the uncommercial traveller-第8节

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streets；　so　broken　and　bankrupt；　that　the　FOUND　DEAD　on　the　black

board　at　the　police　station　might　have　announced　the　decease　of　the

Drama；　and　the　pools　of　water　outside　the　fire…engine　maker's　at

the　corner　of　Long…acre　might　have　been　occasioned　by　his　having

brought　out　the　whole　of　his　stock　to　play　upon　its　last

smouldering　ashes。



And　yet；　on　such　a　night　in　so　degenerate　a　time；　the　object　of　my

journey　was　theatrical。　　And　yet　within　half　an　hour　I　was　in　an

immense　theatre；　capable　of　holding　nearly　five　thousand　people。



What　Theatre？　　Her　Majesty's？　　Far　better。　　Royal　Italian　Opera？

Far　better。　　Infinitely　superior　to　the　latter　for　hearing　in；

infinitely　superior　to　both；　for　seeing　in。　　To　every　part　of　this

Theatre；　spacious　fire…proof　ways　of　ingress　and　egress。　　For　every

part　of　it；　convenient　places　of　refreshment　and　retiring　rooms。

Everything　to　eat　and　drink　carefully　supervised　as　to　quality；　and

sold　at　an　appointed　price；　respectable　female　attendants　ready　for

the　commonest　women　in　the　audience；　a　general　air　of

consideration；　decorum；　and　supervision；　most　commendable；　an

unquestionably　humanising　influence　in　all　the　social　arrangements

of　the　place。



Surely　a　dear　Theatre；　then？　　Because　there　were　in　London　（not

very　long　ago）　Theatres　with　entrance…prices　up　to　half…a…guinea　a

head；　whose　arrangements　were　not　half　so　civilised。　　Surely；

therefore；　a　dear　Theatre？　　Not　very　dear。　　A　gallery　at　three…

pence；　another　gallery　at　fourpence；　a　pit　at　sixpence；　boxes　and

pit…stalls　at　a　shilling；　and　a　few　private　boxes　at　half…a…crown。



My　uncommercial　curiosity　induced　me　to　go　into　every　nook　of　this

great　place；　and　among　every　class　of　the　audience　assembled　in　it

…　amounting　that　evening；　as　I　calculated；　to　about　two　thousand

and　odd　hundreds。　　Magnificently　lighted　by　a　firmament　of

sparkling　chandeliers；　the　building　was　ventilated　to　perfection。

My　sense　of　smell；　without　being　particularly　delicate；　has　been　so

offended　in　some　of　the　commoner　places　of　public　resort；　that　I

have　often　been　obliged　to　leave　them　when　I　have　made　an

uncommercial　journey　expressly　to　look　on。　　The　air　of　this　Theatre

was　fresh；　cool；　and　wholesome。　　To　help　towards　this　end；　very

sensible　precautions　had　been　used；　ingeniously　combining　the

experience　of　hospitals　and　railway　stations。　　Asphalt　pavements

substituted　for　wooden　floors；　honest　bare　walls　of　glazed　brick

and　tile　…　even　at　the　back　of　the　boxes　…　for　plaster　and　paper；

no　benches　stuffed；　and　no　carpeting　or　baize　used；　a　cool　material

with　a　light　glazed　surface；　being　the　covering　of　the　seats。



These　various　contrivances　are　as　well　considered　in　the　place　in

question　as　if　it　were　a　Fever　Hospital；　the　result　is；　that　it　is

sweet　and　healthful。　　It　has　been　constructed　from　the　ground　to

the　roof；　with　a　careful　reference　to　sight　and　sound　in　every

corner；　the　result　is；　that　its　form　is　beautiful；　and　that　the

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

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

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

the　great　assemblage　without　the　movement　being　seen　from　thence　…

is　highly　remarkable　in　its　union　of　vastness　with　compactness。

The　stage　itself；　and　all　its　appurtenances　of　machinery；

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

highly　agreeable　sign　of　these　times。



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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

particularly；　they　were　composed　of　persons　of　very　decent

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

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

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

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

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

pockets；　and　occasionally　twisted　our　cravats　about　our　necks　like

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

greatest　expedition。



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

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

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

Spirit　of　Liberty　was　the　principal　personage　in　the　Introduction；

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

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

We　were　delighted　to　understand　that　there　was　no　liberty　anywhere

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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