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Thursday, March 15

Dic mibij fi fueris tu lòo,› qualis eris 2

Were you a lion, how wou'd you behave

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Mart...

HERE is nothing that of late years has afforded matter of greater amufement to the town than & Signior Nicolini's combat with a lion in the HayMarket, which has been very often exhibited to the general fatisfaction of most of the nobility, and gentry in the kingdom of Great-Britain. Upon the first rumour of this intended combat, it was confidently, affirmed › and is ftill believed by many in both galleries, that there would be a tame lion fent from the Tower every opera might, in order to be killed by Hydafpes; this report, though altogether groundless, fo univerfally prevailed in the upper regions of the play-houfe, that fome of the moft refined politicians in thofe parts of the audience : gave it out in whisper, that the lion. was a coufin-german of the tiger who made his appearance in King. William's days, and that the ftage would be fupplied with lions at the publick expence, during the whole feffion. Many likewife were the conjectures of the treatment. which this lion was to met with from the hands of Signior Nicolini; fome fuppofed that he was to fubdue him in Recitativo, as. Orpheus ufed to ferve the wild beafts in his time, and afterwards to knock him on the head; fome fancied that the lion would not pretend to lay his s paws upon the hero, by reafon of the received opinion,» that a lion will not hurt a virgin: Several, who pretended to have feen the opera in Italy, had informed i their friends, that the lion was to act a part in HighDutch, and roar twice or thrice to a Thorough-Bafe, before he fell at the feet of Hydafpes. To clear up a matter that : was fo variously reported, I have made it my bufinefs to examine whether this pretended lion is really the favage he appears to be, or only a counterfeit...

Bust

But before I communicate my difcoveries I muft acquaint the reader, that upon my walking behind the fcenes laft winter, as I was thinking on fomething elfe, I accidentlly juftled against a monftrous animal that extremely startled me, and upon my nearer furvey of it, appeared to be a lion rampant. The lion feeing me very much furprised, told me, in a gentle voice, that I might come by him if I pleased: For, (fays he) I do not intend to hurt any body. I thanked him very kindly, and paffed by him: And in a little time after faw him leap upon the stage, and act his part with very great applaufe. It has been obferved by feveral, that the lion has changed his manner of acting twice or thrice fince his first appearance; which will not feem ftrange, when I acquaint my reader that the lion has been changed upon the audience three feveral times. The first lion was a candle-fnuffer, who being a fellow of a tefty cholerick temper over-did his part, and would not fuffer himfelf to be killed fo eafily as he ought to have done; befides, it was observed of him, that he grew more furly every time he came out of the lion; and having dropt fome words in ordinary converfation, as if he had not fought his best, and that he fuffered himself to be thrown upon his back in the fcuffle, and that he would wrestle with Mr. Nicolini for what he pleafed, out of his lion's fkin, it was thought proper to difcard him: And it is. verily believed, to this day, that had he been brought epon the ftage another time, he would certainly have done mifchief. Befides it was objected against the first lion, that he reared himfelf fo high upon his hinder paws and walked in fo erect a pofture, that he looked more like an old man than a lion.

The fecond lion was a tailor by trade, who belonged to the play-houfe, and had the character of a mild and peaccable man in his profeffion. If the former was too furious, this was too theepifh, for his part; infomuch, that after a fhort modeft walk upon the stage, he would fall at the first touch of Hydafpes, without grappling with him, and giving him an opportunity of fhewing his variety, of Italian trips: It is faid indeed, that he once gave him a rip in his flesh-colour doublet; but this was only to make work for himself, in his private cha

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racter of a tailor. I muft not omit that it was this fecond lion who treated me with fo much humanity behind the scenes.

< The acting lion at prefent is, as I am informed, a country-gentleman who does it for his diverfion, but defires his name may be concealed. He fays very handfomly, in his own excuse, that he does not act for gain, that he indulges an innocent pleasure in it; and that it is better to pass away an evening, in this manner, than in gaming and drinking: But at the fame time fays, with a very agreeable raillery upon himself, that if his name fhould be known, the ill-natur'd world might call him, The afs in the lion's fkin. This Gentleman's temper is made out of fuch a happy mixture of the mild and the cholerick, that he outdoes both his predeceffors, and has drawn together greater audiences than have been known in the memory of man.

I must not conclude my narrative, without taking notice of a groundlefs report that has been raifed, to a Gentleman's difadvantage, of whom I must declare myself an admirer; namely, that Signior Nicolini and the lion have been feen fitting peaceably by one another, and fmoking a pipe together behind the fcenes; by which their enemies would infinuate, that it is but a fham combat which they reprefent upon the ftage but upon inquiry I find, that if any fuch correfpondence has paffed between them, it was not till the combat was over, when the lion was to be looked upon as dead, according to the received rules of the Drama. Befides, this is what is practifed every day in Weftminster-Hall, where nothing is more ufual than to fee a couple of lawyers, who have been tearing each other to pieces in the court, embracing one another as foon as they are out of it..

I would not be thought in any part of this relation, to reflect upon Signior Nicolini, who in acting this part only complies with the wretched tafte of his audience; he knows very well, that the lion has many more admirers than himself; as they fay of the famous Equeftrian ftatue on the Pont-Neuf at Paris, that more people go to fee the horse, than the king who fits upon it. On the contrary, it gives me a juft indignation to fee a perfon

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whofe

whofe action gives new majefty to kings, refolution: to heroes, and foftnefs to lovers, thus finking from the greatnefs of his behaviour, and degraded into the cha racter of the London Prentice. I have often wished, that our tragedians would copy after this great mafter in action. Could they make the fame use of their arms and legs, and inform their faces with as fignificant, looks and paffions, how glorious would an English tragedy appear with that actions which is capable of giving dignity. so the forced thoughts, cold conceits, and unnatural expreffions of an Italian opera. In the mean time, I have related this combat of the lion, to fhew what are. at prefent the reigning entertainments of the politer part of Great-Britain.

Audiences have often been reproached by writers for ̧ the coarseness of their tafte; but our prefent grievance. does not feem to be the want of a good tafte, but of common fenfe.

N°14

Friday, March 16.

-Teque bis, infelix, exue monftris.

Ovid. Met. 1. 4. ver. 590. Wretch that thou art! put off this monstrous shape.

Was reflecting this morning upon the fpirit and humour of the publick diverfions five and twenty years ago, and thofe of the prefent time; and lamented to myself, that, though in thofe days they neglected their morality, they kept up their good fenfe ; but that the beau monde, at prefent, is only grown more childifh, not more innocent, than the former. While I was in this train of thought, an old fellow, whose · face I have often feen at the play-houfe, gave me the following letter with thefe words, Sir, The Lion prefents: bis humble fervice to you, and defired me to give this inte, your own bands.

3.

From

From my den in the Hay-Market, March 15.
SIR,

Have read all your, papers, and have stified my

refentment against your reflections upon opera's, until that of this day, wherein you plainly infinuate, that Signior Nicolini and myself have a correfpondence more friendly than is confiftent with the valour of his character, or the fiercenefs of mine. I defire you would for your own fake forbear fuch intima-. tions for the future; and must fay it is a great piece of ill-nature in you, to fhew fo great an efteem fora foreigner, and to difcourage a lion that is your own countryman.

I take notice of your fable of the lion and man, but am fo equally concerned in that matter, that I fhall not be offended to which foever of the animals the fuperiority is given. You have mifrepresented me,, in faying that I am a country-gentleman, who act only for my diverfion; whereas, had I ftill the fame. woods to range in which I once had when I was a fox-hunter, I fhould not refign my manhood for a maintenance; and affure you, as low as my circumftances are at prefent, I am fo much a man of honour ⚫ that I would fcorn to be any beast for bread but a lion.'

Yours, &c.

I had no fooner ended this, than one of my landlady's children brought me in feveral others, with fome of which I shall make up my prefent paper, they all having a tendency to the fame fubject, viz. the elegance · of our prefent diversions,

Covent-Garden, March 13. • Have been, for twenty years under-fexton of this parish of St. Paul's Covent Garden, and have not miffed tolling in to prayers fix times in all those years; which office I have performed to my great fatisfaction, until this fortnight laft paft, during which time I find my congregation take the warning of my bell,.

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