mudfog+-第20章

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supernumeraries　in　the　pantomime　of　life；　the　men　who　have　been

thrust　into　it；　with　no　other　view　than　to　be　constantly　tumbling

over　each　other；　and　running　their　heads　against　all　sorts　of

strange　things。　　We　sat　opposite　to　one　of　these　men　at　a　supper…

table；　only　last　week。　　Now　we　think　of　it；　he　was　exactly　like　the

gentlemen　with　the　pasteboard　heads　and　faces；　who　do　the

corresponding　business　in　the　theatrical　pantomimes；　there　was　the

same　broad　stolid　simper　…　the　same　dull　leaden　eye　…　the　same

unmeaning；　vacant　stare；　and　whatever　was　said；　or　whatever　was

done；　he　always　came　in　at　precisely　the　wrong　place；　or　jostled

against　something　that　he　had　not　the　slightest　business　with。　　We

looked　at　the　man　across　the　table　again　and　again；　and　could　not

satisfy　ourselves　what　race　of　beings　to　class　him　with。　　How　very

odd　that　this　never　occurred　to　us　before！



We　will　frankly　own　that　we　have　been　much　troubled　with　the

harlequin。　　We　see　harlequins　of　so　many　kinds　in　the　real　living

pantomime；　that　we　hardly　know　which　to　select　as　the　proper　fellow

of　him　of　the　theatres。　　At　one　time　we　were　disposed　to　think　that

the　harlequin　was　neither　more　nor　less　than　a　young　man　of　family

and　independent　property；　who　had　run　away　with　an　opera…dancer；

and　was　fooling　his　life　and　his　means　away　in　light　and　trivial

amusements。　　On　reflection；　however；　we　remembered　that　harlequins

are　occasionally　guilty　of　witty；　and　even　clever　acts；　and　we　are

rather　disposed　to　acquit　our　young　men　of　family　and　independent

property；　generally　speaking；　of　any　such　misdemeanours。　　On　a　more

mature　consideration　of　the　subject；　we　have　arrived　at　the

conclusion　that　the　harlequins　of　life　are　just　ordinary　men；　to　be

found　in　no　particular　walk　or　degree；　on　whom　a　certain　station；

or　particular　conjunction　of　circumstances；　confers　the　magic　wand。

And　this　brings　us　to　a　few　words　on　the　pantomime　of　public　and

political　life；　which　we　shall　say　at　once；　and　then　conclude　…

merely　premising　in　this　place　that　we　decline　any　reference

whatever　to　the　columbine；　being　in　no　wise　satisfied　of　the　nature

of　her　connection　with　her　parti…coloured　lover；　and　not　feeling　by

any　means　clear　that　we　should　be　justified　in　introducing　her　to

the　virtuous　and　respectable　ladies　who　peruse　our　lucubrations。



We　take　it　that　the　commencement　of　a　Session　of　Parliament　is

neither　more　nor　less　than　the　drawing　up　of　the　curtain　for　a

grand　comic　pantomime；　and　that　his　Majesty's　most　gracious　speech

on　the　opening　thereof　may　be　not　inaptly　compared　to　the　clown's

opening　speech　of　'Here　we　are！'　　'My　lords　and　gentlemen；　here　we

are！'　appears；　to　our　mind　at　least；　to　be　a　very　good　abstract　of

the　point　and　meaning　of　the　propitiatory　address　of　the　ministry。

When　we　remember　how　frequently　this　speech　is　made；　immediately

after　THE　CHANGE　too；　the　parallel　is　quite　perfect；　and　still　more

singular。



Perhaps　the　cast　of　our　political　pantomime　never　was　richer　than

at　this　day。　　We　are　particularly　strong　in　clowns。　　At　no　former

time；　we　should　say；　have　we　had　such　astonishing　tumblers；　or

performers　so　ready　to　go　through　the　whole　of　their　feats　for　the

amusement　of　an　admiring　throng。　　Their　extreme　readiness　to

exhibit；　indeed；　has　given　rise　to　some　ill…natured　reflections；　it

having　been　objected　that　by　exhibiting　gratuitously　through　the

country　when　the　theatre　is　closed；　they　reduce　themselves　to　the

level　of　mountebanks；　and　thereby　tend　to　degrade　the

respectability　of　the　profession。　　Certainly　Grimaldi　never　did

this　sort　of　thing；　and　though　Brown；　King；　and　Gibson　have　gone　to

the　Surrey　in　vacation　time；　and　Mr。　C。　J。　Smith　has　ruralised　at

Sadler's　Wells；　we　find　no　theatrical　precedent　for　a　general

tumbling　through　the　country；　except　in　the　gentleman；　name

unknown；　who　threw　summersets　on　behalf　of　the　late　Mr。　Richardson；

and　who　is　no　authority　either；　because　he　had　never　been　on　the

regular　boards。



But；　laying　aside　this　question；　which　after　all　is　a　mere　matter

of　taste；　we　may　reflect　with　pride　and　gratification　of　heart　on

the　proficiency　of　our　clowns　as　exhibited　in　the　season。　　Night

after　night　will　they　twist　and　tumble　about；　till　two；　three；　and

four　o'clock　in　the　morning；　playing　the　strangest　antics；　and

giving　each　other　the　funniest　slaps　on　the　face　that　can　possibly

be　imagined；　without　evincing　the　smallest　tokens　of　fatigue。　　The

strange　noises；　the　confusion；　the　shouting　and　roaring；　amid　which

all　this　is　done；　too；　would　put　to　shame　the　most　turbulent

sixpenny　gallery　that　ever　yelled　through　a　boxing…night。



It　is　especially　curious　to　behold　one　of　these　clowns　compelled　to

go　through　the　most　surprising　contortions　by　the　irresistible

influence　of　the　wand　of　office；　which　his　leader　or　harlequin

holds　above　his　head。　　Acted　upon　by　this　wonderful　charm　he　will

become　perfectly　motionless；　moving　neither　hand；　foot；　nor　finger；

and　will　even　lose　the　faculty　of　speech　at　an　instant's　notice；　or

on　the　other　hand；　he　will　become　all　life　and　animation　if

required；　pouring　forth　a　torrent　of　words　without　sense　or

meaning；　throwing　himself　into　the　wildest　and　most　fantastic

contortions；　and　even　grovelling　on　the　earth　and　licking　up　the

dust。　　These　exhibitions　are　more　curious　than　pleasing；　indeed；

they　are　rather　disgusting　than　otherwise；　except　to　the　admirers

of　such　things；　with　whom　we　confess　we　have　no　fellow…feeling。



Strange　tricks　…　very　strange　tricks　…　are　also　performed　by　the

harlequin　who　holds　for　the　time　being　the　magic　wand　which　we　have

just　mentioned。　　The　mere　waving　it　before　a　man's　eyes　will

dispossess　his　brains　of　all　the　notions　previously　stored　there；

and　fill　it　with　an　entirely　new　set　of　ideas；　one　gentle　tap　on

the　back　will　alter　the　colour　of　a　man's　coat　completely；　and

there　are　some　expert　performers；　who；　having　this　wand　held　first

on　one　side　and　then　on　the　other；　will　change　from　side　to　side；

turning　their　coats　at　every　evolution；　with　so　much　rapidity　and

dexterity；　that　the　quickest　eye　can　scarcely　detect　their　motions。

Occasionally；　the　genius　who　confers　the　wand；　wrests　it　from　the

hand　of　the　temporary　possessor；　and　consigns　it　to　some　new

performer；　on　which　occasions　all　the　characters　change　sides；　and

then　the　race　and　the　hard　knocks　begin　anew。



We　might　have　extended　this　chapter　to　a　much　greater　length　…　we

might　have　carried　the　comparison　into　the　liberal　professions　…　we

might　have　shown；　as　was　in　fact　our　original　purpose；　that　each　is

in　itself　a　little　pantomime　with　scenes　and　characters　of　its　own；

complete；　but；　as　we　fear　we　have　been　quite　lengthy　enough

already；　we　shall　leave　this　chapter　just　where　it　is。　　A

gentleman；　not　altogether　unknown　as　a　dramatic　poet；　wrote　thus　a

year　or　two　ago　…





'All　the　world's　a　stage；

And　all　the　men　and　women　merely　players：'





and　we；　tracking　out　his　footsteps　at　the　scarcely…worth…mentioning

little　distance　of　a　few　millions　of　leagues　behind；　venture　to

add；　by　way　of　new　reading；　that　he　meant　a　Pantomime；　and　that　we

are　all　actors　in　The　Pantomime　of　Life。







SOME　PARTICULARS　CONCERNING　A　LION







We　have　a　great　respect　for　lions　in　the　abstract。　　In　common　with

most　other　people；　we　have　heard　and　read　of　many　instances　of

their　bravery　and　generosity。　　We　have　duly　admired　that　heroic

self…denial　and　charming　philanthropy　which　prompts　them　never　to

eat　people　except　when　they　are　hungry；　and　we　have　been　deeply

impressed　with　a　becoming　sense　of　the　politeness　they　are　said　to

display　towards　unmarried　ladies　of　a　certain　state。　　All　natural

histories　teem　with　anecdotes　illustrative　of　their　excellent

qualities；　and　one　old　spelling…book　in　particular　recounts　a

touching　instance　of　an　old　lion；　of　high　moral　dignity　and　stern

principle；　who　felt　i