theatricals.
—— the play’s the thing.
hamlet.
the important day had now arrived, the arrangement for which had for some time occupied all the conversation and thoughts of the good company at the well of st. ronan’s. to give it, at the same time, a degree of novelty and consequence, lady penelope penfeather had long since suggested to mr. mowbray, that the more gifted and accomplished part of the guests might contribute to furnish out entertainment for the rest, by acting a few scenes of some popular drama; an accomplishment in which her self-conceit assured her that she was peculiarly qualified to excel. mr. mowbray, who seemed on this occasion to have thrown the reins entirely into her ladyship’s hands, made no objection to the plan which she proposed, excepting that the old-fashioned hedges and walks of the garden at shaws-castle must necessarily serve for stage and scenery, as there was no time to fit up the old hall for the exhibition of the proposed theatricals.24 but upon enquiry among the company, this plan was wrecked upon the ordinary shelve, to wit, the difficulty of finding performers who would consent to assume the lower characters of the drama. for the first parts there were candidates more than enough; but most of these were greatly too high-spirited to play the fool, except they were permitted to top the part. then amongst the few unambitious underlings, who could be coaxed or cajoled to undertake subordinate characters, there were so many bad memories, and short memories, and treacherous memories, that at length the plan was resigned in despair.
a substitute, proposed by lady penelope, was next considered. it was proposed to act what the italians call a comedy of character; that is, not an exact drama, in which the actors deliver what is set down for them by the author; but one, in which the plot having been previously fixed upon, and a few striking scenes adjusted, the actors are expected to supply the dialogue extempore, or, as petruchio says, from their mother wit. this is an amusement which affords much entertainment in italy, particularly in the state of venice, where the characters of their drama have been long since all previously fixed, and are handed down by tradition; and this species of drama, though rather belonging to the mask than the theatre, is distinguished by the name of commedia dell’ arte.25 but the shamefaced character of britons is still more alien from a species of display, where there is a constant and extemporaneous demand for wit, or the sort of ready small-talk which supplies its place, than from the regular exhibitions of the drama, where the author, standing responsible for language and sentiment, leaves to the personators of the scenes only the trouble of finding enunciation and action.
but the ardent and active spirit of lady penelope, still athirst after novelty, though baffled in her two first projects, brought forward a third, in which she was more successful. this was the proposal to combine a certain number, at least, of the guests, properly dressed for the occasion, as representing some well-known historical or dramatic characters, in a group, having reference to history, or to a scene of the drama. in this representation, which may be called playing a picture, action, even pantomimical action, was not expected; and all that was required of the performers, was to throw themselves into such a group as might express a marked and striking point of an easily remembered scene, but where the actors are at a pause, and without either speech or motion. in this species of representation there was no tax, either on the invention or memory of those who might undertake parts; and, what recommended it still farther to the good company, there was no marked difference betwixt the hero and heroine of the group, and the less distinguished characters by whom they were attended on the stage; and every one who had confidence in a handsome shape and a becoming dress, might hope, though standing in not quite so broad and favourable a light as the principal personages, to draw, nevertheless, a considerable portion of attention and applause. this motion, therefore, that the company, or such of them as might choose to appear properly dressed for the occasion, should form themselves into one or more groups, which might be renewed and varied as often as they pleased, was hailed and accepted as a bright idea, which assigned to every one a share of the importance attached to its probable success.
mowbray, on his side, promised to contrive some arrangement which should separate the actors in this mute drama from the spectators, and enable the former to vary the amusement, by withdrawing themselves from the scene, and again appearing upon it under a different and new combination. this plan of exhibition, where fine clothes and affected attitudes supplied all draughts upon fancy or talent, was highly agreeable to most of the ladies present; and even lady binks, whose discontent seemed proof against every effort that could be proposed to soothe it, acquiesced in the project, with perfect indifference indeed, but with something less of sullenness than usual.
it now only remained to rummage the circulating library, for some piece of sufficient celebrity to command attention, and which should be at the same time suited to the execution of their project. bell’s british theatre, miller’s modern and ancient drama, and about twenty odd volumes, in which stray tragedies and comedies were associated, like the passengers in a mail-coach, without the least attempt at selection or arrangement, were all examined in the course of their researches. but lady penelope declared loftily and decidedly for shakspeare, as the author whose immortal works were fresh in every one’s recollection. shakspeare was therefore chosen, and from his works the midsummer night’s dream was selected, as the play which afforded the greatest variety of characters, and most scope of course for the intended representation. an active competition presently occurred among the greater part of the company, for such copies of the midsummer night’s dream, or the volume of shakspeare containing it, as could be got in the neighbourhood; for, notwithstanding lady penelope’s declaration, that every one who could read had shakspeare’s plays by heart, it appeared that such of his dramas as have not kept possession of the stage, were very little known at st. ronan’s, save among those people who are emphatically called readers.
the adjustment of the parts was the first subject of consideration, so soon as those who intended to assume characters had refreshed their recollection on the subject of the piece. theseus was unanimously assigned to mowbray, the giver of the entertainment, and therefore justly entitled to represent the duke of athens. the costume of an amazonian crest and plume, a tucked-up vest, and a tight buskin of sky-blue silk, buckled with diamonds, reconciled lady binks to the part of hippolyta. the superior stature of miss mowbray to lady penelope, made it necessary that the former should perform the part of helena, and her ladyship rest contented with the shrewish character of hermia. it was resolved to compliment the young earl of etherington with the part of lysander, which, however, his lordship declined, and, preferring comedy to tragedy, refused to appear in any other character than that of the magnanimous bottom; and he gave them such a humorous specimen of his quality in that part, that all were delighted at once with his condescension in assuming, and his skill in performing, the presenter of pyramus.
the part of egeus was voted to captain macturk, whose obstinacy in refusing to appear in any other than the full highland garb, had nearly disconcerted the whole affair. at length this obstacle was got over, on the authority of childe harold, who remarks the similarity betwixt the highland and grecian costume,26 and the company, dispensing with the difference of colour, voted the captain’s variegated kilt, of the macturk tartan, to be the kirtle of a grecian mountaineer — egeus to be an arnout, and the captain to be egeus. chatterly and the painter, walking gentlemen by profession, agreed to walk through the parts of demetrius and lysander, the two athenian lovers; and mr. winterblossom, loath and lazy, after many excuses, was bribed by lady penelope with an antique, or supposed antique cameo, to play the part of philostratus, master of the revels, provided his gout would permit him to remain so long upon the turf, which was to be their stage.
muslin trowsers, adorned with spangles, a voluminous turban of silver gauze, and wings of the same, together with an embroidered slipper, converted at once miss digges into oberon, the king of shadows, whose sovereign gravity, however, was somewhat indifferently represented by the silly gaiety of miss in her teens, and the uncontrolled delight which she felt in her fine clothes. a younger sister represented titania; and two or three subordinate elves were selected, among families attending the salutiferous fountain, who were easily persuaded to let their children figure in fine clothes at so juvenile an age, though they shook their head at miss digges and her pantaloons, and no less at the liberal display of lady binks’s right leg, with which the amazonian garb gratified the public of st. ronan’s.
dr. quackleben was applied to to play wall, by the assistance of such a wooden horse, or screen, as clothes are usually dried upon; the old attorney stood for lion; and the other characters of bottom’s drama were easily found among the unnamed frequenters of the spring. dressed rehearsals, and so forth, went merrily on — all voted there was a play fitted.
but even the doctor’s eloquence could not press mrs. blower into the scheme, although she was particularly wanted to represent thisbe.
“truth is,” she replied, “i dinna greatly like stage-plays. john blower, honest man, as sailors are aye for some spree or another, wad take me ance to see ane mrs. siddons — i thought we should hae been crushed to death before we gat in-a’ my things riven aff my back, forby the four lily-white shillings that it cost us — and then in came three frightsome carlines wi’ besoms, and they wad bewitch a sailor’s wife — i was lang eneugh there — and out i wad be, and out john blower gat me, but wi’ nae sma’ fight and fend. — my lady penelope penfitter, and the great folk, may just take it as they like; but in my mind, dr. cacklehen, it’s a mere blasphemy for folk to gar themselves look otherwise than their maker made them; and then the changing the name which was given them at baptism, is, i think, an awful falling away from our vows; and though thisby, which i take to be greek for tibbie, may be a very good name, yet margaret was i christened, and margaret will i die.”
“you mistake the matter entirely, my dear mrs. blower,” said the doctor; “there is nothing serious intended — a mere placebo — just a divertisement to cheer the spirits, and assist the effect of the waters — cheerfulness is a great promoter of health.”
“dinna tell me o’ health, dr. kittlepin! — can it be for the puir body m’durk’s health to major about in the tartans like a tobacconist’s sign in a frosty morning, wi’ his poor wizzened houghs as blue as a blawort? — weel i wot he is a humbling spectacle. or can it gie ony body health or pleasure either to see your ainsell, doctor, ganging about wi’ a claise screen tied to your back, covered wi’ paper, and painted like a stane and lime wa’? — i’ll gang to see nane o’ their vanities, dr. kittlehen; and if there is nae other decent body to take care o’ me, as i dinna like to sit a haill afternoon by mysell, i’ll e’en gae doun to mr. sowerbrowst the maltster’s — he is a pleasant, sensible man, and a sponsible man in the world, and his sister’s a very decent woman.”
“confound sowerbrowst,” thought the doctor; “if i had guessed he was to come across me thus, he should not have got the better of his dyspepsy so early. — my dear mrs. blower,” he continued, but aloud, “it is a foolish affair enough, i must confess; but every person of style and fashion at the well has settled to attend this exhibition; there has been nothing else talked of for this month through the whole country, and it will be a year before it is forgotten. and i would have you consider how ill it will look, my dear mrs. blower, to stay away — nobody will believe you had a card — no, not though you were to hang it round your neck like a label round a vial of tincture, mrs. blower.”
“if ye thought that, doctor kickherben,” said the widow, alarmed at the idea of losing caste, “i wad e’en gang to the show, like other folk; sinful and shameful if it be, let them that make the sin bear the shame. but then i will put on nane of their popish disguises — me that has lived in north leith, baith wife and lass, for i shanna say how mony years, and has a character to keep up baith with saint and sinner. — and then, wha’s to take care of me, since you are gaun to make a lime-and-stane wa’ of yoursell, dr. kickinben?”
“my dear mrs. blower, if such is your determination, i will not make a wall of myself. her ladyship must consider my profession — she must understand it is my function to look after my patients, in preference to all the stage-plays in this world — and to attend on a case like yours, mrs. blower, it is my duty to sacrifice, were it called for, the whole drama from shakspeare to o’keefe.”
on hearing this magnanimous resolution, the widow’s heart was greatly cheered; for, in fact, she might probably have considered the doctor’s perseverance in the plan, of which she had expressed such high disapprobation, as little less than a symptom of absolute defection from his allegiance. by an accommodation, therefore, which suited both parties, it was settled that the doctor should attend his loving widow to shaws-castle, without mask or mantle; and that the painted screen should be transferred from quackleben’s back to the broad shoulders of a briefless barrister, well qualified for the part of wall, since the composition of his skull might have rivalled in solidity the mortar and stone of the most approved builder.
we must not pause to dilate upon the various labours of body and spirit which preceded the intervening space, betwixt the settlement of this gay scheme, and the time appointed to carry it into execution. we will not attempt to describe how the wealthy, by letter and by commissioners, urged their researches through the stores of the gallery of fashion for specimens of oriental finery — how they that were scant of diamonds supplied their place with paste and bristol stones — how the country dealers were driven out of patience by the demand for goods of which they had never before heard the name — and, lastly, how the busy fingers of the more economical damsels twisted handkerchiefs into turbans, and converted petticoats into pantaloons, shaped and sewed, cut and clipped, and spoiled many a decent gown and petticoat, to produce something like a grecian habit. who can describe the wonders wrought by active needles and scissors, aided by thimbles and thread, upon silver gauze, and sprigged muslin? or who can show how, if the fair nymphs of the spring did not entirely succeed in attaining the desired resemblance to heathen greeks, they at least contrived to get rid of all similitude to sober christians?
neither is it necessary to dwell upon the various schemes of conveyance which were resorted to, in order to transfer the beau monde of the spa to the scene of revelry at shaws-castle. these were as various as the fortunes and pretensions of the owners; from the lordly curricle, with its outriders, to the humble taxed cart, nay, untaxed cart, which conveyed the personages of lesser rank. for the latter, indeed, the two post-chaises at the inn seemed converted into hourly stages, so often did they come and go between the hotel and the castle — a glad day for the postilions, and a day of martyrdom for the poor post-horses; so seldom is it that every department of any society, however constituted, can be injured or benefited by the same occurrence.
such, indeed, was the penury of vehicular conveyance, that applications were made in manner most humble, even to meg dods herself, entreating she would permit her old whiskey to ply (for such might have been the phrase) at st. ronan’s well, for that day only, and that upon good cause shown. but not for sordid lucre would the undaunted spirit of meg compound her feud with her neighbours of the detested well. “her carriage,” she briefly replied, “was engaged for her ain guest and the minister, and deil anither body’s fit should gang intill’t. let every herring hing by its ain head.” and, accordingly, at the duly appointed hour, creaked forth, the leathern convenience, in which, carefully screened by the curtain from the gaze of the fry of the village, sat nabob touchwood, in the costume of an indian merchant, or shroff, as they are termed. the clergyman would not, perhaps, have been so punctual, had not a set of notes and messages from his friend at the cleikum, ever following each other as thick as the papers which decorate the tail of a schoolboy’s kite, kept him so continually on the alert from daybreak till noon, that mr. touchwood found him completely dressed; and the whiskey was only delayed for about ten minutes before the door of the manse, a space employed by mr. cargill in searching for the spectacles, which at last were happily discovered upon his own nose.
at length, seated by the side of his new friend, mr. cargill arrived safe at shaws-castle, the gate of which mansion was surrounded by a screaming group of children, so extravagantly delighted at seeing the strange figures to whom each successive carriage gave birth, that even the stern brow and well-known voice of johnie tirlsneck, the beadle, though stationed in the court on express purpose, was not equal to the task of controlling them. these noisy intruders, however, who, it was believed, were somewhat favoured by clara mowbray, were excluded from the court which opened before the house, by a couple of grooms or helpers armed with their whips, and could only salute, with their shrill and wondering hailing, the various personages, as they passed down a short avenue leading from the exterior gate.
the cleikum nabob and the minister were greeted with shouts not the least clamorous; which the former merited by the ease with which he wore the white turban, and the latter, by the infrequency of his appearance in public, and both, by the singular association of a decent clergyman of the church of scotland, in a dress more old-fashioned than could now be produced in the general assembly, walking arm in arm, and seemingly in the most familiar terms, with a parsee merchant. they stopped a moment at the gate of the court-yard to admire the front of the old mansion, which had been disturbed with so unusual a scene of gaiety.
shaws-castle, though so named, presented no appearance of defence; and the present edifice had never been designed for more than the accommodation of a peaceful family, having a low, heavy front, loaded with some of that meretricious ornament, which, uniting, or rather confounding, the gothic and grecian architecture, was much used during the reigns of james vi. of scotland, and his unfortunate son. the court formed a small square, two sides of which were occupied by such buildings as were required for the family, and the third by the stables, the only part to which much attention had been paid, the present mr. mowbray having put them into excellent order. the fourth side of the square was shut up by a screen wall, through which a door opened to the avenue; the whole being a kind of structure, which may be still found on those old scottish properties, where a rage to render their place parkish, as was at one time the prevailing phrase, has not induced the owners to pull down the venerable and sheltering appendages with which their wiser fathers had screened their mansion, and to lay the whole open to the keen north-east; much after the fashion of a spinster of fifty, who chills herself to gratify the public by an exposure of her thin red elbows, and shrivelled neck and bosom.
a double door, thrown hospitably open on the present occasion, admitted the company into a dark and low hall, where mowbray himself, wearing the under dress of theseus, but not having yet assumed his ducal cap and robes, stood to receive his guests with due courtesy, and to indicate to each the road allotted to him. those who were to take a share in the representation of the morning, were conducted to an old saloon, destined for a green-room, and which communicated with a series of apartments on the right, hastily fitted with accommodations for arranging and completing their toilet; while others, who took no part in the intended drama, were ushered to the left, into a large, unfurnished, and long disused dining parlour, where a sashed door opened into the gardens, crossed with yew and holly hedges, still trimmed and clipped by the old grey-headed gardener, upon those principles which a dutchman thought worthy of commemorating in a didactic poem upon the ars topiaria.
a little wilderness, surrounding a beautiful piece of the smoothest turf, and itself bounded by such high hedges as we have described, had been selected as the stage most proper for the exhibition of the intended dramatic picture. it afforded many facilities; for a rising bank exactly in front was accommodated with seats for the spectators, who had a complete view of the silvan theatre, the bushes and shrubs having been cleared away, and the place supplied with a temporary screen, which, being withdrawn by the domestics appointed for that purpose, was to serve for the rising of the curtain. a covered trellis, which passed through another part of the garden, and terminated with a private door opening from the right wing of the building, seemed as if it had been planted on purpose for the proposed exhibition, as it served to give the personages of the drama a convenient and secret access from the green-room to the place of representation. indeed, the dramatis person?, at least those who adopted the management of the matter, were induced, by so much convenience, to extend, in some measure, their original plan; and, instead of one group, as had been at first proposed, they now found themselves able to exhibit to the good company a succession of three or four, selected and arranged from different parts of the drama; thus giving some duration, as well as some variety, to the entertainment, besides the advantage of separating and contrasting the tragic and the comic scenes.
after wandering about amongst the gardens, which contained little to interest any one, and endeavouring to recognise some characters, who, accommodating themselves to the humours of the day, had ventured to appear in the various disguises of ballad-singers, pedlars, shepherds, highlanders, and so forth, the company began to draw together towards the spot where the seats prepared for them, and the screen drawn in front of the bosky stage, induced them to assemble, and excited expectation, especially as a scroll in front of the esplanade set forth, in the words of the play, “this green plot shall be our stage, this hawthorn brake our tiring-house, and we will do it in action.” a delay of about ten minutes began to excite some suppressed murmurs of impatience among the audience, when the touch of gow’s fiddle suddenly burst from a neighbouring hedge, behind which he had established his little orchestra. all were of course silent,
“as through his dear strathspeys he bore with highland rage.”
and when he changed his strain to an adagio, and suffered his music to die away in the plaintive notes of roslin castle, the echoes of the old walls were, after a long slumber, awakened by that enthusiastic burst of applause, with which the scots usually received and rewarded their country’s gifted minstrel.
“he is his father’s own son,” said touchwood to the clergyman, for both had gotten seats near about the centre of the place of audience. “it is many a long year since i listened to old neil at inver, and, to say truth, spent a night with him over pancakes and athole brose; and i never expected to hear his match again in my lifetime. but stop — the curtain rises.”
the screen was indeed withdrawn, and displayed hermia, helena, and their lovers, in attitudes corresponding to the scene of confusion occasioned by the error of puck.
messrs. chatterly and the painter played their parts neither better nor worse than amateur actors in general; and the best that could be said of them was, that they seemed more than half ashamed of their exotic dresses, and of the public gaze.
but against this untimely weakness lady penelope was guarded, by the strong shield of self-conceit. she minced, ambled, and, notwithstanding the slight appearance of her person, and the depredations which time had made on a countenance that had never been very much distinguished for beauty, seemed desirous to top the part of the beautiful daughter of egeus. the sullenness which was proper to the character of hermia, was much augmented by the discovery that miss mowbray was so much better dressed than herself — a discovery which she had but recently made, as that young lady had not attended on the regular rehearsals at the well, but once, and then without her stage habit. her ladyship, however, did not permit this painful sense of inferiority, where she had expected triumph, so far to prevail over her desire of shining, as to interrupt materially the manner in which she had settled to represent her portion of the scene. the nature of the exhibition precluded much action, but lady penelope made amends by such a succession of grimaces, as might rival, in variety at least, the singular display which garrick used to call “going his rounds.” she twisted her poor features into looks of most desperate love towards lysander; into those of wonder and offended pride, when she turned them upon demetrius; and finally settled them on helena, with the happiest possible imitation of an incensed rival, who feels the impossibility of relieving her swollen heart by tears alone, and is just about to have recourse to her nails.
no contrast could be stronger in looks, demeanour, and figure, than that between hermia and helena. in the latter character, the beautiful form and foreign dress of miss mowbray attracted all eyes. she kept her place on the stage, as a sentinel does that which his charge assigns him; for she had previously told her brother, that though she consented, at his importunity, to make part of the exhibition, it was as a piece of the scene, not as an actor, and accordingly a painted figure could scarce be more immovable. the expression of her countenance seemed to be that of deep sorrow and perplexity, belonging to her part, over which wandered at times an air of irony or ridicule, as if she were secretly scorning the whole exhibition, and even herself for condescending to become part of it. above all, a sense of bashfulness had cast upon her cheek a colour, which, though sufficiently slight, was more than her countenance was used to display; and when the spectators beheld, in the splendour and grace of a rich oriental dress, her whom they had hitherto been accustomed to see attired only in the most careless manner, they felt the additional charms of surprise and contrast; so that the bursts of applause which were vollied towards the stage, might be said to be addressed to her alone, and to vie in sincerity with those which have been forced from an audience by the most accomplished performer.
“oh, that puir lady penelope!” said honest mrs. blower, who, when her scruples against the exhibition were once got over, began to look upon it with particular interest — “i am really sorry for her puir face, for she gars it work like the sails of john blower’s vesshel in a stiff breeze. — oh, doctor cacklehen, dinna ye think she wad need, if it were possible, to rin ower her face wi’ a gusing iron, just to take the wrunkles out o’t?”
“hush, hush! my good dear mrs. blower,” said the doctor; “lady penelope is a woman of quality, and my patient, and such people always act charmingly — you must understand there is no hissing at a private theatre — hem!”
“ye may say what ye like, doctor, but there is nae fule like an auld fule — to be sure, if she was as young and beautiful as miss mowbray — hegh me, and i didna use to think her sae bonny neither — but dress — dress makes an unco difference — that shawl o’ hers — i daur say the like o’t was ne’er seen in braid scotland — it will be real indian, i’se warrant.”
“real indian!” said mr. touchwood, in an accent of disdain, which rather disturbed mrs. blower’s equanimity — “why, what do you suppose it should be, madam?”
“i dinna ken, sir,” said she, edging somewhat nearer the doctor, not being altogether pleased, as she afterwards allowed, with the outlandish appearance and sharp tone of the traveller; then pulling her own drapery round her shoulders, she added, courageously, “there are braw shawls made at paisley, that ye will scarce ken frae foreign.”
“not know paisley shawls from indian, madam?” said touchwood; “why, a blind man could tell by the slightest touch of his little finger. yon shawl, now, is the handsomest i have seen in britain — and at this distance i can tell it to be a real tozie.”
“cozie may she weel be that wears it,” said mrs. blower. “i declare, now i look on’t again, it’s a perfect beauty.”
“it is called tozie, ma’am, not cozie,” continued the traveller; “the shroffs at surat told me in 1801, that it is made out of the inner coat of a goat.”
“of a sheep, sir, i am thinking ye mean, for goats has nae woo’.”
“not much of it, indeed, madam, but you are to understand they use only the inmost coat; and then their dyes — that tozie now will keep its colour while there is a rag of it left — men bequeath them in legacies to their grandchildren.”
“and a very bonny colour it is,” said the dame; “something like a mouse’s back, only a thought redder — i wonder what they ca’ that colour.”
“the colour is much admired, madam,” said touchwood, who was now on a favourite topic; “the mussulmans say the colour is betwixt that of an elephant and the breast of the faughta.”
“in troth, i am as wise as i was,” said mrs. blower.
“the faughta, madam, so called by the moors, (for the hindhus call it hollah,) is a sort of pigeon, held sacred among the moslem of india, because they think it dyed its breast in the blood of ali. — but i see they are closing the scene. — mr. cargill, are you composing your sermon, my good friend, or what can you be thinking of?”
mr. cargill had, during the whole scene, remained with his eyes fixed, in intent and anxious, although almost unconscious gaze, upon clara mowbray; and when the voice of his companion startled him out of his reverie, he exclaimed, “most lovely — most unhappy — yes — i must and will see her!”
“see her?” replied touchwood, too much accustomed to his friend’s singularities to look for much reason or connexion in any thing he said or did; “why, you shall see her and talk to her too, if that will give you pleasure. — they say now,” he continued, lowering his voice to a whisper, “that this mowbray is ruined. i see nothing like it, since he can dress out his sister like a begum. did you ever see such a splendid shawl?”
“dearly purchased splendour,” said mr. cargill, with a deep sigh; “i wish that the price be yet fully paid!”
“very likely not,” said the traveller; “very likely it’s gone to the book; and for the price, i have known a thousand rupees given for such a shawl in the country. — but hush, hush, we are to have another tune from nathaniel — faith, and they are withdrawing the screen — well, they have some mercy — they do not let us wait long between the acts of their follies at least — i love a quick and rattling fire in these vanities — folly walking a funeral pace, and clinking her bells to the time of a passing knell, makes sad work indeed.”
a strain of music, beginning slowly, and terminating in a light and wild allegro, introduced on the stage those delightful creatures of the richest imagination that ever teemed with wonders, the oberon and titania of shakspeare. the pigmy majesty of the captain of the fairy band had no unapt representative in miss digges, whose modesty was not so great an intruder as to prevent her desire to present him in all his dignity, and she moved, conscious of the graceful turn of a pretty ankle, which, encircled with a string of pearls, and clothed in flesh-coloured silk, of the most cobweb texture, rose above the crimson sandal. her jewelled tiara, too, gave dignity to the frown with which the offended king of shadows greeted his consort, as each entered upon the scene at the head of their several attendants.
the restlessness of the children had been duly considered; and, therefore, their part of the exhibition had been contrived to represent dumb show, rather than a stationary picture. the little queen of elves was not inferior in action to her moody lord, and repaid, with a look of female impatience and scorn, the haughty air which seemed to express his sullen greeting,
“ill met by moonlight, proud titania.”
the other children were, as usual, some clever and forward, some loutish and awkward enough; but the gambols of childhood are sure to receive applause, paid, perhaps, with a mixture of pity and envy, by those in advanced life; and besides, there were in the company several fond papas and mammas, whose clamorous approbation, though given apparently to the whole performers, was especially dedicated in their hearts to their own little jackies and marias — for mary, though the prettiest and most classical of scottish names, is now unknown in the land. the elves, therefore, played their frolics, danced a measure, and vanished with good approbation.
the anti-mask, as it may be called, of bottom, and his company of actors, next appeared on the stage, and a thunder of applause received the young earl, who had, with infinite taste and dexterity, transformed himself into the similitude of an athenian clown; observing the grecian costume, yet so judiciously discriminated from the dress of the higher characters, as at once to fix the character of a thick-skinned mechanic on the wearer. touchwood, in particular, was loud in his approbation, from which the correctness of the costume must be inferred; for that honest gentleman, like many other critics, was indeed not very much distinguished for good taste, but had a capital memory for petty matters of fact; and, while the most impressive look or gesture of an actor might have failed to interest him, would have censured most severely the fashion of a sleeve, or the colour of a shoe-tie.
but the earl of etherington’s merits were not confined to his external appearance; for, had his better fortunes failed him, his deserts, like those of hamlet, might have got him a fellowship in a cry of players. he presented, though in dumb show, the pragmatic conceit of bottom, to the infinite amusement of all present, especially of those who were well acquainted with the original; and when he was “translated” by puck, he bore the ass’s head, his newly-acquired dignity, with an appearance of conscious greatness, which made the metamorphosis, though in itself sufficiently farcical, irresistibly comic. he afterwards displayed the same humour in his frolics with the fairies, and the intercourse which he held with messrs. cobweb, mustard-seed, pease-blossom, and the rest of titania’s cavaliers, who lost all command of their countenances at the gravity with which he invited them to afford him the luxury of scratching his hairy snout. mowbray had also found a fitting representative for puck in a queer-looking, small-eyed boy of the aultoun of st. ronan’s, with large ears projecting from his head like turrets from a gothic building. this exotic animal personified the merry and mocking spirit of hobgoblin with considerable power, so that the group bore some resemblance to the well-known and exquisite delineation of puck by sir joshua, in the select collection of the bard of memory. it was, however, the ruin of the st. ronan’s robin goodfellow, who did no good afterwards — “gaed an ill gate,” as meg dods said, and “took on” with a party of strolling players.
the entertainment closed with a grand parade of all the characters that had appeared, during which mowbray concluded that the young lord himself, unremarked, might have time enough to examine the outward form, at least, of his sister clara, whom, in the pride of his heart, he could not help considering superior in beauty, dressed as she now was, with every advantage of art, even to the brilliant amazon, lady binks. it is true, mowbray was not a man to give preference to the intellectual expression of poor clara’s features over the sultana-like beauty of the haughty dame, which promised to an admirer all the vicissitudes that can be expressed by a countenance lovely in every change, and changing as often as an ardent and impetuous disposition, unused to constraint, and despising admonition, should please to dictate. yet, to do him justice, though his preference was perhaps dictated more by fraternal partiality than by purity of taste, he certainly, on the present occasion, felt the full extent of clara’s superiority; and there was a proud smile on his lip, as, at the conclusion of the divertisement, he asked the earl how he had been pleased. the rest of the performers had separated, and the young lord remained on the stage, employed in disembarrassing himself of his awkward visor, when mowbray put this question, to which, though general in terms, he naturally gave a particular meaning.
“i could wear my ass’s head for ever,” he said, “on condition my eyes were to be so delightfully employed as they have been during the last scene. — mowbray, your sister is an angel!”
“have a care that that headpiece of yours has not perverted your taste, my lord,” said mowbray. “but why did you wear that disguise on your last appearance? you should, i think, have been uncovered.”
“i am ashamed to answer you,” said the earl; “but truth is, first impressions are of consequence, and i thought i might do as wisely not to appear before your sister, for the first time, in the character of bully bottom.”
“then you change your dress, my lord, for dinner, if we call our luncheon by that name?” said mowbray.
“i am going to my room this instant for that very purpose,” replied the earl.
“and i,” said mowbray, “must step in front, and dismiss the audience; for i see they are sitting gaping there, waiting for another scene.”
they parted upon this; and mowbray, as duke theseus, stepped before the screen, and announcing the conclusion of the dramatic pictures which they had had the honour to present before the worshipful company, thanked the spectators for the very favourable reception which they had afforded; and intimated to them, that if they could amuse themselves by strolling for an hour among the gardens, a bell would summon to the house at the expiry of that time, when some refreshments would wait their acceptance. this annunciation was received with the applause due to the amphitryon ou l’on dine; and the guests, arising from before the temporary theatre, dispersed through the gardens, which were of some extent, to seek for or create amusement to themselves. the music greatly aided them in this last purpose, and it was not long ere a dozen of couples and upwards, were “tripping it on the light fantastic toe,” (i love a phrase that is not hackneyed,) to the tune of monymusk.
others strolled through the grounds, meeting some quaint disguise at the end of every verdant alley, and communicating to others the surprise and amusement which they themselves were receiving. the scene, from the variety of dresses, the freedom which it gave to the display of humour amongst such as possessed any, and the general disposition to give and receive pleasure, rendered the little masquerade more entertaining than others of the kind for which more ample and magnificent preparations have been made. there was also a singular and pleasing contrast between the fantastic figures who wandered through the gardens, and the quiet scene itself, to which the old clipt hedges, the formal distribution of the ground, and the antiquated appearance of one or two fountains and artificial cascades, in which the naiads had been for the nonce compelled to resume their ancient frolics, gave an appearance of unusual simplicity and seclusion, and which seemed rather to belong to the last than to the present generation.
