsiderable attractiveness4 ,one of ,john ,clarke's daughters was his principal equestrienne1 and he engaged ,wallett as clown4 ,edwin ,hughes brought out one of the largest establishments of the kind which1 at that time1 had ever been seen2 but he could not make headway against ,william ,batty1 who now came into notice1 and to ample means joined the indomitable energy and enterprise of ,astley and ,ducrow4 ,we find ,batty in #ahcf at ,nottingham1 with a company which included ,pablo ,fanque1 a negro rope-dancer1 whose real name was ,william ,darby2 ,powell and ,polaski1 for principal equestrians2 ,mulligan1 as head vaulter2 and ,dewhurst1 as chief clown1 with capacities for every branch of the profession1 being an admirable vaulter and acrobat1 and a good rider4 ,the stud was as good as the company1 and included a pair of zebras1 a wild ass1 and an elephant1 all of which1 with a contempt of local colouring worthy of ,ducrow1 ,batty introduced on the stage in ,mazeppa6 ,batty did not limit his movements to any part of the ,united ,kingdom4 ,in #ahch we find him at ,newcastle and ,edinburgh1 and in #ahdj at ,portsmouth and ,southampton4 ,some changes had been made in the company1 of which ,james ,newsome1 now proprietor of one of the best of the provincial circuses1 ,lavater ,lee1 the vaulter1 and ,plge1 the ,french rope-dancer1 were prominent members4 ,at the time when ,astley's was burnt for the third time1 ,batty's circus was in ,dublin1 where a good stroke of business had been done4 ,on hearing of the conflagration1 ,batty started for ,london by the next steamer1 made arrangements for the immediate rebuilding of the ,amphitheatre1 and returned to ,dublin4 ,the receipts were beginning to decline there1 and1 pending the completion of the new ,amphitheatre in ,westminster ,road1 ,batty resolved to construct a temporary circus at ,oxford4 ,to that city he accordingly proceeded1 leaving the circus under the management of ,wallett1 who1 after travelling for several years with ,cooke1 and two years with ,van ,amburgh1 had joined ,batty in ,dublin4 ,on the termination of the season in the ,irish capital1 ,wallett took the company and the stud to ,liverpool1 and1 as the circus at ,oxford was not yet ready for opening1 arranged with ,copeland for twelve nights at the ,amphitheatre4 ,this engagement1 being made without the knowledge and sanction of ,batty1 caused a warm dispute between the latter and ,wallett1 which did not1 however1 have the immediate effect of terminating the clown's engagement4 ,wallett tells a humorous story of ,pablo ,fanque1 with whom he became intimately acquainted1 and who used to fish in the ,isis4 ,the black was a very successful angler1 and would pull the golden chub1 the silvery roach1 and the bearded barbel out of the river by the dozen when ,oxonian disciples of ,walton could not get a nibble4 ,one intelligent undergraduate came to the conclusion that the circus man's success must be due to his dusky complexion1 and astonished his brothers of the rod by appearing one morning on the bank of the stream with a face suggestive of the surmise that he must have been playing ,othello or ,zanga at some private theatricals the preceding night1 and have gone to bed1 as ,thornton--well known in the annals of provincial theatres at the beginning of the present century--once did1 without wiping the black off4 ,the ,oxonian caught no more fish1 however1 than he had done before4 ,while ,batty's circus was still at ,oxford1 ,pablo ,fanque terminated his engagement1 and started a circus on his own account4 ,wallett1 always a rolling stone1 joined him1 and they proceeded to the north together1 opening at ,wakefield1 where1 for the present1 we must leave them4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,conversion of the ,lambeth ,baths into a ,circus--,garlick and the ,wild ,beasts--,batty's ,company at the ,surrey--,white ,conduit ,gardens--,re-opening of ,astley's--,batty's ,circus on its ,travels--,batty and the ,sussex ,justices--,equestrianism at the ,lyceum--,lions and ,lion-tamers at ,astley's--,franconi's ,circus at ,cremorne ,gardens--,an ,elephant on the ,tight-rope--,the ,art of ,balancing--,franconi's ,company at ,drury ,lane--,van ,amburgh at ,astley's--,the ,black ,tiger--,pablo ,fanque--,rivalry of ,wallett and ,barry--,wallett's ,circus--,junction with ,franconi's4 ,while waiting for the reconstruction of ,astley's1 ,batty obtained possession of the ,lambeth ,baths1 a spacious building in the immediate vicinity of the ,amphitheatre1 and converted them1 without loss of time1 into a circus1 which he was enabled to open at the close of ,november1 #ahda4 ,though the process of conversion had been hastily carried out1 the accommodation and decorations left little to be desired2 and1 as ,dewhurst1 the clown1 observed on the opening night1 #8it1 like a punch-bowl1 looked all the better for being full4' #8,the performances last night1' said a critic1 #8were multifarious4 ,first1 there was the phenomenon rider1 the volant ,mr ,t4 ,lee1 who1 while riding one or more fiery steeds1 made 8extraordinary and wonderful leaps10 as the play-bill says1 round the arena1 and whose sinewy and symmetrical form1 and untiring activity1 drew forth the admiration of the audience4 ,the clown1 however1 thought proper to pass a criticism upon his leg1 declaring it was like a bad candle1 having more cotton than fat4 ,next came ,herr ,ludovic's 8celebrated extravaganza of ,jim ,crow and his granny10 in which the old trick of carrying two faces under one hat is ludicrously exemplified4 ,mr ,walker followed1 with his wonderful feats on the flying rope and his celebrated tourbillions1 in which he proved himself to be anything but a walker4 ,he was speedily displaced by ,m4 ,leonard1 the great ,french rider1 on two fleet steeds1 who was miraculously adventurous1--8hazarding contusion of neck and spine40 ,a group of ponies was then introduced1 and delighted the spectators with a variety of amusing and sagacious tricks2 they fought1 they leaped over poles1 and through hoops1 they sat down and stood up at command1 they wore cocked hats and cloaks1 lace caps and mantles1 and supped with the clowns on oaten pies1 sitting at the table with all proper decorum2 they fetched and carried1 they played at leap-frog1 they marched1 they danced1 they walked on their hind legs1 they bowed1 and they went down on their knees1 for here that was an accomplishment1 and not a detriment1 to any nag4 #8,a company of vaulters next performed some daring leaps and threw somersaults ad infinitum1 backwards or forwards1 in rapid succession4 ,after this ,miss ,o',donnell performed some pretty evolutions on horseback4 ,wonderful feats of 8ponderosity0 were next displayed by ,m4 ,lavater ,lee1 who balanced a feather and a plank forty feet long with equal dexterity1 and by various jugglings frequently placed his physiognomy in jeopardy4 ,these performances being over there came1 8for the first time1 a novel introduction1 replete with new and splendid dresses1 properties1 and state carriage drawn by four diminutive steeds10 in which the whole juvenile company appeared1 entitled ,the ,little ,glass ,slipper4 ,the foundation of this pantomime is old2 but it was produced with new faces last night1 and elicited loud and universal approbation4 ,some of the performers were scarcely able to toddle1 but the acting of the whole was unique1 and deserving of all the praise it received4 ,the dresses and arrangements were superlative in their style and effect4 ,a series of gymnastics and equestrian exhibitions1 with a new piece1 called ,the ,wanderers of ,hohonor and the ,sifans1 wound up the entertainments of the evening1 which were interspersed with the witticisms and waggeries of two very clever clowns1 one of whom is a good punster1 and the other a supple posture-master and a capital performer on--the penny trumpet4#8 ,early in #ahdb1 the programme was varied by a romantic spectacle called ,the ,council of ,clermont1 devised for the introduction of a group of trained lions1 tigers1 and leopards1 brought from ,batty's menagerie1 accompanied by their performer1 ,garlick4 ,the spectacle comprised a triumphal cavalcade of ,frankish warriors1 medival sports in rejoicing for victory1 the tricks of a ,greek captive's horse1 and the adventures of the ,greek among the wild beasts to whom he is thrown to be devoured4 ,it had a very brief run1 however1 and was succeeded by the elephant1 and subsequently by a tournament1 to which was given the anachronical title of ,the ,eglinton ,tournament1 or ,the ,lists of ,ashby6 ,shakspeare1 it may be said1 has given1 as the locality of the scene of an incident in one of his plays1 #8a sea-port in ,bohemia2' but the making the ,eglinton tournament take place at ,ashby-de-la-,zouch is an anachronism as glaring as the incongruity of elephants and zebras in a ,cossack camp4 ,the ,olympic ,arena1 as ,batty's new circus was called1 was the scene of some feats too remarkable to be omitted from this record4 ,walker1 on one occasion1 sustained the weight of six men1 and held six cart-wheels suspended1 while hanging by the feet from slings2 but it must be remarked that he held only two of the wheels with his hands1 the others being attached in pairs to his feet1 which were secured in the slings1 so that the weight fell chiefly upon the rope to which the slings were attached4 ,more remarkable feats were performed by ,lavater ,lee on his benefit night1 when he vaulted over fourteen horses1 threw a dozen half-hundred weights over his head1 bent backward over a chair1 and in that position lifted a bar of iron weighing a hundred pounds1 threw a back somersault on a horse going at full speed1 and turned twenty-one forward somersaults1 without the aid of a spring-board4 ,dewhurst1 the clown1 must be allowed to speak for himself in the bill which he issued for his benefit1 and which1 as regards his own performances1 was as follows3-- #8,this is the night to see ,,dewhurst',s long and ,,lofty ,,jumps1 without the assistance of a spring-board3--#a4 ,over a garter #ad feet high4 #b4 ,over a man standing on a horse lengthways4 #c4 ,through a hoop of fire two feet in diameter4 #d4 ,through a circle of pointed daggers4 #e4 ,over #aj horses4 #f4 ,through six balloons4 #g4 ,over three horses1 one standing on the backs of the other two4 ,and finally1 to crown his extraordinary efforts1 he will leap through a ,,military ,,drum1 and over a ,,real ,,post-,,chaise ,,and ,,pair ,,of ,,horses4 #8,during the evening will be introduced several ,,new ,,acts ,,of ,,horsemanship1 during the intervals of which ,mr ,,dewhurst will perform many surprising ,feats2 amongst the number1 he will tie his body in a complete knot4 ,after which he will walk on his hands1 and carry in his mouth two fifty-six pound weights2 in finis1 it will be a ,,grand ,,banquet ,,night66 ,more entertainments than all the ,aldermen in ,london can swallow4 ,dishes to please ,old and ,young1 ,father and ,son--,daughter and ,mother1 ,sister and ,brother--,fat and ,lean1 ,dirty and ,clean--,short and ,small1 ,big and ,tall--,wise and ,witty1 ,ugly and ,pretty--,good and ,bad1 ,simple or ,sad--,all may enjoy1 and plenty to pick and choose among--,curious ,speeches1 ,mild ,observations1 ,strange ,questions1 and ,ugly ,answers--,shakspeare reversed1 and ,milton with a glass eye--,conundrums1 ,riddles1 ,charades1 ,enigmas1 and ,problems--,with a variety of real ,nonsensical ,nonsense1 too innumerable to mention--hem6 #8,mr ,,dewhurst will on this night dance an ,,original ,,mock ,,cachouca1 in a style nothing like ,,madame ,,taglioni4 ,mr ,d4 will likewise dance the ,,cracovienne1 as originally danced by ,mademoiselle ,,fanny ,,elsler1 at her ,majesty's ,theatre1 ,italian ,opera ,house4 ,he will also burlesque a favourite dance of ,,madame ,,celeste2 and conclude with a ,new ,comic ,lancashire ,,hornpipe ,,in ,,clogs4' ,batty removed his company and stud at ,whitsuntide to the ,surrey1 for a short season1 ,dewhurst taking another benefit1 on which occasion he issued the following characteristic appeal3-- #8,on this particular occasion ,mr ,dewhurst's tongue will be placed on a swivel in the centre1 and black-leaded at both ends1 to bring laughing into fashion4 #8,i wonder how the people can ,call me ,mr ,merryman6 ,worn are my clothes almost out ,by being whipped and knocked about2 ,torn is my face in twenty places ,by stretching wide to make grimaces4 ,my worthy cits1 ,now is it fit ,that you should sit1 ,gallanting it1 ,the whole kit1 ,in box and pit1 ,to see me hit1 ,boxed1 cuffed1 and smit1 ,sham dead as a nit1 ,and laugh at it1 ,till your sides split8 ,there you sit1 ,though requisite ,to rack my wit ,these rhymes to knit1 ,which ,i have writ ,to bring the folks to a house well lit1 ,to fill the house before we quit1 ,for a great attraction all admit ,will be on ,dewhurst's benefit4' ,from the ,surrey1 ,batty and his company removed to ,white ,conduit ,gardens1 where a temporary circus was erected for the summer season1 and in early autumn to the theatre at ,brighton4 ,astley's was re-opened shortly afterwards with a powerful company and a numerous stud of beautiful and well-trained horses4 ,batty was himself a capital rider2 ,newsome1 his articled pupil1 was already a very promising equestrian2 and the company was now joined by the celebrated ,stickney1 who was a great attraction during several seasons4 ,a bull-fight was one of the special features of the programme of #ahdb-c1 a horse being1 as on other occasions when the conflicts of the ,corrida de los ,toros have been represented in the arena1 trained to play the part of the bull4 ,while performing at ,brighton1 ,batty was convicted of having performed a pantomime in a place unlicensed for theatrical performances1 whereby he had incurred a penalty of #ej under an ,act of the reign of ,george ,,ii41 which has been exercised on several occasions to the vexation and loss of the circus proprietors against whom it has been enforced4 ,batty appealed against the conviction1 and engaged counsel1 by whom it was elicited from the witnesses that the dialogue did not exceed fourteen lines1 and was merely an introduction to an equestrian and acrobatic entertainment without scenery4 ,it was argued for the appellant that the spectacle which had been represented was neither a pantomime nor a stage play2 and that if an entertainment without a stage or scenery was a #8stage play1' the well-known tailor's ride to ,brentford was a stage play1 and1 if dialogue alone made an entertainment a stage play1 the clown must not crack jokes with the ring-master1 nor ,punch appeal to the drummer outside his temple4 ,counsel reminded the bench that the ,lord ,chamberlain's jurisdiction did not extend to the ,surrey side of the ,thames1 and that magistrates had power to grant licenses only at a distance of twenty miles from the metropolis2 so that ,astley's1 the ,surrey1 the ,victoria1 and the ,bower infringed with impunity the ,act under which ,batty had been convicted4 ,the conviction was quashed1 but the result of the appeal has not prevented other circus proprietors from being similarly molested in other parts of the country4 ,during the summer of #ahdc1 ,batty's company performed in the ,victoria ,gardens1 at ,norwich1 where the feats of ,masotta1 #8the dare-devil rider1' from ,franconi's1 formed a striking feature of the programme4 ,he was famous for leaping on and off the horse1 from side to side1 and backward and forward1 while the animal was in full career4 ,plge1 the rope-dancer1 and ,kemp1 the pole performer1 were also in the company4 ,on the company and stud returning to ,astley's in the autumn1 the stirring events of the war in ,afghanistan were embodied in one of those patriotic and military spectacles for which the establishment was famous4 ,the national pulse did not beat so ardently at beat of drum and call of trumpet as it had done a quarter of a century before1 however1 and the run of the piece was proportionately short4 ,it was followed by a spectacular play founded upon incidents connected with the battle of ,worcester2 a romantic equestrian drama1 illustrative of the final struggle between the ,spaniards and the ,moors2 and1 towards the close of the season1 by the ever-attractive ,mazeppa4 ,young ,newsome1 who displayed considerable ability as an equestrian pantomimist1 was a great attraction in the circle1 which now began to be enlivened by the humour of ,tom ,barry1 who continued to be principal clown at this establishment for several years4 ,among the more remarkable of the ring performances during this season1 other than equestrian1 were the feats of one of the ,henglers on the corde volante1 and ,kemp's tricks on the #8magic pole4' ,equestrian entertainments were given in #ahdd1 for a short season1 at the ,lyceum ,theatre2 and1 in the absence of rivalry1 attracted good houses4 ,at ,astley's1 new aspirants to fame and popular favour appeared in ,plge1 the ,french rope-dancer1 and ,germani1 a clever equestrian juggler1 whose performance seems to have somewhat resembled that given a few years ago at the ,holborn ,amphitheatre by ,agouste1 with the difference that ,germani performed his feats on the back of a horse4 ,he juggled with balls1 oranges1 and knives alternately1 and then with a marble1 which he caught in the neck of a bottle while the horse was in full career4 ,carter1 the lion-tamer1 was also engaged towards the close of the season2 and1 his re-appearance having shown that the exhibition of trained lions and tigers was still attractive1 another of the profession1 named ,white1 was engaged by ,batty in #ahde1 with a group of performing lions1 tigers1 and leopards4 ,white1 however1 never produced the sensation created by the performances of ,van ,amburgh and ,carter4 ,the equestrianism was a very strong feature of the programme this season1 those accomplished riders1 ,john ,bridges and ,alfred ,cooke1 being engaged1 while ,batty and ,newsome were pillars of strength in themselves4 ,cooke's company appeared this year at the ,standard1 and was succeeded in the two following years by ,tournaire's and ,columbia's1 but equestrian performances did not attract there4 ,in #ahdf1 ,simpson1 host of the ,albion ,tavern1 opposite ,drury ,lane ,theatre1 opened ,cremorne ,gardens1 for which he engaged the company and stud of the famous ,parisian circus of ,franconi4 ,at ,astley's1 in this year1 ,newsome revived ,ducrow's feat of riding six horses at once1 in an act called the ,post-boy of ,antwerp2 and a ,german equestrian named ,hinn1 with his daughter ,pauline1 were engaged4 ,young ,newsome and ,mdlle ,hinn sometimes rode together in double acts1 and in this manner an acquaintance sprang up between them which1 becoming tenderer as it progressed1 eventually ripened into marriage4 ,it was during the season of #ahdf that the extraordinary spectacle was witnessed at ,astley's of an elephant on the tight-rope4 ,it is not more difficult1 however1 for an elephant1 or any other beast1 to balance itself upon a stretched rope than for a man to do so2 the real difficulty is in inducing the animal to mount the rope4 ,the art of balancing consists in the maintenance of the centre of gravity1 which1 it may be explained1 is that point in any body1 animate or inanimate1 upon or about which it balances itself1 or remains in a state of equilibrium in any position4 ,in any regular-shaped body1 whether round or angular1 provided its density is uniform through all its parts1 the centre of gravity is the centre of the body2 but in an irregular-shaped body1 or a combination of two or more bodies1 the centre of gravity is the point at which they balance each other4 ,if we place any regular-shaped body on a table1 it will remain stationary1 or in a state of rest1 provided an imaginary line drawn from its centre of gravity1 and passing downward in a direction perpendicular to the table1 falls within its base4 ,but1 if the centre of gravity is in a part of the body above any part of the table that is outside the base1 the object will topple over1 and assume some position in which the centre of gravity will be within the base4 ,take1 for example1 a five-sided block of wood1 and place it upon the table4 ,if the five sides are each of the same superficies1 it will stand upon either of them2 but if they are unequal1 and it is so placed that the centre of gravity is above a part of the table that is outside the face upon which you attempt to make it stand1 it will fall down4 ,there is a little toy which ,i remember having seen when a child1 and which1 as it illustrates the natural law upon which the art of balancing depends1 ,i will here describe4 ,it was made of elder pith1 fashioned and coloured into a rough resemblance to the human figure1 and weighted with a piece of lead1 like the half of a small bullet1 which was attached to its feet with glue4 ,the centre of gravity was1 consequently1 so low that1 in whatever position the figure might be placed1 it immediately assumed the perpendicular1 and could be kept in any other only by holding it4 ,now1 if the feet of a human being were as much heavier than the head and trunk1 as the lead in this toy was heavier than the pith1 we should never be in any danger of losing our balance2 and an infant might be allowed to make its first essay in walking as soon as its legs were strong enough to support it1 without being in any danger of a fall4 ,but the head is1 in proportion to its bulk1 much heavier than the trunk2 and the breadth of the trunk considerably exceeds that of the feet1 which constitute the base4 ,the balance is1 therefore1 easily lost2 because a stumble throws the centre of gravity beyond the base4 ,though the maintenance of the centre of gravity is rendered more difficult in proportion to the height to which it is raised above the base1 as my younger readers may have found when constructing a house of cards1 this is not the case when any disturbance of the equilibrium can be counteracted immediately1 as in the case of a stick balanced on the tip of the finger4 ,a stick three or four feet long is more easily balanced on the finger than one much shorter1 because the tendency to topple over can be counteracted by the movement of the finger in the direction in which it leans1 so as to maintain the centre of gravity4 ,those who make an experiment of this kind for the first time will be apt to find that the balancing of a stick or a broom upon the finger is difficult1 owing to the smallness of the base in proportion to the height of the centre of gravity1 unless the eyes are directed towards the top4 ,the stick is at rest at the base1 and any deviation from the perpendicular must commence at the upper extremity4 ,keep your eye on the top1 and you can balance a scaffold-pole or a ladder1 if you can sustain the weight4 ,whatever difficulty there was in the feat of balancing a ladder1 to the top of which a small donkey was attached1 as exhibited in my juvenile days by an itinerating performer1--whence the saying1 #8,twopence more1 and up goes the donkey6'--was due entirely to the weight of the animal2 because1 if it was properly attached to the ladder1 the centre of gravity would be in precisely the same situation as if the ladder alone had to be balanced4 ,in the animal world1 the centre of gravity is invariably so placed as to produce an exact equilibrium and harmony of parts4 ,every animal furnished with legs is balanced upon them2 so that in man the centre of gravity is the crown of the head4 ,the reader may test this by leaning forward or laterally1 with the arms by the side1 and the legs straight1 when a tendency to fall will be experienced1 which can be counteracted only by extending an arm or a leg in the opposite direction4 ,the art of balancing the body in extraordinary situations1 as exemplified in the feats of rope-walkers and gymnasts1 depends1 therefore1 on the same natural law as that which enables us to balance a stick upon the finger4 ,the centre of gravity must be kept perpendicular to the rope or bar1 any tendency to sway to the right or left being corrected by the arms1 or by the balancing-pole1 if preferred1 by performers on the rope4 ,i have dwelt upon this subject a little after the manner of a lecturer1 because so many of the feats performed in the arena of a circus depend upon the natural law which ,i have endeavoured to explain1 and many of my readers1 who have witnessed them1 without being able to account for them1 may like to know something of the rationale4 ,it may be asked1 and the question is a very pertinent one1 why do not equestrians fall in performing feats of horsemanship in a standing position1 in which1 as the horse careers round the ring1 they lean inward8 ,this phenomenon is due to the counterpoise which1 in the case of bodies in a state of rapid motion1 the centrifugal force presents to the weight of the body4 ,centrifugal force1 it must be explained1 is the tendency which bodies have to fly off in a straight line from motion round a centre2 and the power which prevents bodies from flying off1 and draws them towards a centre1 is called centripetal force4 ,all bodies moving in a circle are constantly acted upon by these opposing forces1 as may be seen by attaching one end of a piece of string to a ball1 and the other to a stick driven into the ground4 ,if the ball is thrown horizontally1 with the string in a state of tension1 it will fly round the stick2 but1 if it becomes disengaged from the string1 the centrifugal force1 or its tendency to fly off1 will cause it to proceed in a straight line from the point at which the separation is effected4 ,let us now see how these forces operate in the case of the riders in a circus4 ,the equestrian leans inward so much that1 if he were to stand still in that position1 he would inevitably fall off the horse2 but the centrifugal force1 which has a tendency to impel him outward from the circle1 or in a straight line of motion1 sustains him1 and he careers onward safely and gracefully4 ,the tendency of the centrifugal force to impel him outward is counteracted by the inward leaning1 while it forms an invisible support to the overhanging body4 ,it will be observed also that the horse assumes the same counteracting posture2 and a horse quickly turning a corner does the same4 ,resuming our record of circus performances1 we find ,pablo ,fanque at ,astley's in #ahdg1 with a wonderful trained horse1 ,plge again appearing on the tight-rope1 and ,le ,fort1 #8the sprite of the pole1' in a novel and clever gymnastic performance4 ,the political events of which ,paris was the scene in the following year caused the managers of ,franconi's ,cirque to transfer their company and stud to ,drury ,lane ,theatre1 so that ,london had two circuses open at the same time for the first time since the days of ,astley and ,hughes4 ,john ,powell appeared during this season at ,astley's1 and an additional attraction was provided in ,van ,amburgh's trained animals1 to which there was now added a black tiger1 a rare variety1 and one which had never been exhibited in a state of docility before4 ,it was introduced in the drama of the ,wandering ,jew1 a story which was then creating a great sensation all over ,europe2 and ,van ,amburgh personated the beast-tamer1 ,morok1 through whose instrumentality the ,jesuits endeavour to delay the old soldier1 ,dagobert1 on his journey to ,paris1 by exposing his horse to the fangs of a ferocious black panther4 ,it was in this year1 it may here be remarked1 that ,sir ,edwin ,landseer's great picture of ,van ,amburgh in the midst of his beasts was exhibited at the ,royal ,academy1 where it attracted as much attention as the originals had done at ,astley's4 ,pablo ,fanque's circus had1 in the mean time1 moved from ,wakefield to ,leeds1 where a catastrophe occurred which has1 unfortunately1 had too many parallels in the annals of travelling circuses4 ,on a benefit night in ,march1 #ahdh1 the circus was so crowded that the gallery fell1 and ,pablo's wife was killed1 and ,wallett's wife and several other persons were more or less injured4 ,wallett then joined ,ryan's circus1 which1 however1 was on its last legs2 bailiffs were in possession1 and its declining fortunes were brought to a climax by a #8strike' of the band4 ,at this crisis ,wallett had the good fortune to be engaged for ,astley's1 where a keen rivalry soon ensued between him and ,barry1 who claimed the choice of acts in the ring1 in his exercise of which ,wallett was not disposed to acquiesce4 ,thompson1 the manager1 took the same view as the latter of the equality of position of the two clowns2 and ,barry1 in consequence1 refused to perform1 unless the choice of acts was conceded to him4 ,a very attractive act was in rehearsal at this time1 in which ,john ,dale was to appear as an ,arab1 with a highly-trained horse1 and ,barry as a rollicking ,irishman4 ,as ,wallett had attended all the rehearsals he was as capable of taking this part as the other clown was1 and1 on ,barry failing to appear1 he was requested by ,thompson to take the part which had been assigned to his rival4 ,wallett complied1 and enacted the part of ,barney ,brallaghan with complete success4 ,barry thereupon retired1 and for many years afterwards kept a public-house in the immediate vicinity of the theatre4 ,thompson was succeeded in the management by ,william ,broadfoot1 the brother-in-law of ,ducrow1 whom he resembled very much in disposition and temper4 ,one day1 during the rehearsal of a military spectacle1 a cannon ball1 which was among the stage properties1 was thrown at him1 which so enraged him that he offered a reward of #b for information as to the person by whom it had been thrown1 the hand which had impelled the missile being unknown at least to himself4 ,there was a fine of ten shillings for practical joking during rehearsals1 but the reward left a wide margin for its payment1 and tempted ,wallett to acknowledge that he was the offender4 ,broadfoot paid the reward1 and ,wallett paid the fine1 afterwards expending the balance of thirty shillings in a supper1 shared with ,ben ,crowther1 ,tom ,lee1 and ,harvey1 the dancer4 ,there was another supper at ,astley's which the parties did not find quite so pleasant4 ,batty produced an equestrian drama called the ,devil's ,horse1 in which ,wallett had to play a subordinate part1 one agreeable incident of which was the eating of a plate of soup4 ,one night1 ,james ,harwood1 the equestrian actor1 intercepted the soup in transit1 and refreshed himself with a portion of it1 which so enraged ,wallett that he broke the plate on the offender's head4 ,by this assault he incurred the penalty of being mulcted of a week's salary1 the means of evading which exercised his mind in an unusual degree4 ,the expedient which he hit upon was the borrowing of ten pounds from the treasurer1 ,george ,francis1 having obtained which he went his way rejoicing4 ,he did not present himself at the treasury on the following ,saturday2 and ,batty1 meeting him on ,monday morning1 inquired the reason of his absence4 #8,i had no salary to receive1' replied ,wallett4 #8,i had borrowed ten pounds of ,mr ,francis in the week4' #8,then your fine will be a set off against next week's salary1' observed ,batty4 #8,aren't you aware1 sir1' rejoined ,wallett1 #8that the time ,i was engaged for expired on ,saturday night8' ,by this stratagem he escaped the payment of the fine2 but his engagement was not renewed1 and1 having saved some money1 he started a circus1 and opened with it at ,yarmouth4 ,business was very bad there1 and he proceeded to ,colchester1 where part of the circus was blown down by a high wind1 and this accident created an impression of insecurity which damaged his prospects in that town beyond repair4 ,at ,bury ,st ,edmunds and ,leicester he was equally unsuccessful1 and determined to proceed northward4 ,nottingham afforded good houses1 but ,leeds was a failure1 and at ,huddersfield the gallery gave way1 and the alarm created by the accident deterred persons from venturing into the circus afterwards4 ,franconi's company were doing good business at ,manchester1 in the ,free ,trade ,hall1 at this time2 and ,wallett1 after two more experiments1 at ,burnley and ,wigan1 with continued ill fortune1 effected an amalgamation with the ,french troupe4 ,james ,hernandez1 one of the most accomplished equestrians who have ever entered the arena1 made his dbut at ,manchester while the combined companies and studs were performing there1 and proved so sterling an attraction that he was engaged for the following season at ,astley's4 ,crowther1 who has been incidentally mentioned in connection with ,wallett1 married ,miss ,vincent1 #8the acknowledged heroine of the domestic drama1' as she was styled in the ,victoria bills4 ,the union was not a happy one1 though the cause of its infelicity never transpired4 ,it was whispered about1 however1 that a prior attachment on ,crowther's part to another lady had something to do with it2 and there were many significant nods and winks1 and grave shakings of the head1 at the bar of the ,victoria ,tavern1 and at the ,rodney and the ,pheasant1 over the circumstance of his strange behaviour in the church at which he and the fair ,eliza were married4 ,the talk was1 that the bride's position and worldly possessions had tempted him to break the word of promise he had plighted to another1 and that compunction for his faithlessness was the cause of his strangeness of demeanour on the wedding-day1 and of the domestic infelicity which it preluded4 ,but nothing ever transpired to show that these rumours had any foundation in fact4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,hengler's ,circus--,john and ,george ,sanger--,managerial ,anachronisms and ,incongruities--,james ,hernandez--,eaton and ,stone--,horses at ,drury ,lane--,james ,newsome--,howes and ,cushing's ,circus--,george ,sanger and the ,fighting ,lions--,crockett and the ,lions at ,astley's--,the ,lions at large--,hilton's ,circus--,lion-queens--,miss ,chapman--,macomo and the ,fighting ,tigers4 ,the haze which envelopes the movements of travelling circuses prior to the time when they began to be recorded weekly in the ,era cannot always be penetrated1 even after the most diligent research4 ,circus proprietors are1 as a rule1 disposed to reticence upon the subject2 and the bills of tenting establishments are seldom preserved1 and would afford no information if they were1 being printed without the names of the towns and the dates of the performances4 ,i have been unable1 therefore1 to trace ,hengler's and ,sanger's circuses to their beginnings2 but1 having seen the former pitched many years ago in the fair-field1 ,croydon1 ,i know that it was tenting long before its proprietor adopted the system of locating his establishment for some months together in a permanent building4 ,both ,hengler's and ,sanger's must have been travelling nearly a quarter of a century1 and the career of both has been prosperous4 ,indeed1 the most successful men in the profession have been those who have lived from their infancy in the odour of the stables and the sawdust4 ,such a man was ,ducrow1 and such also are the ,cookes1 the ,powells1 the ,newsomes1 the ,henglers1 the ,sangers1 and1 ,i believe1 almost every man of note in the profession4 ,they are not1 as a rule1 possessed of much education1 which may account for the incongruities so frequently exhibited in the #8getting up' of equestrian spectacles1 and the perplexities which so often meet the eye when the proprietor of a tenting circus parades in type the quadrupedal resources of his establishment4 ,i remember seeing a zebra in the ,cossack camp in ,mazeppa1 and that1 too1 at ,astley's2 for neither ,ducrow nor ,batty cared much for correctness of local colouring1 if they could produce an effect by disregarding it4 ,lewis1 when reminded of the incongruity of the introduction of a negro in a ,northumbrian castle1 in the supposed era of the ,castle ,spectre1 replied that he did it for effect2 and if an effect could have been produced by making his heroine blue1 blue she should have been4 ,the effect1 however1 is sometimes perplexity1 rather than excitement1 so far at least as the educated portion of the community is concerned4 ,i saw at ,kingston1 some years ago1 immense placards announcing the coming of ,sanger's circus1 and informing the public that the stud included some ,brazilian zebras1 and the only specimen ever brought to ,europe of the #8vedo1 or ,peruvian god-horse4' ,every one who has read any work on natural history knows that the zebra is confined to ,africa1 and that the equine genus was unknown in ,america until the horses were introduced there by the ,spaniards4 ,not having seen the animal1 ,i am not in a position to say what the #8vedo' really is or was2 but it is certain that the only beasts of burden possessed by the ,peruvians before horses were introduced by their ,spanish conquerors were the llama and the alpaca1 which are more nearly allied to the sheep than to any animal of the pachydermatous class1 to which the horse belongs4 ,leaving these wandering circuses for a time1 we must turn our attention for a little while to the permanent temples of equestrianism in the metropolis4 ,james ,hernandez made his appearance at ,astley's during the season of #ahdi1 in company with ,john ,powell1 ,john ,bridges1 and ,hengler1 the rope-dancer4 ,bridges exhibited a wonderful leaping act1 and ,powell's acts were also much admired2 but the palm was awarded by public acclamation to ,hernandez1 whose backward jumps and feats on one leg elicited a furore of applause at every appearance4 ,his success1 and consequent gains1 enabled him1 on leaving ,astley's1 and in conjunction with two partners1 ,eaton and ,stone1 to form a stud1 with which they opened on the classic boards of ,drury ,lane4 ,among the company was an equestrian who appeared as ,mdlle ,ella1 and whose graceful acts of equitation elicited almost as much applause as those of ,hernandez1 while the young artiste's charms of face and form were a never-ending theme of conversation and meditation for the thousands of admirers who nightly followed them round the ring with enraptured eyes4 ,it was the same wherever ,ella appeared1 and great was the surprise and mortification of the young equestrian's admirers when it became known1 several years afterwards1 that the beautiful1 the graceful1 the accomplished ,ella was not a woman1 but a man6 ,ella is now a husband and a father4 ,james ,newsome was also a member of the very talented company which ,hernandez and his partners had brought together under the roof of ,drury ,lane4 ,after completing his engagement with ,batty1 and entering into matrimonial obligations with ,pauline ,hinn1 he had proceeded to ,paris1 where he applied himself earnestly to the art of which he soon became a leading master1 namely1 the breaking of horses in what is termed the haute cole1 then almost unknown in this country4 ,the fame which he acquired in ,paris procured him an engagement in ,brussels1 where he taught riding to the ,guides1 by whose officers he was presented1 on leaving the ,belgian capital1 with a service of plate4 ,from ,brussels he proceeded to ,berlin1 of which city ,madame ,newsome is a native4 ,there the famous ,english riding master added to his laurels by breaking a vicious horse named ,mirza1 belonging to ,prince ,frederick ,william 7now heir to the imperial crown of ,germany71 who presented him with the animal1 in recognition of his skill4 ,it may here be added1 that he had the honour1 some years afterwards1 of exhibiting his system of horse-breaking before the ,prince of ,wales and the ,duke of ,cambridge1 by whom it was highly commended4 ,on the termination of their season at ,drury ,lane1 ,hernandez and his partners associated ,newsome with themselves in the firm1 and made a successful tour of the provinces4 ,in the following season1 however1 ,newsome separated from his partners1 and started a well-appointed circus of his own4 ,the distinctive features of his establishment are1 that he breaks his horses himself--other circus proprietors1 not having the advantage of himself1 ,batty1 and ,ducrow1 of being trained in the profession1 being compelled to hire horse-breakers2 and that the performances are not given under a tent1 set up for a couple of days only1 and then removed to the next town1 as in the case of most other circuses1 but in buildings erected for the purpose in most of the large towns of the north of ,england1 and permanently maintained4 ,the great ,anglo-,american circus of ,howes and ,cushing was added to the number of the circuses travelling in ,england and ,scotland about this time4 ,the strength of the company and stud1 and the resources of the proprietors1 threatening to render it a formidable rival to the ,english circuses1 the ,sangers were prompted by the spirit of competition to take a leaf from ,batty's book1 and introduce performing lions4 ,the lions were obtained1 and the appointment of #8lion king' was offered to a musician in the band1 named ,crockett1 chiefly on account of his imposing appearance1 he being a tall1 handsome man1 with a full beard4 ,he had had no previous experience with wild beasts1 but he was suffering from a pulmonary disease1 which performing on a wind instrument aggravated1 and the salary was tempting4 ,so he accepted the appointment1 and followed the profession literally till the day of his death4 ,it is worthy of remark1 as bearing on the causes of accidents with lions and tigers1 that ,crockett was a strictly sober man2 and so also was the equally celebrated ,african lion-tamer1 ,macomo1 who never drank any beverage stronger than coffee4 ,many anecdotes are current in circuses and menageries of the rare courage and coolness of both men4 ,one of ,sanger's lions was so tame that it used to be taken from the cage to personate the ,british lion1 lying at the feet of ,mrs ,george ,sanger1 in the character of ,britannia1 in the cavalcades customary with tenting circuses when they enter a town1 and which are professionally termed parades4 ,one morning1 when the circus had been pitched near ,weymouth1 the keepers1 on going to the cage to take out this docile specimen of the leonine tribe1 found the five lions fighting furiously with each other1 their manes up1 their talons out1 their eyes flashing1 and their shoulders and flanks bloody4 ,crockett and the keepers were afraid to enter4 ,but ,george ,sanger1 taking a whip1 entered the cage1 beat the lions on one side1 and the lioness1 who was the object of their contention1 on the other1 and made a barrier between them of the boards which were quickly passed in to him for the purpose4 ,this exciting affair did not prevent the lions from being taken into the ring on the conclusion of the equestrian performance1 and put through their regular feats4 ,if ,crockett temporarily lost his nerve on this occasion1 it must be acknowledged that he exhibited it in a wonderful degree at the time when the lions got loose at ,astley's4 ,the beasts had arrived the night before from ,edmonton1 where ,sanger's circus was at that time located4 ,how they got loose is unknown1 but it has been whispered1 as a conjecture which was supposed not to be devoid of foundation1 that one of the grooms liberated them in resentment of the fines by which he and his fellows were mulcted by ,batty1 and in the malicious hope that they would destroy the horses4 ,loose they were1 however1 and before ,crockett1 to whose lodging a messenger was sent in hot haste1 could reach the theatre1 one of the grooms was killed1 and the lions were roaming about the auditorium4 ,crockett went amongst them alone1 with only a switch in his hand1 and in a few minutes he had safely caged the animals1 without receiving a scratch4 ,these lions were afterwards sold by the ,sangers to ,howes and ,cushing1 when the latter were about to return to ,america1 and ,crockett accompanied them at a salary of #bj a week4 ,he had been two years in the ,united ,states1 when one day1 while the circus was at ,chicago1 he fell down while passing from the dressing-room to the ring1 and died on the spot4 ,the ,sangers possess lions at the present day1 and one of them is so tame that1 as ,i am informed1 it is allowed to roam at large in their house1 like a domestic tabby4 ,this is probably the animal which1 on the occasion of the ,queen's thanksgiving visit to ,st ,paul's1 reclined at the feet of ,mrs ,george ,sanger1 on a triumphal car1 in the #8parade' with which the day was celebrated by the ,sangers and their troupe4 ,while ,crockett was still travelling with the ,sangers1 and to counterbalance the attractiveness of his exhibitions1 it was suggested to ,joseph ,hilton by ,james ,lee1 brother of the late ,nelson ,lee1 that the former's daughter should be #8brought out' in his circus as a #8lion queen4' ,the young lady was familiar with lions1 another of the family being the proprietor of a menagerie1 and she did not shrink from the distinction4 ,she made her first public appearance with the lions at the fair1 since suppressed1 which used to be held annually on ,stepney ,green4 ,the attractiveness of the spectacle was tempting to the proprietors of circuses and menageries1 and the example was contagious4 ,edmunds1 the proprietor of one of the three menageries into which ,wombwell's famous collection was divided on the death of the original proprietor in #ahej1 formed a fine group of lions1 tigers1 and leopards1 and ,miss ,chapman--now ,mrs ,george ,sanger--volunteered to perform with them as a rival to ,miss ,hilton4 ,miss ,chapman1 who had the honour of appearing before the royal family at ,windsor1 had not long been before the public when a third #8lion-queen' appeared at another of the three menageries just referred to in the person of ,helen ,blight1 the daughter of a musician in the band4 ,the career of this young lady was a brief one1 and its termination most shocking4 ,she was performing with the animals at ,greenwich fair one day1 when a tiger exhibited some sullenness or waywardness1 for which she very imprudently struck it with a riding whip which she carried4 ,the infuriated beast immediately sprang upon her1 with a hoarse roar1 seized her by the throat and killed her before she could be rescued4 ,this melancholy affair led to the prohibition of such performances by women2 but the leading menageries have continued to have #8lion-kings' attached to them to this day4 ,twenty years ago the lion-tamer of ,george ,hilton's menagerie was ,newsome1 brother of the circus proprietor of that name2 and on this performer throwing up his engagement at an hour's notice1 owing to some dispute with the proprietor1 a man named ,strand1 who travelled about to fairs with a gingerbread stall1 volunteered to take his place4 ,his qualifications for the profession were not equal to his own estimate of them1 however1 and ,james ,lee1 who was ,hilton's manager1 looked about him for his successor4 ,one day1 when the menagerie was at ,greenwich fair1 a powerful-looking negro accosted one of the musicians1 saying that he was a sailor1 just returned from a voyage1 and would like to get employment about the beasts4 ,the musician informed ,manders1 into whose hands the menagerie had just passed1 and the negro was invited into the show4 ,manders liked the man's appearance1 and at once agreed to give him an opportunity of displaying his qualifications for the leonine regality to which he aspired4 ,the negro entered the lions' cage1 and displayed so much courage and address in putting the animals through their performances that he was engaged forthwith2 and the #8gingerbread king1' as ,strand was called by the showmen1 lost his crown1 receiving a week's notice of dismissal on the spot4 ,this black sailor was the performer who afterwards became famous far and wide by the name of ,macomo4 ,the daring displayed by him1 and which has often caused the spectators to tremble for his safety1 was without a parallel4 #8,macomo1' says the ex-lion king1 in the account before quoted1 #8was the most daring man among lions and tigers ,i ever saw4' ,many stories of his exploits are told by showmen4 ,one of the finest tigers ever imported into this country1 and said to be the identical beast that escaped from ,jamrach's possession1 and killed a boy before it was recaptured1 was purchased by ,manders1 and placed in a cage with another tiger4 ,the two beasts soon began to fight1 and were engaged in a furious conflict1 when ,macomo entered the cage1 armed only with a whip1 and attempted to separate them4 ,both the tigers immediately turned their fury upon him1 and severely lacerated him with their sharp claws2 but1 covered with blood as he was1 he continued to belabour them with the whip until they cowered before him1 and knew him for their master4 ,then1 with the assistance of the keepers1 he succeeded in getting one of the tigers into another cage1 and proceeded to bind up his wounds4 ,this was not the only occasion on which ,macomo received injuries1 the scars of which he bore to his grave4 ,every one who witnessed his performances predicted for him a violent death4 ,but1 like ,van ,amburgh1 like ,crockett1 he seemed to bear a charmed life2 and he died a natural death towards the close of #ahgj4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,pablo ,fanque--,james ,cooke--,pablo ,fanque and the ,celestials--,ludicrous affair in the ,glasgow ,police-court--,batty's transactions with ,pablo ,fanque--,the ,liverpool ,amphitheatre--,john ,clarke--,william ,cooke--,astley's--,fitzball and the ,supers--,batty's ,hippodrome--,vauxhall ,gardens--,ginnett's ,circus--,the ,alhambra--,gymnastic ,performances in ,music-,halls--,gymnastic ,mishaps4 ,when ,wallett1 the clown1 returned from his ,american tour1 he had arranged to meet ,pablo ,fanque at ,liverpool1 with a view to performances in the amphitheatre there2 but when the ,shakspearian humourist arrived in the ,mersey1 his dusky friend was giving circus performances in the theatre at ,glasgow1 with ,james ,cooke's large circus on the ,green1 in opposition to him4 ,london was not1 at that time1 thought capable of supporting more than one circus1 and it was not to be expected that ,glasgow could support two1 even for a limited period4 ,pablo ,fanque retired from the contest1 therefore1 and removed his company and stud to ,paisley4 ,doing a good business in that town1 he returned to ,glasgow with a larger circus1 a stronger company1 and a more numerous stud1 and ,cooke retired in his turn4 ,wallett1 who had been clowning in ,franconi's circus1 then located in ,dublin1 joined ,pablo ,fanque in ,glasgow1 and between them they devised an entertainment which was found attractive1 but which produced most ludicrous consequences4 ,there was a posturer in the company1 whose ,hibernian origin was concealed under the nom d'arena of ,vilderini2 and it was proposed that this man should be transformed1 in semblance at least1 into a ,chinese4 ,the ,irishman did not object1 though the process involved the shaving of his head1 and the staining of his skin with a wash to the dusky yellow tint characteristic of the veritable compatriots of ,confucius4 ,the metamorphosis was completed by arraying him in a ,chinese costume1 and conferring upon him the name of ,ki-hi-chin-fan-foo1 which appeared upon the bills in ,chinese characters1 as well as in the ,english equivalents4 ,whether his sponsors had recourse to a professor of the peculiar language of the ,flowery ,land1 or took the characters from the more convenient source presented by a tea-chest or a cake of ,indian ink1 ,i am unable to say2 but the strange scrawl served its purpose1 which was to attract attention and excite curiosity1 and the few ,celestials in ,glasgow were either more unsophisticated than the #8heathen ,chinee' immortalized by ,bret ,harte1 and suspected no deception1 or they were too illiterate to detect it4 ,it happened that an enterprising tea-dealer in the city had1 some time previously1 conceived the idea of engaging a native of ,china to stand at the shop-door1 in ,chinese costume1 and give handbills to the ,glasgowegians as they passed4 ,a ,chinese was soon obtained1 and posted at the door1 where1 in a few weeks1 he found himself confronted with a fellow-countryman1 who was similarly engaged at a rival tea-shop on the other side of the street4 ,the two ,chineses--,milton is my authority for that word--could not behold the circus bills1 with their graphic design of a ,chinese festival and the large characters forming the name of the great posturer who had performed before the brother of the sun and the moon1 without being moved4 ,they went to the circus1 and1 in a posturing act1 to which a ,chinese character was imparted by a profuse display of ,chinese lanterns and a discordant beating of gongs1 thumping of tom-toms1 and clashing of cymbals1 by supernumeraries in ,chinese costumes1 they beheld the great ,ki-hi-chin-fan-foo4 ,on the conclusion of the performance1 they went round to what in a theatre would be termed the stage-door1 asked for their countryman1 and evinced undisguised disappointment on being informed that he could not be seen4 ,they repeated their application several times1 but always with the same result2 and1 the idea growing up in their minds that their countryman was held in durance1 and only liberated to appear in the ring1 they went to the police-court1 and made an affidavit that such was their belief4 ,pablo ,fanque was1 in consequence1 called upon for an explanation1 and found himself obliged to produce the posturer in court1 and put him in the witness box to depose that he was not a countryman of the troublesome ,chineses1 but a native of the ,emerald ,isle1 who could not speak a word of ,chinese1 and had never been in ,china in his life4 ,pablo ,fanque moved southward on leaving ,glasgow1 but he fell into difficulties1 and borrowed money of ,batty1 giving him a bill of sale upon the circus and stud4 ,going into the midland districts1 and finding ,newsome's circus at ,birmingham1 he went on to ,kidderminster1 where1 failing to carry out his engagements with ,batty1 the latter took possession of the concern1 and announced it for sale4 ,becoming the purchaser himself1 he constituted ,fanque manager1 thus displacing ,wallett1 who had been acting in that capacity for the late proprietor4 ,wallett endeavoured to make an arrangement for the company and stud to appear in the amphitheatre at ,liverpool1 but could not obtain ,batty's acquiescence4 ,having engaged with ,copeland to provide a circus company and horses1 ,batty's refusal to allow the ,fanque troupe to go to ,liverpool put him to his shifts4 ,having to form a company in some way1 he engaged two equestrians1 ,hemming and ,dale1 who happened to be in ,liverpool without engagements2 and hearing that ,john ,clarke1 then a very old man1 was in the neighbourhood1 with three horses and as many clever lads1 he arranged with him for the whole4 ,he then started for ,london by the night train1 roused ,william ,cooke early in the morning1 and hired of him eight ring horses and a menage horse1 at the same time engaging ,thomas ,cooke for ring-master1 with his pony1 ,prince1 and his son1 ,james ,cooke1 the younger1 as an equestrian4 ,these were got down to ,liverpool with as little delay as possible1 and the amphitheatre was opened for a season that proved highly prosperous4 ,in #ahea1 the expectation of great gains from the concourse of foreigners and provincials to the ,great ,international ,exhibition in ,hyde ,park induced ,batty to erect a spacious wooden structure1 capable of accommodating fourteen thousand persons1 upon a piece of ground at ,kensington1 opposite the gates terminating the broad walk of the ,gardens4 ,it was opened in ,may as the ,hippodrome1 with amusements similar to those presented in the ,parisian establishment of the same name1 from which the company and stud were brought1 under the direction of ,m4 ,soullir4 ,besides slack-rope feats and the clever globe performance of ,debach1 there was a race in which monkeys represented the jockeys1 a steeple chase by ladies1 an ostrich race1 a chariot race1 with horses four abreast1 after the manner of the ancients1 and the feat of riding two horses1 and driving two others at the same time1 the performances concluding with one of those grand equestrian pageants1 the production of which subsequently made the name of the ,sangers famous1 in connection with the ,agricultural ,hall4 ,fitzball wrote some half-dozen spectacular dramas for ,batty during the latter's management of ,astley's1 one of the earliest of which was ,the ,white ,maiden of ,california1 in which an effect was introduced which elicited immense applause at every representation4 ,the hero falls asleep in a mountain cavern1 and dreams that the spirits of the ,indians who have been buried there rise up from their graves around him4 ,the departed braves1 each bestriding a cream-coloured horse1 rose slowly through traps1 to appropriate music2 and the sensation produced among the audience by their unexpected appearance was enhanced by the statue-like bearing of the men and horses1 the latter being so well trained that they stood1 while rising to the stage1 and afterwards1 as motionless as if they had been sculptured in marble4 ,fitzball adapted to the hippo-dramatic stage the spectacle of ,azael1 produced in #ahea at ,drury ,lane4 ,at the first rehearsal1 there was as much difficulty in drilling the gentlemen of the chorus into unison1 to say nothing of decorum1 as ,ducrow had experienced at ,drury ,lane in instructing the small fry of the profession in the graces of elocution4 ,there was an invocation to be chanted to the sacred bull by the priests of ,isis1 and the choristers1 who seem to have been drawn from the stables1 entered in an abrupt and disorderly manner1 some booted and spurred1 and carrying whips1 others holding a currycomb or a wisp of hay or straw4 ,kneeling before the shrine1 they shouted the invocation in stentorian tones1 and with a total disregard of unison2 and during a pause they disgusted the author still more by indulging in horse-play and vulgar #8chaff4' ,fitzball made them repeat the chorus1 but without obtaining any improvement4 ,they would play1 and they would not sing in unison4 ,fitzball glanced at his watch2 it indicated ten minutes to the dinner hour of the fellows4 ,he thereupon desired the call-boy to give his compliments to ,mr ,batty1 and request that the dinner-bell might not be rung until he gave the word for the tintinnabulic summons4 ,the choristers heard the message1 and1 as they wanted their dinners1 and knew that ,batty was a strict disciplinarian1 it had the desired effect4 ,there was no more #8chaffing1' no more practical jokes2 they repeated the invocation in a chastened and subdued manner1 and before the ten minutes had expired their practice was as good as that of the chorus at ,covent ,garden4 ,mazeppa was revived at ,astley's during the season of #ahea-b1 and the acts in the arena comprised the fox-hunting scene of ,anthony ,bridges with a real fox2 the great leaping act of ,john ,bridges2 the cachuca and the ,cracovienne on the back of a horse1 danced by ,amelia ,bridges2 the graceful equestrian exercises of ,mademoiselles ,soullier and ,masotta2 the gymnastic feats of the ,italian ,brothers2 and the humours and witticisms of ,barry and ,wheal1 the clowns4 ,the ,hippodrome re-opened in the summer of #aheb1 under the management of ,henri ,franconi1 the most striking features of the entertainment being ,mr ,barr's exhibition of the sport of hawking1 with living hawks and falcons2 the acrobatic and rope-dancing feats of the clever ,brothers ,elliot2 and ,mademoiselle ,elsler's ascent of a rope over the roof of the circus4 ,batty1 who was reputed to have died worth half a million sterling1 was succeeded in the lesseeship of ,astley's by ,william ,cooke1 who1 with his talented family1 for several years well maintained the traditional renown of that popular place of amusement4 ,like the ,ducrows1 the ,henglers1 the ,powells1 and others1 the ,cookes are a family of equestrians2 and not the least elements of the success achieved by the new lessee of ,astley's were the wonderful feats of equestrianism performed by ,john ,henry ,cooke1 ,henry ,welby ,cooke1 and ,emily ,cooke 7now ,mrs ,george ,belmore74 ,welby ,cooke's juggling acts on horseback were greatly admired1 and ,john ,h4 ,cooke's feat of springing from the back of a horse at full speed to a platform1 under which the horse passed1 and alighting on its back again1 was quite unique4 ,vauxhall ,gardens re-opened in #ahed with the additional attraction of a circus1 in rivalry with ,cremorne1 now become one of the most popular places of amusement in the metropolis4 ,the sensation of the season was the gymnastic performance of a couple of youths known as the ,italian ,brothers on a trapeze suspended beneath the car of a balloon1 while the arial machine was ascending4 ,the perilous nature of the performance caused it to be prohibited by the ,commissioners of ,police1 by direction of the ,home ,secretary2 a course which was also adopted in the case of ,madame ,poitevin's similar ascent from ,cremorne1 seated on the back of a bull1 in the character of ,europa1 though in that instance on the ground of the cruelty of slinging the bovine representative of ,jupiter beneath the car4 ,some years afterwards1 the gymnasts who bore the professional designation of the ,brothers ,francisco advertised their willingness to engage for a trapeze performance beneath the car of a balloon2 but they received no response1 probably owing to the official prohibition in the case of the ,italian ,brothers4 #8,would not such a performance be rather hazardous8' ,i said to one of them4 #8,oh1 we should only do a few easy tricks1' he replied4 #8,we should soon be too high for anybody to see what we were doing1 and need only make believe4 ,once out of sight1 we should pull up into the car4' #8,of course1' ,i observed1 #8the risk of falling would be no greater than if you were only thirty or forty feet from the ground2 but1 if you did fall1 there would be a difference1 you would come down like poor ,cocking4' #8,squash6' said the gymnast4 #8,as the nigger said1 it wouldn't be the falling1 but the stopping1 that would hurt us4 ,but the risk would have to be considered in the screw2 and then there is something in the offer to do the thing that ought to induce managers to offer us an engagement4' ,in #aheh1 ,astley's had a rival in the ,alhambra1 which1 having failed to realize the anticipations of its founders as a ,leicester ,square ,polytechnic1 under the name of the ,panopticon1 was converted by ,mr ,e4 ,t4 ,smith into an amphitheatre4 ,charles ,keith1 known all over ,europe as #8the roving ,english clown1' and ,harry ,croueste were the clowns2 and ,wallett was also engaged in the same capacity during a portion of the season4 ,one of the special attractions of the ,alhambra circle was the vaulting and tumbling of an ,arab troupe from ,algeria4 ,vaulting is usually performed by ,european artistes with the aid of a spring-board1 and over the backs of the horses1 placed side by side4 ,the head vaulter leads1 and the rest of the company--clowns1 riders1 acrobats1 and gymnasts--follow1 repeating the bound until the difficulty of the feat1 increasing as one horse after another is added to the group1 causes the less skilful performers to drop1 one by one1 out of the line4 ,the ,arab vaulters at the ,alhambra dispensed with the spring-board1 and threw somersaults over bayonets fixed on the shouldered muskets of a line of soldiers4 ,this feat has since been performed by an ,arab named ,hassan1 who1 with his wife1 a ,french rope-dancer1 has performed in several circuses in this country4 ,vauxhall ,gardens1 which had been closed for several years1 opened on the #beth of ,july1 in this year1 for a farewell performance1 in which a circus troupe played an important part1 with ,harry ,croueste as clown4 ,then the once famous ,gardens were given over to darkness and decay1 until the fences were levelled1 the trees grubbed up1 and the site covered with streets1 some of which1 as ,gye ,street and ,italian ,street1 still recall the former glories of ,vauxhall by their names4 ,some reminiscences of the provincial circus entertainments of this period have been furnished by ,mr ,c4 ,w4 ,montague1 formerly with ,sanger's1 ,bell's1 ,f4 ,ginnett's1 ,myers's1 and ,william and ,george ,ginnett's circuses1 and now manager of ,newsome's establishment4 #8,early in the spring of #ahei1' says this gentleman1 #8some business took me into the neighbourhood of ,whitechapel1 and while passing the ,london ,apprentice public-house1 ,i heard my name shouted1 and looking round espied ,harry ,graham1 whom ,i had known in the elder ,ginnett's circus4 ,he was doing a conjuring trick outside a miserable booth1 at the same time inviting the public to walk in1 the charge being only one halfpenny4 ,on the completion of the trick1 he jumped off the platform1 and insisted on our adjourning to the public-house1 where he explained the difficulty he was in1 having been laid up all the winter with rheumatic gout4 ,on his partial recovery1 he was compelled to accept the first thing that offered1 which was an engagement with the owner of the booth1 a man known in the profession as the ,dudley ,devil4 #8,poor ,harry begged me to give him a start2 so ,i came to an arrangement to take him through the provinces as ,m4 ,phillipi1 the ,wizard4 ,this was on a ,friday2 on the following ,wednesday he appeared at ,ramsgate to an eighteen pound morning performance and a fourteen pound one at night1 our prices being three shillings1 two shillings1 and one shilling1 although in ,whitechapel he would not have earned five shillings per day4 ,among other places ,i visited was ,dartford1 where ,i took the ,bull ,hotel assembly-room1 which had been recently rebuilt1 but not yet opened4 ,mrs ,satherwaite1 a lady of considerable distinction1 kindly gave me her patronage1 and ,i arranged for a band at ,gravesend4 ,on the day of the performance1 towards the afternoon1 the band not having arrived1 ,i sent my assistant to ,gravesend1 with instructions to bring a band with him4 ,half-past seven arrived1 the time announced for opening the doors1 when a large crowd had assembled1 as much out of curiosity to see the new room as the conjurer1 and in a short time every seat was occupied4 #8,just before the clock struck eight1 the time for commencement1 in came my assistant1 saying the band had gone to ,dover1 to a permanent engagement4 ,i ran round to the stage-door1 and told ,graham4 ,he said it was impossible to give the entertainment without music4 ,in my despair1 ,i rushed into the street1 with the intention of asking ,reeves1 the music-seller1 if he could let me have a pianoforte4 ,i had not got many yards when ,i heard a squeaking noise1 and found it proceeded from three very dirty ,german boys1 one playing a cornopean1 another a trombone1 and the third a flageolet4 ,on accosting them1 ,i found they could not speak a word of ,english2 so ,i took two of them by the collar1 and the other followed4 ,on reaching the stage-door1 ,i could hear the impatient audience making a noise for a commencement4 #8,harry ,graham1 on seeing my musicians1 said it would queer everything to let them be seen by the audience4 8,i can manage that10 ,i said2 8we will just put them under the stage1 and ,i will motion them when to go on and when to leave off40 ,in another moment ,m4 ,phillipi was on the stage1 and received with shouts of applause from the impatient audience4 ,on the conclusion of the performance1 ,i went to the front1 and thanked ,mrs ,satherwaite for her kindness1 when she said1 8,he is very clever2 but1 oh6 that horrid unearthly music60' #8,on finishing the watering towns1 ,i took the ,cabinet ,theatre1 ,king's ,cross1 where ,m4 ,phillipi appeared with success4 ,one evening1 to vary the performance1 we arranged to do the bottle trick1 and specially engaged a confederate1 who was to change the bottles from the top of the ladder1 through one of the stage-traps4 ,by some error1 the man took his position directly the bell rang for the curtain to go up1 instead of doing so1 as he should have done1 at the commencement of the second part of the entertainment4 ,m4 ,phillipi commenced his usual address1 explaining to the audience that he did not use machinery or employ confederates1 as other conjurers are wont to do2 and to convince them1 he pulled up the cloth of the table1 at the same time saying1 8you see there is nothing here but a common deal table40 ,to his surprise1 the audience exclaimed1 8,there's a man there60 ,but he was equal to the occasion1 and went on with his address1 taking the first opportunity to give the confederate a kick1 when down the ladder he went4 #8,at this establishment1 while under my management1 the earthly career of poor ,harry ,graham was brought to a close4 ,for many years it had been his boast that his ,richard ,,iii4 was second only to ,edmund ,kean's1 and that he only lacked the opportunity to astound all ,london with his impersonation of the character4 ,now the opportunity had arrived1 and he determined to play it for his benefit2 but1 unfortunately1 the excitement of this dream of years was too much for him1 and he died a few days afterwards4 ,those who are curious about the last resting-place of this world-renowned showman may find his grave in the ,tower ,hamlets cemetery4 #8,in the following winter1 ,i joined ,ginnett's circus at ,greenwich1 and found the business in a wretched condition4 ,the principal reason for this state of things was1 that the circus had only a tin roof and wooden boarding around1 and the weather being very severe1 the place could not be kept warm4 ,i was at my wits' ends to improve the receipts when1 being one day in a barber's shop1 getting shaved1 the barber remarked1 8,there goes poor ,townsend40 ,on inquiring ,i found that the gentleman referred to had been ,m4 ,p4 for ,greenwich1 but in consequence of great pecuniary difficulties had had to resign4 ,my informant told me that he was a most excellent actor1 he having seen him1 on more than one occasion1 perform ,richard ,,iii4 with great success2 and what was more1 he was an immense favourite in ,greenwich and ,deptford1 he having been the means1 when in the ,house of ,commons1 of getting the dockyard labourers' wages considerably advanced4 #8,it immediately struck me that1 if ,i could get the ex-,m4 ,p4 to perform in our circus1 it would be a great draw4 ,with this object in my mind1 ,i waited on ,mr ,townsend the next morning1 and explained to him my views4 8,heaven knows10 he said in reply1 8,i want money bad enough2 but to do this in ,greenwich would be impossible40 ,i did not give it up1 however1 but pressed him on several occasions1 until at last he consented to appear as ,richard ,,iii4 for a fortnight1 on sharing terms4 ,the next difficulty was as to who should sustain the other characters in the play1 there being no one in the company1 except ,mr ,ginnett and myself1 capable of taking a part4 ,we got over the difficulty by cutting the piece down1 and ,mr ,ginnett and myself doubling for ,richmond1 ,catesby1 ,norfolk1 ,ratcliffe1 ,stanley1 and the ,ghosts4 ,the business1 notwithstanding these drawbacks1 turned out a great success2 so much so1 that ,mr ,townsend insisted on treating the whole of the company to a supper4 ,shortly afterwards1 he went to ,america4 #8,in the following year1 while at ,cardiff1 we got up an equestrian spectacle entitled ,the ,tournament2 or1 ,kenilworth ,castle in the ,days of ,good ,queen ,bess1 for which we required many supernumeraries to take part in the procession1 the most important being a handsome-looking female to impersonate the maiden ,queen4 ,walking down ,bute ,street one day1 ,i espied1 serving in a fruiterer's shop1 a female whom ,i thought would answer our purpose admirably4 ,so ,i walked in1 and made a small purchase1 which led to conversation2 and by dint of a little persuasion1 and explaining the magnificent costume to be worn1 the lady consented to attend a rehearsal on the following day4 ,she came to the circus1 received the necessary instructions1 and seemed highly gratified when seated on the throne1 surrounded by her attendants4 #8,on the first night of the piece1 everything went off well until its close1 when ,mr ,ginnett rushed into my dressing-room1 in great excitement1 exclaiming1 8,there is that infernal woman sitting on her throne60 ,i immediately proceeded to the ring-doors1 and there1 to my dismay1 saw the ,queen on the throne by herself1 and the boys in the gallery pelting her with orange peel4 ,i beckoned to her1 but she seemed to have lost all presence of mind4 ,i sent one of the grooms to fetch her off1 and amidst roars of laughter her royal highness gathered up her robes1 and made a bolt4 ,it appeared that the ,earl of ,leicester1 who should have led her off1 had1 for a joke1 told her to stay until she was sent for4' ,gymnastics continued in the ascendant at the ,alhambra long after its conversion into a music-hall1 and crowds flocked there nightly to witness the wondrous1 and then novel1 feats of ,leotard1 ,victor ,julien1 ,verrecke1 and ,bonnaire on the flying trapeze4 ,somersaults over horses in the ring1 being performed by the aid of a spring-board1 are far surpassed by the similar feats of gymnasts between the bars of the flying trapeze4 ,the single somersaults of ,leotard and ,victor ,julien were regarded with wonder1 but they have been excelled by the double somersault executed by ,niblo1 which1 in its turn1 has been surpassed by the triple turn achieved by the young lady known to fame as #8,lulu4' ,i am not aware that a quadruple somersault has ever been accomplished1 if indeed it has ever been attempted4 ,it was stated1 about three years ago1 that a gymnast who had attempted the feat in ,dublin paid the penalty of his hardihood in loss of life2 but experience has rendered me somewhat incredulous as to the rumours of fatal accidents to gymnasts and acrobats which are not confirmed by the report of a coroner's inquest4 ,besznak1 the cornet-player of the ,london ,pavilion orchestra1 said to me one evening1 several years ago1 #8,you know ,willio1 the bender8 ,well1 he is dead2 went into the country to perform at a gala1 and caught a cold1 poor fellow6' ,willio is1 however1 still living4 ,i will give another instance4 ,about two years ago1 one of the ,brothers ,ridgway met with an accident at the ,canterbury ,hall1 while practising4 ,some weeks afterwards1 it was currently reported that his injuries had proved fatal4 ,subsequently1 however1 a gentleman engaged in the ballet at the ,alhambra1 and who1 at the time of the accident1 had been similarly engaged at the ,canterbury1 was accosted one evening1 while returning home1 in the well-known voice of the young gymnast who had been reported dead4 ,turning round in surprise1 he saw that it was indeed ,ridgway who had spoken1 looking somewhat paler than he did before the accident1 but far more lively than a corpse4 ,great as the risks attending gymnastic feats really are1 they are not greater than those which are braved every day by sailors1 miners1 and many other classes1 as well as in hunting1 shooting1 rowing1 and other sports1 not excluding even cricket4 ,while there are few gymnasts who have not met with casualties in the course of their career1 the proportion of fatal accidents to the number of professional gymnasts performing is certainly not greater than among the classes just mentioned1 and ,i believe it to be even less4 ,during the period between the advent of ,leotard at the ,alhambra and the present time1 only two gymnasts1 so far as ,i have been able to ascertain1 have been killed while performing2 and the prophecy attributed to that renowned gymnast1 that all his emulators would break their necks1 has1 happily1 not been fulfilled4 ,,chapter ,,ix4 ,cremorne ,gardens--,the ,female ,blondin--,fatal ,accident at ,aston ,park--,reproduction of the ,eglinton ,tournament--,newsome and ,wallett--,pablo ,fanque's ,circus--,equestrianism at ,drury ,lane--,spence ,stokes--,talliott's ,circus--,the ,gymnasts of the ,music-halls--,fatal ,accident at the ,canterbury--,gymnastic ,brotherhoods--,sensational ,feats--,sergeant ,bates and the ,berringtons--,the ,rope-trick--,how to do it4 ,though the history of circus performances would be scarcely complete without an occasional passing glance at the music-halls1 it would be impracticable to give a consecutive record of the performances at places now so numerous without producing a work that would rival in voluminousness1 and1 ,i may add1 in tedium1 the dramatic history of ,geneste4 ,i shall1 therefore1 give only a general view of them1 including in the survey places which1 during the summer1 divide with them the patronage of the pleasure-seeking public4 ,while the graceful performance of ,leotard was attracting nightly crowds to the ,alhambra1 the public were invited by the lessee of ,cremorne ,gardens to witness the crossing of the ,thames on a rope by a lady who assumed the name of the ,female ,blondin1 and whose performance was probably suggested by the more adventurous feat of her masculine prototype over the cataract of ,niagara4 ,the performance was decidedly sensational1 and attracted a great crowd2 besides having the advantage of being attended with much less risk to the performer than any exhibition ever given by the cool-headed and intrepid ,frenchman whose name she borrowed4 ,had ,blondin fell at ,niagara1 he would have been carried over the cataract1 and been dashed to pieces2 if he should fall from his lofty elevation at the ,crystal ,palace1 he would be killed instantaneously4 ,miss ,young incurred no such risk2 if she had fallen into the river1 she would have found it soft1 and so many boats were on its surface that the risk of drowning could not enter into the calculation4 ,leotard practised his aerial somersault over water before he performed in public2 and it would have been well for ,miss ,young if she had confined her rope-walking feats to localities in which she had the water beneath her4 ,the experiment at ,cremorne served its purpose in recommending her to the attention of managers as a rival of ,blondin on the high rope2 but it was not long before she met with an accident which rendered1 her a cripple for life1 while another young woman1 whom her success led to emulate her lofty feats1 fell from a rope at ,aston ,park1 in the environs of ,birmingham1 and was killed on the spot4 ,the great attraction of the ,cremorne season of #ahfc was a tournament1 got up on the model of the one which attracted so large a proportion of the upper ten thousand to ,eglinton ,castle in the summer of #ahdd4 ,there was a grand procession to the lists1 and an imposing display of banners1 and all the pomp and pageantry of bygone times2 and then the encounters of the armoured knights1 for which the lists at ,cremorne afforded much more scope than the stage at ,astley's1 or even at ,drury ,lane4 ,doubtless there were some dummies1 as ,i have seen in the tournament scene in ,mazeppa2 but the living knights acquitted themselves very creditably1 and the spectacle proved a powerful source of attraction4 ,the ,queen of ,beauty was a lady whose ordinary business was to ride in entres1 and who was known professionally as ,madame ,caroline4 ,if she did not1 like ,thackeray's ,miss ,montmorency1 live in the ,new ,cut1 she had her abode in the vicinage of that thoroughfare1 in the somewhat more westerly region which receives1 after midnight1 so large a proportion of those who1 in various ways1 contribute to the amusement of the public4 ,yet there may have been some of the critical spectators of the ,cremorne tournament who1 looking upon ,madame ,caroline1 may have felt the force of the remark made by ,willis as to the comparative suitability of ,lady ,seymour and ,fanny ,kemble to have occupied the throne of the ,queen of ,beauty at ,eglinton ,castle4 #8,the eyes1' said ,willis1 #8to flash over a crowd at a tournament1 to be admired from a distance1 to beam down upon a knight kneeling for a public award of honour1 should be full of command2 dark1 lustrous1 and fiery4 ,hers are of the sweetest and most tranquil blue that ever reflected the serene heaven of a happy hearth--eyes to love1 not wonder at--to adore and rely upon1 not admire and tremble for4 ,at the distance at which most of the spectators of the tournament saw ,lady ,seymour1 ,fanny ,kemble's stormy orbs would have shown much finer2 and the forced and imperative action of a stage-taught head and figure would have been more applauded than the quiet1 nameless1 and indescribable grace1 lost to all but those immediately around her4' ,wallett1 the clown1 on his return from his second ,american tour1 having acquired some money1 was taken into partnership by ,newsome1 whose circus was1 in the words of the former1 #8one of the most complete concerns ever seen1' ,they opened at ,birmingham1 where good business was done for a few months1 after which they started on a tenting tour1 with a stud of forty horses4 ,they returned to ,birmingham for the winter1 and showed their thousands of patrons one of the finest amphitheatres ever opened in this country4 ,the ring1 instead of having saw-dust or tan laid down1 was covered with pile matting of cocoa-nut fibre for the horses to run on1 while the central portion1 where the ring-master cracks his whip and the clown his #8wheeze1' boasted a circular carpet4 ,the decorations of the interior were rich and tasteful1 and it was illuminated by a chandelier by ,defries1 which had cost a thousand guineas4 ,the association of ,wallett with ,newsome continued for two years1 after which the circus was conducted by the latter single-handed1 and the former joined ,pablo ,fanque's circus as clown4 ,he is next found engaging the talented ,delavanti family for a tour1 and afterwards coming with them to ,london1 where they were all engaged at ,drury ,lane ,theatre1 then temporarily open for circus performances1 under the management of ,spence ,stokes1 an ,american4 ,in #ahfe1 ,hengler's company and stud came to ,london1 and gave a series of performances at the ,stereorama1 temporarily converted into a circus for the purpose4 ,on the termination of these performances1 and of ,william ,cooke's lesseeship of ,astley's1 ,london was without an amphitheatre for several years1 with the exception of a few months1 when a small temporary circus was opened in the back-slums of ,lambeth ,walk1 by ,james ,talliott1 formerly well known as a trapeze performer4 ,the company and stud1 which were on a very limited scale1 were supplied from ,fossett's circus1 which tented at fairs during the summer1 and ,talliott erected a temporary circus for them on the yards at the back of a row of houses belonging to him4 ,during the time that ,astley's ceased to exist as a circus1 the music-halls of the metropolis1 which were now springing up in every quarter1 supplied the seekers after amusement with a constant succession of performers of those portions of a circus entertainment which can be exhibited upon a platform4 ,the fatal accident which befell a gymnast named ,majilton at the ,canterbury caused the proprietors of those places of amusement to discountenance the flying trapeze for a time1 and the rising school of young gymnasts who intended to transcend the feats of ,leotard began to practise on the fixed trapeze1 single or double1 the horizontal bar1 and the flying rings4 ,the gymnast known professionally as ,airec made balancing the distinctive feature of his performances1 and exhibited it on the trapeze in every position4 ,others gave to their feats on the trapeze the sensational character which was so striking an element in the performances of ,leotard and ,victor ,julien by exhibiting what is called #8the drop1' in which one of the performers falls headlong from the bar1 as if by accident1 and is caught by the foot by his companion1 who himself hangs from the bar by his feet1 which are locked in the angles formed by the bar and its supporting ropes4 ,the gymnasts known as the ,brothers ,ellis1 and sometimes as the ,brothers ,ellistria1 were two of the best performers on the horizontal bar that ,i ever witnessed4 ,the slow pull-up of ,james ,ellis was inimitable2 but in feats in which ease and grace were displayed more than strength he was excelled1 ,i think1 by his partner1 who1 after their separation1 assumed the name of ,castelli4 ,i must here remark that gymnastic and acrobatic #8brothers' seldom bear the relationship to each other which the designation conveys4 ,though it exists in some instances1 as in the case of the ,brothers ,ridley 7both1 ,i believe1 now dead71 they are the exceptions2 the ,brothers ,francisco1 who performed in numerous circuses and provincial music-halls several years ago1 but have since retired from the profession1 were cousins4 ,the ,brothers ,ellis1 the ,brothers ,price1 and many other professional fraternities that could be named were not even partners1 one of them making engagements and receiving the salary1 taking the lion's share for himself1 and paying a stipulated sum to his companion1 in or out of an engagement4 ,the partnership of the ,brothers ,price1 who performed on the double trapeze1 was of brief duration4 ,price1 for only one of them bore that patronymic in private life1 had the good fortune to receive a legacy of considerable amount1 and thereupon retired from the profession2 and his partner1 whose real name was ,welsh1 assumed the name of ,jean ,price1 and1 knowing that single trapeze performances did not #8go' like the double1 he began to practise the #8long flight1' and made it his specialty4 ,suspending his trapeze above the platform1 as usual1 he erected a perch1 as for the flying trapeze1 at the opposite end of the hall1 and at the same altitude as the trapeze4 ,midway between the perch and the trapeze a pair of ropes were suspended from the ceiling1 and provided with rings or stirrups1 as for the flying rings performance1 but long enough to reach the perch4 ,taking his stand on the perch1 and grasping the rings firmly with his hands1 the gymnast sprang off into the air1 and swung to the trapeze1 which he caught with his legs1 at the same moment loosing his hold of the rings4 ,he then performed some ordinary feats on the trapeze1 and catching the climbing rope swung to him by an attendant1 descended by it to the platform1 from which he bowed his acknowledgments of the warm applause with which such sensational feats as the long flight are invariably received4 ,remarks are often made by gymnasts as to the ease with which they perform on the trapeze and the horizontal bar many of the feats which elicit the most applause1 as compared with those which often excite no demonstration whatever4 ,every one who has witnessed the tight-rope performances of the inimitable ,blondin must have observed how much more he is applauded when he appears on a rope stretched at a great elevation than when he performs his feats on a low rope4 ,there is1 however1 no more difficulty1 and no greater risk of falling1 whether the rope is stretched at an elevation of four feet only1 or of forty feet1 while the feats performed are the same4 ,but the greater elevation conveys to most minds the idea of a greater amount of skill and courage being required for their performance1 and hence the louder and more general applause which they elicit when they are performed on the high rope4 ,people admire daring1 and the more sensational a gymnastic performance of any kind is the more it is sure to be applauded4 ,antipodean balancing feats have been exhibited by several music-hall artistes1 in various modes1 and with a considerable variety of accessories4 ,james ,king1 known as the bottle equilibrist1 places a stool on a table1 four wine glasses on the stool1 a tray upon the glasses1 and a decanter upon the tray2 and then1 grasping the upper part of the decanter with both hands1 raises himself to a head-balance4 ,another artiste of this class1 ,jean ,bond1 balances himself upon his head upon the summit of one of the uprights of a ladder1 which is surmounted by a revolving cap1 and by turning the cap with his hands1 he spins round in that position4 ,a more interesting performance1 to my mind1 than either of these was shown three or four years ago by an acrobat named ,carl1 who walked upon his hands along a wire stretched from the gallery to a temporary platform on the stage4 ,in performing this feat1 the whole weight of the body rests on the right and left hands alternately1 and the equilibrium is maintained by following each movement of the hands along the wire with a corresponding motion of the body1 so that1 whether the weight is resting on the right hand or the left1 the centre of gravity is directly above the wire4 ,the flying rings1 being a less sensational performance than the trapeze1 has not been much favoured by gymnasts1 though they frequently practise with the rings while training1 as a preparation for the flying trapeze4 ,some very good tricks can be shown with them1 however1 and several years ago the performance was made a specialty by a brace of gymnasts known as ,parelli and ,costello4 ,parelli is not an ,italian1 as his professional name would lead the incognoscenti in such matters to infer1 but a native of ,westminster1 and his real name is ,francis ,berrington4 ,having practised gymnastics with a view to a public appearance1 he found a partner in a young acrobat named ,costello1 also a native of ,westminster1 whose performances had hitherto been exhibited in quiet streets1 and been followed by a #8nob4' ,he is not1 however1 the only performer whom the multiplication of music-halls1 and the consequent demand for gymnasts and acrobats in such establishments1 has elevated from the streets to the platform2 and it is certain that the change1 while it has raised the status of the vocation1 has produced a great improvement in the quality of the performance1 by furnishing the performer with a constant incentive thereto4 ,it is a curious illustration of the system of adopting professional names differing from their real patronymics1 and which obtains equally among all classes that contribute to the amusement of the public in theatres1 circuses1 and music-halls1 that ,parelli is the brother of ,luke ,berrington1 who performs under the name of ,majilton4 ,luke ,berrington is a very creditable artist in water-colours1 and his views of the various portions of the exterior and interior of ,westminster ,abbey have been greatly admired by competent judges for their artistic finish and the fidelity with which every portion of the venerable edifice has been reproduced4 ,to the general public1 however1 he is better known as a clever performer of the tricks with a hat of soft felt which were first exhibited in this country by the ,french clowns1 ,arthur and ,bertrand4 ,mr ,berrington1 senior1 the father of ,luke and ,frank1 is not a little proud of his clever sons and daughter4 ,when ,serjeant ,bates1 to win a wager and make a book1 carried the flag of the ,american ,union from ,glasgow to ,london1 the elder ,berrington welcomed him to the metropolis in an epistle signed #8,majilton1' without the prefix of his baptismal name1 as if the writer was a peer of the realm1 and used his title4 ,he refers1 with pardonable parental pride1 to his olive-branches1 then making a professional tour in the ,united ,states1 ,luke and ,frank being accompanied by their sister and ,costello2 and the serjeant1 who had probably never heard of them before1 speaks of them as a talented family of actors6 ,their entertainment was really a ballet of diablerie1 like those of ,fred ,evans and the ,lauri family1 with a good deal of tumbling and hat-spinning4 ,seven or eight years ago1 the great #8sensation' of the ,london music-halls was a balancing feat of a novel character1 which was exhibited by an acrobat named professionally ,sextillian1 but whose real name is ,james ,lee4 ,he arranged about a score of glass tumblers in the form of an inverted pyramid1 and balanced the fragile structure on his forehead1 the base being formed by a single tumbler4 ,but this was not all4 ,he changed his position several times1 constantly assuming attitudes which would have won the admiration of the world1 if they could have been perpetuated in marble1 and even passed in various positions through a hoop1 all the time maintaining the equilibrium of the glittering pile that rested upon such a narrow base upon his forehead4 ,if any of my readers should be disposed to attempt the performance of this feat as a private drawing-room entertainment1 they must be prepared with a good supply of tumblers1 for ,i am able to assure them1 on the excellent authority of ,sextillian himself1 that the wondrous dexterity with which he performs it was not attained without an extensive destruction of glass4 ,another performance which excited a large amount of public attention1 partly through the mystery in which the modus operandi was enveloped1 and partly by reason of the excitement previously produced by the ,brothers ,davenport's exhibition of alleged spirit-manifestations1 was the #8rope-trick1' shown first by an expert performer named ,redmond at ,astley's1 and afterwards at most of the music-halls4 ,the performer was enclosed in a cabinet about three feet square1 and five or six feet high1 with a door facing the spectators1 and provided with a small aperture near the top4 ,in a few minutes an attendant opened the door1 when ,redmond was seen within1 securely bound in a chair4 ,the spectators were allowed to satisfy themselves that he was bound as securely as if a second person had bound him1 and then the door was closed4 ,in a few moments he rang a bell1 then he showed one hand at the aperture2 in a few seconds more he began to beat a tambourine1 and in a minute and a half from the time he was shut in the door was opened again1 and he walked out1 with the rope in his hands4 ,this performance proved so attractive that it soon had many imitators1 but none of them did it in so genuine and puzzling a manner1 or displayed equal dexterity in its exhibition4 ,the trick was not original1 but it was new to the public1 or at least to the present generation4 ,i have heard it called both the ,american rope-trick and the ,indian rope-trick1 but the former name may have been derived from the similar performance of the ,brothers ,davenport1 who pretended to be passive agents in the business1 and to be tied and untied by spirits4 ,long before the pretended spiritual phenomena were ever heard of1 the rope-trick was in the repertoire of the famous ,hindoo juggler1 ,ramo ,samee1 who performed at the ,adelphi and the ,victoria some forty years ago4 ,the manner of its performance is said to have been communicated by him to one of the ,brothers ,nemo1 who thought so little of it that he never exhibited it until the public mind had become excited by the tricks of the ,davenports and the antagonistic performance of ,redmond4 ,next to the latter1 ,nemo was the best exhibitor of the trick that ,i ever saw2 but that is not saying much1 for most of them were so incompetent to perform it that the effect produced by its exhibition by them was simply ludicrous4 ,i remember one of them--,i will not mention his name--complaining when he found that he could not release himself1 that he had not been treated as a gentleman by the person--one of the spectators--by whom he had been bound2 and another1 that he had been tied so tightly that the rope hurt his wrists1 and stipulating1 on another occasion1 that he should not be tied tight6 ,the peculiarity which distinguished ,redmond's feats in a remarkable manner from those of his imitators was1 that he not only released himself from the rope in less time than was occupied in binding him1 whoever the operator might be1 but bound himself in a manner that baffled the skill and exhausted the patience of every one who attempted to unbind him4 ,i was present one evening at the decision of a wager which had been made by a ,west-end butcher1 that he would unbind ,redmond in a given time1 the tying up being done by ,redmond himself4 ,the performer entered the cabinet1 carrying the rope1 and was shut in2 in less than two minutes the door was opened1 and he was seen bound1 hand and foot1 to the chair on which he was sitting4 ,the butcher immediately set to work1 several gentlemen standing around1 with their watches in their hands1 surveying the operation with the keenest interest4 ,it was very soon seen that the butcher was at fault2 he could not find either end of the rope4 ,he sought in ,redmond's boots1 up his sleeves1 inside his vest1 but the rope seemed endless4 ,he fumed1 he perspired1 as the seconds grew into minutes1 and the minutes swiftly chased each other down the stream of time2 but no end could he discover4 ,time was called1 and the butcher's wager was lost4 ,redmond was then enclosed in the cabinet again1 and in less than two minutes he was free4 ,the secret of this trick is unknown to me1 but ,i was not long in discovering that the mere untying by a person of a rope which has been bound about him by another is1 however securely the rope may be tied1 a very simple matter4 ,it does not follow1 however1 that the feat can be performed by every one4 ,the operator must possess good muscles1 sound lungs1 small hands1 and strong fingers4 ,if he clenches his hands1 raises the muscles of his arms1 and keeps his chest inflated during the operation of tying1 he will find that his work is half done by the simple process of opening his hands1 relaxing the muscles of the arms1 and restoring the natural respiration4 ,if the wrists are bound together without being separately secured1 the releasing of one hand frees the other by the slackening of the rope2 but the operator is thought to be more securely tied when the rope is tied with a knot about the right wrist1 and then passed round the other1 both drawn close together1 and a second knot tied4 ,in this case1 the right hand must be drawn through the hempen bracelet by arching it lengthwise1 and bringing the thumb within the palm1 so that the breadth of the hand shall very little exceed that of the wrist2 and this operation is greatly facilitated by a smooth1 hard skin4 ,with the right hand at liberty1 there is little more to be done2 for a skilful and experienced manipulator finds it easier to slip out of his bonds than to untie the knots which are supposed to increase his difficulty4 ,any man possessing the physical qualifications which ,i have mentioned ought to be able to liberate himself1 however securely he is tied1 in a minute and a half4 ,i have performed this feat on several occasions for the satisfaction of friends1 and have always released myself in ,redmond's time1 except on one occasion1 when ,i failed entirely1 and had to be released by the gentleman who had bound me4 ,he had1 unknown to me1 made a noose at one end of the rope1 and this he passed over my head1 after binding my arms and knotting the rope behind me in such a manner that ,i could not move either hand without producing a lively sense of strangulation4 #8,i learned that trick in ,australia1' observed the author of my discomfiture4 #8,i tied up a black fellow like that in the bush2 and he is there now4' ,,chapter ,x4 ,opening of the ,holborn ,amphitheatre--,friend's season at ,astley's--,adah ,isaacs ,menken--,sanger's ,company at the ,agricultural ,hall--,the ,carr troupe at the ,holborn ,amphitheatre--,wandering ,stars of the ,arena--,albert ,smith and the ,clown--,guillaume's ,circus--,the ,circo ,price--,hengler's ,company at the ,palais ,royal--,re-opening of ,astley's by the ,sangers--,franconi's ,circus--,newsome's ,circus--,miss ,newsome and the ,cheshire ,hunt--,rivalry between the ,sangers and ,howes and ,cushing4 ,after the lapse of several years1 during which no equestrian performances were given in the metropolis1 though gymnastic and acrobatic feats were exhibited nightly at a score of music-halls1 a new amphitheatre was1 in #ahfh1 erected on the north side of ,holborn4 ,there1 under the excellent management of ,messrs ,charman and ,maccollum1 have been exhibited some of the finest acts of horsemanship1 and the most striking gymnastic feats1 ever witnessed by this or any other generation4 ,alfred ,bradbury's wonderful jockey act2 ,james ,robinson's great feat of hurdle-leaping on the bare back of a horse with a boy standing upon his shoulders2 the marvellous leap through a series of hoops of ,george ,delavanti2 the astounding gymnastic performances of the ,hanlons and the ,rizarelis2 the extraordinary somersaulting and rocket-like bound of the young lady known as ,lulu2 and the graceful riding of ,beatrice ,chiarini1 without saddle or bridle1 will not soon be forgotten by those who had the gratification of witnessing them4 ,in the same year that the ,holborn ,amphitheatre was opened1 ,astley's was re-opened as a circus by ,mr ,friend4 ,the chief attraction upon which ,mr ,friend relied was the impersonation of ,mazeppa by ,adah ,isaacs ,menken1 a young lady of ,jewish extraction1 who came from ,america with the reputation of a female ,crichton of the nineteenth century4 ,according to a biographical sketch prefixed to a ,paris version of the drama1 ,the ,pirate of the ,savannah1 in which she appeared in that city1 she had written verses and essays at an age at which other girls are occupied with dolls1 and translated the ,iliad in her thirteenth year4 ,in ,latin and ,hebrew1 ,spanish and ,german1 she was as proficient as in ,greek2 ,french1 her enthusiastic ,gallic biographer does not seem to consider it necessary to mention4 ,her mother being left in reduced circumstances at her second widowhood1 ,adah resolved to devote her natural talents and acquired accomplishments to the stage1 and made her appearance as a dancer at the opera-house at ,new ,orleans1 of which city she was a native4 ,after achieving the greatest artistic triumphs there and at ,havanna1 she abandoned the boards for the literary profession1 publishing a volume of poems1 and contributing for some time to two ,new ,orleans journals4 ,in #aheh1 being then seventeen years of age1 she made her dbut as an actress in her native city1 and subsequently performed in the chief towns of the ,west4 ,in #ahfc she went to ,san ,francisco1 and afterwards made a professional tour of the ,eastern ,states1 raising her reputation1 according to her biographer1 to the highest pitch4 ,unfortunately for the maintenance of the exalted fame which she brought from the ,united ,states1 this versatile lady appeared1 not at the ,italian ,opera as a dancer1 nor at ,drury ,lane or ,covent ,garden as an actress1 which such fame should have entitled her to do1 but at ,astley's in the character of ,mazeppa2 and it was still more unfortunate that the management pinned their faith in her powers of attraction1 not upon her talent as an actress1 but upon her beauty and grace1 and her ability to play the part without recourse to a double for the fencing and riding4 ,enormous posters everywhere met the eye1 representing the lady1 apparently in a nude state1 stretched on the back of a wild horse1 and inviting the public to go to ,astley's1 and see #8the beautiful ,menken4' ,young men thronged the theatre to witness this combination of poses plastiques with dramatic spectacle1 and #8girls of the period' dressed their hair la ,menken1 that is1 like the frizzled crop of a negress2 but the theatrical critics looked coldly and sadly upon the performance1 and accused the management of ministering to a vitiated taste4 ,adah ,menken was at this time in her twenty-seventh year1 and had a few years previously become the wife of ,heenan1 the pugilist1 whose fine figure had won her regards when the wealthiest men in ,california were competing for her favours4 ,the union was not a happy one1 for which result both the parties have been blamed2 and the cause of difference was probably one in respect of which neither could reproach the other without provoking recrimination4 ,heenan1 who was then in ,london1 might often have been seen at ,astley's during his wife's engagement1 and it was said that both desired a reconciliation1 and that ,adah had come to ,england with that view2 but nothing came of it4 #8,the beautiful ,menken' went to ,paris1 and was said to be on terms of tender intimacy with the elder ,dumas4 ,she died in ,paris shortly afterwards1 and her remains rest in the cemetery of ,pre ,la ,chaise4 ,adah ,isaacs ,menken was undoubtedly a woman of rare natural talents and great accomplishments4 ,while in ,london1 she published a volume of poems1 with the general title of ,infelicia1 which correctly describes their tone and character4 ,some of them are as wild as anything which has emanated from ,walt ,whitman1 and more are replete with the weird fancies and wayward genius of ,poe2 but all are pervaded by a deep and touching melancholy1 which seems to shadow forth the spectre that haunted the author's gay and brilliant life1 like the garlanded skeleton at the festive board of the ancient ,egyptians4 ,from the suggestive title to the last of the little head-and-tail pieces1 designed probably by ,adah herself1 everything in the book impresses a lesson which may be read in ,ecclesiastes4 ,in the first of these tiny engravings we seem to read the moral of the author's life-story4 ,it represents a woman stretched on the shore of a stormy sea1 with her face to the earth1 and her dark hair flowing over her recumbent form1 which is faintly illuminated by the fitful light of a moon half-obscured by drifting masses of black clouds4 ,the book was dedicated to ,dickens1 and contains a photographic reproduction of a letter from the great novelist1 thanking #8,dear ,miss ,menken' for her portrait1 and giving the desired permission to the dedication4 ,on the legal principle1 it would seem1 that two lawyers will live where one would starve1 the ,sangers brought their company and stud to the ,agricultural ,hall1 where1 for several successive winters1 their performances attracted thousands of spectators4 ,this establishment continues to travel during the summer1 however1 only resorting to a permanent building in the metropolis when the approach of winter renders #8tenting' as unpleasant as it is unprofitable4 ,the ,agricultural ,hall1 not having been constructed for equestrian entertainments1 is not so well adapted for them as for the purpose for which it was especially designed1 and the locality is far inferior1 as a site for a circus1 to that of the ,holborn ,amphitheatre1 of the circus subsequently erected by ,charles ,hengler1 or even ,astley's4 ,it was at the ,holborn ,amphitheatre that the first female trapezist appeared1 in the person of a beautiful young woman rejoicing in the nom d'arena of ,azella1 the attractiveness of whose performances1 as in the case of female lion-tamers1 soon produced many imitators4 ,azella was announced to appear on the flying trapeze1 and to turn a somersault2 but this feat1 which created such a sensation when performed by ,leotard and ,victor ,julien1 was exhibited by the fair aspirant to the highest gymnastic honours in a manner which caused some disappointment to those who had witnessed the performances of those renowned gymnasts at the ,alhambra4 ,instead of throwing off from one bar1 turning the somersault1 and catching the next bar1 ,azella threw off1 and somersaulted in her descent from the bar to the bed placed for her to alight upon4 ,the grace with which all her evolutions were performed combined1 however1 with the beauty of her person and the novelty of seeing such feats performed by a woman1 to secure her an enthusiastic reception whenever she appeared4 ,azella was succeeded at the ,amphitheatre by ,mdlle ,pereira1 who performed similar feats1 which she had exhibited in #ahfh at ,cremorne4 ,imitators soon appeared at all the music-halls in the metropolis4 ,at some of these the long flight of ,jean ,price was emulated by a lady named ,haynes1 who transformed herself1 for professional purposes1 into ,madame ,senyah by the device of spelling her real name backward4 ,a variation from ,price's mode of performing the feat was presented by this lady1 whose husband appeared with her in a double trapeze act1 and hanging from the bar by his feet1 caught her with his arms as she swung towards him on loosing her hold of the stirrups4 ,the company with which the ,amphitheatre was opened was succeeded1 after a long and successful career1 by the ,carr troupe1 which introduced to the metropolis ,alfred ,burgess1 who unites the qualifications of a clown with those of an accomplished equestrian and clever revolving globe performer4 ,clowns would seem to be precluded1 by the nature of their business1 from the cosmopolitan wanderings of other circus performers2 but the name of ,burgess is almost as famous on the continent as that of ,charles ,keith1 who has performed in nearly every ,european capital1 though ,albert ,smith has given a picture of clowning under difficulties which might well deter those who cannot crack a #8wheeze' in half a dozen languages from venturing into lands where ,english is not spoken4 #8,one evening1' says the humourist1 #8,i went to the ,grand ,circo ,olympico--an equestrian entertainment in a vast circular tent1 on a piece of open ground up in ,pera2 and it was as curious a sight as one could well witness4 ,the play-bill was in three languages--,turkish1 ,armenian1 and ,italian2 and the audience was composed almost entirely of ,levantines1 nothing but fezzes being seen round the benches4 ,there were few females present1 and of ,turkish women none2 but the house was well filled1 both with spectators and the smoke from the pipes which nearly all of them carried4 ,there was no buzz of talk1 no distant hailings1 no whistlings1 no sounds of impatience4 ,they all sat as grave as judges1 and would1 ,i believe1 have done so for any period of time1 whether the performance had been given or not4 #8,i have said the sight was a curious one1 but my surprise was excited beyond bounds when a real clown--a perfect ,mr ,merriman of the arena--jumped into the ring1 and cried out1 in perfect ,english3 8,here we are again--all of a lump6 ,how are you80 ,there was no response to his salutation1 for it was evidently incomprehensible2 and so it fell flat1 and the poor clown looked as if he would have given his salary for a boy to have called out 8,hot codlins60 ,i looked at the bill1 and found him described as the 8,grottesco ,inglese10 ,whittayne4 ,i did not recognize the name in connection with the annals of ,astley's1 but he was a clever fellow1 notwithstanding2 and1 when he addressed the master of the ring1 and observed1 8,if you please1 ,mr ,guillaume1 he says1 that you said1 that ,i said1 that they said1 that nobody had said1 nothing to anybody10 it was with a drollery of manner that at last agitated the fezzes1 like poppies in the wind1 although the meaning of the speech was still like a sealed book to them4 #8,i don't know whether great writers of ,eastern travel would have gone to this circus2 but yet it was a strange sight4 ,for aught that one could tell we were about to see all the mishaps of ,billy ,button's journey to ,brentford represented in their vivid discomfort upon the shores of the ,bosphorus1 and within range of the sunset shadows from the minarets of ,st ,sophia6 ,the company was a very fair one1 and they went through the usual programme of the amphitheatre4 ,one clever fellow threw a bullet in the air1 and caught it in a bottle during a 8rapid act20 and another twisted himself amongst the rounds and legs of a chair1 keeping a glass full of wine in his mouth4 ,they leaped over lengths of stair-carpet1 and through hoops1 and did painful things as ,olympic youths and ,lion ,vaulters of ,arabia4 #8,the attraction of the evening1 however1 was a very handsome girl--,maddalena ,guillaume--with a fine ,gitana face and exquisite figure4 ,her performance consisted in clinging to a horse1 with merely a strap hung to its side4 ,in this she put one foot1 and flew round the ring in the most reckless manner1 leaping with the horse over poles and gates1 and hanging on1 apparently1 by nothing1 until the fezzes were in a quiver of delight1 for her costume was not precisely that of the ,stamboul ladies--in fact1 very little was left to the imagination4' ,i quote this passage for the purpose of showing that the wanderings of the men and women whose vocation it is to entertain the public as equestrians1 clowns1 acrobats1 and jugglers are not confined to the limits within which actors and singers obtain foreign engagements4 ,there are very few men or women of eminence in the profession who have not visited nearly every ,european capital1 and many of them have made the tour of the world4 ,price's circus was for many years one of the most popular institutions of ,madrid1 and the ,circo ,price was to ,english circus artistes what ,cape ,horn is to ,american seamen4 ,tell an equestrian or an acrobat that you think you have seen him before1 and he will ask1 #8,was it at the ,circo ,price8' just as a ,yankee sailor will snuffle1 #8,i guess it was round the ,horn4' ,to have appeared at the ,hippodrome or the ,cirque ,imperiale is a very small distinction indeed1 when so many have performed in ,madrid and ,naples1 ,berlin and ,st ,petersburg1 and not a few have traversed the ,united ,states from ,new ,york to ,san ,francisco1 and then crossed the ocean1 and performed in ,sydney and ,melbourne1 or ,yokohama1 ,hong ,kong1 and ,calcutta4 ,circus performers wander about the world more generally1 and to a greater extent1 than the acrobats and jugglers who perform in music-halls1 from whom they are separated into a distinct class by the requirements of circus engagements4 ,all aspirants to saw-dust honours being engaged for #8general utility1' it is necessary for them to understand the whole routine of circus business1 whether their specialty is riding1 vaulting1 clowning1 or any other branch4 ,they are required to take part in vaulting acts1 to hold hoops1 balloons1 banners1 c41 which requires some practice before it can be done properly1 and to line the entrance to the ring when a lady of the company flutters into it1 or bows herself out of it4 ,for this last duty1 the proprietors of the best appointed circuses provide uniform dresses1 which are worn by all the male members of the company1 when not engaged in their performances1 from the time the circus opens until they retire to the dressing-room for the last time4 ,i am speaking1 of course1 of those who form the permanent company of a circus1 and not of those engaged1 as #8stars1' for six or twelve nights4 ,the #8bright particular star' of the ,amphitheatre1 during the season of #ahgj1 was the young lady known as ,lulu1 and who was recognized by frequenters of that popular place of entertainment as the agile and graceful child who had appeared1 a few years previously1 with her father1 at the ,alhambra and ,cremorne1 as #8the flying ,farinis1' in a performance somewhat resembling that of the ,brothers ,hanlon and the child called #8,little ,bob4' ,she was then supposed to be a boy1 and much amusement was created after her appearance at the ,amphitheatre as an avowed woman1 by the recollection of her having1 after descending from the lofty arrangement of trapezes and ladders on which she performed at the ,alhambra1 advanced to the footlights1 and sang a song1 each verse of which ended with the words1 #8,wait till ,i'm a man4' ,the secret of her sex was at that time unknown even to the performers at the ,alhambra1 at least to the masculine portion1 among whom the circumstance of her being accompanied by her mother1 and performing the operations of the toilet in the ladies' dressing-room1 was a frequent subject of wonder and speculation4 ,there was a doubt also about the sex of the child who for a long time did a gymnastic performance at the ,london ,pavilion1 very similar to that given by ,olmar at the ,alhambra4 ,the child was announced as #8,little ,corelli1' and was generally supposed to be a boy2 but ,i have since heard that it was a girl4 ,the performances of ,azella and ,pereira had not satiated the public appetite for the feats of female gymnasts1 and the manager of the ,amphitheatre secured in ,lulu a star of the first magnitude4 ,her triple somersault is a feat in which she is still unrivalled2 and though ,george ,conquest has since achieved her wonderful vertical spring of twenty-five feet from the ring-fence1 the means by which it is accomplished is still a mystery4 ,lulu was succeeded by the ,brothers ,rizar1 as they now chose to be called1 though they had gained immense applause a few years previously at the ,alhambra as the ,brothers ,rizareli4 ,the double trapeze of these clever gymnasts is perfectly unique1 and must be seen to be believed4 ,the ,amphitheatre did not continue without a competitor for the patronage of that portion of the public which delights in witnessing feats of equestrianism and gymnastics4 ,hengler's circus1 after being located for some time in ,bristol1 and afterwards in ,dublin1 settled down at the ,palais ,royal1 in ,argyle ,street1 and introduced to the metropolis all the ,henglers and ,powells1 male and female1 whose praises had been sounded by the provincial press all over the kingdom4 ,the most noteworthy members of the company were ,louise ,hengler1 an admirable horse-woman1 who1 like ,adele ,newsome1 rides and leaps in a #8cross country' fashion1 over hurdles and six-barred gates2 ,james ,lloyd1 most experienced in his art1 and one of the neatest1 as well as of the boldest1 of riders2 ,john ,milton ,hengler1 who danced on a tight-rope with a grace and skill which fully justified the warmth of the applause with which the performance was received2 and ,franks1 the clown1 who1 before joining the ,hengler troupe1 had been the chief exponent of fun and humour attached to ,newsome's circus4 ,the circumstance of ,john ,m4 ,hengler dispensing with the balancing-pole in his performance was mentioned by some of the newspaper critics as if it was unique2 but every frequenter of the ,london music-halls must have observed the same feature in the similar performance of a member of the clever ,elliott family4 ,scarcely had the lovers of circus entertainments had time to solve the problem of the possibilities of success for two amphitheatres in ,london when ,astley's was re-opened as a circus by the ,sangers4 ,circus performances are necessarily so much alike that it is only by the production of a constant succession of novelties1 as was done at the ,holborn establishment1 or by combining hippo-dramatic spectacles with the ring performances1 as ,ducrow and ,batty did1 that any distinctive character can be established4 ,the ,sangers followed the example of their predecessors1 and preceded the acts in the arena by an equestrian drama of the kind which had been found attractive in the palmy days of ,astley's4 ,the ring performances were good1 but presented no novelty4 ,lavinia ,sanger deserved her tribute of applause as a skilful rider1 who gracefully leaped over banners and boldly dashed through #8balloons2' and her brother's1 or cousin's1 feat of riding1 or rather driving1 a number of horses at once1 in emulation of ,ducrow1 was very creditably performed1 but who has not seen similar feats as well performed in every circus he has entered8 ,we should be sorry to miss them2 but they should be the #8padding' of the programme1 and not its staple4 ,i have often heard the question asked1 #8,what can be done upon a horse which has not been done before8' ,the question has been answered again and again by the equestrian feats of such masters or the art of equitation as ,andrew ,ducrow1 ,henry ,adams1 ,john ,henry ,cooke1 ,henry ,welby ,cooke1 ,george ,delavanti1 ,james ,robinson1 and ,alfred ,bradbury4 ,it is only by doing something which has never been done before1 or by performing some feat in a very superior style to that of previous exhibitors1 that a circus artiste can emerge from the ruck1 whether he is a rider1 a tumbler1 a juggler1 or a gymnast4 #8,if you want to get your name up1' ,i said1 several years ago1 to a young gymnast1 #8you must do something that has not been done before1 and not be content with performing such feats as may be seen every night1 in every music-hall in ,london4' #8,what can we do8' he inquired4 #8,ay1 8there's the rub60 ,only a gymnastic genius can answer the question4 ,you may be sure that question was asked of themselves by ,leotard1 and ,olmar1 and ,farini1 and all the other fellows who have made their names famous1 as the first performers of a skilful and daring feat4 ,you know how they answered it1 and what salaries they got4 ,as in the story of ,columbus and the egg1 when a trick has once been done1 there are many who can repeat it1 but it is the first performer that gets the greatest fame and the highest salary4' ,i must conclude this chapter with a brief notice of the changes and movements of the principal travelling circuses during the last ten years4 ,in #ahfd1 ,franconi's was at ,nottingham for a time1 with ,charlie ,keith as clown and the ,madlles ,monfroid holding a conspicuous place among the equestrian members of the company4 ,newsome's circus was1 later in the year1 at ,chester1 as ,i find by the following passage in a local journal descriptive of a foxhunt3--#8,the pace was terrific1 and the country the stiffest in ,cheshire4 ,this description would be incomplete if ,i omitted to mention ,miss ,newsome1 of the ,chester ,circus4 ,this young lady astonished the whole field by the plucky way in which she rode4 ,she unquestionably led the whole way1 and never came to grief once4 ,straight was her motto1 and straight she went2 brook1 hedge1 and cop were cleared by her in a style never seen in ,cheshire before1 and when ,reynard was deprived of his brush1 it was most deservedly presented to her amidst the cheers of all present4' ,the movements of this circus during the following year are related1 in another chapter1 by a gentleman who was at that time a member of the company4 ,in the spring of #ahgj1 ,messrs ,sanger1 whose circus is the largest and most complete tenting establishment travelling in this country1 were threatened with a formidable rivalry by the appearance in the field of the great ,american circus of ,howes and ,cushing4 ,how they met it is thus told by ,mr ,montague1 who was then their agent in advance3-- #8,it is well known that two large tenting concerns will not pay in ,england4 ,under these circumstances1 ,messrs ,sanger determined to drive the ,yankees off the road1 which we ultimately succeeded in doing4 ,our mode of fighting them was to bill all the towns taken by them as though we were coming the following day1 it being known to us that ,english people will always wait for the last circus1 when two or more companies are advertised at the same time4 ,our next move was to take all the best towns in the ,north first4 ,we succeeded so well with this mode of operation that we ultimately performed in the same town with them1 namely1 ,preston1 in ,lancashire4 ,on this memorable occasion1 showmen came from all parts of ,england1 two such concerns never having been seen in one town on the same day4 ,messrs ,howes and ,cushing acknowledged themselves beaten1 and shortly afterwards returned to ,america4' ,william ,darby1 better known as ,pablo ,fanque1 died in the following year1 at the ripe age of seventy-five4 ,charles ,hengler had adopted the plan so successfully followed by ,newsome1 of locating his circus in permanent buildings1 maintaining several for the purpose1 and remaining several months at each place4 ,the principal members of his company in #ahgc1 were ,miss ,jenny ,louise ,hengler1 ,miss ,cottrell1 ,john ,henry ,cooke1 ,hubert ,cooke1 ,william ,powell1 ,herr ,oscar1 the ,hogini family1 the ,brothers ,alexander1 and the clowns1 ,bibb and #8,little ,sandy4' ,newsome's company comprised1 at the same time1 in addition to the clever ladies of his family1 ,charles and ,andrew ,ducrow 7descendants of the great equestrian of that name71 ,hubert ,mears1 ,fredericks1 and the gymnast known as ,avolo4 ,sanger's is the only great circus which follows the tenting system1 which can be successfully pursued only by those who possess a numerous stud of showy horses4 ,a less powerful company than ,hengler or ,newsome finds necessary will do1 because1 the performances being given only two nights in a town1 the programme does not require to be changed so frequently as when the company perform every night for a period of three months in the same place2 and the horses may be ridden in parades by the grooms and their wives or daughters4 ,but the public do not believe in a tenting circus1 unless its resources are put forth in a parade1 for which purpose a large number of horses are required1 with a handsome band-carriage1 an elephant1 and a couple of camels4 ,the cost of maintaining such an establishment is so great that the system cannot be successfully pursued without a large capital1 and the most complete and efficient organization4 ,without both these requisites a bad season will ruin the proprietor1 as many have found by sad experience4 ,,chapter ,,xi4 ,reminiscences of the ,henglers--,the ,rope-dancing ,henglers at ,astley's--,circus of ,price and ,powell--,its ,acquisition by the ,henglers--,clerical ,presentation to ,frowde1 the ,clown--,circus ,difficulties at ,liverpool--,retirement of ,edward ,hengler--,rivalry of ,howes and ,cushing--,discontinuance of the ,tenting ,system--,miss ,jenny ,louise ,hengler--,conversion of the ,palais ,royal into an ,amphitheatre--,felix ,rivolti1 the ,ring-master4 ,conscious as ,i am of the imperfections of the foregoing record of circus performances in this country1 it is a relief to my mind to be enabled to supplement the history with some further particulars concerning the establishments so long1 and with such well-deserved success1 conducted by the gentlemen who bear the renowned names of ,hengler and ,sanger4 ,i am indebted for the following memoir of the ,henglers to a gentleman well known in the equestrian profession1 and who has for many years held the important position of acting-manager in one of the best-appointed and most admirably-conducted circuses in this country4 ,mr ,charles ,hengler1 the proprietor of the cirque in ,argyle ,street1 may be said to have been born to the equestrian profession1 his father having been a celebrated tight-rope dancer with ,ducrow1 in whose service he remained for several years2 and thus had an opportunity of teaching his sons his own profession4 ,edward ,henry ,hengler1 the eldest1 became famous in ,england and on the ,continent under the title of ,herr ,hengler1 and was the most celebrated professor of that art in his day4 ,he died a few years since4 ,john ,milton ,hengler1 a younger son1 inherited the family talent1 and also became famous in ,america1 and on the ,continent4 ,he came to ,england on the retirement of his elder brother1 and was considered a worthy successor4 ,a few years ago he retired from active service1 and opened a riding school in ,liverpool1 where he is still residing1 highly respected and esteemed by all who know him4 ,charles ,hengler was1 fortunately for him1 too tall to follow in the footsteps of his brothers1 so his father determined to make him the business man of the family1 and his present position is ample proof of his father's success in so doing4 ,after leaving ,ducrow1 ,hengler1 with his sons1 joined the circus of ,price and ,powell--,powell having married one of his daughters4 ,here they remained some time1 ,charles attending to the business department1 and his father and brothers performing in the ring4 ,as the showman's life is1 at the best1 a very precarious one1 ,price and ,powell got into difficulties while performing at ,greenwich1 and were consequently obliged to dispose of their concern1 which was purchased by ,charles and ,edward ,hengler4 ,price went abroad1 and ,powell1 who was an excellent equestrian1 accepted an engagement with the new proprietors1 who carried on the business for several years with varied success1 sometimes making money1 and as frequently losing what they had worked so hard to obtain4 ,it must be remarked that in those days equestrianism was not so popular as it has since become1 and there were two men in the business who carried all before them1 namely1 ,ducrow and ,batty2 so young and struggling beginners had a hard battle to fight1 the best towns in ,england being in the possession of the former4 ,but1 as usual in all such cases1 courage and perseverance1 combined with honesty of purpose and strict attention to business1 ultimately met its reward2 for ,henglers' circus at last made a name for itself1 being the most respectably conducted establishment of that class travelling the provinces4 ,during the summer months they #8tented1' and in the winter erected temporary wooden buildings in populous towns1 in which the second visit was invariably more remunerative than the previous one--a sufficient proof of the high estimation in which the company were held4 ,this is not to be wondered at1 when it is stated that several performers1 who were then with ,mr ,hengler1 are yet on his establishment2 notably1 ,mr ,james ,franks1 one of the best clowns in his line of business of this or any other day4 ,also ,mr ,bridges1 ,mr ,powell1 and a few others4 ,of course1 with the exception of ,mr ,powell1 they were very young men when they first joined him4 ,there was also another very clever clown on the establishment1 of whom ,i must say a few words4 ,this was ,james ,frowde1 a nephew of the proprietors4 ,this gentleman1 who several years since retired from the equestrian profession1 was an immense favourite with all classes4 ,his appearance in the ring was invariably greeted with acclamations1 and in private life his company was sought by many of the most respectable members of the community4 ,to give some idea of the popularity of this gentleman1 ,i may state that while the company were located in ,chester in #ahef1 several clergymen presented him with a very valuable ,bible4 ,this was made the subject of an eulogistic paragraph in ,punch1 in which the recipient and the donors were equally complimented--the one for deserving such a testimonial1 the others for their liberal appreciation of his conduct as clown1 ,christian1 and gentleman4 ,it would be well if more of our divines followed so excellent an example2 not necessarily by presenting ,bibles1 for the poor player not only possesses the book1 but in most instances acts up to its teachings4 ,it was while residing in ,chester that ,mr ,hengler obtained the patronage of the ,marquis of ,westminster2 of course on previous occasions he had been patronized by many distinguished personages1 and this particular instance is mentioned only because it was the source of ,mr ,hengler's gaining a footing in ,liverpool4 ,i may here be allowed to quote a short paragraph which appeared in the ,chester ,observer3-- #8,,hengler',s ,,cirque4--,the patronage and presence of the ,mayor at this admirably-conducted place of entertainment on ,tuesday last filled the building to overflowing4444 ,last night the performances were under the patronage of ,earl ,grosvenor1 ,m4 ,p4 ,in the morning the ,marquis of ,westminster honoured the establishment with his patronage and presence1 the noble lord kindly and duly appreciating the just claim that ,mr ,hengler has on the public as regards talent1 attraction1 and propriety1 and so1 with his usual discretion and sound judgment1 took this opportunity to signify to ,mr ,henry1 the manager1 his conscientious approval of ,mr ,hengler's admirably-conducted establishment4' ,mr ,hengler also received a letter from the ,marquis conveying a similar opinion4 ,for several years it had been the desire of ,mr ,hengler and other equestrian managers to obtain permission from the authorities of ,liverpool to erect a temporary circus in that town4 ,applications were frequently made1 and as frequently refused4 ,the invariable answer was1 #8,if you wish to perform in this town1 you must make an arrangement with ,mr ,copeland2 he has the ,amphitheatre1 and we cannot allow any one to oppose him4' ,now although the ,amphitheatre1 as its name imports1 had been originally built for equestrian performances1 they had with one or two exceptions1 and these in its earliest days1 proved failures4 ,of course no manager possessing the knowledge of ,mr ,hengler would risk going there1 especially as the best arrangement it was possible to make with the then proprietor was something like #8,heads ,i win1 tails you lose4' ,i think ,i am not far wrong in stating that ,mr ,hengler had made seven or eight applications2 and invariably received a similar reply1 #8,you can't be allowed to build here4 ,the ,amphitheatre is open to you2 go there1 or go away4' ,armed with the ,marquis of ,westminster's letter1 and several other valuable testimonials1 ,mr ,hengler determined to make one more trial2 with what success ,i shall presently show4 ,a piece of ground1 the property of the corporation1 was vacant in ,dale ,street1 and was a capital site for the erection of a temporary circus4 ,mr ,hengler1 and his architect1 ,mr ,o',hara1 went to ,liverpool1 and obtained an interview with the then ,mayor1 a celebrated builder and a liberal-minded gentleman4 ,the testimonials were shown and a promise was made1 that1 at the next meeting of the ,council1 ,mr ,hengler's request should be brought forward1 and that the ,mayor would assist him by using his influence4 ,with this ,mr ,hengler was compelled to be satisfied4 ,from ,chester1 ,mr ,hengler went to ,bradford1 on which occasion the following paragraph appeared in the ,leeds ,mercury1 of ,january #aj1 #aheg-- #8,mr ,hengler's ,establishment receives1 as it deserves1 the patronage of immense audiences4 ,the performances are so unique and varied1 that they cannot fail to please2 while it is gratifying to perceive the strict care that is taken to prevent anything that could offend the most fastidious4 ,the generality of such entertainments are more or less loose in their morality2 but the able and correct manner in which these performances are conducted is testified by the fact1 that they have met with the approbation of the local clergy4 ,the ,rev4 ,vicar patronizes the performance on ,monday next4 ,and on that occasion ,mr ,hengler affords free admission to the day-schools connected with the ,church of ,england4' ,this1 of course1 was of great value to ,mr ,hengler2 and the authorities at ,liverpool were duly apprised of it2 and1 in a few days1 the welcome intelligence was conveyed to ,mr ,hengler that his request had been complied with1 and ,mr ,o',hara was started off to make arrangements for the erection of the circus4 ,this he soon succeeded in doing1 ,messrs ,holmes and ,nicol1 the eminent builders1 undertaking its erection4 ,this circus was opened by ,mr ,hengler on ,march the #aeth1 #aheg4 ,to give some idea of its style and appointments1 ,i cannot do better than quote the following description from the ,liverpool ,daily ,mail of ,march #bjth1 #aheg4 #8,,hengler',s ,,cirque ,,varieties4--,during the present week ,mr ,charles ,hengler has opened1 in ,dale ,street1 a handsome1 commodious1 and spacious theatre1 devoted to equestrian performances1 which has been constructed by ,messrs ,holmes and ,nicol of this town1 on the model of ,franconi's famous ,cirque1 in the ,champs ,elysees1 ,paris4 ,the building1 though of a temporary character1 is most admirably suited for the purpose for which it is designed2 and while accommodating an immense number of spectators1 who can all easily witness the performances1 the ventilation is perfect1 and with an entire absence of draughts4 ,there is nothing to offend the senses of smell or sight4 ,the audience is placed in compartments round the circle2 the frequenters of the boxes being seated on cushioned chairs1 with a carpeted flooring under their feet4 ,the compartments entitled pit and gallery are also very comfortable1 while round the whole building runs a spacious promenade4 ,the ceiling is covered with coloured folds of chintz1 which give a brilliant and cleanly appearance2 and the pillars supporting the roof are neatly papered1 and ornamented with flags and shields4 ,the whole aspect is1 in fact1 what has long been a desideratum in this country1 and we regret it will have to be pulled down again in a few months4 #8,with respect to the performances1 we can only speak most highly2 they are decidedly the best we have witnessed here since the appearance of the ,french ,company4 #8,the horses are beautiful and well trained1 the grooms smart and natty1 and the dresses of all connected with the establishment new and tasteful4 ,we have not space to mention a tithe of the performances1 which present many novelties1 and display the varied talent of the company to great advantage2 the gentlemen being all daring and skilful1 and the ladies1 equally clever1 yet modest and charming4 ,in fact1 we can strongly recommend our readers to pay a visit to ,mr ,hengler's circus2 for1 as we were surprised and delighted ourselves1 we feel assured that no one can regret patronizing an entertainment so harmless1 pleasing1 and exciting4' ,in one respect1 the writer of the above paragraph made a mistake1 for1 although the circus was originally intended to be a temporary building1 the success was so great that it remained standing for five years1 ,mr ,hengler visiting ,liverpool for four months each winter4 ,at this time the company comprised ,william ,powell1 ,anthony and ,john ,bridges1 the ,brothers ,francisco1 the clowns ,frowde1 ,hogini1 and ,bibb1 ,ferdinand and ,eugene1 ,madame ,bridges1 ,miss ,adrian1 etc4 ,the performing horses were introduced by ,mr ,hengler4 ,previous to ,mr ,hengler visiting ,liverpool1 the partnership terminated between him and his brother ,edward1 the latter having realized sufficient to retire from the profession4 ,the ground in ,dale ,street being wanted by the corporation for building purposes1 ,mr ,hengler obtained a site for the erection of a building in ,newington1 and a lease of the ground for seven years4 ,he here built a very fine and capacious cirque1 the builders who erected the one in ,dale ,street undertaking the contract4 ,it was to be a brick building2 and they were under heavy penalties to get it completed by a certain time4 ,unfortunately for them1 they had no sooner commenced1 than a strike took place amongst the brick-makers2 and the builders had to appeal to ,mr ,hengler1 who allowed them to erect a wooden structure1 they agreeing to erect1 at the expiration of the strike1 brick walls around it1 which was done4 ,here ,mr ,hengler remained for seven years1 the term of his lease4 ,the ground was then required for a new railway1 and he had to leave ,liverpool1 not being able to find a site adapted to his purpose4 ,while ,mr ,hengler remained here1 several other circuses attempted to oppose him1 the authorities1 who had remained inflexible for so many years1 granting indiscriminate permission to whoever applied to them4 ,all of them failed1 and soon left the town4 ,a notable example occurred in one especial case4 ,howes and ,cushing1 the ,american equestrian managers1 chartered a vessel1 and landed at ,liverpool with the largest company and stud that had ever visited these shores4 ,they obtained the best position in ,liverpool for the erection of their tent3 and this1 only after ,mr ,hengler had been open in ,dale ,street about one month4 ,they inundated the town with their large pictorial posters1 paid fabulous sums for fronts and sides of houses on which to have them affixed4 ,liverpool really went ,howes and ,cushing mad4 ,the ,american colours were flying from every house in which any of the company lodged4 ,columns of advertisements were in all the ,liverpool newspapers2 and the day upon which they advertised to parade the town every house in the line of procession was closed4 ,the streets were crowded2 all ,liverpool seemed to have congregated on the line of route4 ,special trains came from the surrounding districts4 ,the procession was certainly a noble one4 ,a huge car1 in which the band was seated1 was drawn by forty horses1 driven in hand4 ,the whole of the company1 a very extensive one1 was placed in the other cars1 which were elaborately carved and gilt4 ,the pageant terminated with a procession of ,indians1 and a huge musical instrument which was played by steam power4 ,and what was the result8 ,the morning after their first performance the papers were unanimous in saying ,mr ,hengler's entertainment was far superior4 ,one of them stated that #8the greatest circus in ,america has met more than its match in ,liverpool4' ,they remained but two weeks2 the business falling off very considerably1 while ,mr ,hengler's increased nightly4 ,after a few very successful seasons in ,liverpool ,mr ,hengler discontinued the tenting business in the summer months1--never to him a very congenial occupation1 and erected large buildings in several important towns1 notably1 ,edinburgh1 ,glasgow1 ,dublin1 and ,hull4 ,those in ,glasgow and ,hull are still in existence2 and1 when not occupied by the proprietor1 are let for concerts1 and entertainments of a similar character4 ,in #ahfe ,mr ,hengler was offered an engagement at ,cremorne ,gardens1 where there was a very fine building1 originally erected for equestrian purposes1 but used latterly for exhibiting a ,stereorama1 which proved a great failure1 although the paintings were by those eminent artists1 ,grieve and ,telbin4 ,for several years ,mr ,hengler had been desirous of performing before a ,london audience1 and thought this a good opportunity of feeling the pulse of the metropolitan public4 ,he therefore came to terms with the then proprietor1 ,mr ,e4 ,t4 ,smith2 but1 even in those days1 ,cremorne was in its decadence1 and the engagement was neither pleasant to ,mr ,hengler nor his company4 ,with the exception of one or two miserable attempts1 circus performers bade a final adieu to a place which has lately gained such unenviable notoriety4 ,after leaving ,cremorne ,mr ,hengler went to ,hull1 where he had a most successful season4 ,it may be a matter of surprise to many people that ,mr ,hengler never brought any of his family 7a very numerous one7 up to the equestrian business1 with the exception of his daughter1 ,miss ,jenny ,louise4 ,he was always desirous that they should receive a good education4 ,now it would be almost an impossibility to combine the two things1 for1 at the very time children should be studying their lessons in school1 they would be compelled to be practising in the ring1 and performing at night1 as ,infant ,prodigies1 ,lightning ,lilliputians1 or ,bounding ,brothers4 ,then how about ,miss ,jenny ,louise8 it maybe asked4 ,that young lady did not commence riding before the public until she was eighteen years of age2 but she had such an intense desire to become an equestrienne1 that she learned1 under her father's tuition1 more in one year1 than many others would have learned in a lifetime4 ,she was naturally graceful1 very feminine1 and she possessed the necessary nerve and firmness4 ,she was always most deservedly an immense favourite with the public1 her skilful horsemanship and charmingly graceful appearance never failing to secure her hosts of admirers of both sexes4 ,i now come to ,mr ,hengler's second appearance in ,london1 which had such a different result to the previous one1 as will be shown in the sequel4 ,in #ahga1 a gutta percha merchant1 who had made several ventures in the equestrian business1 obtained possession of the ,palais ,royal in ,argyle ,street1 the site of the present cirque1 and wished ,mr ,hengler to join him4 ,mr ,hengler took time to consider the proposal1 which after due consideration he declined1 the previous experiments of the gutta percha merchant in the equestrian business having invariably proved so unsuccessful that his shows became known amongst equestrians as the ,gutta ,percha ,circus1 an appropriate title1 they having in most instances so suddenly collapsed4 ,after some difficulty1 ,mr ,hengler succeeded in obtaining possession of the ,palais ,royal1 as it was then called1 and speedily converted it into the elegant theatre1 so admirably adapted for its present purposes1 which was opened in the autumn of #ahga4 ,his first season was not a profitable one1 in a pecuniary sense2 and this1 in a great measure1 is to be accounted for by the fact1 that circus entertainments in ,london had become very unpopular4 ,in the first place1 the circus in ,holborn had been badly managed1 the proprietors not understanding the business4 ,in this year it was again opened by one of the former proprietors1 and the season not having proved profitable1 the place was soon closed4 ,in #ahgb it was opened under the auspices of the gutta percha merchant1 though his name did not appear publicly in the matter4 ,astley's also opened under the management of the ,brothers ,sanger1 gentlemen of great experience in the profession1 and who1 as a matter of course1 were formidable rivals4 ,there were now #8three ,richmonds in the field1' and1 as ,mr ,hengler1 although popular in the provinces1 was not known to any great extent in ,london1 he had to bide his time1 until the superiority of his entertainments became known and appreciated4 ,at any rate he had sown the seed2 the harvest was to be gathered hereafter4 ,all who visited the place were delighted with the high character of the entertainments4 ,everything was neat and elegant2 the horses were considered1 by good judges1 to be far superior to those usually exhibited in places of this description4 ,miss ,jenny ,louise ,hengler had already become a great favourite with lovers of high-class riding4 ,at ,christmas1 ,cinderella1 with a host of juveniles1 was for the first time produced in a ,london ,cirque4 ,everybody who witnessed it left the place delighted2 and it became the talk of ,london4 ,the mid-day performances were invariably well attended1 and by the best families in ,london and its suburbs2 but ,mr ,hengler's expenses were very great1 and the receipts1 though good1 were not commensurate with his outlay and risk4 ,he remained in ,london until the beginning of ,may1 and then went into the provinces1 where he met with his usual success4 ,in ,november1 #ahgb1 he again opened the ,cirque in ,argyle ,street1 to which he brought a very clever company1 the principal features being ,miss ,jenny ,louise ,hengler1 #8,little ,sandy1' who made his first appearance in ,london1 and the performing horses4 ,this season1 the ,prince and ,princess of ,wales and family honoured the ,cirque with a visit1 and expressed themselves highly delighted with the entertainment4 ,mr ,joe ,bibb1 another very clever grotesque and clown1 appeared during this season1 and soon became popular4 ,mr ,h4 ,b4 ,williams1 a lyrical jester1 was also a favourite4 ,mr ,charles ,fish1 an ,american rider1 made his first appearance in ,england1 and created a sensation4 ,at ,christmas1 ,jack the ,giant ,killer was produced1 with an army of forty juveniles1 whose evolutions were highly commended4 ,this season was a very profitable one1 although the circus in ,holborn and ,astley's were open at the same time4 ,mr ,hengler remained until the beginning of ,march1 when he left for ,dublin4 ,after visiting several towns1 he returned to ,london in ,november1 #ahgc4 ,this was a very successful season--several new engagements having been effected1 notably ,mr ,william ,bell1 one of the best1 if not the very best1 equestrians in the profession1 and ,mr ,lloyd1 another extraordinary rider4 ,little ,sandy now became1 if possible1 more popular than before2 and the portrait of ,miss ,jenny ,louise ,hengler was in all the photographers' windows1 and in everybody's album4 ,mr ,felix ,rivolti1 the genial ring-master who had been with ,mr ,hengler1 with the exception of a few months1 about eighteen years1 was still in great force4 ,this gentleman had the happy knack of pleasing all audiences1 as one half invariably laughed with him1 the other half as certainly laughed at him4 ,very good judges considered him the best ring-master since the celebrated ,widdicomb delighted his audiences at ,astley's4 ,observe with what a self-sufficient smirk ,rivolti enters the arena1 gracefully handing in the young lady2 see how he places her on her horse1 and then looks round the house1 as much as to say1 #8,in one minute you will be delighted to see what ,i can make her do4' ,he cracks his whip1 the horse starts into a canter1 the young lady leaps from his back1 over garlands1 through hoops1 etc41 etc41 when the horse stops1 and while the audience are applauding1 how happy ,rivolti appears6 ,he looks around as much as to say to the audience1 #8,i told you ,i could do it4 ,but wait a minute4 ,you see this clown2 now ,i am going to make him do all manner of funny things4' ,then #8,little ,sandy' performs some of his quaint tricks as only #8,little ,sandy' can1 and while the audience are laughing and applauding1 with what complacency ,rivolti looks at them1 every feature in his face beaming with gratification4 ,his many admirers will be sorry to hear that he has for the present left the profession1 to which1 however1 he will probably soon return4 ,mr ,john ,henry ,cooke returned from ,america this year1 and again joined ,mr ,hengler's ,company4 ,cinderella was reproduced for the ,christmas holidays1 and with greater splendour than on the previous occasion4 ,large audiences visited the circus1 and the season proved a very profitable one4 ,the ,prince and ,princess of ,wales and family again visited the cirque4 ,from ,london ,mr ,hengler and his company went to ,dublin1 and from thence to ,hull and ,glasgow1 returning to ,london to open for the fourth season in ,december #ahgd4 ,the company was of the usual excellence1 including a new importation from ,america1 ,mr ,wooda ,cook1 a very clever equestrian2 #8,little ,sandy1' and ,mr ,barry1 a very pleasing lyrical jester1 a great favourite in ,america1 where he has been located several years4 ,the other performers are all excellent4 ,the great feature for the ,christmas holidays was a new pantomime1 entitled ,little ,red ,riding ,hood1 performed 7with the exception of #8,little ,sandy1' who enacts the ,wicked ,wolf7 entirely by children1 original music being composed by ,messieurs ,rivire and ,stanislaus4 ,the idea of this piece is entirely original1 nothing of a similar description having been produced in the arena4 ,the cirque is crowded at every representation1 and the present promises to be a greater success than either of ,mr ,hengler's previous seasons in ,argyle ,street4 ,,chapter ,,xii4 ,the ,brothers ,sanger--,first ,appearance in ,london--,vicissitudes of ,astley's--,batty and ,cooke--,purchase of the ,theatre by the ,brothers ,sanger--,their ,travelling ,circus--,the ,tenting ,system--,barnum and the ,sangers4 ,an impenetrable mist hangs over the early history of the industrious and enterprising gentlemen who now own the #8home of the equestrian drama' in the ,westminster ,road4 ,the names of ,hengler1 and ,cooke1 and ,adams have been1 to our fathers and grandfathers1 as well as to the present generation1 #8familiar in their mouths as household words2' but circus records1 and even circus traditions1 are silent concerning the progenitors of ,john and ,george ,sanger4 ,there is a whisper floating about circus dressing-rooms that the latter gentleman might have been seen1 many years ago1 doing a conjuring trick on the narrow #8parade' of a little show at fairs2 but the ,brothers ,sanger are most reticent concerning their antecedents1 and all that can be said of them with certainty is that they were travelling with a well-appointed circus1 and a numerous company and stud1 many years before they became known as public entertainers in the metropolis4 ,they first became known to a ,london audience by their successful series of performances at the ,agricultural ,hall1 which place of amusement they occupied for several seasons4 ,during their tenancy they produced several equestrian spectacles1 all mounted in a costly and elaborate manner4 ,the first was entitled #8,the ,congress of ,monarchs1' and1 nothing of a similar character having been previously produced in ,london1 it attracted an immense concourse of persons to the ,hall4 ,to give some idea of the vast number who attended1 ,i am enabled to state1 on authority1 that on several occasions upwards of #cg1jjj persons witnessed the performances in one day4 ,their last season in this place was in #ahgb1 in which year they also acquired possession of ,astley's1 which had1 since the earlier days of ,batty1 gradually sunk to the lowest grade in the estimation of the pleasure-seeking portion of the public1 all ,batty's successors1 with the exception of ,william ,cooke1 having signally failed4 ,upon the termination of ,cooke's lease1 ,batty wished to raise the rental1 or sell the property1 and as ,cooke declined paying more than he had hitherto done1 he retired from ,astley's and the profession1 and ,batty1 not finding a purchaser or a suitable tenant1 after keeping the place closed for some time1 opened it himself1 having ,hughes1 a once celebrated equestrian proprietor1 as acting manager1 and ,william ,west as stage director4 ,the military spectacle with which the theatre was re-opened1 entitled ,the ,story of a ,flag1 was a failure2 and after lingering for a few months the theatre was closed4 ,mr ,e4 ,t4 ,smith then obtained possession on very advantageous terms1 and in a short time was fortunate enough to find a tenant in ,mr ,nation1 who paid #ejjj for the unexpired term of the lease4 ,this not proving a profitable investment1 the theatre was again in the market1 when ,mr ,boucicault1 with the same view of #8regenerating the ,national ,drama1' which he subsequently essayed at ,covent ,garden with ,babil and ,bijou1 obtained a lease1 made great alterations1 and renamed the building the ,royal ,westminster ,theatre1 advertising it as #8the nearest theatre to the ,west ,end1 through the parks1 which extend to the foot of ,westminster ,bridge1 close to which the theatre is situate4' ,the inhabitants of ,lambeth laughed1 and the dwellers in ,belgravia wondered2 but the ,royal ,westminster was not frequented by the play-goers of either quarter1 and after an unsuccessful season the theatre was again closed4 ,mr ,batty again trying to dispose of the property1 but without effect1 it remained closed for a considerable period1 until the present proprietors obtained possession of it1 and opened it for the ,christmas holidays4 ,the experiment of keeping both ,astley's and the ,agricultural ,hall open at the same time did not1 however1 answer their expectations1 and they ultimately concentrated their forces at ,astley's1 having purchased the property upon extremely advantageous terms4 ,they expended a large sum of money in having the interior almost entirely remodelled1 the well-known theatrical architect1 ,mr ,robinson1 being employed for the purpose4 ,under the present arrangement the building is adapted for the accommodation of nearly #djjj persons4 ,during the winter season the ,brothers ,sanger remain in ,london2 the other portion of the year is passed in visiting the principal provincial towns1 where the extent and splendour of their parade invariably attracts large audiences4 ,the performances are given1 sometimes in a huge tent1 and sometimes in the open air1 in a large field near the town4 ,their stay in one place is usually from one to four days1 according to the population4 ,their expenses are necessarily very heavy1 and their takings1 as a rule1 enormous4 ,it may be interesting to some persons to know how an affair of this description is managed4 ,the proprietors themselves are most industrious and indefatigable1 and they have in their service1 as acting manager1 a very clever and experienced gentleman named ,twigg1 late lieutenant in one of ,her ,majesty's regiments4 ,mr ,twigg engages several persons1 whose duty it is to make arrangements in advance for the numerous company and stud4 ,they hire ground suitable for the purpose1 and engage bill-posters1 who placard the town with large and brilliantly-coloured pictorial representations of the performances1 and distribute printed bills1 containing the names of the performers1 also giving a description of the procession1 and the route it will take in parading the town4 ,these are distributed in all the villages within a radius of fifteen miles4 ,lengthened advertisements are also inserted in all the local newspapers1 and thus the public curiosity is excited1 and it is no uncommon thing for a general holiday to be held upon the day of their grand procession through the town4 ,previous to the company arriving1 the tent-men1 with the baggage-waggons1 proceed to the field1 erect the tent1 make the ring1 and prepare for the various performances1--fixing the hurdles1 gates1 etc4 ,when the company arrives everything is prepared4 ,the horses are stabled1 groomed1 and fed2 the #8,tableaux ,carriages' 7as they are termed7 are washed1 and everything made ready for the grand parade1 which usually starts from the tent about an hour and a half previous to the first performance4 ,after the parade the show commences--the first one occupying about two hours4 ,after this is over the performers dine and rest until the evening--the second performance commencing about seven1 and terminating about ten o'clock4 ,immediately after the last act1 the whole of the company are advised at what hour they will be required to start in the morning for the next place2 this1 of course1 depends in a great measure upon the length of the journey and the state of the roads2 the usual time for starting is about five o'clock1 and they travel at the rate of five or six miles an hour4 ,the tent and baggage men leave earlier4 ,many of the principal members of the company have their own #8living carriages1' which are fitted up with every convenience1 and a very jolly and healthy life the occupants lead4 ,two performances are invariably given each day1 consisting of the usual equestrian and gymnastic feats1 horse and pony racing1 hurdle-leaping1 and ,roman chariot races4 ,the stud of the ,brothers ,sanger comprises upwards of #bjj horses1 the greater number of which are used for drawing their show-cars1 conveying the performers and paraphernalia1 etc4 ,the trained animals used in their entertainments are very numerous1 however1 and they have also no fewer than #aa elephants4 ,the company is1 necessarily1 a very numerous one1 consisting of male and female performers1 band1 grooms1 stable-helpers1 tent-men1 etc42 seldom less than #bjj persons altogether4 ,it would surprise most people to see how easily all the arrangements are carried out2 when once started on its tour the whole affair moves on like clock-work4 ,the advent of the circus in each town at the time announced may be regarded as an absolute certainty1 so complete is the organization in every respect4 ,this immense establishment has grown to its present gigantic dimensions from very small beginnings1 the ,brothers ,sanger being proud to acknowledge that they commenced their career at the lowest rung of the ladder4 ,in addition to his share in ,astley's ,amphitheatre1 ,mr ,john ,sanger is also proprietor of the #8,hall by the ,sea' at ,margate1 which is managed by his son-in-law1 ,mr ,reeves1 and is highly popular as a place of recreation with the thousands of persons who visit that salubrious watering-place during the summer4 ,the fame of the ,brothers ,sanger having reached the ,united ,states1 ,mr ,p4 ,t4 ,barnum1 the world-renowned ,american showman1 came to ,england in #ahgc expressly to purchase from them the whole of the dresses and material used in the grand spectacle of #8,the ,congress of ,monarchs' 7produced by them1 as before stated1 at the ,agricultural ,hall71 at a cost 7as advertised7 of #cj1jjj4 ,this has been an immense attraction in ,new ,york1 and has added considerably to the fortunes of the #8prince of showmen1' as ,barnum calls himself4 ,the ,christmas entertainment of the present season has been1 as everybody knows1 a pantomime entitled--,aladdin and the ,wonderful ,lamp1 and the ,forty ,thieves1 and the ,flying ,horses of ,lambeth--a strange and rather peculiar conglomeration of titles4 ,it has been produced and placed on the stage regardless of cost1 the scenic effects being very beautiful1 the costumes magnificent and elaborate1 and one scene1 in which all the company appear1 forming a brilliant combination of colour1 certainly deserving of the highest praise1 and reflecting the greatest credit upon all concerned4 ,the eleven elephants are here introduced1 the #8white' one especially attracting much attention1 and ,mr ,george ,sanger's address previous to its introduction being not the least amusing part of the performance4 ,these elephants play a very conspicuous part in the tableaux1 and the general effect far surpasses anything of a similar description ever produced by the ,brothers ,sanger1 who certainly deserve the fame and fortune which their industry and enterprise have acquired for them4 ,until within the last few years it was supposed that the circus-loving portion of the metropolitan population was not numerous enough to support more than one equestrian establishment2 but the contrary may now be regarded as proven1 and1 though it may still be doubted whether ,london would support as many circuses as the much less populous city of ,paris1 we trust to see the company and stud of ,mr ,hengler at his most comfortable cirque in ,argyle ,street1 and those of the ,brothers ,sanger at ,astley's1 for many years to come1 and to be assured that with each recurring season the proprietors of both establishments are augmenting the fame and fortune which they have so deservedly won4 ,,chapter ,,xiii4 ,american ,circuses--,american ,performers in ,england1 and ,english ,performers in the ,united ,states--,the ,cookes in ,america--,barnum's great ,show--,yankee ,parades--,van ,amburgh's ,circus and ,menagerie--,robinson's combined ,shows--,stone and ,murray's ,circus--,the ,forepaughs--,joel ,warner--,side ,shows--,amphitheatres of ,new ,york and ,new ,orleans4 ,the circus in ,america is a highly popular entertainment1 and is organized upon a very extensive scale1 as everything is there1 like the country itself1 with its illimitable prairies1 rivers thousands of miles long1 and lakes like inland seas4 ,americans have a boundless admiration of everything big2 they seem to revel even in #8big' bankruptcies and #8big' fires1 such as that which desolated ,chicago a few years ago4 ,circus proprietors bring their establishments before the public1 not by vaunting the talent of the company1 or the beauty and sagacity of the horses1 but by announcing the thousands of square feet which the circus covers1 the thousands of dollars to which their daily or weekly expenses amount1 and the number of miles to which their parades extend4 #8,this is a big concern1' say those who read the announcement1 and their patronage is proportionate to its extent and cost4 ,the ,american circuses are all conducted on the tenting system1 and1 as there are few towns in the ,union which could support one only of the many colossal establishments which travel during the summer1 most of them are idle during the winter2 many of them are combined with a menagerie1 in which cases one charge admits to both4 ,except in the matter of size1 they do not differ materially from tenting circuses in this country2 but the tents are larger1 the parades longer1 and the rifle-targets1 the ,aunt ,sallies1 and the acrobats in dirty tights who follow ,sanger1 and the ,ginnetts1 and ,quaglieni1 and other tenting circuses in ,england1 are replaced by small shows1 such as attend fairs in this country1 and in which giants1 dwarfs1 albinoes1 and monstrosities of various kinds are exhibited4 ,the interchange of circus performers between ,england and the ,united ,states1 which has existed almost as long as circuses1 has made us better acquainted in this country with the kind and quality of the performances to be witnessed in ,american circuses than with the manner in which they are conducted4 ,stickney and ,north were known and appreciated at ,astley's by the last generation1 and the present has seen and admired1 at the ,holborn ,amphitheatre1 those inimitable gymnasts1 the ,brothers ,hanlon1 the incomparable vaulter1 ,kelly1 and some others4 ,wallett1 the ,cookes1 and many others1 besides ,french1 ,german1 and ,italian performers who have appeared in ,english circuses and music-halls1 have found their way to ,america1 and proved as attractive there as here4 ,four years ago1 the ,cooke family was represented in the ,united ,states by ,emily ,henrietta ,cooke1 ,john ,henry ,cooke1 and ,george ,cooke1 prominent members of ,stone and ,murray's company1 and ,james ,e4 ,cooke with ,french's circus4 ,the largest circus now travelling is ,barnum's1 forming a portion of the great combination advertised as the #8,great ,travelling ,world's ,fair4' ,barnum has long been famous in both hemispheres as the greatest showman in the world4 ,he is certainly a man of remarkable enterprise and energy4 ,he is quick in arriving at conclusions1 and when he has resolved upon any undertaking1 he exercises all his energy1 and brings into force all the results of his long and varied experience1 in carrying it into execution4 ,coup1 a gentleman well known among public entertainers across the ,atlantic1 said to ,barnum one day1 #8,what do you say to putting a big show on the road8' #8,how much will it cost8' inquired ,barnum1 after a moment's reflection4 #8,two hundred thousand dollars1' was the reply4 #8,i'll let you know to-morrow1' said ,barnum4 ,on the following day1 he told ,coup that #8,barnum's great show' was a fact1 and that he 7,coup7 was to be its manager1 as he is to this day4 ,the establishment then formed was1 however1 far from being the mammoth concern with which the great showman took the field in #ahgc4 ,notwithstanding the great loss which he sustained by the burning of the museum which so long attracted attention in the ,broadway1 ,new ,york1 at the close of the preceding year1 he came before the public a few months afterwards with a circus1 a menagerie1 a museum1 a gallery of pictures and statuary1 and a show of mechanical wonders and curiosities1 all combined in one1 and to which the public were admitted for a single payment of half-a-dollar4 ,the address to the public with which this colossal combination of entertainments was inaugurated is so unique and characteristic that ,i need make no apology for inserting it entire4 #8,,ladies1 ,,gentlemen1 ,,families1 ,,children1 ,,friends3 #8,my career for forty years as a public ,manager of amusements1 blended with instruction1 is well known4 ,you have all heard of my three ,new ,york ,museums2 my great triumphal tour with ,jenny ,lind1 the ,swedish ,nightingale1 and my immense travelling exhibitions4 ,everybody concedes that ,i give ten times the money's worth1 and always delight my patrons4 ,i now come before you with the ,,last ,,grand ,,crowning ,,triumph ,,of ,,my ,,managerial ,,life4 #8,notwithstanding the burning of my last ,museum1 in ,december 7which1 however1 did not destroy any of my great travelling chariots1 vans1 cages1 or horses1 nor duplicates of most of my living wild animals1 which were then on exhibition in ,new ,orleans71 ,i have been enabled1 through the aid of cable dispatches1 electricity and steam1 and the expenditure of nearly a million of dollars1 to place upon the road by far the largest and most interesting combination of ,,museum1 ,,menagerie1 and ,,hippodrome ever known before--a veritable ,,world',s ,,fair4 #8,no description will convey an adequate idea of its vastness1 its beauty1 and its marvellous collection of wonders4 ,it travels by rail1 and requires more than one hundred cars1 besides ,,fifty ,,of ,,my ,,own1 made expressly for this purpose1 and five or six locomotives to transport it4 ,my daily expenses exceed #e1jjj4 ,we can only stop in large towns1 and leave it to those residing elsewhere to reach us by cheap excursion trains1 which they can easily get up4 #8,among some of my novelties is a ,,free ,,full ,,menagerie ,,of ,,wild ,,animals1 including all1 and more than are usually seen in a travelling menagerie1 which ,i now open to be seen by everybody1 ,,without ,,any ,,charge ,,whatever4 ,although ,i have consolidated more than twenty shows in one1 containing nearly one hundred gorgeously magnificent gold and enamelled cages1 dens and vans1 requiring the services of nearly #a1jjj men and over #ejj horses1 the price of admission to the entire combination of exhibition is only the same as is charged to a common show1 viz4 #ej cents2 children half price4 ,my great ,hippodrome ,tent comfortably seats #ad1jjj persons at one time1 while my numerous other tents cover several acres of ground4 #8,the ,museum ,department contains #ajj1jjj curiosities1 including ,professor ,faber's wonderful ,,talking ,,machine1 costing me #bj1jjj for its use six months4 ,also1 a ,national ,portrait ,gallery of #ajj life-size ,oil ,paintings1 including all the ,presidents of the ,united ,states1 our ,statesmen and ,military ,heroes1 as well as foreign ,potentates and ,celebrities1 and the entire ,collection of the celebrated ,john ,rogers' groups of ,historical and ,classic ,statuary4 ,also1 an almost endless variety of ,curiosities1 including numberless ,automaton ,musicians and ,mechanicians1 and ,moving ,scenes1 ,transformation ,landscapes1 ,sailing ,ships1 ,running ,water-mills1 ,railroad ,trains1 etc41 made in ,paris and ,geneva1 more beautiful and marvellous than can be imagined1 and all kept in motion by a ,steam ,engine4 ,here1 also1 are ,giants1 ,dwarfs1 ,fiji ,cannibals1 ,modoc and ,digger ,indians1 ,circassian ,girls1 the ,no-armed ,boy1 etc4 #8,among the rare wild animals are ,,monster ,,sea ,,lions1 transported in great water-tanks2 the largest ,,rhinoceros ever captured alive1 and #a1ejj ,wild ,beasts and ,rare ,birds1 ,lions1 ,elephants1 ,elands1 ,gnus1 ,tigers1 ,polar ,bears1 ,ostriches1 and every description of wild animal hitherto exhibited1 besides many never before seen on this ,continent4 #8,in the ,hippodrome ,department are ,,three ,,distinct ,,rings1 wherein three sets of rival performances are taking place at the same time1 in full view of all the audience4 ,here will be seen ,performing ,elephants1 ,horse-riding ,goats1 ,educated ,horses1 ,elk and ,deer in ,harness1 ,ponies1 ,trick ,mules1 and ,bears1 and three distinct ,equestrian ,companies 7with six clowns71 including by far the best ,male and ,female ,bare-back ,riders in the ,world1 with numerous ,athletes and ,gymnasts who have no equal4 ,everything is perfectly chaste and unobjectionable4 ,its like will never be known4 #8,,the ,,great ,,street-,,procession1 three miles long1 takes place every morning at half-past eight o'clock4 ,it is worth going #ajj miles to see4 ,it consists of trains of ,elephants1 ,camels1 ,dromedaries1 ,zebras1 and ,elks in harness2 nearly #ajj ,gold ,enamelled and ,cerulean ,chariots1 ,vans1 ,dens1 and ,cages2 ,arabian ,horses1 ,trick ,ponies1 three ,bands of ,music1 and a most marvellous display of ,gymnastic1 ,automatic1 and ,musical performances in the public streets4 #8,,three ,,full ,,exhibitions will be given each day at ten1 one1 and seven o'clock4 ,no one should miss the early ,procession4 #8,the ,public's ,obedient ,servant1 #8,p4 ,t4 ,,barnum4' ,the circus department of this unrivalled combination show is managed by ,dan ,castello1 who is described in the bills as #8a gentleman of rare accomplishments as a jester and conversationalist1 whose varied and ripe experience in ,continental ,europe1 and ,north and ,south ,america1 render his services of great value4' ,the company comprised ,celeste ,pauliere1 the dashing bare-back rider of the ,cirque ,franais2 ,d',atalie1 #8the man with the iron jaw1' who appeared a year or two ago at some of the ,london music-halls2 the ,sisters ,marion1 who then appeared in ,america for the first time2 ,frank ,barry1 ,vinnie ,cook1 ,montenard and ,aymar1 ,madame ,aymar1 ,marie ,girardeau1 and ,carlotta ,davioli3 and among performers less known on this side of the ,atlantic1 ,lucille ,watson1 ,angela 7#8the female ,samson'71 ,sebastian and ,romeo1 the ,mathews family1 ,lazelle and ,millison1 the ,bliss family1 ,bushnell1 ,nathan1 ,nichols1 ,lee1 and ,hopper4 ,the grand parade is a thing to be seen once in a life1 and talked of ever afterwards4 ,here ,i must let the ,prince of ,showmen1 as ,barnum has been called1 speak for himself2 no other's pen could do justice to the theme4 #8,the grand street pageant1' says one of his bills1 #8which heralds the advent into each town of the longest and grandest spectacular demonstration ever witnessed1 is nearly three miles in length4 ,prominent among the grand and attractive features of the innumerable caravan1 are the twelve golden chariots1 eight statuary and four tableau1 including the gorgeous moving ,temple of ,juno1 #cj feet high1 built in ,london at a cost of #bj1jjj1 the musical ,chariot of ,mnemosyne1 the revolving ,temple of the ,muses1 the great steam ,calliope1 three bands of music1 and one hundred resplendent cages and vans4 #8,these magnificently gilded ,palaces and ,dens1 plated and elaborated by the most cunning artisans1 after vivid designs and gorgeous impersonations from the ,dreams of ,hesiod1 are drawn in the ,great ,procession by trained ,elephants1 ,camels1 ,dromedaries1 ,arabian ,thoroughbreds1 ,liliputian ,ponies1 herds of ,elk and ,reindeer in harness1 and a gorgeously caparisoned retinue of dapple ,steeds and ,shetland ,palfreys4 ,they are of such rich and varied attractions as to excite the envy of a ,,cr,,sus or ,,bellerophontes4 #8,the ,great ,procession will be interspersed with grotesque figures1 such as automaton gymnasts1rich mechanical trapezists1 globe and ball jugglers1 comic clowns1 and athletic sports1 performing on the tops of the cages and chariots1 in open streets1 all the difficult feats of the celebrated living gymnasts4 ,the different brass bands1 musical chariots1 ,polyhymnian organs1 steam pianos1 and ,calliopes1 c41 are equivalent to one hundred skilful musicians4 ,persons anxious to see the procession should come early1 as three performances a day are given to accommodate the multitudes1 viz41 at #aj a4m41 also at one and seven o'clock in the afternoon and evening4 ,prof4 ,fritz ,hartman's silver cornet band1 ,herr ,hessler's celebrated brass and string bands1 ,mons4 ,joseph ,mesmer's ,french cornet band1 and the great orchestra ,polyhymnia1 will enliven the community with their choicest rhapsodies1 in alternate succession1 while passing through the streets4' ,the bill concludes with the following announcement1 eminently characteristic of the people1 and of ,barnum in particular3--#8,tickets will be carefully but rapidly dispensed1 not only by ,,ben ,,lusbie1 ,esq41 the 8,lightning ,ticket ,seller10 whose achievement of disposing of tickets at the rate of #f1jjj per hour is one of the sensational features of the great free show1 but from several ticket waggons1 and also from the elegant carriage of ,mr ,barnum's ,book ,agent1 who furnishes ,tickets ,,free to all buyers of the ,life of ,p4 ,t4 ,barnum1 written by himself1 reduced from #c4ej to #a4ej4' ,circuses on such a scale as this1 and many similar concerns now travelling in the ,united ,states1 can only be conducted successfully by those who combine a large amount of reserve capital with the requisite judgment1 experience1 and energy for undertakings so great and onerous4 ,there are in that country1 though its population is much less and scattered over an area far more extensive than that of ,great ,britain1 many more circuses than exist in this country1 and most of them organized on a scale which can be matched in ,england only by ,sanger's4 ,conducted as such enterprises are in ,america1 under conditions unknown in this country1 a bad season is ruin to circus proprietors whose reserve capital is insufficient to enable them to hold their own against a year's losses1 maintain their stud during the winter in idleness1 and take the field with undiminished strength and untarnished splendour in the following spring4 ,american circus proprietors1 managers1 performers1 and all connected with them1 will not soon forget the season of #ahfi1 which ruined several concerns1 sapped the strength of more1 and disappointed all4 #8,during the winter of #ahfh-i1' writes an ,american gentleman1 fully acquainted with the subject1 #8the most extensive preparations were made by them4 ,new canvases were bought1 new wagons built1 the entire paraphernalia refitted1 and considerable expense gone to for what they all anticipated would be a prosperous season4 ,the rainy term struck a good many of the shows in the western country as soon as they got fairly on the road1 and some of them did not see the sun any day for three weeks4 ,this proved disastrous1 as it put them back several weeks4 ,the rainy weather made the roads in a horrible condition and almost impassable1 while in some parts of the far west one concern came to a dead stand for a week1 not being able to get along with the heavy wagons through a country that had to be forded4 ,in this manner several concerns lost many of their stands4 ,then1 when they did strike a clear country1 business did not come up to expectations4 ,it is very doubtful if1 out of the twenty-eight circuses and menageries that started out in ,april and ,may1 more than six concerns came home with the right side of a balance-sheet4 ,of this number were the ,european1 ,bailey's1 ,stone and ,murray's1 and two or three of the menageries4 ,some of the other shows managed by close figuring to worry through the season and come home with their horses pretty well jaded out1 their wagons worn1 and their canvas in a dilapidated condition4 ,there were other shows that collapsed before the season was half over4 #8,profiting by experience1 and having not much better hopes for next season1 scarcely a manager went heavily into preparations during the winter for the summer's campaign4 ,the general impression with all the old and experienced managers was that it was going to be another hard one for them to pull through1 and could they have made any satisfactory disposal of their live stock1 they would willingly have done so sooner than go through such another summer as the last one4 ,some of the old managers believe in 8,never say die10 and launched out a little more boldly than the rest1 believing that 8,nothing venture1 nothing win40 ,the big concerns that have wealthy managers1 who can stand a few weeks of bad luck1 hold out2 but there are several new managers getting into the business--as well as several old ones--who have just money enough to get their shows on the road4 ,these are the concerns that go by the board first1 should times be bad1 for1 having no money to fall back on1 the 8jig's up40 ,there are many shows that go on the road without a dollar in the treasury1 comparatively speaking4 ,they manage to crawl along by paying no salaries1 their daily receipts just about meeting their hotel bill for keep of men and horses4 ,finally1 they reach a town1 the weather is very stormy1 and the receipts do not come up to the daily expense4 ,the consequence is the landlord of the hotel has to accompany the show to the next stand to get his money1 and in some instances keep along for two or three days4 #8,i know of a circus that once travelled through ,vermont and did a good business1 but on their return home through ,new ,york ,state met with five weeks of horrible business1 the weather being rainy nearly every day4 ,there were from two to three landlords accompanying the show all the time to collect back bills1 and as fast as one was dropped another would be taken on4 ,in one town one landlord1 who had been along for nearly a week1 grew out of patience1 and1 becoming desperate1 had the canvas attached1 and as soon as the company got ready to start for the next town it was hauled down to a stable under charge of the sheriff4 ,of course there was no use of the show going to the next town without a canvas1 so at last the sheriff kindly consented to take two of the baggage horses for the debt1 and they were left behind4 ,this caused a delay1 and the canvas did not arrive in the next town until it was too late to give the afternoon show4 ,this is only one of the hundreds of little events that transpire during the tenting season4 #8,but the greatest trouble experienced by circus managers is the attempt on the part of crowds of roughs to gain free admittance to the circus4 ,in a body they go to the door and attempt to pass2 upon being stopped1 they show fight4 ,if they are worsted1 they soon re-appear on the scene1 considerably strengthened in numbers1 and they either cut the guy ropes and let down the canvas1 or they get into a fight with the circus boys4 ,generally speaking1 serious results follow1 and if one of the citizens of the town is hurt the concern is followed to the next town and hunted like dogs1 and probably the same scenes occur there4 ,there are several towns where trouble is generally looked for4 ,west ,troy1 ,n4 ,y41 is one of these1 and we could mention half a dozen others4 ,in scarcely one of these towns are the police strong enough to break up these regular circus riots4 ,a circus manager is compelled to pay to the corporation a heavy license fee for the privilege of showing in the town1 a goodly tax for ground rent for pitching his canvas1 he is charged exorbitantly for everything he wants during his stay there1 and he has a ,united ,states licence also to pay1 and it is but justice that the corporation should be prepared beforehand1 and see that said manager's property is protected4' ,next to ,barnum's1 the best organized and appointed circuses now travelling are ,van ,amburgh's1 ,robinson's1 and ,stone and ,murray's4 ,van ,amburgh and ,co4 own two menageries1 one of which accompanies the circus4 ,it will surprise persons acquainted only with ,english circuses to learn that the staff of the combined shows comprises a manager and an assistant manager1 advertiser1 treasurer1 equestrian director1 riding-master1 band leader1 lion performer1 elephant man1 doorkeeper1 and head ostler1 besides grooms1 tent-men1 c41 to the number1 all told1 of nearly a hundred4 ,the number of horses1 including those used for draught1 is about a hundred and forty4 ,in #ahgj1 the management adopted the plan of camping the horses and providing lodgings and board for the entire company1 so as to be independent of hotel and stable keepers1 whose demands upon circus companies are said to have often been extortionate4 ,to this end1 they had constructed a canvas stable1 and two large carriages1 eighteen feet long1 to be set eighteen feet apart1 with swinging sides1 was to form a house eighteen feet by thirty4 ,this is their hotel1 and the cooking is done in a portable kitchen1 drawn by four horses4 ,fifty men are lodged and boarded in this construction1 which is called1 after the manager1 ,hyatt ,frost1 the ,hotel ,frost4 ,among the cooking utensils provided for the travelling kitchen is a frying-pan thirty inches in diameter1 which will cook a gross of eggs at once4 ,robinson1 the manager of the concern known as the ,yankee ,robinson ,consolidated ,shows1 combines a menagerie and a ballet troupe with a circus1 the former containing a group of performing bears4 ,the parades of this circus are organized on a great scale1 and usually present some feature of novelty1 or more than ordinary splendour4 ,a new ,polyhymnia1 used as an advertising car1 and which produces a volume of sound equal to that of a brass band1 was added to its attractions in #ahgj4 ,the ,hayneses or ,senyahs1 who performed at several of the ,london music-halls a few years ago1 and whose performance has been described in a previous chapter1 were at that time in the company1 and had been during the previous winter at the ,olympic ,theatre1 ,brooklyn4 ,there also another female gymnast known to the frequenters of metropolitan music-halls1 namely1 ,madlle ,geraldine1 appeared that season4 ,robinson is said to be the only man that so far has been successful as a circus manager1 performer1 and ,yankee comedian1 having appeared with considerable success as a representative of ,yankee characters at ,wood's ,museum and the ,olympic ,theatre1 ,new ,york1 as well as in other cities4 ,stone and ,murray's circus enjoyed1 until ,barnum took the field1 a reputation second to none in the ,union4 #8,wherever they have been1' says the writer already quoted1 #8they have left a good name behind them1 and they give a really good circus entertainment4 ,everything about the show presents a neat appearance1 and the company are noted for behaving themselves wherever they appear4' ,this is the circus in which two or three of the numerous and talented ,cooke family performed during the season of #ahgj1 together with ,jeannette ,elsler1 who in #aheb performed at ,batty's ,hippodrome1 being then a member of ,franconi's company4 ,charles ,bliss1 now in ,barnum's company1 and ,william ,ducrow1 were also members of ,stone and ,murray's company four years ago4 ,for the parade1 this circus has a band chariot1 drawn by forty horses2 and in #ahgj1 as an additional outside attraction1 ,madlle ,elsler made an ascent on a wire from the ground to the top of the pavilion1 a feat which she had performed eighteen years previously at ,batty's ,hippodrome4 ,forepaugh's #8zoological and equestrian aggregation1' as the show is called1 combines a circus with a menagerie1 and possesses no fewer than three elephants and as many camels4 ,adam ,forepaugh is the proprietor of this show1 which must not be confounded with ,gardner and ,forepaugh's circus and menagerie1 which was organized in #ahgj by the amalgamation of ,gardner and ,kenyon's menagerie with ,james ,robinson's circus4 ,kenyon retired from the former in #ahfi1 and ,john ,forepaugh1 brother of ,adam1 took his place4 ,the two elephants and other animals forming the zoological collection belong1 however1 to ,adam ,forepaugh1 from whom they are hired on a per centage arrangement4 ,madlle ,virginie1 who appeared at the ,holborn ,amphitheatre a few years ago1 has since been travelling with ,adam ,forepaugh2 while ,gardner and ,forepaugh's circus has included in its company ,j4 ,m4 ,kelly1 brother of ,george ,kelly1 the champion vaulter1 whose double somersaults over a dozen horses will long linger in the memory of those who witnessed the feat in the same arena4 ,joel ,warner1 who was formerly ,adam ,forepaugh's advertiser1 started a circus and menagerie on his own account in #ahga4 #8,he said1' writes the gentleman who relates the story of the origin of ,barnum's show1 #8that he was 8bound to have some money1 or die20 and he added that he would 8fifty per cent4 rather have the money than die40 ,well1 he started out1 and met with but poor encouragement2 still his indomitable energy kept him above-water until he got into ,indiana1 when he found1 to his utter consternation1 that he was to meet with strong opposition4 8,well10 he said1 8there's just one way to get out of this10 and ,warner quietly disappeared4 ,two or three days after a travel-worn stranger stepped into the counting-room of ,russell1 ,morgan1 ,co4's great printing house1 in ,cincinnati1 and1 sitting himself down in a chair1 exclaimed3--8,well1 here ,i am1 and here ,i'll stay40 ,it was ,warner1 and the way that man disturbed the placid bosom of quart-bottles of ink was a warning to writists4 ,for two weeks he sat at a desk running off 8proof0 from his pen1 while the printers ran it off from the press1 and when he got through1 ,j4 ,e4 ,warner ,co4's ,menagerie and ,circus was among the best advertised shows in ,america4 ,he courted the muses too1 and fair poetry shed her light upon ,warner's wearied brain1 while she tipped his fingers with3-- 8,one summer's eve1 amid the bowers ,of ,grand river's peaceful stream1 ,sleeping 'mong the breathing flowers1 ,joel ,warner had a dream3 ,argosies came richly freighted1 ,birds and beasts1 from every land1 ,at his calling came and waited1 ,till he raised his magic hand40 ,the 8magic hand10 was raised1 and ,hoosiers and ,michiganders filled it with 8rocks40 ,i met him in the summer at ,fort ,wayne4 8,well1 ,warner1 what success80 ,i asked4 8,red hot60 was the answer1 and off he started to hire every bill-board and bill-poster and newspaper in the town4 ,as an advertiser he stands 8ever so high10 and as a gentleman he is1 as ,captain ,cuttle remarked of his watch1 8equalled by few and excelled by none40 #8,one day ,charley ,castle--of course1 everybody knows ,charley ,castle1 and has heard him mention ,syracuse--one day ,charley ,castle lost a beautiful topaz from a ring1 and after a thorough search he gave it up as gone2 8still10 said he1 8,i'll give two dollars to the finder if he returns it40 ,warner quietly walked across the street to the dollar-store and bought a glass stone which bore a remarkable resemblance to the one lost4 ,laying it in a corner1 he sat down1 and in a few moments delighted ,castle by pointing out his lost gem4 ,it fitted the setting exactly1 and ,charley was happy4 8,well10 said ,warner1 8,i won't ask you for the two dollars1 ,charley1 but you must set 'em up40 8,all right40 ,they were set up accordingly1 and it cost three dollars exactly4 ,a short time after1 ,castle made a startling discovery--his beautiful topaz was beautiful glass4 ,there was war in that camp1 and in order to move ,charley ,castle it is only necessary to go and whisper 8topaz0 in his ear4 #8,but ,castle is full of tricks too4 ,out in ,ohio1 when he was agent of ,o',brien's big show--8,great ,monster ,menagerie1 ,national ,natural ,kingdom and ,aviary of ,exotic ,birds0--that's what he calls it--a landlord gave him a cross word4 8,hitch up them horses10 he shouted to his groom1 and leaving the landlord a left-handed blessing1 he drove three miles away1 and showed in an open farm1 to a crowded house4 ,landlords and showmen often have little passages1 and generally the showmen come out winners4 ,i remember a landlord in a southern town1 who once contracted to keep fifty men1 and when the show arrived he had just ten beds in the house4 ,this was rough on the showmen1 but the way the landlord suffered was enough to 8point a moral and adorn a tale40' ,bailey's circus also combines a menagerie with the attractions of the arena1 and the former1 which includes two large elephants and no fewer than ten camels1 is exhibited during the winter at ,wood's ,museum1 ,new ,york4 ,though called ,bailey's1 ,george ,bailey is only the junior partner and general director1 the senior partners being ,avery ,smith and ,john ,nathans1 who are also the proprietors1 in partnership with ,george ,burnell1 of the ,european ,circus4 ,sebastian and ,romeo1 now travelling with ,barnum's show1 were performing in this circus a few years ago1 together with ,george ,derious1 a gymnast who1 in #ahfi1 performed some sensational feats at the ,bowery theatre1 ,new ,york4 ,the ,european circus of ,smith1 ,nathans1 and ,burnell travels with a company of a hundred and twenty-five persons1 and a stud of a hundred and thirty-four horses4 ,the famous ,frank ,pastor was lately the principal equestrian1 and the ,conrads were among the gymnastic artistes4 ,french's circus was the first in ,america in which the system of lodging and boarding the company and stabling the horses1 independently of hotels1 was introduced4 ,the cooking and dining carriage is eighteen feet long1 eight feet wide1 and ten feet high2 and there are several large carriages for sleeping purposes4 ,french employs a hundred and twenty persons1 all told1 and his stud numbers as many horses1 besides two elephants1 fifteen camels1 and two cages of performing lions4 ,campbell's show1 which comprises a circus and a menagerie1 is a good one of the second1 or rather third1 class4 ,the circus company lately included ,madame ,brown 7better known as ,marie ,tournaire71 ,madlle ,josephine1 and ,sam ,stickney--a name still famous in the arena4 ,the zoological collection includes an elephant and a group of performing lions1 tigers1 and leopards1 who are exercised by ,signor ,balize4 ,there remains to be noticed several tenting circuses of minor extent and repute1 but which make a figure that would be more highly esteemed in this country4 ,wheeler and ,cushing have a band of silver cornet players1 and their company lately included ,madame ,tournaire1 ,annie ,warner1 and ,pardon ,dean1 the oldest ,english equestrian in ,america4 ,wilson's circus included the world-famed ,brothers ,risareli in the company just before their appearance at the ,holborn ,amphitheatre4 ,johnson's circus was strengthened a few years ago by amalgamation with ,levi ,north's show1 which included a group of performing animals1 and is now able to give a parade extending to the length of a mile4 ,older's circus and menagerie is a fourth-rate concern1 but yet possesses two camels4 ,thayer's circus was broken up by the bad business of #ahfi1 and the stud and effects sold by auction4 ,a new concern was organized in the same name in the following year by ,james ,anderson1 with fifty people and as many horses1 ,thayer being manager1 ,samuel ,stickney equestrian director1 and ,charlie ,abbott--the vanishing clown of a few years ago at the ,holborn ,amphitheatre--as clown4 ,ward's circus started in #ahfi1 and broke up the same year1 when ,bunnell and ,jones bought the stud and effects at auction for little more than one-seventh of the money they had cost1 and started it again in ,ward's name1 in #ahgj4 ,lake's circus was sold by auction about the same time1 when the ring horses were bought by ,van ,amburgh1 and the draught stock by ,noyes4 ,there are three other circuses--,watson's1 ,de ,haven's1 and ,alexander ,robinson's--which though they bear the high-sounding names of the ,metropolitan1 the ,sensation1 and the ,international ,hippo-comique and ,world ,circus1 are of comparative small importance4 ,besides these1 there are some circuses which travel the ,southern ,states1 where the climate enables them to tent all the year round4 ,foremost among these is ,noyes' circus1 a great feature in the parade of which is the globe band chariot1 drawn by eight cream-coloured horses4 ,hemmings1 ,cooper1 and ,whitby's show combines with the circus a small menagerie1 and includes an elephant and a cage of performing lions4 ,grady's circus lately numbered in its company ,madame ,macarte1 who formerly travelled with ,batty1 and whose real name is1 ,i believe1 ,macarthy4 ,john ,robinson's circus and menagerie also possesses an elephant1 and the zoological collection has been greatly enlarged of late years4 ,stowe's circus appears to be a very small concern4 ,most of the ,american circuses1 including all the most considerable1 are accompanied1 as before stated1 by what are termed #8side shows1' of which the following account is given by the gentleman to whom ,i am indebted for the statement of the troubles of ,american circuses in the beginning of this chapter4 #8,the side show1' he says1 #8is an institution of itself--one in which considerable money is invested with some concerns1 while with others not so much capital is required4 ,what is known as a side show is an entertainment given in a small canvas in close proximity to the big show4 ,to secure the sole privilege of conducting this entertainment on the same ground as used by the big concern1 and for being permitted to accompany it on its summer tour1 a considerable bonus has to be paid4 ,there is a great rivalry among side showmen to secure the privilege with the larger concerns1 as a great deal of money is made during a tenting season4 ,some of these entertainments consist of a regular minstrel performance or the exhibition of some monstrosity1 such as a five-legged cow1 a double-headed calf1 collection of anacondas1 sword-swallowers1 stone-eaters1 dwarf1 giant1 fat woman1 and anything else1 no matter what1 so long as it is a curiosity4 #8,the modus operandi of running a side show is as follows3--,the manager has a two-horse waggon1 into which he packs his canvas and traps4 ,he starts off early in the morning1 so as to reach the town in which the circus is to exhibit about an hour before the procession is made4 ,he drives to the lot1 and in less than an hour every preparation has been completed and the side show commences1 with the 8blower0 taking his position at the door of the entrance1 and in a stentorian voice expatiating at large upon what is to be seen within for the small sum of ten cents2 sometimes the admission is twenty-five cents4 ,the term 8blower0 is given to this individual because he talks so much and tells a great deal more than what proves to be true4 ,a crowd always gathers about a circus lot early in the morning1 and many a nimble tenpence is picked up before the procession is made in town4 ,when that is over and has reached the lot1 an immense crowd gathers around to see the pitching of the big canvas1 and from them many drop in to see the side show4 ,as soon as the big show opens for the afternoon performance the 8kid0 show1 as the side show is called1 shuts up and does not open again until about five minutes before the big show is out4 ,then the 8blower0 mounts a box or anything that is handy1 and goes at it with a will1 8blowing0 and taking in the stamps at the same time4 ,this is kept up for about half an hour1 by which time all have gone in that can1 while the rest have departed4 ,the side show entertainment lasts about half an hour1 when the doors are closed and remain so until the evening performance of the big show is over4 ,and then1 with a huge torch-ball blazing each side of him1 the 8blower0 commences4 ,this torch ball consists of balls of cotton wicking1 such as was used in olden times for oil lamps2 having been soaked well in alcohol and lighted1 it is fixed upon an iron rod1 about six feet long1 which is placed upright in the ground and the ball will burn for half an hour or more2 two balls will make the whole neighbourhood nearly as light as day4 #8,the receipts from some side shows reach over #aej a day1 and with the larger concerns a still greater amount than this is taken4 ,i know of a side show that travelled with a circus company through ,vermont and the ,canadas1 about ten years ago1 that actually came home in the fall with more money than the circus had2 not that it took more money1 but it did a big business1 and had little or no expense4 ,the side show belonged to the manager of the big show1 and consisted of a couple of snakes1 a cage of monkeys1 and a deformed negro wench1 who was represented as a wild woman1 caught by a party of slaves in the swamps of ,florida4 ,while the big show did a poor business the 8kid0 show made money4 ,some of the circus managers do not dispose of the side show privilege1 but run it themselves4 ,then1 again1 the manager of the big show rents out what is called the 8concert privilege20 that is1 the right of giving a minstrel entertainment within the canvas of the big show as soon as the regular afternoon and evening performances are over4 ,this consists of a regular first part and variety minstrel entertainment1 given by the circus performers1 who can either play some musical instrument or dance2 occasionally some of the ladies of the company dance4 ,the show lasts about three quarters of an hour1 and the charge is twenty-five cents4 ,the clown announces to the audience1 just before the big show is over1 that the entertainment will be given immediately after1 and those who wish to witness it can keep their seats4 ,several parties then skirmish among the assembled multitude and cry 8tickets for the concert1 twenty-five cents10 and just before the entertainment commences the tickets are collected4' ,new ,york and ,new ,orleans are provided with permanent buildings in which circus performances are given during the winter by companies which travel in the tenting season4 ,at the ,new ,york ,amphitheatre the company comprises some of the best equestrians and gymnasts1 ,american and ,european1 whose services can be secured1 such as ,robert ,stickney1 ,william ,conrad 7who1 with his brother1 will be remembered by many as gymnasts at the ,alhambra71 and ,joe ,pentland1 one of the oldest and best clowns in the ,union4 ,the stud comprises between forty and fifty horses1 all used in turn in the ring1 as the summer campaign is made by rail1 and only the principal towns are visited4 ,mr ,lent is lessee and manager in ,new ,york4 ,the ,new ,orleans ,amphitheatre combines a menagerie with its circus attractions1 and is owned by ,c4 ,t4 ,ames4 ,there are twelve camels attached to it1 and a #8mio1' whatever that may be1 the animal being as unknown to naturalists1 by that name at least1 as the #8vedo' of ,sanger's circus4 ,lucille ,watson1 now with ,barnum's company1 was previously a member of the ,new ,orleans troupe4 ,,chapter ,,xiv4 ,reminiscences of a ,gymnast--,training and ,practising--,a ,professional ,rendezvous--,circus ,agencies--,the ,first ,engagement--,springthorp's ,music-hall--,newsome's ,circus--,reception in the ,dressing-room--,the ,company and the ,stud--,the ,newsome ,family--,miss ,newsome's ,wonderful ,leap across a green lane--,the ,handkerchief ,trick--,an ,equine ,veteran from the ,crimea--,engagement to travel4 ,the picture of circus life and manners which ,i have endeavoured to portray would not be complete without a narrative of the professional experiences of the performers engaged in circuses4 ,i shall next1 therefore1 present the reminiscences of a gymnast1 as ,i heard them related a few years ago by one who has since retired from the avocation2 and ,i shall endeavour to do so1 as nearly as may be possible1 in his own words4 #8,i was not born and bred a circus man1 as most of them are--,alf ,burgess1 for instance1 who was born1 as ,i may say1 in the saw-dust1 and brought up on the back of a horse4 ,neither was my partner4 ,he was a clerk in the advertising department of a ,london evening newspaper1 and ,i was an apprentice in a ,london printing-office1 and not quite out of my time1 when we went in for gymnastics at the ,alhambra gymnasium4 ,my partner was practising the flying trapeze1 and was just beginning to do his flights with confidence1 when that poor fellow fell1 and broke his back1 at the ,canterbury1 and the proprietors of the ,london music-halls set their faces against the flying trapeze1 and would not engage gymnasts for it4 ,in consequence of that1 he had to drop the flying trapeze1 and practise for the fixed trapeze2 and1 as the single trapeze doesn't draw1 he began to look out for a partner1 to do it double4 ,price was looking out for a partner at the same time1 but1 as he was more advanced in his training than ,fred was1 and was not disposed to wait till he was proficient1 he took ,joe ,welsh1--,alhambra ,joe1 as he used to be called1--and ,fred had to look out for somebody else4 #8,the partnership of the ,brothers ,price1 as they called themselves1 did not last long2 for ,price dropped in for a slice of luck1 in the shape of a thumping legacy1--twenty thousand pounds1 ,i have heard1--and then he turned up the profession1 and ,joe ,welsh went in for the long flight4 ,in the mean time1 ,i had made up my mind to follow ,fred's example1 and to be his partner2 and1 besides fixing up the ropes for the flying rings in my grandmother's orchard at ,norwood1 for practice on ,sundays1 we took our fakements nearly every evening to the 8ruins10 as they were called1 in ,victoria ,street4 ,do you know where ,i mean8' ,i did know the place1 and remembered that it conveyed the idea that a ,metropolitan ,improvement ,commission's notions of street improvements consisted in demolishing some three or four hundred houses1 and creating a wilderness of unfinished houses1 yawning chasms1 and heaps of rubbish4 ,the place remained in that condition for several years1 and was the rendezvous and free gymnasium of most of the gymnasts1 acrobats1 rope-dancers1 and other professors of muscular sensationalism in the metropolis4 #8,well1 we fixed our fakements up in the 8ruins10 and when the evenings began to get dark we had candles4 ,a lot of us used to be there--,frank ,berrington1 and ,costello1 and ,jemmy ,lee1 and ,joe ,welsh1 and ,bill ,george1 and ever so many more4 ,there used to be all kinds of gymnastic exercises going on there2 and there my partner and ,i went1 night after night1 until we could do a tidy slang on the trapeze1 the rings1 or the bar4 ,then we went to ,roberts2 he used to live in ,compton ,street then1 and he and ,maynard1 in ,york ,road1 ,lambeth1 were agents for all the circuses and music-halls in the three kingdoms1 and often had commissions from foreign establishments to engage artistes for them4 ,they get engagements for you1 and you pay them a commission of fifteen per cent4 on the salary they get for you2 so it is their interest to get you as good a screw as they can1 and it is your interest to keep the commission paid regularly1 because if you don't1 you will have to look out for yourselves when you want another engagement4 ,if you don't act honourable1 and you try to get another engagement without the intervention of an agent1 the circus or music-hall proprietor or manager says1 8,i engage my people through ,roberts10 or ,maynard1 as the case may be2 and there you are--flummoxed6 #8,well1 we went to ,roberts1 and had to wait our turn1 while he did business with other fellows who were before us4 ,we looked at the framed collections of photographs of gymnasts1 acrobats1 clowns1 riders1 jugglers1 singers1 and dancers which hung against the wall1 and then we looked about us4 ,there was ,hassan1 the ,arab1 a wiry-looking tawny man1 black bearded and moustached1 and wearing a scarlet fez1 a blue zouave jacket1 and baggy crimson breeches2 and old ,zamezou1 with a broad-brimmed felt hat overshadowing his face1 and his portly figure enveloped in the folds of a large blue cloak2 and ,george ,christoff1 the rope-dancer1 buttoned up in his over-coat1 and looking rather blue1 as if he had just stepped up from the chilly fog in the street2 and ,luke ,berrington1 looking quite the swell1 as he always does2 and one or two more that ,i didn't know1 or can't remember4 ,one by one1 they dropped out1 and others came in1 till at last our turn came4 #88,well10 says ,roberts1 who is a nice sort of fellow--a smart dark-complexioned man1 with gold rings in his ears1 8,i want a couple of good gymnasts for ,springthorp's1 at ,hull2 but1 you see1 ,i don't know you3 where have you been80 #8,that was a floorer2 but1 before my partner could answer1 a young fellow who had just come in1 and who had seen us practising at the 8ruins10 and knew what we could do1 says1 8,i know them2 they have just come from the ,cirque ,imperiale40 #88,oh60 says ,roberts1 8if you have been at the ,cirque ,imperiale1 you will do for ,springthorp's4 ,the engagement will be for six nights1 commencing on ,saturday next2 and you will have five pounds40 #8,that was gorgeous1 we thought4 ,there was ,i1 getting1 as an apprentice1 a pound a week1 with three-and-thirty shillings1 or six-and-thirty at the most1 in perspective2 and my partner1 out of collar for months1 and receiving the munificent salary of twelve bob a week when in3 and we had jumped into fifty shillings a week each1 for a nightly performance of ten minutes or a quarter of an hour6 ,it is no wonder that we fell to work1 building castles in the air1 as soon as we got into the street4 ,we should go to the ,cirque ,imperiale some day1 though we had not been there yet1 and then to ,madrid or ,st ,petersburg1 and come back to ,england1 and be engaged for the ,alhambra at fifty pounds a week4 ,from the lofty height to which we had soared before we reached the ,haymarket we were brought to the ground by considerations of finance4 ,we were both at low-water mark1 and the denarlies had to be found for our tights and trunks1 and our expenses down to ,hull4 ,we got over that little difficulty1 however1 and started for ,hull with hearts as light as our purses4 #8,do you know ,springthorp's8 ,you were never in ,hull1 perhaps2 but1 if you should ever happen to be there1 and should lose yourself1 as you are very likely to do1 in the neighbourhood of the docks1 and should wander into the dullest part of the town1 towards ,sculcoates1 you will come upon a dreary-looking building1 which was once a chapel1 and afterwards a wax-work exhibition4 ,that is ,springthorp's2 and there1 in the dreariest1 dingiest hall that was ever mocked with the name of a place of amusement1 we gave our first performance4 ,the ,vokes family were performing there at the same time1 and very agreeable people we found them4 ,the six nights came to an end too soon1--before we had got used to seeing our name in the bills1 in the largest type and the reddest ink4 ,then we came back to ,london1 and presented ourselves again before our agent4 ,we had given entire satisfaction at ,springthorp's1 he told us2 but he couldn't offer us another engagement just then4 ,he should put our name on his list1 and1 if anything should turn up1 he would let us know4 #8,the first offer came from a music-hall at ,plymouth1 but the screw was too low for the distance1 unless we had had other engagements in the western towns to follow1 and we didn't take it4 ,the next chance was at the ,hippodrome1 in ,paris1 and we should have gone there1 but another brace of gymnasts1 whose terms were lower than ours1 cut us out of it4 ,as if to confirm the vulgar superstition about times1 the third time was lucky4 ,newsome wanted a couple of good gymnasts for his circus1 and offered the same terms we had had at ,springthorp's1 and for twelve nights4 ,the distance was a drawback1 for the circus was then at ,greenock2 but we both desired a circus engagement1 and hoped that ,newsome might be disposed to engage us to travel with him4 ,so we accepted the offer1 and1 reaching ,edinburgh by steamer to ,granton1 went on by rail to ,greenock4 #8,we had never seen any other circus than ,hengler's1 except ,astley's1 and1 as we did not expect to see a theatre1 we expected to find a tent4 ,to our surprise1 we found a large wooden building1 well and substantially built1 though without any pretensions to elegance or beauty of architecture2 and we were still more surprised when we went into the ring to fix up our trapeze4 ,the boxes and balcony were as prettily painted and gilded as in any theatre1 and the ring-fence was covered with red cloth1 and a handsome chandelier hung from a canopy such as ,charman had at the ,amphi4 in ,holborn4 #88,this is better than ,hengler's by a lump10 says my partner1 as we looked about us4 8,why1 it must look like ,astley's1 when the chandelier and those gas jets all round the balcony are lighted40 #8,we did not see many of the company till we presented ourselves in the dressing-room on the first night of our engagement4 ,as we walked in an old clown was applying the last touch of vermilion to his whitened face1 and a younger one was balancing a feather on the tip of his nose4 ,there were seven or eight fellows in tights and trunks1 ready for the vaulting act1 and two or three in the gilt-buttoned blue tunic and gold-striped trousers which constituted the uniform in which the male members of the company stood at the ring-doors when not engaged in their several performances in the ring4 ,they all stared at us as we went in1 and ,i heard one of them say1 8,here are the star gymnasts from ,london60 ,one or two said 8good evening10 and one gave us a glance of inquiry as he pronounced our professional name4 #88,that's us10 returned my partner4 #88,haven't ,i seen your face before80 said another1 looking hard at him4 #88,very likely10 said ,fred4 8,were you ever at the ,circo ,price1 in ,madrid80 #88,no10 answered the other fellow1 still looking hard at him4 #88,then it couldn't have been there10 said my partner1 without a muscle of his face moving1 though ,i had to bite my lips to keep from laughing4 #8,we found all of them very good fellows to pal with when we knew them4 ,there was ,webster ,vernon1 the ring-master2 ,alf ,burgess1 the head vaulter and revolving globe performer1 who had been all over the continent1 and was supposed to have accumulated some coin2 ,coleman1 the bare-back rider1 a brother1 ,i believe1 of the theatrical manager of that name1 well known in the north2 ,charlie ,ducrow1 a direct descendant of the great successor of ,astley1 and emulating him in his rapid act on six horses2 old ,zamezou and his boys2 the ,brothers ,ridley1 also acrobats1 and very good in their chair act and at hand-balancing--,joe ,ridley's one-arm balance was the best ,i ever saw2 ,franks1 the first clown1 with a fund of dry1 quiet humour that earned his salary1 which was higher than any other man's in the company1 except ,burgess's2 ,joe ,hogini1 singing clown1 and better at comic singing than at clowning1 though he could do some clever balancing tricks2 and old ,adams1 clown and property-man1 whose wife was money-taker at the gallery entrance1 and whose daughter took small parts in the ballets when required4 #8,if ,i mention the gentlemen before the ladies1 which isn't manners1 it is because ,i saw them first1 and saw them oftenest4 ,the ladies1 as is often the case in a circus1 were all members of the proprietor's family4 ,madame ,newsome only appeared in the ring when her clever manege horse1 ,brunette1 was introduced4 ,miss ,adele was great in leaping acts1 and has been repeatedly acknowledged by the leading gentlemen of the north country hunts to be the finest horsewoman across country in ,england4 ,one of the wonderful stories related of her is1 that a splendid black hunter which she was riding leaped1 in the excitement of the chase1 over two hedges1 with a narrow lane between them1 landing safely in the field beyond4 ,miss ,emma did double acts with ,burgess1 who is as good a rider as he is a vaulter and a juggler on the globe4 ,miss ,marie only appeared in ballets at that time1 but she is famous now for her daring acts of horsemanship1 without saddle or bridle1 like ,beatrice ,chiarini1 whom you may have seen at the ,amphitheatre4 ,but there was ,lizzie ,keys1 a bold and graceful rider1 who used to take her hoops and balloons beautifully2 they called her the ,little ,wonder1 and she was said to be only fourteen years of age1 but she looked more like a diminutive girl of eighteen4 #8,there was a capital stud4 ,newsome selected his horses as they say ,astley did1 without caring much for the colour of them2 they were not chosen for show1 like the cream-coloured1 and spotted1 and piebald horses you see in circuses that do a parade1 but every horse was a good one in the ring1 and had been selected for docility and intelligence4 ,there was ,emperor1 the handsome black horse which the governor1 and sometimes ,miss ,adele1 used to ride2 he was worth a hundred guineas1 at the very least1 as a hunter1 and was a clever trick horse besides4 ,it was a treat to see that horse find1 with his eyes bandaged1 a handkerchief which was buried in the saw-dust2 you might bury it as deep as you could1 and be as careful as you liked to make the saw-dust look as if it had not been disturbed1 but he would be sure to find it4 ,he would step slowly round the ring till he came to the place1 and then he would scrape the saw-dust away with his hoof1 pick up the handkerchief with his teeth1 and carry it to ,newsome4 ,one night ,franks took the handkerchief out of the saw-dust1 ran over to the other side of the ring1 and buried it in another place1 chuckling and gesticulating in assumed anticipation of the horse's discomfiture4 ,the horse found it as easily as usual4 ,in fact1 ,i never knew him miss it but once2 he then passed the place1 but ,newsome said1 8,en arrire10--circus horses are always spoken to in the ring in ,french1--and he stepped back directly1 and found it4 ,then there was ,brunette1 a brown mare1 the most docile and intelligent creature that ever went on hoofs2 and ,balaklava1 a scar-covered veteran that had served in the ,scots ,greys1 and had received his name from having been wounded in the charge of the heavy cavalry at the battle of ,balaklava4 ,lizzie ,keys used to ride him4 #8,from the company and the stud1 ,i must return to ourselves4 ,the twelve nights we were engaged for1 like the six at ,hull1 came to an end too soon2 and my partner spoke to ,henry1 the manager1 about our travelling with the circus1 as we had set on minds upon doing4 ,henry1 who was a very gentlemanly fellow1 said he would mention it to the governor2 and ,newsome called us to him4 8,i am afraid10 said he1 8you wouldn't be of much use to me4 ,you have not been used to circus business1 and you know nothing about it4 ,the general routine of a circus is very different to a starring engagement1 or a turn at a music-hall4 ,you can't vault1 or hold a banner or a balloon40 #88,we should soon learn10 said ,fred4 #88,well1 look here10 said the governor1 8it's as ,i said just now1 you are not of much use to me at present2 but you are good on the trapeze1 and1 on the understanding that you are to make yourselves useful in the general business as soon as you can1 ,i will put you on the establishment1 the engagement to be terminable at any time by a week's notice on either side40 #88,i should like travelling with a circus1 of all things10 said ,fred4 #88,of course1 ,i couldn't give you the salary you have been having as stars10 said the governor4 8,the best man in the company doesn't get much more than ,i have been giving each of you4 ,but if two pounds a week for you and your partner will satisfy you1 you may consider yourself engaged40 #8,of course1 we thanked him1 and we accepted the offer1 thinking that we should be worth more some day1 and that it would be better to have two pounds a week regular than to have five pounds for a week or a fortnight only1 and then be for several weeks without an engagement4' ,,chapter ,,xv4 ,continuation of the ,gymnast's ,reminiscences--,a ,circus on the move--,three ,months at ,carlisle--,performance for the ,benefit of local ,charities--,removal to ,middlesborough--,a ,stockton ,man's ,adventure--,journey to ,york--,circus ,ballets--,the ,paynes in the ,arena--,accidents in the ,ring--,a ,circus ,benefit--,removal to ,scarborough--,a ,gymnastic ,adventure--,twelve ,nights at the ,pantheon--,on the ,tramp--,return to ,london4 #8,the circus was near the end of its stay at ,greenock when we engaged for 8general utility10 and we were not sorry to leave the banks of the ,clyde for a more genial climate4 ,it rained more or less1 generally more1 all the time we were there1 and ,i can quite believe the boy who assured an ,english tourist that it didn't always rain in ,scotland1 adding1 8whiles it snaws40 ,there was a frigate lying in the ,clyde at the time1 and whenever the crew practised gunnery down came the rain in torrents4 ,i don't know how that phenomenon is to be accounted for2 but it is a fact that there was a change from a drizzle to a down-pour whenever the big guns were fired4 ,and then the ,sundays--not a drop of beer6 ,but what do you think the thirsty folks do8 ,there are a great many people thirsty on ,sundays in ,scotland1 and especially in ,greenock and ,glasgow2 for they try to drink enough on ,saturday night to last them till ,monday1 and that plan doesn't work satisfactorily4 ,they go to a place called ,gourock1 where they can get as much ale or whiskey as they can pay for4 ,that is how something like the ,permissive ,bill works in ,scotland4 #8,on the last night of our stay in ,greenock1 as soon as we had doffed the circus uniform1 and the audience had departed1 we took down our trapeze1 and proceeded to the railway station4 ,a special train had been engaged for the removal to ,carlisle of all the company1 the band1 the stud1 and the properties1 ,newsome paying for all4 ,having to make the journey by night1 we did not see much of the scenery we passed through2 but we had a good time1 as the ,yankees say1 talking1 joking1 laughing1 and singing all the way4 ,we found at ,carlisle as good a building as we had left at ,greenock1 and1 having fixed up our trapeze1 and taken a lodging1 we walked round the city to see the lions1 which are rather tame ones4 #8,while we were at ,carlisle1 ,hubert ,mears was starring with us for a short time1 doing the flying trapeze1 and doing it1 too1 as well as ever ,i have seen it done4 ,after him1 we had ,sadi ,jalma1 8the serpent of the desert10 for a time1 and very serpent-like his contortions are2 he can wriggle in and out the rounds of a ladder or a chair like an eel4 ,he is like the acrobats that ,i once heard a couple of small boys holding a discussion about1 one maintaining that they had no bones1 and the other that their bones were made of gutta percha4 ,he calls himself a ,persian prince1 but ,i don't believe he is any relation to the ,shah4 ,he may be a ,persian1 for there are ,arab1 ,hindoo1 ,chinese1 and ,japanese acrobats and jugglers knocking about over ,england1 as well as ,frenchmen1 ,germans1 and ,italians2 but nationalities are as often assumed as names1 and he may be no more a ,persian than ,i am a ,spaniard4 #8,it is a praiseworthy custom of ,newsome1 to devote one night's receipts to the charities of every town which he visits4 ,it would require more time than he has to spare to make the inquiries and calculations that would be necessary before a stranger could distribute the money among the several institutions1 so as to effect the greatest amount of good2 and it is placed for that purpose at the disposal of the ,mayor4 ,the amount of money which he has thus given for the relief of the sick1 the infirm1 and the indigent during the time his circus has been travelling would have been a fortune in itself1 if he had put it into his own pocket4 ,he divides the year between four towns1 and in one year he gave two hundred pounds to the charities of ,preston1 and forty pounds to the ,seamen's ,orphans' ,asylum at ,liverpool1 besides what he gave to the similar institutions of the other towns which he visited that year4 #8,our next move was to ,middlesborough1 where a very laughable incident occurred4 ,a party of us ferried over to ,stockton one day1 and went into a public-house there for refreshment4 ,circus men are always courted and sought after1 as soldiers are in a place where they are only occasionally seen2 and1 as soon as we were recognised by the ,stockton men in the room as belonging to the circus1 there was a great disposition shown to treat us1 and to get into conversation with us4 ,well1 a short time afterwards1 one of those men came over to ,middlesborough1 to see the circus again1 and1 after the performance1 he went into a public-house where he recognized ,sam ,sault1 a gymnast from ,manchester1 who had lately joined us1 and insisted upon treating him4 ,sam had no objection to be treated1 and the ,stockton man was elated with the opportunity of showing that he was acquainted with a circus man4 ,so one glass followed another until the ,stockton man became1 all at once1 helplessly drunk4 ,sam1 who retained the use of his limbs1 and some glimmering of reason1 good-naturedly took his drunken friend to his lodging to save him from being turned out of the public-house1 and then locked up by the police4 ,he had no sooner reached his lodgings1 and helped the drunken man up the stairs1 however1 than he felt a doubt as to the safety of his purse2 and1 on immediately thrusting his hand into his pocket1 he found that it was gone4 ,he reflected as well as he was able1 and came to the conclusion that he must have left it on the parlour table at the public-house4 ,depositing his helpless companion upon the sofa1 he ran down-stairs1 and rushed off to the tavern1 where1 by great good fortune1 he found his purse on the chair on which he had been sitting1 where he had placed it1 it seems1 when he thought he had returned it to his pocket4 #8,while he was at the public-house ,joe ,ridley and ,i1 and my partner1 who lodged in the same house with ,sam ,sault1 returned to our lodging1 and found the drunken man asleep on the sofa1 smelling horribly of gin and tobacco smoke1 and snoring like a fat hog4 ,we looked at the fellow in surprise1 wondering who he was1 and how he came to be there4 ,neither of us recognized him as any one we had seen before4 ,then the question was raised1--,what should we do with him4 8,throw him out of the window10 says ,joe ,ridley4 8,take him down into the yard and pump on him10 says ,fred4 8,no1 let us paint his face10 says ,i4 ,so ,i got some carmine1 and ,fred got some burnt cork1 and we each painted him to our own fancy till he looked like an ,ojibbeway in his war-paint4 ,by that time ,sam ,sault got back from the public-house1 and found us laughing heartily at the queer figure cut by the recumbent ,stocktonian4 #88,oh1 if he is a friend of yours1 we'll wipe it off10 says ,i1 when ,sam had explained how the man came to be there4 #88,oh1 let it be10 says ,sam18 and let him be where he is2 we'll turn him out in the morning1 without his knowing what a beauty you have made him1 and that will serve him right for giving me so much trouble40 #8,so the fellow was left snoring on the sofa till morning1 when1 it appears1 he woke before we were about1 and1 finding himself in a strange place1 walked down-stairs1 and quitted the house4 ,we never saw him again1 but we often laughed as we thought of the figure the man must have cut as he stalked into ,stockton1 and how he must have been laughed at by his mates and the people he met on his way4 #8,from ,middlesborough we went to ,york1 where the circus stood on ,st ,george's ,field1 an open space between the castle and the ,ouse4 ,about that time1 ,webster ,vernon left the company1 and was succeeded as ring-master by a gentleman named ,vivian1 who was quite new to the profession1 and whose adoption of it added another to the changes which he had already known1 though he was still quite a young man4 ,he had been a lawyer's clerk1 then a photographic colourist1 and afterwards an actor2 and was a quiet1 gentlemanly fellow1 unlike the majority of circus men1 who are generally a fast1 slangy set4 ,he had married early1 and his wife1 who was an actress1 had an engagement in ,london--a frequent cause of temporary separation among those whose business it is to amuse the public1 whether their lines lie in circuses1 theatres1 or music-halls4 ,joe ,ridley's wife was in ,london1 and ,sam ,sault had left his better half in ,manchester4 ,franks1 and ,adams1 and old ,zamezou1 and ,jem ,ridley1 and the head groom had their wives with them2 but two of the five were connected with the circus1 ,adams's wife taking money at the gallery entrance1 and the groom's riding in entres4 #8,how did we do ballets8 ,well1 they were ballets d#8 action1 such as used to be done at the music-halls by the ,lauri family1 and more lately by ,fred ,evans and troupe4 ,the ,paynes starred in them at one time1 but generally they were done by the regular members of the company1 usually by ,alf ,burgess1 and ,funny ,franks1 and ,joe ,hogini1 with ,adele ,newsome in the leading lady's part1 the subordinate characters being taken by ,marie ,newsome and ,jane ,adams1 and my partner and ,i1 and ,charley ,ducrow4 #8,who starred with us at this time1 besides the ,paynes8 ,well1 there was ,hassan1 the ,arab1 who did vaulting and balancing feats1 and his wife1 who danced on the tight rope4 ,he vaulted one night over a line of mounted dragoons from ,fulwood barracks1 turning a somersault over their heads and drawn sabres4 ,didn't we have accidents in the ring sometimes8 ,well1 none of a very serious character1 and nearly all that happened in twelve months might be counted on the fingers of one hand4 ,coleman slipped off the bare back of a horse one night1 and cut his hand with a sword4 ,burgess had a finger cut one night in catching the knives for his juggling act1 which used to be thrown to him from the ring-doors while he was on the globe1 and keeping it in motion with his feet4 ,adele ,newsome was thrown one night1 and pitched amongst the spectators1 but received no injuries beyond a bruise or two4 ,lizzie ,keys slipped off the pad one night1 but came down comfortably on the sawdust1 and wasn't hurt at all4 ,fred fell from the trapeze once1 and that was very near being the most serious accident of all4 ,he fell head foremost1 and was taken up insensible by the fellows at the ring-doors1 and carried into the dressing-room4 ,we thought his neck was broken1 but ,sam ,sault1 who had seen such accidents before1 pulled his head right1 and1 when his senses came back to him1 it did not appear that he was much the worse for the fall after all4 ,then my turn came4 ,one night1 when the performances were to commence with a vaulting act1 ,i went to the circus so much more than half tight that ,i was advised on all sides to stand out of it1 and ,henry1 the manager1 very kindly said that ,i should be excused2 but1 with the obstinacy of men in that condition1 and their usual belief that they are sober enough for anything1 ,i persisted in going into the ring with the rest4 ,what happened was just what might have been expected1 and everybody but myself feared4 ,instead of clearing the horses ,i touched one of them1 and1 in consequence1 instead of dropping on my feet1 ,i was thrown upon my back2 and that accident1 with a violent attack of inflammation of the lungs1 laid me up for two or three weeks1 during which ,i was treated with great liberality by ,newsome1 and received many kindnesses from more than one of the good people of ,york4 #8,my partner and ,i had a benefit while we were in ,york1 but we didn't make more than #c by it4 ,the way benefits are given in circuses is by admitting the tickets sold by the party whose benefit it is1 and of course the number of tickets a circus man can sell among the inhabitants of a town where he was a stranger till the circus appeared1 and where he has lived only two or three months1 can't be very great4 ,we were thankful for what we got1 however1 and had new trunks made on the strength of it--black velvet1 spangled4 ,soon after this we removed to ,scarborough1 where ,i had a rather perilous adventure4 ,i attempted to ascend the cliff1 and found myself1 when half way up1 in an awkward position4 ,i had reached a narrow ledge1 above which the cliff rose almost perpendicularly1 without any projection within reach that ,i could grasp with one hand1 or plant so much as one toe upon4 ,descent was almost as impracticable as the completion of the ascent1 for1 besides the difficulty of having to feel for a footing with my feet while descending backward1 a portion of the cliff1 which ,i had been standing upon a few minutes before1 had given way and plunged down to the beach4 ,it seemed probable that the ledge ,i was standing upon might give way if ,i stood still much longer1 and in that case ,i should go down after it4 ,so ,i shouted 8help60 as loud as ,i could1 and in a few minutes ,i saw the shako-covered head of a volunteer projected over the edge of the precipice1 and heard him call out1 8,a man over the cliff60 ,his corps was encamped on the cliff1 and in a few minutes ,i was an object of interest to a large number of spectators1 whom his alarm had attracted to the edge of the cliff4 ,presently a rope was lowered to me1 and held fast by men above1 while ,i went up it1 hand over hand1 as ,i did every night in the circus1 when we ascended to the trapeze4 #8,when we had been in ,scarborough about a month1 my partner and ,i had a disagreement1 and ,i left the circus1 and procured an engagement for twelve nights at the ,pantheon music-hall4 ,that completed1 8the world was all before me1 where to choose60 ,i thought there might be a chance of obtaining an engagement at one or other of the music-halls at ,leeds and ,bradford1 and ,i visited both towns2 but without meeting with success4 ,by the time ,i arrived at the conclusion that ,i must return to ,london ,i was pretty nigh hard up4 ,i counted my coin the morning ,i left ,leeds1 and found that ,i had little more than enough to enable me to reach ,hull1 where ,i expected to receive a remittance from 8the old house at home60 ,i had a long and weary walk to ,selby1 where ,i sat down beside the river1 to await the arrival of the steamer that runs between ,hull and ,york4 ,once more ,i counted my money1 and had the satisfaction of ascertaining that ,i had just one penny above the fare from ,selby to ,hull4 ,i shoved my fingers into each corner of every pocket1 but the search did not result in the discovery of a single copper more4 ,it was something to have that penny1 though1 for besides being thirsty1 ,i was so fatigued that ,i needed some sort of stimulant4 #88,i must have half a pint10 ,i thought1 and ,i went into the nearest public-house1 and had it4 ,then ,i sat down again1 and looked up the brown ,ouse1 where at last ,i saw the black hull and smoking funnel of the steamer4 ,as soon as she came alongside the landing-place1 ,i went aboard1 and descended into the fore-cabin1 where ,i lay down1 and smoked my last bit of tobacco1 after which ,i dozed till the steamer bumped against the pier at ,hull4 ,there ,i was all right1 as far as my immediate wants were concerned4 ,i dined1 replenished my tobacco pouch1 and strolled up to ,springthorp's1 to see if there was any chance there4 ,there was no immediate opening1 however1 and on the following day ,i took a passage for ,london in one of the steamers running between the ,humber and the ,thames4' ,,chapter ,,xvi4 ,continuation of the ,gymnast's ,reminiscences--,circus ,men in ,difficulties--,heavy ,security for a small ,debt--,the ,sheriff's ,officer and the ,elephant--,taking ,refuge with the ,lions--,another ,provincial ,tour--,with a ,circus in ,dublin--,a ,joke in the wrong place--,a ,fenian ,hoax--,a ,case of ,pikes--,return to ,england--,at the ,kentish ,watering-places--,off to the ,north4 #8,several weeks elapsed before ,i got another engagement4 ,two gymnasts can do so much more showy and sensational a performance than one can1 that a single slang doesn't go near so well as a double one1 and it is1 in consequence1 only those who produce something novel1 such as ,jean ,price's long flight and ,avolo's performance on two bars1 who can procure single-handed engagements4 ,knowing this to be the case1 ,i looked about for a new partner1 and found that the ,brothers ,athos had separated1 and that one of them was in just the same fix as myself4 ,when we met1 and talked the matter over1 however1 a difficulty arose in the fact that we had both worked as bearers1--that is1 we had supported our respective partners in the double tricks1 that require one man to bear the entire weight of the other1 as in the drop1 or when one1 hanging by the hocks1 holds a single trapeze for the other to do a trick or two upon beneath him4 ,our respective necessities might have urged us to overcome this difficulty if ,christmas had not been approaching1 at which season unemployed gymnasts and acrobats often obtain engagements at the theatres1 as demons and sprites4 ,athos got an engagement to sprite at the ,east ,london1 and ,i was left out in the cold4 #8,newsome's circus had moved1 in the mean time1 from ,scarborough to ,middlesborough1 where some changes were made in the company4 ,burgess and two or three more left1 and my late partner was among them4 ,i heard afterwards one of the many stories that are current in circuses of the devices resorted to by circus men in difficulties to evade arrest4 ,a friend of one of the parties who had ceased to belong to ,newsome's company called at the house where he had lodged1 and found that he had left1 and that his landlady didn't know where he had gone to4 #88,but ,i am sure to see him again10 said she1 8for he has left a large box1 so heavy that ,i can't move it40 #88,then you can have good security for what he owes you10 observed the friend4 8,i suppose he owes you something80 #88,well1 yes10 rejoined the woman1 8he does owe me something for board and lodging40 #8,her lodger never returned1 however1 and his friend meeting him some time afterwards in ,york1 alluded to the manner in which he had 8mysteriously dried up10 as his friend called it4 #88,ah1 ,i was under a heavy cloud60 observed the defaulter4 8,what did the old lady say about me80 #88,that she was sure to see you again1 because you had left a heavy box in the room you occupied10 replied his friend4 #88,i should think it was heavy10 said the other4 8,couldn't move it1 could she80 #8,his friend replied in the negative1 and he laughed so heartily that he spilled some of the ale he was drinking4 #88,what is the joke80 inquired his friend4 #88,why1 you see1 the box was once full of togs10 replied the mysterious lodger1 8but when ,i left ,middlesborough such of them as were not adorning the person of this swell were hypothecated40 #88,what is the meaning of that hard word80 inquired a third circus man who was present4 #88,in the vulgar tongue1 up the spout10 replied the defaulter4 #88,then what made the box so heavy80 inquired his friend4 #88,a score of bricks10 suggested the third party4 #88,wrong1 cully10 said the ,artful ,dodger4 8,i couldn't have smuggled bricks into the room without being observed2 but a big screw went through the bottom of the box1 and held it fast to the floor40 #8,another of the stories ,i have alluded to relates to a man that used to look after an elephant in a circus1 and put him through his performance4 ,he got pretty deeply in debt--the man ,i mean--in a midland town where the circus had been staying some time1 and his creditor1 not being able to obtain payment1 and finding that the company were about to remove to another town1 determined to arrest him4 #8,the cavalcade of horses1 performing mules1 camels1 and other quadrupeds was just ready to start from the circus when the sheriff's officer appeared on the scene1 and tapped his man on the shoulder4 ,he was recognized at a glance1 and the man ran into the stables1 with the sheriff's officer after him4 ,running to the elephant1 the debtor dived under its belly1 and took up a safe position on the other side of the beast4 ,the officer attempted a passage in the rear1 but was cut off by a sudden movement of the elephant's hind quarters4 ,then he screwed up his courage for a dive under the animal's belly1 but the beast turned its head1 and fetched him a slap with its trunk4 #88,i'll have you1 if ,i wait here all day10 said he1 as he drew back hastily4 #88,you had better not wait till ,i unfasten this chain10 says the elephant keeper1 pretending to do what he threatened4 #8,the officer growled1 and went off to find the proprietor2 but he didn't succeed1 and when he returned to the stables1 his man was gone4 ,that was as good a dodge as the lion-tamer's1 who1 when the officers went to the circus to arrest him1 took refuge in the cage containing the lions4 ,they looked through the grating1 and saw him in the midst of a group of lions and lionesses4 ,they were philosophic enough to console themselves with the reflection that their man would come out when he wanted his dinner2 but they had not waited long when the lions began to roar4 #88,the lions are getting hungry10 says the keeper4 8,if he lets them out of the cage1 you will have to run40 #8,the officers exchanged frightened glances1 and were out of the show in two minutes4 #8,to return to my story2 my late partner found himself in much the same fix as myself1 and this discovery paved the way for a mutual friend to bridge over the gulf that had kept us apart4 ,as soon as we had agreed to work together again1 we got a twelve nights' engagement at the ,prince of ,wales concert-hall at ,wolverhampton4 ,we found the other professionals engaged there very good people to pal with1 and spent ,christmas ,day with the comic singer and his wife1 two niggers also being of the party1 and bringing their banjo and bones to promote its hilarity4 ,while we were in ,wolverhampton1 we arranged for twelve nights1 to follow1 at the ,london ,museum music-hall at ,birmingham1 which has received its name from the cases of stuffed birds and small animals of all kinds1 which cover all the wall space of the front of the bar and the passage leading to the hall4 ,after our twelve nights there1 we were engaged for six nights longer2 and then we went down to ,oldham1 for a twelve nights' engagement at the ,co-operative ,hall4 ,for all these engagements1 and for all we made afterwards1 the terms we obtained were four pounds ten a week4 #8,our next engagement was with a circus in ,dublin1 to which city we crossed from ,liverpool4 ,the company and stud of this concern were very different in strength and quality to ,newsome's1 and they were doing very poor business4 ,it is very seldom that a circus proprietor ventures upon the experiment of an ,irish tour1 which more rarely pays1 both because of the poverty of the people1 and the difficulty which all caterers for their amusement find in avoiding grounds for manifestations of national antipathies between ,english and ,irish4 ,of this we had an instance on the first night of our engagement4 ,i dare say you have heard ,sam ,collins or ,harry ,baker1 or some other ,irish comique1 interlard a song with a spoken flourish about the ,irish1 something after this fashion3--8,who was it made the ,french run at ,waterloo8 ,the ,irish6 ,who won all the battles in the ,crimea8 ,the ,irish6 ,who put down the rebellion in ,india8 ,the ,irish6 ,who mans your men of war and recruits your army8 ,the ,irish6 ,who builds all your houses and churches8 ,the ,irish6 ,who builds your prisons and your workhouses8 ,the ,irish6 ,and who fills them8 ,the ,irish60 ,in ,england this is laughed at1 even by the ,irish themselves2 but in ,ireland nothing of the kind is tolerated4 ,one of the clowns delivered himself of this stuff in the ring1 and was warmly applauded until the anticlimax was reached1 when such a howl burst forth as ,i shouldn't have thought the human voice could utter4 ,the fellows in the gallery jumped up1 and raved1 stamped1 gesticulated1 as if they were ,ojibbeways performing a war-dance2 and everybody expected that the seats would be pulled up1 and flung into the ring1 as had been done in another circus1 under something similar circumstances1 some time before4 ,but the storm was hushed as suddenly as it arose4 ,it happened fortunately that our performance was next in the programme1 and that1 knowing how popular everything ,american was in ,ireland1 we had provided for its musical accompaniment a fantasia on ,american national airs1 such as 8,yankee ,doodle10 8,hail1 ,columbia60 and 8,the star-spangled banner40 ,the band struck up this music as the offending clown ran out of the ring1 expecting to have a bottle flung at his head1 and the howlers in the gallery hearing it1 and seeing pink stars on our white trunks1 thought we were ,yankees4 ,the effect of our appearance1 and of the music1 was like pouring oil on the waves4 ,the howling ceased1 and harmony was restored as suddenly as it had been interrupted4 #8,this was the time1 you must know1 when the ,fenian plot was in everybody's mouth1 and when the wildest rumours were in circulation of an intended rising in ,ireland1 and the coming of ,americans1 or rather ,americanized ,irishmen1 to support it4 ,one day1 while we were in ,dublin1 a superintendent of constabulary received an anonymous letter1 informing him that a case of pikes had been buried at a spot near the ,liffey1 which was so particularly described that the men who were sent to search for it had no difficulty in finding it4 ,when they had dug a pretty deep hole1 they found a deal box1 which was raised to the surface1 and carted off to a police-station1 with an escort of constabulary4 ,it was opened in the presence of the superintendent1 and there were the pikes6--not such as ,slievenamon bristled with in '#dh1 but a couple of stale fishes4 #8,before leaving ,dublin1 we arranged for a twelve nights' engagement at the ,alexandra music-hall1 at ,ramsgate1 which1 as you perhaps know1 is under the same management as the ,raglan1 in ,london4 ,the ,sisters ,bullen1 and ,miss ,lucette1 and the ,brothers ,keeling were at the ,alexandra at the same time2 and1 as music-hall professionals are1 as a rule1 disposed to fraternize with each other1 we had a very pleasant time4 ,from ,ramsgate we went to ,dover1 for twelve nights at the ,clarence music-hall1 and then back to ,ramsgate for another twelve nights at the ,alexandra4 #8,among the professionals engaged for the following week at the ,clarence was a versatile lady bearing the name of ,cora ,woski1 and the town1 during the second week of our engagement1 was placarded with the inquiry1 8,have you seen ,cora80 ,this soon became a common question in the streets1 and at all places of public resort2 and one of the company1 entering the ,clarence on the day the bills appeared1 without having seen one of them1 was equally surprised and confused at being greeted with the inquiry1 8,have you seen ,cora80 ,he was only slightly acquainted with the querist1 and it happened that he was engaged to marry the only lady of that rather uncommon name whom he knew4 #88,what do you know of ,cora80 he demanded1 his face reddening as he frowned upon the questioner4 #88,why1 she is coming here10 returned the amused querist1 who saw at once the cause of the young fellow's confusion4 #88,how do you know80 was the next question of the bewildered artiste4 #88,how do ,i know8 ,why1 it's all over the town10 was the reply4 #8,a nudge from a friend drew the other's attention from his tormentor for a moment1 and1 following the direction of his friend's glance1 he saw upon the wall one of the placards bearing the question with which he had been greeted on entering the bar4 #8,engagements now followed each other pretty close4 ,returning to ,london after our second engagement at ,ramsgate1 we were soon afterwards engaged for twelve nights at ,macfarlane's music-hall1 ,dundee1 and six nights1 to follow1 at a similar place of amusement at ,arbroath1 under the same management4 ,we found the ,gregories there1 with their performing dogs2 and there was a ballet1 in which the pretty illusion of ,parkes's silver rain was introduced4 ,no other engagement awaited us in the north when we left ,arbroath1 and we returned to ,dundee1 and from thence to ,london4' ,,chapter ,,xvii4 ,lions and ,lion-tamers--,lorenzo and the ,lions--,androcles and the ,lion--,the ,successor of ,macomo--,accident in ,bell and ,myers's ,circus--,lion ,hunting--,death of ,macarthy--,true ,causes of ,accidents with ,lions and ,tigers--,performing ,leopards--,anticipating the ,millennium--,tame ,hyenas--,fairgrieve's ,menagerie--,performing ,lions1 ,tigers1 ,leopards1 and ,hyenas--,camels and ,dromedaries--,the ,great ,elephant ,since the death of the negro1 ,macomo1 the most successful performer with lions and other large members of the feline genus has been ,lorenzo1 who travelled with ,fairgrieve's menagerie for several years preceding its dispersion in the summer of #ahgb4 ,on the death of ,george ,wombwell1 in #ahej1 his collection1 which had grown to an almost unmanageable extent during nearly half a century1 was divided1 according to his testamentary directions1 into three parts4 ,with one of these his widow continued to travel until #ahff1 when she retired from the business1 and the menagerie was transferred to ,fairgrieve1 who had married her niece4 ,another third was bequeathed to ,wombwell's niece1 ,mrs ,edmonds1 who travelled with it until the close of #ahgb1 when it was announced for sale4 ,who had the remaining third ,i am unable to say2 it was travelling for several years in the original name1 as the menageries of ,fairgrieve and ,edmonds did long after ,wombwell's decease1 and is now owned by ,mrs ,day4 ,fairgrieve's group of performing animals consisted of several lions and lionesses1 a tigress1 two or three leopards1 and a hyena4 ,tigers are not1 as a rule1 liked so well by lion-tamers as lions2 but ,fairgrieve's tigress exhibited as much docility and intelligence as her performing companions4 ,there was a famous lion1 named ,wallace1 with which ,lorenzo represented the story of ,androcles1 the slave1 who1 flying from the cruel tyranny of his ,roman master1 met in the forest in which he sought refuge a lion that had been lamed by a thorn4 ,observing the suffering of the beast1 which made no hostile demonstrations1 he ventured to approach it1 and was allowed to extract the thorn from the elastic pad of its foot1 the lion testifying its gratitude for the relief by rubbing its head against him4 ,some time afterwards1 the fugitive was captured1 and was doomed by his master to be exposed in the arena of the amphitheatre to a recently trapped lion4 ,but1 to the amazement of the spectators1 the lion1 instead of falling upon ,androcles1 and tearing him to pieces1 seemed to recognize him1 and1 after rubbing its head against him1 lay down at his feet4 ,it was the lion from whose foot ,androcles had extracted the thorn in the forest4 ,the slave told the story and received his pardon and his liberty on the spot4 ,the successor of ,macomo was an ,irishman named ,macarthy1 who had previously travelled1 in the same capacity1 with ,bell and ,myers's circus2 and in #ahfb1 while performing with the lions belonging to that establishment1 had his left arm so severely mangled by one of the beasts that he had to undergo amputation4 ,this circumstance seems to have added to the eclat of the unfortunate man's performances1 but he had neither the nerve of ,crockett and ,macomo1 nor their resolution to abstain from stimulants4 ,whether from carelessness or nervousness1 he often turned his back upon the animals1 though he had been repeatedly cautioned that it was dangerous to do so2 and to this circumstance1 and his intemperate habits1 the lion-taming fraternity attribute his terrible end4 ,it is to be observed that ,macarthy lost his life1 not in the course of the ordinary performances of lion-tamers1 but while giving a sensational exhibition termed #8lion-hunting1' which had been introduced by ,macomo1 and consists in chasing the animals about the cage1 the performer being armed with a sword and pistols1 and throwing into the mimic sport as much semblance of reality as may be possible4 ,it will be obvious that this is a dangerous exhibition1 and it should never be attempted with any but young animals4 ,for ordinary performances1 most lion-tamers prefer full-grown animals1 as being better trained2 but when lions become full-grown1 they are not disposed to be driven and hustled about in this manner1 and they are so excited by it that it cannot be repeatedly performed with the same animals4 ,macarthy had been bitten on three occasions previously to the catastrophe at ,bolton4 ,the first time was in #ahfb1 when he lost his left arm1 as already related2 the second while performing at ,edinburgh in #ahga1 when one of the lions made a snap at his arm1 but only slightly grazed it4 ,the third occasion was only a few days before the accident which terminated his career and his life1 when one of the lions bit him slightly on the wrist4 ,the fatal struggle at ,bolton was preceded by a trifling accident1 which may perhaps have done something to lessen the never remarkable steadiness of the man's nerves4 ,in driving the animals from one end of the cage to the other1 one of them ran against his legs1 and threw him down4 ,he regained his feet1 however1 and drove the animals into a corner4 ,he then walked to the centre of the cage1 and was stamping his feet upon the floor1 to make the beasts run past him1 when one of the lions crept stealthily out from the group and sprang upon him1 seizing him by the right hip1 and throwing him upon his side4 ,for a moment the spectators imagined that this attack was part of the performance2 but the agonized features of ,macarthy soon convinced them of their mistake4 ,a scene of wild and terrible confusion ensued4 ,three other lions sprang upon ,macarthy1 who was vainly endeavouring to regain his feet1 and making desperate lunges amongst the excited animals with his sword4 ,presently one of the lions seized his arm1 and the sword dropped from his hand4 ,several men were by this time endeavouring to beat the animals off1 and to slide a partition between the bars of the cage1 with the view of driving them behind it4 ,this was a task of considerable difficulty1 however1 for as soon as one lion was compelled to relinquish his hold1 another took his place4 ,fire-arms and heated bars of iron were then procured1 and1 by applying the irons to the paws and jaws of the lions1 and firing upon them with blank cartridges1 four of them were driven behind the partition4 ,macarthy was then lying in the centre of the cage1 with the lion which had first attacked him still biting and tearing him4 ,discharges of blank cartridge being found ineffectual to make it loose its hold of the unfortunate man1 the heated iron was applied to his nose1 and then it released him1 and ran behind the partition1 which had been drawn out a little to admit him4 ,even then the terrible scene was not concluded4 ,before the opening could be closed again1 the lion which had been foremost in the onslaught ran out again1 seized ,macarthy by the foot1 and dragged him into the corner1 where all the lions again fell upon him with redoubled fury4 ,a quarter of an hour elapsed from the commencement of the attack before he could be rescued2 and1 as the lions were then all caged at the end where the entrance was1 the opposite end of the cage had to be opened before his mangled body could be lifted out4 ,this lamentable affair caused an outcry to be raised against the exhibition of performing lions such as had been heard a few years previously against such feats as those of ,blondin and ,leotard4 #8,the display of wild animals in a menagerie1' said a ,london morning journalist1 #8may be tolerated1 and even encouraged for the sake of science1 and for the rational amusement of the public2 but there is no analogy between the case of beasts secured in strong dens1 and approached only with the greatest caution by wary and experienced keepers1 and that of a caravan open on all sides1 illuminated by flaring gas1 and surrounded by a noisy audience4' ,the distinction is one without a difference1 even if we suppose that the writer mentally restricted the term #8menagerie' to the ,zoological ,gardens2 for the proprietor of a travelling menagerie1 or a circus1 consults his own interests1 as well as the safety of the public1 in providing strong cages1 and engaging wary and experienced keepers4 ,it is childish to talk of prohibiting every performance or exhibition from which an accident has resulted4 ,some years ago1 one of the keepers of the ,zoological ,gardens in the ,regent's ,park1 being somewhat intoxicated1 chose to irritate a hooded snake1 which thereupon seized him by the nose4 ,he died within an hour4 ,would the journalist who proposed to exclude lion-tamers from menageries and circuses close the ,zoological ,gardens on that account8 #8,the caravans1' continues the author of the article just quoted1 #8are tenanted by wild beasts weary with previous performances1 irritated by the heat and the clamour around them1 and teased by being obliged to perform tricks at the bidding of a man whom they hate1 since his mandates are generally seconded by the blows of a whip or the searing of a branding-iron4 ,now and again1 in a well-ordered zoological collection1 some lazy1 drowsy old lion1 who passes the major part of his time in a corner of his den1 blinking at the sunshine1 and who is cloyed with abundant meals1 and surfeited with cakes and sweetmeats1 may exhibit passable good-nature1 and allow his keeper to take liberties2 but such placability can rarely be expected from animals moved continually from place to place1 and ceaselessly pestered into going through movements which they detest4 ,lions or tigers may have the cunning of that feline race to which they pertain2 yet they are assuredly destitute of the docility1 the intelligence1 or the fidelity of the dog or the horse2 and such cunning as they possess will prompt them rather to elude performance of the tasks assigned them1 or to fall upon their instructor unawares and rend him1 than to go through their feats with the cheerful obedience manifested by creatures friendly to man4 ,it is no secret that the customary method of taming wild beasts for purposes of exhibition is1 to thrash them with gutta percha whips and iron bars1 and when it is considered necessary1 to scarify them with red-hot pokers4' ,i quote this for the sake of refuting it by the evidence of one who1 unlike the journalist1 understood what he was writing about4 ,the ex-lion king1 whose experiences and reminiscences were recorded about the same time in another journal1 and who must be admitted to be a competent authority1 says1 #8,violence is a mistake2' and he adds1 that he has never known heated irons to be held in readiness1 except when lions and lionesses are together at times such as led to the terrific struggle in ,sanger's circus1 which has been related in the seventh chapter4 ,the true causes of accidents with lions and tigers are intemperance and violence4 #8,it's the drink1' says the ex-lion king1 #8that plays the mischief with us fellows4 ,there are plenty of people always ready to treat the daring fellow that plays with the lions as if they were kittens2 and so he gets reckless1 lets the dangerous animal--on which1 if he were sober1 he would know he must always keep his eye--get dodging round behind him2 he hits a beast in which he ought to know that a blow rouses the sleeping devil2 or makes a stagger and goes down1 and then they set upon him4' ,he expected1 he says1 to hear of ,macarthy's death from the time when he heard that he had given way to intemperance2 and we have seen how a hasty cut with a whip brought the tiger upon ,helen ,blight4 ,to this evidence of the ex-lion king ,i may add what ,i witnessed about thirty years ago in one of the smaller class of travelling menageries1 exhibiting at the time at ,mitcham fair4 ,there were no lions or tigers1 but four performing leopards1 a hyena1 a wolf which anticipated the ,millennium by lying down with a lamb1 and several smaller animals4 ,the showman entered the leopards' cage1 with a light whip in one hand1 and a hoop in the other4 ,the animals leaped over the whip1 through the hoop1 and over the man's back1 exhibiting as much docility throughout the performance as cats or dogs4 ,the whip was used merely as part of the properties4 ,indeed1 since cats can be taught to leap in the same way1 without the use of whips or iron bars1 why not leopards1 which are merely a larger species of the same genus8 ,the showman also entered the cage of the hyena1 which fawned upon him after the manner of a dog1 and allowed him to open its mouth4 ,the hyena has the reputation of being untameable2 but1 in addition to this instance to the contrary1 and another in ,fairgrieve's menagerie1 ,bishop ,heber had a hyena at ,calcutta1 which followed him about like a dog4 ,when ,fairgrieve's collection was sold by auction at ,edinburgh in #ahgb1 the lions and tigers excited much attention1 and good prices were realized1 though in some instances they were not so great as had been expected4 ,rice1 a dealer in animals1 whose repository1 like ,jamrach's1 is in ,ratcliff ,highway1 bought1 for #ahe1 the famous lion1 ,wallace1 aged seven years and a half1 with which ,lorenzo used to represent the story of ,androcles4 ,the auctioneer assured those present that the animal was as tame as a lamb1 and that he was inclined to enter the cage himself1 and perform ,androcles #8for that time only1' but was afraid of the lion's gratitude4 ,there were six other lions and three lionesses1 five of which were also bought by ,rice1 at prices varying1 according to the age and sex of the animals1 from #hj for a full grown lioness1 and #ij each for lions a year and a half old1 to #adj for full-grown lions1 from three to seven years old4 ,a six-year old lion named ,hannibal1 said to be the largest and handsomest lion in this country1 was bought by the proprietors of the ,zoological ,gardens at ,bristol for #bgj2 and his mate1 four years old1 was bought by ,jennison1 of the ,belle ,vue ,gardens1 ,manchester1 for #ajj guineas4 ,the third lioness realized #hj1 and the remaining lion1 bought by ,jamrach1 #bjj4 ,the magnificent tigress1 ,tippoo1 which used to perform with ,lorenzo1 was also purchased by ,jamrach for #aee2 and the same enterprising dealer became the possessor of three of the four leopards for #fj4 ,as these leopards1 two of which were females1 were trained performing animals1 the sum they realized must be considered extremely low4 ,another leopardess1 advanced in years1 realized only #f guineas4 ,ferguson1 the agent of ,van ,amburgh1 the great ,american menagerist1 secured the spotted hyena for #ae2 while a performing hyena of the striped variety was knocked down at only three guineas4 ,a polar bear1 #8young1 healthy1 and lively as a trout1' as the auctioneer said1 was sold for #dj1 a ,thibetian bear for #e guineas1 and a pair of wolves for #b guineas4 ,rice1 who was the largest purchaser1 became the possessor of the zebra for #ej4 ,the ,bactrian camels1 bought principally for travelling menageries1 brought from #ad to #cj4 ,the largest male camel1 twelve years old1 was sold for #ai2 and another1 six months younger1 but a foot less in stature1 for #ad4 ,of the three females1 one1 six feet and a half high1 and ten years old1 brought #cj2 and another1 of the same height1 and only half the age of the former1 #bc4 ,the third1 only a year and a half old1 and not yet full grown1 brought #ad4 ,all three were in young4 ,a baby camel1 nine weeks old1 realized #i guineas4 ,the male #8dromedary1' as it was described in the catalogue1 but called by naturalists the ,syrian camel1 was sold for #cj1 and the female for #bj guineas4 ,menagerists restrict the term #8camel' to the ,bactrian or two-humped variety1 and call the one-humped animals dromedaries2 but the dromedary1 according to naturalists1 is a small variety of the ,syrian camel1 bearing the same relation to the latter as a pony does to a horse4 ,the animals described as dromedaries in the catalogue of ,fairgrieve's collection were1 on the contrary1 taller than the ,bactrian camels4 ,there was a spirited competition for the two elephants1 ending in the female1 a musical phenomenon1 playing the organ and the harmonium1 being bought by ,rice for #ade2 and the noble full-tusked male1 rising eight years old1 and seven feet six inches in height1 being purchased by ,jennison for #fhj4 ,this enormous beast was described as the largest and cleverest performing elephant ever exhibited4 ,in point of fact1 he is surpassed in stature1 ,i believe1 by the ,czar's elephant1 kept at his country residence at ,tzarski-,seloe2 but that beast's performances have never gone beyond occasionally killing his keeper1 whilst the elephant now in the ,belle ,vue ,gardens1 at ,manchester1 is one of the most docile and intelligent beasts ever exhibited4 ,he will go in harness1 and was accustomed to draw the band carriage when a parade was made4 ,he will either drag or push a waggon up a hill1 and during the last eighteen months that the menagerie was travelling1 he placed all the vans in position1 with the assistance only of a couple of men to guide the wheels4 ,the entire proceeds of the sale were a little under #c1jjj4 ,the daily cost of the food of the animals in a menagerie is1 ,i may add1 far from a trifle4 ,the quantity of hay1 cabbages1 bread1 and boiled rice1 sweetened with sugar1 which an elephant will consume1 in addition to the fruit1 buns1 and biscuits given to him by visitors1 is enormous4 ,the amount of animal food for the carnivora in ,fairgrieve's menagerie was about four hundred-weight a day1 consisting chiefly of the shins1 hearts1 and heads of bullocks4 ,each lion is said to have consumed twelve pounds of meat every day2 but this is more1 ,i believe1 than is allowed in the ,gardens of the ,zoological ,society4 ,the appetite of the tiger is almost equal to that of his leonine relative2 and all these beasts seem to insist upon having beef for dinner4 ,we hear nothing of hippophagy among lions and tigers in a state of confinement2 though1 in their native jungles1 they eat horse1 pig1 deer1 antelope1 sheep1 or goat indiscriminately4 ,the bears get meat only in very cold weather2 at other seasons1 their diet consists of bread1 sopped biscuits1 and boiled rice4 ,,chapter ,,xviii4 ,circus ,slang--,its ,peculiarities and ,derivation--,certain ,phrases used by others of the ,amusing ,classes--,technicalities of the ,circus--,the ,riders and ,clowns of ,dickens--,sleary's ,circus--,circus ,men and ,women in ,fiction and in ,real ,life--,domestic ,habits of ,circus ,people--,dress and ,manners--,the ,professional ,quarter of the ,metropolis4 ,circus men are much addicted to the use of slang1 and much of their slang is peculiar to themselves4 ,to those who are uninitiated in the mysteries of life among what may be termed the amusing classes1 the greater part of their vocabulary would seem an unknown tongue2 but a distinction must be made between slang words and phrases and the technical terms used in the profession1 and also between the forms of expression peculiar to circus men and those which they use in common with members of the theatrical and musical professions4 ,these distinctions being duly observed1 the words and phrases which are peculiar to the ring will be found to be less numerous than might be expected from the abundance of slang with which the conversation of circus artistes seems to be garnished2 though it is probable that no man1 not even a circus man1 could give a complete vocabulary of circus slang1 which1 like that of other slang-speaking classes1 is constantly receiving additions1 while words and phrases which have been long in use often become obsolete1 and fall into disuse4 ,there is an impression among circus men that much of the slang peculiar to themselves is derived from the languages of ,italy and ,spain1 and the affirmative1 si1 has been cited to me as an instance2 but ,i have never heard this word used by them1 and its use has probably been observed only in the case of men or women who have recently been in ,italy4 ,the few words in common use among the class which can be traced to an ,italian or ,spanish origin may be counted on the fingers of one hand4 ,bono 7good7 is used both as an adjective1 and as an exclamation of approval or admiration4 ,dona 7lady7 is so constantly used that ,i have seldom heard a circus man mention a woman by any other term4 ,the other words referred to are used in monetary transactions1 which are the constant subject of slang among all classes of the community4 ,saulty 7penny7 may be derived from the ,italian soldi1 and duey 7twopence7 and tray saulty 7threepence7 are also of foreign origin1 like the deuce and tray of card-players4 ,dollar is in constant use as the equivalent of five shillings1 and money generally is spoken of as denarlies1 which may be a corruption of the ,latin denarii4 ,rot is a term of contempt1 used in strong and emphatic contradistinction to bono2 and of late years it has been adopted by other sections of the amusing classes1 and by young men of the #8fast' sort1 who seem to think the use of slang a commendable distinction4 ,toe rags is another expression of contempt1 less frequently used1 and chiefly by the lower grades of circus men1 and the acrobats who stroll about the country1 performing at fairs and races1 in the open air4 ,these wanderers1 and those who are still seen occasionally in the back streets of the metropolis1 are said to #8go a-pitching2' the spot they select for their performance is their #8pitch1' and any interruption of their feats1 such as an accident1 or the interference of a policeman1 is said to #8queer the pitch1'--in other words1 to spoil it4 ,going round the assemblage with a hat1 to collect the largesses of the on-lookers1 is #8doing a nob1' and to do this at the windows of a street1 sometimes done by one performer standing on the shoulders of another1 is #8nobbing the glazes4' ,the sum collected is the #8nob4' ,the verb #8to fake1' means1 in the thieves' vocabulary1 to steal2 but circus men use it in a different sense1 #8faked up' meaning #8fixed1' while #8fakements' is applied particularly to circus apparatus and properties1 and generally to moveables of any kind4 #8,letty' is used both as a noun and a verb1 signifying #8lodging' and #8to lodge4' ,to abscond from a place1 to evade payment of debts1 or from apprenticeship1 is sometimes called #8doing a bunk1' but this phrase is used by other classes also1 circus men more frequently using the phrase1 #8doing a ,johnny ,scaparey1' the last word being accented on the second syllable4 ,the circus is always called the #8show2' ,i have never heard it termed the #8booth1' which is the word which ,dickens puts into the mouth of ,cissy ,jupe1 the little daughter of the clown of ,sleary's circus1 in ,hard ,times4 ,gymnasts call their performance a #8slang1' but ,i am not aware that the term is used by other circus artistes4 ,the joke or anecdote of a clown is called #8a wheeze1' and he is said when engaged in that part of his business1 to be #8cracking a wheeze4' ,balloons1 banners1 and garters are merely special applications to circus uses of ordinary ,english terms4 ,a balloon is a large hoop1 covered with tissue paper1 held up for an equestrian artiste to jump through2 a banner is a bordered cloth held horizontally1 to be jumped over1--what ,albert ,smith calls a length of stair carpet2 and garters are narrow bands held in the same manner1 and for the same purpose4 ,when an equestrian fails to clear these1 he is said to #8miss his tip1' which is the gravest article of ,childers's impeachment of ,jupe1 in ,dickens's interesting story of the fortunes and misfortunes of the ,gradgrinds and the ,bounderbys4 ,dickens put two or three other words into the mouth of the same member of ,sleary's company which ,i have never heard1 and which do not appear to be now in use4 ,jupe is said to have become #8loose in his ponging1' though still a good #8cackler2' and ,bounderby is reminded sarcastically that he is on the #8tight jeff4' ,childers explains that #8ponging' means tumbling1 #8cackling' talking1 and #8jeff' a rope4 #8,cully' is the circus man's equivalent for the mechanic's #8mate' and the soldier's #8comrade4' #8,prossing' is a delicate mode of indicating a desire for anything1 as when old ,ben1 the drummer1 in ,life in a ,circus1 says1 in response to the acrobat's exhortation to his fair companion1 to make the best of things1--#8,that's the philosophy to pitch with6 ,not but what a drop of beer helps it1 you know2 and ,i declare my throat's that dry that it's as much as ,i can do to blow the pipes4' #8,pro' is simply an abbreviation of #8professional1' and is used by all the amusing classes to designate actors1 singers1 dancers1 clowns1 acrobats1 c41 to whom the term seems to be restricted among them4 ,amongst all the amusing classes1 the salary received is the #8screw1' the #8ghost walks' when it is paid1 and an artiste is #8goosed1' or #8gets the goose1' when the spectators or auditors testify by sibillant sounds disapproval or dissatisfaction4 ,as in every other avocation1 there are a great many technical terms used1 which are not to be confounded with slang4 ,such is #8the ,plymouth1' a term applied to one of the movements by which gymnasts return to a sitting position on the horizontal bar1 after hanging from it by the hands in an inverted position4 #8,slobber swing' is applied to a single circle upon the bar1 after which a beginner1 from not having given himself sufficient impetus1 hangs by the hands4 ,the #8,hindoo punishment' is what is more often called the #8muscle grind1' a rather painful exercise upon the bar1 in which the arms are turned backward to embrace the bar1 and then brought forward upon the chest1 in which position the performer revolves4 ,having mentioned that ,dickens has put some slang words into the mouths of his circus characters1 which ,i have not found in use among circus men of the present day1 ,i cannot refrain from quoting a passage in ,hard ,times1 and giving a circus man's brief1 but emphatic1 commentary upon it4 ,speaking of ,sleary's company1 the great novelist says3--#8,all the fathers could dance upon rolling casks1 stand upon bottles1 catch knives and balls1 twirl hand basins1 ride upon anything1 jump over everything1 and stick at nothing4 ,all the mothers could 7and did7 dance upon the slack wire and the tight rope1 and perform rapid acts on bare-backed steeds4' ,the circus man's criticism of this statement1 and of all the circus business introduced into the story1 was summed up in the one word--#8,rot6' ,sleary's people must certainly have been exceptionally clever1 so much versatility being very rarely found4 ,there are few clowns and acrobats who can ride1 even in the ordinary1 and not in the circus acceptation of the word2 and of a score of equestriennes who can ride a pad-horse1 and fly through hoops and balloons1 and over banners and garters1 there will not be found more than one or two who can perform rapid acts on the bare back of a horse4 ,so far1 also1 from #8all the mothers' doing all the performances mentioned by ,dickens1 there are more often none who do them4 ,i call to mind at this moment a circus in which seven of the male members of the company were married1 not one of whose wives ever appeared in the ring1 or ever had done so4 ,the picture of the domestic life of the men and women performing in ,sleary's circus differs as much from reality as their versatile talents and accomplishments differ from the powers exhibited by the riders1 clowns1 and tumblers of real life4 ,the company seems to be a rather strong one1 and most of the men have wives and children2 yet the whole of them1 including the proprietor1 are represented as lodging in one house1 an obscure inn in an obscure part of the outskirts of the town4 ,such deviations from probability do not lessen the interest of the story1 which ,i have read again and again with pleasure2 but they render it of little or no value as a picture of circus life and character4 ,circus men1 if married1 and accompanied by their wives1 will generally be found occupying private apartments4 ,riders and others who are unmarried sometimes prefer to lodge in public-houses1 and often have no choice in the matter1 owing to the early hours at which the inhabitants of provincial towns retire to rest1 and the unwillingness of many persons to receive #8professionals' as lodgers1 which applies equally to actors and vocalists4 ,but the ,pegasus's ,arms must have had an unusual number of apartments for a house of its class to have accommodated all ,sleary's people1 with their families2 and the company must have been gregarious in a very remarkable degree4 ,the dress1 the manners1 and the talk of circus men are peculiar1 but in none of these particulars are they at all #8horsey1' as all ,sleary's company are described1 unless they are equestrians1 and even these are less so than grooms and jockeys4 ,they may be recognized by their dress alone as readily as foreigners who have just arrived in ,england1 and who do not belong to those social classes that affect the latest ,parisian fashions1 and in which national distinctions have disappeared4 ,watch the men who enter a circus by the side-doors about eleven o'clock in the forenoon1 or walk on two or three successive mornings1 between ten and twelve1 from ,westminster ,bridge to ,waterloo ,road1 and you may recognize the acrobats and rope-dancers of the circuses and music-halls by their dress2 you may meet one wearing a sealskin coat1 unbuttoned1 and displaying beneath a crimson velvet vest1 crossed by a heavy gold chain4 ,he is a #8tip-topper1' of course2 one of those who used to get their fifty or sixty pounds a week at the ,alhambra1 or who has had nuggets thrown to him at ,san ,francisco and ,melbourne4 ,perhaps the next you will meet will be a man of lower grade1 wearing a brown coat1 with velvet collar1 over a sealskin vest1 with a brassy-looking chain festooned across it4 ,another wears a drab over-coat1 with broad collar and cuffs of ,astrakhan lamb-skin2 an ,alpine hat1 with a tail-feather of a peacock stuck in the band1 is worn jauntily on his head2 a pin1 headed with a gilt horse-shoe or horse's head or hoof1 adorns his fancy neck-tie2 and an ,alaska diamond glistens on the fourth finger of an ungloved hand4 ,further on you meet a man whose form is enveloped in a capacious blue cloak1 and whose head is surmounted by the tallest felt hat1 with the broadest brim1 you have ever seen4 ,but you are not done with these strange people yet4 ,you have nearly reached the end of ,york ,road when there issues from the office of ,roberts or ,maynard1 the equestrian and musical agents1 a man wearing a low-crowned hat and a grey coat1 braided with black2 or1 it may be1 a black velvet coat1 buttoned across his chest1 whatever the weather may be1 and ornamented with a gold chain festooned from the breast-pocket to one of the button-holes4 ,this is the professional quarter of the metropolis4 ,at least three-fourths of what ,i have termed the amusing classes1 whether connected with circuses1 theatres1 public gardens1 or music-halls1--actors1 singers1 dancers1 equestrians1 clowns1 gymnasts1 acrobats1 jugglers1 posturers1--may be found1 in the day-time at least1 within the area bounded by a line drawn from ,waterloo ,bridge to the ,victoria ,theatre1 and thence along ,gibson ,street and ,oakley ,street1 down ,kennington ,road as far as the ,cross1 and thence to ,vauxhall ,bridge4 ,towards the edges of this area they are more sparsely scattered than nearer the bridges4 ,they are well sprinkled along ,york ,road1 and in some of the streets between the ,albert ,embankment and ,kennington ,lane they constitute a considerable proportion of the population4 ,you may enter ,barnard's tavern1 opposite ,astley's1 or the ,pheasant1 in the rear of the theatre1 and find circus and music-hall artistes making two to one of the men before the bar4 ,they are1 as a class1 a light-hearted set1 not remarkable for providence1 but bearing the vicissitudes of fortune to which they are so liable with tolerable equanimity1 showing a laudable desire to alleviate each other's ills to the utmost extent of their power1 and regarding leniently each other's failings1 without exhibiting a greater tendency to vice than any other class4 ,there is not much education among them1 as ,i have before indicated1 and they are not much addicted to literature of any kind4 ,this seems to arise1 not from any deficiency of natural aptitude for learning1 but from their wandering lives and the early age at which they begin to practise the feats by which they are to be enabled to live4 ,the training of a circus rider1 a gymnast1 or an acrobat begins as soon as he or she can walk4 ,from that time they practise every day1 and they are often introduced in the ring1 or on the platform of a music-hall1 at an age at which other children have not left the nursery4 ,they wander over the ,united ,kingdom--,europe--the world4 ,the lads whom you see tumbling in one of the quiet streets between the ,strand and the ,victoria ,embankment one day1 may be seen doing the same performance a week or two afterwards on the sands at ,ramsgate1 the downs at ,epsom1 or the heath at ,newmarket4 ,the equestrian or the gymnast who amazes you at the ,amphitheatre may be seen the following season at the ,hippodrome or the ,circo ,price4 ,they may be met passing from one continent to another1 from one hemisphere to another1 sometimes gorgeously attired1 sometimes out at elbows1 but always light-hearted and gay1 excepting perhaps the clowns1 who always seem1 out of the ring1 the gravest and most taciturn of the race4 ,i do not know how a moral phenomenon of such strangeness is to be accounted for2 perhaps all their hilarity evaporates in the saw-dust1 or on the boards2 but ,i am afraid that their humour is very often forced1 their jests borrowed from the latest collection of faceti1 their merry interludes with the ring-master rehearsed before-hand4 ,they are1 as a rule1 long-lived1 and seem never to become superannuated4 ,stickney died at forty1 ,i believe2 but ,astley was seventy-two when he departed this life1 ,pablo ,fanque seventy-five1 ,madame ,saqui eighty1 and ,saunders ninety-two4 ,constant practice enables even gymnasts and acrobats to continue their performances when they are far down the decline of life2 and ,i have seen middle-aged1 and even grey-headed men1 who had been #8pitching' or #8tenting' all their lives1 and could still throw a forward somersault1 or form the base of an acrobatic pyramid4 ,both men and women generally marry young1 but the latter go on riding or rope-dancing until they are superseded by younger ones2 and their husbands ride1 vault1 tumble1 or juggle1 until their-- ------#8little life ,is rounded with a sleep4' ,the human mind craves amusement in every phase of society1 and in none more than in that which is exemplified in the large towns of ,europe and the ,united ,states1 where1 and especially among the commercial and industrial classes1 the brain is in activity1 the nerves in a state of tension1 from morn till eve4 ,released from business or labour for the day1 the nervous system requires relaxation2 and if its demands are not attended to1 the strain of the day cannot long be sustained4 ,the entertaining classes are1 therefore1 a necessary element of present society2 and1 in now taking leave of them1 ,i cannot too strongly urge upon all who may read these pages the appeal which the inimitable ,dickens has put into the mouth of ,sleary3 #8,people mutht be amuthed4 ,they can't be alwayth a-learning1 nor they can't be alwayth a-working2 they an't made for it4 ,you mutht have uth4 ,do the withe thing and the kind thing too1 and make the betht of uth2 not the wutht4' ,let us indeed make the best of our entertainers2 for we owe them much4 ,,the ,,end4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,,index4 ------- ,,page ,abbott1 the clown #bdg ,adams1 the equestrian #fb1 #hf 0 0 clown #bfc ,adrian1 ,miss1 the equestrian #bjc ,agouste1 the juggler #aaj ,airec1 the gymnast #afb ,alexander1 ,brothers1 the acrobats #aib ,amburgh1 ,van1 the lion-tamer #hi1 #ig1 #aag 0 0 0 circus proprietor #bch ,american circuses #bbc ,ames1 the circus proprietor #beb ,anderson's circus #bdg ,angela1 the female ,samson #bca ,arab vaulters1 first in ,england #he ,arthur and ,bertrand1 the clowns #afg ,astley1 ,philip1 the equestrian #ag1 #bh1 #df1 #dh1 #ea1 #ec 0 ,mrs1 the equestrian #ai 0 ,john1 the equestrian #bi1 #cc1 #df1 #ec1 #ef ,atalie1 the man with the iron jaw #bca ,athos1 ,brothers1 the gymnasts #bhj ,atkins's lion and tigress at ,astley's #gi ,avolo1 the gymnast #aic ,azella1 the female gymnast #agi ,bailey's circus and menagerie #bde ,balize1 the lion-performer #bdf ,banks1 the horse-charmer #d ,bannister1 ,miss1 the equestrian #ef 0 the circus proprietor #ff ,baptiste1 the rope-dancer #bg ,barnum1 the great showman #bba1 #bbe1 #bbf ,barr1 the falconer #adc ,barry1 the clown #if1 #aji1 #aah1 #adb ,barry1 the lyrical jester #bab ,barrymore1 the manager #ee ,batty1 ,william1 the circus proprietor1 #ig1 #ajj1 #ach ,bell1 the acrobat #cd 0 the equestrian #baa 0 and ,myers' circus #ib ,bellinck1 the rope-dancer #eg ,berrington4 ,see ,parelli4 ,bibb1 the clown #aib1 #bjc1 #baj ,blight1 ,helen1 the lion-queen #acb ,bliss1 the equestrian #bda ,blondin's circus #ee ,blondin1 the rope-walker #aeg ,boleno1 the clown #fa ,bologna ,family1 posturers and rope-dancers #ci1 #dd ,bond1 the equilibrist #afe ,bonnaire1 the gymnast #aec ,bradbury the elder1 the equestrian #ee 0 ,alfred1 the equestrian #agd ,bridges1 the rope-dancer #fa 0 ,amelia1 the equestrian #adb 0 ,anthony1 the equestrian #adb1 #bjc 0 ,john1 the equestrian #aaa1 #abe1 #adj1 #bjc ,broadfoot1 the equestrian manager #aai ,brown4 ,see ,tournaire4 ,bull-fights in circuses #gi1 #ajg ,bunn1 the manager #eh ,burgess1 the vaulter and globe-performer #aha1 #bed1 #bfb1 #bge ,burnell1 the circus proprietor #bde ,burt1 the clown #bb ,campbell's circus and menagerie #bdf ,carl1 the wire-walker #aff ,caroline1 ,madame1 the equestrian #aeh ,carr1 the globe-performer #de ,carr1 the circus proprietor #aha ,carter1 the lion-performer #ij1 #aaj ,castelli1 the gymnast #afb ,catawba ,indians1 feats of the #de ,chapman1 ,miss1 the lion-queen #acb ,chiarini1 ,beatrice1 the equestrian #age ,christoff1 the rope-dancer #beh ,clark1 the posturer #aj ,clarke1 the circus proprietor #ee1 #fi1 #aci 0 ,miss1 the rope-dancer #ef1 #ig ,clementina4 ,see ,sobieska4 ,cline1 the rope-dancer and ascensionist #ei1 #hc ,coleman1 the equestrian #bfb1 #bge ,collet1 the acrobat #cd ,columbia1 the circus proprietor #aaa ,conquest1 the manager #ahg ,conrad1 ,brothers1 the gymnasts #bde1 #beb ,constantine1 the acrobat and posturer #fe ,cooke1 ,alfred1 the equestrian #aaa 0 ,emily1 0 0 #adc 0 ,george1 the rope-dancer #ei 0 ,henry ,welby1 the equestrian #adc 0 ,hubert1 0 0 #aib 0 ,james1 the circus proprietor #ace 0 0 0 equestrian #aci 0 ,john ,henry1 the equestrian #adc1 #aib1 #bab 0 ,thomas1 the circus proprietor #if1 #ih1 #aaa1 #aci 0 ,william 0 0 0 #aci1 #adc1 #afa1 #bae ,cook1 ,wooda1 the equestrian #bab ,copeland1 the circus proprietor #if1 #ih1 #aci ,corelli1 the child gymnast #ahf ,costello1 the gymnast #aff ,costmethopila1 the equestrian #ai ,cottrell1 ,miss1 the equestrian #aib ,coup1 the circus manager #bbf ,crockett1 the lion-performer #abh ,cross's menagerie #fj1 #gc ,crossman1 the acrobat #ca1 #cd1 #dj1 #dc ,croueste1 the clown #ade ,crowther1 the actor #abj1 #abb ,dale1 the equestrian #aai1 #aci ,darby4 ,see ,fanque4 ,davis1 the equestrian manager #df1 #ec1 #ef1 #eh1 #fa ,dawson1 the acrobat #bb ,dean1 the equestrian #bdf ,debach1 the globe-performer #adj ,delavanti family1 the acrobats #afj 0 ,george1 the equestrian #age ,delpini1 the manager and singer #bg ,derious1 the gymnast #bde ,dewhurst1 the clown #ig1 #ajj1 #ajd ,dubois1 the clown #df ,ducrow1 father of the equestrian #dc 0 ,andrew1 the equestrian #ec1 #eh1 #fa1 #gi1 #hc1 #ie 0 0 7the younger7 equestrian #aic 0 ,charles1 the equestrian #aic1 #bfc 0 ,john1 the clown #hf 0 ,william1 the equestrian #bda ,duge1 the rope-dancer #ae ,eaton and ,stone's circus #abf ,ella1 the equestrian #abf ,elliot1 ,brothers1 the acrobats #adc1 #ahh ,ellis1 ,brothers1 the gymnasts #afb ,elliston1 the manager #dh1 #eh1 #hj ,ellistria4 ,see ,ellis4 ,elsler1 ,mdlle1 the ascensionist #adc1 #bdj ,espagnole1 ,la ,belle1 the rope-dancer #cf1 #dd1 #df ,fanque1 ,pablo1 the circus proprietor #ig1 #ii1 #aag1 #ace1 #afj1 #aib ,farci4 ,see ,ferzi4 ,farini1 the gymnast #ahf ,fawkes1 the posturer and juggler #ab ,ferzi1 the rope-dancer #af ,fish1 the equestrian #baj ,fitzball1 the hippo-dramatist #ea1 #adj ,forcer1 the manager #h ,forepaugh's circus and menagerie #bda ,fossett's circus #afa ,francisco1 ,brothers1 the gymnasts #add1 #afb ,franconi1 the circus proprietor #aaa1 #aag1 #aba ,franconi's circus #df1 #ee1 #acf1 #adb1 #aij ,franks1 the clown #ahh1 #aig1 #bfc1 #bge ,fredericks1 the equestrian #aic ,french's circus #bde ,frowde1 the clown #aig1 #bjc ,gallot1 the equestrian #eb ,gardner and ,forepaugh's circus and #bda menagerie ,garlick1 the lion-performer #ajc ,garmon1 the acrobat #ba1 #bg ,geraldine1 ,mdlle1 the gymnast #bdj ,germani1 the equestrian juggler #aaj ,ginnett's circus #adf1 #aej ,glee-men1 ,anglo-,saxon #b ,grady's circus #bdh ,graham1 the conjurer #adg ,grainger1 the acrobat #bg ,griffin1 the equestrian acrobat #bj1 #bb ,griffiths and wife1 equestrians #ai ,grimaldi1 the manager #bf 0 0 clown #cf ,guillaume1 the circus proprietor #ahb 0 ,maddalena1 the equestrian #ahc ,hall1 the rope-dancer #h ,handy1 partner of ,philip ,astley #de ,hanlon1 ,brothers1 the gymnasts #age1 #ahf ,harwood1 the equestrian actor #abj ,hassan1 the vaulter #adf ,haven's1 ,de1 circus #bdg ,haynes4 ,see ,senyah4 ,hemming1 the equestrian #aci ,hemmings1 ,cooper1 and ,whitby's circus #bdh ,heng1 the acrobat #fe ,hengler1 the rope-dancer #dh1 #aaj1 #abe1 #aie 0 ,charles1 the circus proprietor #aih 0 ,edward ,henry1 the rope-dancer #aih 0 ,john ,milton1 the rope-dancer #ahh1 #aie 0 ,miss1 the equestrian #ahg1 #aib1 #bjg1 #baj ,hengler's circus #abc1 #afj1 #ahg1 #aib1 #bja ,henry1 the circus manager #bff1 #bgf ,hernandez1 the equestrian #aba1 #abe ,hilton1 the circus proprietor #aca 0 ,miss1 the lion-queen #aca ,hinn1 the circus proprietor #aaa 0 ,pauline1 the equestrian #aaa ,hogini family1 clowns and acrobats #aib1 #bjc1 #bfc ,holloway's circus #fd ,hough1 the acrobat #ae ,howes and ,cushing's circus #abh1 #acj1 #aia1 #bjd ,hughes1 the equestrian #bc1 #ce 0 0 circus proprietor #ig1 #baf ,huntley1 the acrobat #ba1 #bg 0 ,miss1 the equestrian #be ,ingham1 the acrobat #dj ,italian ,brothers1 gymnasts #adb1 #add ,jalma1 ,sadi1 the contortionist #bgj ,janno1 the acrobat #ae ,jenkins1 the acrobat #ca1 #cd ,jenkinson1 the acrobat #cd ,johnson1 the equestrian #ag ,johnson's circus #bdf ,jones1 the equestrian #bb ,josephine1 ,mdlle1 the equestrian #bdf ,julien1 the gymnast #aec1 #afb ,keith1 the clown #ade1 #aha1 #aij ,kelly1 the vaulter #bbe1 #bdb ,kemp1 the pole performer #aji ,keys1 ,miss1 the equestrian #bfd1 #bge ,king1 the bottle equilibrist #afe ,lake's circus #bdg ,lawrence1 the vaulter #ch ,lee1 ,james1 the showman #aca 0 ,lavater1 the vaulter #ih1 #ajb1 #ajd 0 ,thomas1 the equestrian #aja1 #abj ,lefort1 the pole-sprite #aag ,lent1 the equestrian manager #beb ,leonard1 the equestrian #aja ,leotard1 the gymnast #aec1 #aef1 #afb ,lloyd1 the equestrian #ahh1 #baa ,longuemare1 the ascensionist #eg ,lonsdale1 the acrobat #cd ,lorenzo1 the lion-performer #bia ,ludovic1 the equestrian #aja ,lulu1 the female gymnast #aec1 #age1 #ahe ,macarte1 ,mme1 the equestrian #bbh ,macarthy1 the lion-performer #bic ,macomo1 the lion-performer #abi1 #acb ,magilton1 the gymnast #afa ,majilton1 the hat-spinner #afg1 #bbi ,manchester ,jack1 the lion-performer #hi ,manders1 the menagerist #acb ,mariana1 ,signora1 the rope-dancer #bg ,markutchy1 the equestrian #ah ,masotta1 the equestrian #aji 0 ,mdlle1 the equestrian #adb ,maynard1 the equestrian agent #beg ,mears1 the gymnast #aic1 #bfi ,menken1 ,miss1 the equestrian actress #age ,miller1 the equestrian #bb ,milton1 the circus proprietor #fb ,monfroid1 ,mdlles1 the equestrians #ij ,montague1 the equestrian manager #adf1 #aia ,morris1 the acrobat #fe ,mulligan1 the vaulter #ig ,nathans1 the circus proprietor #bde ,nemo1 ,brothers1 the jugglers #agj ,nevit1 the acrobat #bb ,newsome1 the circus proprietor #ih1 #ajg1 #aji1 #abf1 #ach1 #aei1 #bgj1 #bge 0 0 lion-performer #acb 0 ,miss ,adele1 the equestrian #ahg1 #aij1 #bfc1 #bge 0 0 ,emma1 0 0 #bfd 0 0 ,marie1 0 0 #bfd1 #bge ,niblo1 the gymnast #aec ,nomora's feats of activity #af ,north1 the vaulter #id 0 the showman #bdf ,noyes's circus #bdh ,o',donnel1 the antipodean equilibrist #fa ,o',donnell1 ,miss1 the equestrian #ajb ,older's circus and menagerie #bdg ,olmar1 the gymnast #ahf ,oscar1 the equestrian #aib ,parelli1 the gymnast #aff ,pastor1 the equestrian #bde ,pauliere1 ,mdlle1 the equestrian #bca ,payne family1 the pantomimists #bge ,pentland1 the clown #beb ,pereira1 ,mdlle1 the female gymnast #ahj ,phillipi1 the conjurer4 ,see ,graham4 ,phillips1 the acrobat #bj ,plege1 the rope-dancer #ih1 #aji1 #aag ,polaski1 the equestrian #ig ,porter1 the acrobat #bd1 #dj ,powell1 ,john1 the equestrian #ig1 #aag1 #abe 0 ,william1 0 #aib1 #aie ,price1 the equestrian #af 0 0 vaulter #hf1 #id 0 ,brothers1 the gymnasts #afc1 #bee ,price's circus #ahd ,price and ,powell's circus #aie ,rayner1 the acrobat #ae1 #ba1 #bg1 #ce 0 the ,misses1 the tight-rope dancers #ae ,redmond1 the rope-performer #afi1 #aga ,richer1 the acrobat and rope-dancer #ba1 #bg1 #dd1 #df ,ridgway1 ,brothers1 the gymnasts #aed ,ridley1 ,brothers1 the acrobats #afb1 #bfc1 #bgb ,rivolti1 the ring-master #baa ,rizareli1 ,brothers1 the gymnasts #age1 #ahg1 #bdf ,roberts1 the artist and scene-painter #ff 0 the equestrian agent #bef ,robinson1 the equestrian #agd 0 0 0 manager #bci ,robinson's1 ,john1 circus and menagerie #bdh 0 ,alexander1 circus #bdg ,romaine1 ,madame1 the rope-dancer #ce ,rossi's1 ,signora1 feats of activity #af ,ryan1 the circus proprietor #if1 #aah ,sadi ,jalma1 the contortionist #bgj ,sadler1 founder of the ,wells #h ,samee1 ,ramo1 the juggler #eg1 #agj ,sampson1 the equestrian #af ,samwell's circus #fd1 #if ,sandy1 ,little1 the clown #aib1 #baj1 #bac ,sanger's circus #abc1 #abh1 #agi1 #ahh1 #aia1 #aic1 #bah ,sanger1 ,john and ,george1 the circus #bad proprietors 0 ,miss1 the equestrian #ahi ,saqui1 ,madame1 the rope-dancer #ec1 #ef ,sault1 the gymnast #bga ,saunders1 the circus proprietor #di ,saxoni1 the rope-dancer #dc ,senyah and wife1 the gymnasts #ahj1 #bdj ,sextillian1 the acrobat and equilibrist #afh ,simpson1 the equestrian vaulter #ab ,smith1 the equestrian #dj ,sobieska1 the equestrian #bd ,soullier1 the circus proprietor #adj 0 ,mdlle1 the equestrian #adb ,stanfield1 the artist and scene-painter #he ,stickney1 the equestrian #fa1 #fc1 #id1 #ajg1 #bdg 0 ,robert1 the equestrian #beb 0 ,samuel1 the circus director #bdf ,stokes1 the vaulter #aa 0 equestrian manager #afj ,stone and ,murray's circus #bdj ,stowe's circus #bdh ,strand1 the lion-performer #acb ,talliott's circus #afa ,taylor1 the equestrian #ah1 #cj ,thayer's circus #bdg ,thompson1 the equestrian manager #aah ,tournaire1 the circus proprietor #aaa 0 ,marie1 the equestrian #bdf ,townsend1 the equestrian ,m4 ,p4 #aea ,tully1 the acrobat #bg ,twigg1 the equestrian manager #bah ,tyers1 proprietor of ,vauxhall ,gardens #ac ,vangable1 ,miss1 the equestrian #ah1 #ca ,vernon1 the ring-master #bfb1 #bgd ,verrecke1 the gymnast #aec ,vilderini1 the posturer #acf ,vincent1 ,miss1 the actress #abb ,vintners1 the ascensionists #he ,violante1 the rope-walker #ac ,virginie1 ,mdlle1 the equestrian #bda ,vivian1 the ring-master #bgd ,vokes family1 the pantomimists #bfj ,walker1 the vaulter and rope-dancer #aja1 #ajd ,wallett1 the clown and posturer #fd1 #if1 #ih1 #aah1 #ace1 #ade1 #aeh ,ward's circus #bdg ,warner1 the circus proprietor #bdb 0 ,annie1 the equestrian #bdf ,watson1 ,lucille1 the equestrian #bca1 #bec ,watson's circus #bdg ,wells and ,miller's circus #if ,welsh4 ,see ,price1 ,brothers4 ,west1 the equestrian manager #fa ,wheal1 the clown #adb ,wheeler and ,cushing's circus #bdf ,white1 the lion-performer #aaj ,whittayne1 the clown #ahb ,whitton1 the acrobat #fe ,widdicomb1 the ring-master #hg ,williams1 the acrobat #ae 0 0 jester #baj 0 0 vaulter #fc ,willio1 the contortionist #aed ,wilson's circus #bdf ,wombwell1 the menagerist #gd ,wooler's letter to ,elliston #ha ,woolford1 ,miss1 the rope-dancer #ei1 #hg ,young1 ,miss1 the rope-walker #aeg ,zamezou1 the acrobat #beg1 #bfc ,zebras at ,astley's #gi ------------------ ,,john ,,childs ,,and ,,son1 ,,printers4 ---------------------------------------- -------------------------------- ,transcriber's ,note ,on p4 #dj1 the transcription of an advertisement refers to #8fricapee' dancing1 which is likely a misprint for #8fricassee'1 which appears later in the same advertisement and is1 it seems1 an old ,french folk dance4 ,the apparent error has been allowed to stand4 ,errors deemed most likely to be the printer's have been corrected1 and are noted here4 ,the references are to the page and line in the original4 ,the following issues should be noted1 along with the resolutions4 #ga4bj shall the fool reply1 8,then ,i do1'_/0 ,replaced4 #cjg4bh ,the sum collected is the #8nob4' ,added4