8

Account of Pigmy Revels.

their coffers a double return of profit, and the town is bilked of original entertainment, as the poet is of his dinner. Many a precious morfel of fterling genius has fallen a facrifice to this inhuman custom of vamping up old pieces: 'tis but brushing off the cobwebs of antiquity, and throwing over it a fprinkling of the modern gufto the many-headed monster of the pit is at best but a dull animal, and will not perceive the cheat; and the manager will pocket with peace all the profits of an original piece. We could name on this occafion a gentleman of reputation and abilities, whofe production has lain dormant in the manager's cabinet for a great number of years; because, perhaps, a weak tranflated tragedy, a fentimental comedy,or a pantomime, have been hoifted unfairly over the fhoulders of original, but neglected genius. Such is the conduct that difgraces the dramatic character of this age; and it is impoffible the foul ftain can be washed clean, while the character of the managers is fwayed by illiberality and prejudice.

To thefe caufes we impute the visible decline of the British ftage; and to thefe, too, it may be ascribed, that at Drury-Lane theatre only a new pan. tomime has been exhibited in the courfe of the month The title of this is, Pigmy Revels, or Harlequin Foundling.

This entertainment, confidered even as a pantomime, is extremely intricate. But as the fable of a pantomime is never intended to be interefting any farther than as it is calculated to exhibit a variety and novelty of fcenery, we shall pafs over all the former, except the foundation of it, and confine ourselves to the latter; and even here we shall be very concife, as the most minute defcription of scenery can convey but very faint ideas, in comparison with thofe which we acquire from a reprefentation of it. Pantomimes are defigned for th eye, not for the ear.

113

The beginning difcovers a winter fcene, and a number of pigmies habited very grotesquely. While thefe are dancing, a woman enters with a basket upon her arm, out of which the takes a child, places it at the door of a houfe, and retires. The pigmies im

Jan.

mediately come forward, take up the child, place him in a cradle and perform their rites around him. He is then taken out, and appears to be a young Harlequin. He is replaced, and foon after taken out again, when he appears to be grown to the full state of manhood. The pigmies bless him, and he enters into the great world.The firft place he goes to is a register office, to engage himfelf in fome employment; and here he is hired by Pantaloon, in whofe family he meets with Columbine, and after fome business, they escape both together, and are pursued by Pantaloon, a macaroni, the cook, &c. to the end of the piece.

In this purfuit a great variety of well known places in this metropolis are introduced. The fcene of St. George's Hanover-fquare is good, after which we have a fine reprefentation of the Weft front of St. Paul's; next the front of the Mews ftables, and then the infide. Harlequin now jumps thro' the window of a hackneycoach, which we foon find at the door of Drury-Lane theatre in Bridges street. We are next prefented with an infide view of the theatre, the characters feated in the boxes, and Mrs. Wrighten entertains us with an imitation of Mifs Catley's finging, which is followed by the Morris-dance performed in the late ROSE. Covent Garden church and market next appear; then Windfor Caftle, then St. Paul's Church-yard, where many misfortunes befall the purfuers. A view of Black-Friars bridge fucceeds, next a ftreet-scene, and then a wild heath, where the Pigmy King appears to Harlequin and his miftrefs. They are foon joined by the queen and her train; and Pantaloon is prevailed upon to be reconciled, and to affent to the wedding. A fuperb garden-fcene now appears, with a cafcade; certain ftrange and deformed figures enter, who are metamorphofed into youthful dancers, and the piece ends with a dance.

Many of thefe fcenes are admirably executed, and Mr. Dibdin's mufic is characteristic: many of the tricks are new, and well performed and, taking the whole together, this piece is certainly an improvement upon this fpecies of entertainment.

DEBATES

(9)

DEBATES OF A POLITICAL CLUB.

10

:

Debates of a POLITICAL CLUB.

fo notorious, it would be neceffary to
make fome provifion adequate to that
deficiency that fo far from the com-
pany being able to make a dividend
of either twelve or fix per cent. at the
end of the next half year, it would be
an act of the higheft fraud in the di-
rectors to divide a fingle hilling:
that the war, which had continued for
fome years between two of the greatest
powers of Europe, was happily ap-
proaching to a conclufion; that, how-
ever, that was but a matter of little
er no confequence to Great Britain;
as, thank God, the ideas that for
merly governed the British councils
in matters of this nature no longer
exifted that the changes which had
'taken place in other countries ftill
concerned us lefs, except to point out
to us how happy we were in being
governed by a prince who prized his
people's liberties above every other
confideration whatfoever. He next
expatiated on the various advantages
arifing from the enjoyment of a ten
years peace, and the happy profpect
of its long continuance. Here he
went a little out of the way, to com-
pliment the memory of his deceafed
uncle, and to remind the people of
England what everlafting obligations
they were under to him, for the happy
enjoyment of thefe laft enumerated
blelings. He then concluded, by re-
marking, that the prefent appearance
of a fcarcity of all kinds of grain
merited the utmost attention of the
legislature, to whom only they could
properly look for relief; and he
doubted not but their own feelings
would fuggeft every thing that human
wildom could fuggeft to alleviate and
obviate the prefent impending mi-
feries; that however human wisdom
was in many inftances limited, and
muft fubmit to the over-ruling decrees
of Providence, and that he hould be
forry that the people in general ex-
pected too much from parliament, or
that it was in its power to controul
Omnipotence itself.

Mir. F. was feconded by Mr. Burrell, who went over the fame ground, with very little variation, except that he remarked, in very fevere and pointed terms, on the conduct of the EaftIndia direction, particularly their dividing fo largely at the end of the laft half year, when they must be no

Jan

ftrangers to the true state of the company's affairs. They were answered in a fhort speech by Mr. Huffey, in refpect to Eaft-India matters; and the question being then put on the addrefs, it was carried without any oppofition.

Then Lord North made two motions. The firft that a committee of the whole House do take into confifideration the prefent fcarcity of all kinds of grain, and the most probable means of remedying the evils that may arife therefrom; the other, that this House do take into confideration the prefent ftate of the EaftIndia company, and that a committee of fecrecy be appointed by them for that purpose, confifting of thirteen perfons, to be chofen by ballot.

His lordship fupported the latter motion principally by the following arguments:

That the prefent critically distressed ftate of the company's affairs demanded the moft speedy and effectual relief, which could be procured in no other manner fo well as in that now propofed, being certain that a great progrefs might be made even before the Christmas recefs. That the company's affairs in general, as well as their fecret and confidential transactions, being thus known to a few, it would neceffarily follow, that no unfair advantage could be taken; and added, that from the clearest estimate that he was capable of making of the prefent ftate of the company, however clofely prefled they might be by prefent exigencies, and embarraffed in money matters, they were, neverthelefs, in point of internal strength and vigour, in full health.

His lordship was anfwered by Mr. Huffey, that it was an uniform complaint against minifters, that they at all times laboured as much as poffible to keep concealed matters of national concern from the public eye, in order to profit at the expence of that public by an exclufive information. I will give (continued he) the noble lord who made this motion credit for the uprightness of his intentions; and will not charge him with any finifter views of stock-jobbing in propofing to make this a fecret committee. Certain I am, however, that thofe, who are entrusted with this bufinefs,

હું

-01

1773

Debates of a POLITICAL CLUB.

will have it in their power to raise
groundless fears and to infpire as
groundless hopes, and thus to fport
with the public property. Why thus
endanger the estate of the widow and
orphan? Why thus throw a temp-
tation to do wrong in the way of any
clafs of men? Were I the minifter's
friend, I would diffuade him from
fuch a plan out of tenderness to his
as well as to my own character. Both
the employer and the employed will
be liable to fufpicion, let their conduct
be ever fo juftifiable. I know very
well that minifters are feldom adverfe
to ftock-jobbing. Their opportuni-
ties of early intelligence naturally
render it to them a lucrative trade.
Yet I do not accufe the noble lord of
this foible more than his predeceffors.
In the prefent inftance I cannot think
him much interested, because, as the
company's books have been already
fubmitted to his infpection, he muft
already be poffeffed of every lucrative
fecret; provided he has attentively
perufed them. And I have not fo bad
an opinion of his intellects as to ima-
gine that he will need the affiftance
of thirteen friends to direct him how
to fpeculate in the alley. Be this as
it may, I cannot help reminding him
that one of the greatest fervices which
he can render this country is to put
a ftop to that deftructive gaming in the
funds, which has lately hook the trad-
ing interefts, and may, for ought I
know, be at this moment fecretly
working the deftruction of thou-
fands more. There has been, in-
deed, a little intermiffion; but ftill
it is hard to fay where it will end.
As for the noble lord's laft affertion,
relative to the internal health and
trength of the Eaft India company,
I leave him and his friend, the mover
of the addrefs, to reconcile the glaring
contradictions with what was first af
firmed, viz. the company's not being
able to pay a fingle fhilling at their
next dividend.

Lord North replied to this generally, but took little notice of any of the objections, further than repeating what he had before faid, with this additional circumftance, that great complaints had been made relative to the difclofure of the company's fecrets, by the mode of enquiry adopted laft feffion, from which confequences very

hurtful to its interefts had arifen; and that he was well informed, one of the principal objects of complaint were thofe very tranfactions in the alley which had been mentioned by the laft gentleman as an objection,and of which, he was well affured, for many reasons, that mode of enquiry was a principal caufe.

Mr. Mackworth then stood up, and entered very largely into the fubject under difcuffion. He faid he had the highest opinion of the rectitude of the noble lord's intentions, and of his praife-worthy folicitude on the prefent occafion; nevertheless, he totally dif fered with him in the mode of relief propofed; first, as to the intended committee being a fecret one, and to the number, which was by far fhort of fo arduous an undertaking, as bufinefs, pleasure, illness, &c. might, in the courfe of fo long a fitting, prevent the attendance of many of the members; he further remarked, that wifdom should be fought in the multitude; but unfortunately let fall, that this committee of thirteen would come fingle handed to engage in this very important work, and would confequently fink under an investigation into fuch a variety of matter, and in developing the truth in fuch a complicated and multifarious information.

The words fingle-handed and thirteen occafioned an univerfal titter through the Houle, and it was fome time before the fpeaker could call the members to an orderly filence, fufficient to hear General Bourgoyne, who now food up to vindicate the late committee, of which he had the honour to be chairman, from those afperfions which he imagined had been obliquely thrown on it by the leader of the treafury bench.-The general expatiated largely upon what had been done by the felect committee of laft year, and contended, that the means now propofed were inadequate to the purpofes that enquiry was firft fet on foot to effect.

As Im (continued he) the perfon who moved for a felect and open com mittee to enquire into the Eat-India company's affairs, I think my felf in fome menfure called upon to rife on this occafion, and to acquaint the Houfe, that to-morrow I intend to move the house for its revival. Un

B 2

dertanding

Debates of a POLITICAL CLUB.