第6章

George’s-in-the-East，andhadfoundittobeanestablishmenthighlycreditabletothoseparts，andthoroughlywelladministeredbyamostintelligentmaster。Iremarkedinit，aninstanceofthecollateralharmthatobstinatevanityandfollycando。’ThiswastheHallwherethoseoldpaupers，maleandfemale，whomIhadjustseen，metfortheChurchservice，wasit？’-’Yes。’-’DidtheysingthePsalmstoanyinstrument？’-’Theywouldliketo，verymuch；theywouldhaveanextraordinaryinterestindoingso。’-

’Andcouldnonebegot？’-’Well，apianocouldevenhavebeengotfornothing，buttheseunfortunatedissensions-’Ah！better，farbetter，myChristianfriendinthebeautifulgarment，tohaveletthesingingboysalone，andleftthemultitudetosingforthemselves！YoushouldknowbetterthanI，butIthinkIhavereadthattheydidso，onceuponatime，andthat’whentheyhadsunganhymn，’Someone(notinabeautifulgarment)wentupintotheMountofOlives。

Itmademyheartachetothinkofthismiserabletrifling，inthestreetsofacitywhereeverystoneseemedtocalltome，asI

walkedalong，’Turnthisway，man，andseewhatwaitstobedone！’

SoIdecoyedmyselfintoanothertrainofthoughttoeasemyheart。

But，Idon’tknowthatIdidit，forIwassofullofpaupers，thatitwas，afterall，onlyachangetoasinglepauper，whotookpossessionofmyremembranceinsteadofathousand。

’Ibegyourpardon，sir，’hehadsaid，inaconfidentialmanner，onanotheroccasion，takingmeaside；’butIhaveseenbetterdays。’

’Iamverysorrytohearit。’

’Sir，Ihaveacomplainttomakeagainstthemaster。’

’Ihavenopowerhere，Iassureyou。AndifIhad-’

’But，allowme，sir，tomentionit，asbetweenyourselfandamanwhohasseenbetterdays，sir。Themasterandmyselfarebothmasons，sir，andImakehimthesigncontinually；but，becauseIaminthisunfortunateposition，sir，hewon’tgivemethecounter-

sign！’

AsIshutthedoorofmylodgingbehindme，andcameoutintothestreetsatsixonadrizzlingSaturdayeveninginthelastpastmonthofJanuary，allthatneighbourhoodofCovent-gardenlookedverydesolate。Itissoessentiallyaneighbourhoodwhichhasseenbetterdays，thatbadweatheraffectsitsoonerthananotherplacewhichhasnotcomedownintheWorld。InitspresentreducedconditionitbearsathawalmostworsethananyplaceIknow。Itgetssodreadfullylow-spiritedwhendampbreaksforth。ThosewonderfulhousesaboutDrury-laneTheatre，whichinthepalmydaysoftheatreswereprosperousandlong-settledplacesofbusiness，andwhichnowchangehandseveryweek，butneverchangetheircharacterofbeingdividedandsub-dividedonthegroundfloorintomouldydensofshopswhereanorangeandhalf-a-dozennuts，orapomatum-pot，onecakeoffancysoap，andacigarbox，areofferedforsaleandneversold，weremostruefullycontemplatedthatevening，bythestatueofShakespeare，withtherain-dropscoursingoneanotherdownitsinnocentnose。Thoseinscrutablepigeon-holeoffices，withnothinginthem(notsomuchasaninkstand)butamodelofatheatrebeforethecurtain，where，intheItalianOperaseason，ticketsatreducedpricesarekeptonsalebynomadicgentlemeninsmearyhatstootallforthem，whomoneoccasionallyseemstohaveseenonrace-courses，notwhollyunconnectedwithstripsofclothofvariouscoloursandarollingball-thoseBedouinestablishments，desertedbythetribe，andtenantless，exceptwhenshelteringinonecorneranirregularrowofginger-

beerbottles，whichwouldhavemadeoneshudderonsuchanight，butforitsbeingplainthattheyhadnothinginthem，shrunkfromtheshrillcriesofthenews-boysattheirExchangeinthekennelofCatherine-street，likeguiltythingsuponafearfulsummons。Atthepipe-shopinGreatRussell-street，theDeath’s-headpipeswereliketheatricalmementomori，admonishingbeholdersofthedeclineoftheplayhouseasanInstitution。IwalkedupBow-street，disposedtobeangrywiththeshopsthere，thatwerelettingouttheatricalsecretsbyexhibitingtowork-a-dayhumanitythestuffofwhichdiademsandrobesofkingsaremade。Inoticedthatsomeshopswhichhadoncebeeninthedramaticline，andhadstruggledoutofit，werenotgettingonprosperously-likesomeactorsI

haveknown，whotooktobusinessandfailedtomakeitanswer。Inaword，thosestreetslookedsodull，and，consideredastheatricalstreets，sobrokenandbankrupt，thattheFOUNDDEADontheblackboardatthepolicestationmighthaveannouncedthedeceaseoftheDrama，andthepoolsofwateroutsidethefire-enginemaker’satthecornerofLong-acremighthavebeenoccasionedbyhishavingbroughtoutthewholeofhisstocktoplayuponitslastsmoulderingashes。

Andyet，onsuchanightinsodegenerateatime，theobjectofmyjourneywastheatrical。AndyetwithinhalfanhourIwasinanimmensetheatre，capableofholdingnearlyfivethousandpeople。

WhatTheatre？HerMajesty’s？Farbetter。RoyalItalianOpera？

Farbetter。Infinitelysuperiortothelatterforhearingin；

infinitelysuperiortoboth，forseeingin。ToeverypartofthisTheatre，spaciousfire-proofwaysofingressandegress。Foreverypartofit，convenientplacesofrefreshmentandretiringrooms。

Everythingtoeatanddrinkcarefullysupervisedastoquality，andsoldatanappointedprice；respectablefemaleattendantsreadyforthecommonestwomenintheaudience；ageneralairofconsideration，decorum，andsupervision，mostcommendable；anunquestionablyhumanisinginfluenceinallthesocialarrangementsoftheplace。

SurelyadearTheatre，then？BecausetherewereinLondon(notverylongago)Theatreswithentrance-pricesuptohalf-a-guineaahead，whosearrangementswerenothalfsocivilised。Surely，therefore，adearTheatre？Notverydear。Agalleryatthree-

pence，anothergalleryatfourpence，apitatsixpence，boxesandpit-stallsatashilling，andafewprivateboxesathalf-a-crown。

Myuncommercialcuriosityinducedmetogointoeverynookofthisgreatplace，andamongeveryclassoftheaudienceassembledinit-amountingthatevening，asIcalculated，toabouttwothousandandoddhundreds。Magnificentlylightedbyafirmamentofsparklingchandeliers，thebuildingwasventilatedtoperfection。

Mysenseofsmell，withoutbeingparticularlydelicate，hasbeensooffendedinsomeofthecommonerplacesofpublicresort，thatI

haveoftenbeenobligedtoleavethemwhenIhavemadeanuncommercialjourneyexpresslytolookon。TheairofthisTheatrewasfresh，cool，andwholesome。Tohelptowardsthisend，verysensibleprecautionshadbeenused，ingeniouslycombiningtheexperienceofhospitalsandrailwaystations。Asphaltpavementssubstitutedforwoodenfloors，honestbarewallsofglazedbrickandtile-evenatthebackoftheboxes-forplasterandpaper，nobenchesstuffed，andnocarpetingorbaizeused；acoolmaterialwithalightglazedsurface，beingthecoveringoftheseats。

ThesevariouscontrivancesareaswellconsideredintheplaceinquestionasifitwereaFeverHospital；theresultis，thatitissweetandhealthful。Ithasbeenconstructedfromthegroundtotheroof，withacarefulreferencetosightandsoundineverycorner；theresultis，thatitsformisbeautiful，andthattheappearanceoftheaudience，asseenfromtheproscenium-witheveryfaceinitcommandingthestage，andthewholesoadmirablyrakedandturnedtothatcentre，thatahandcanscarcelymoveinthegreatassemblagewithoutthemovementbeingseenfromthence-

ishighlyremarkableinitsunionofvastnesswithcompactness。

Thestageitself，andallitsappurtenancesofmachinery，cellarage，heightandbreadth，areonascalemoreliketheScalaatMilan，ortheSanCarloatNaples，ortheGrandOperaatParis，thananynotionastrangerwouldbelikelytoformoftheBritanniaTheatreatHoxton，amilenorthofSt。Luke’sHospitalintheOld-

street-road，London。TheFortyThievesmightbeplayedhere，andeverythiefridehisrealhorse，andthedisguisedcaptainbringinhisoiljarsonatrainofrealcamels，andnobodybeputoutoftheway。Thisreallyextraordinaryplaceistheachievementofoneman’senterprise，andwaserectedontheruinsofaninconvenientoldbuildinginlessthanfivemonths，ataroundcostoffive-and-

twentythousandpounds。Todismissthispartofmysubject，andstilltorendertotheproprietorthecreditthatisstrictlyhisdue，Imustaddthathissenseoftheresponsibilityuponhimtomakethebestofhisaudience，andtodohisbestforthem，isahighlyagreeablesignofthesetimes。

Asthespectatorsatthistheatre，forareasonIwillpresentlyshow，weretheobjectofmyjourney，Ienteredontheplayofthenightasoneofthetwothousandandoddhundreds，bylookingaboutmeatmyneighbours。Wewereamotleyassemblageofpeople，andwehadagoodmanyboysandyoungmenamongus；wehadalsomanygirlsandyoungwomen。Torepresent，however，thatwedidnotincludeaverygreatnumber，andaveryfairproportionoffamilygroups，wouldbetomakeagrossmis-statement。Suchgroupsweretobeseeninallpartsofthehouse；intheboxesandstallsparticularly，theywerecomposedofpersonsofverydecentappearance，whohadmanychildrenwiththem。Amongourdressesthereweremostkindsofshabbyandgreasywear，andmuchfustianandcorduroythatwasneithersoundnorfragrant。Thecapsofouryoungmenweremostlyofalimpcharacter，andwewhoworethem，slouched，high-shouldered，intoourplaceswithourhandsinourpockets，andoccasionallytwistedourcravatsaboutourneckslikeeels，andoccasionallytiedthemdownourbreastslikelinksofsausages，andoccasionallyhadascrewinourhairovereachcheek-

bonewithaslightThief-flavourinit。Besidesprowlersandidlers，weweremechanics，dock-labourers，costermongers，pettytradesmen，smallclerks，milliners，stay-makers，shoe-binders，slop-workers，poorworkersinahundredhighwaysandbyways。Manyofus-onthewhole，themajority-werenotatallclean，andnotatallchoiceinourlivesorconversation。Butwehadallcometogetherinaplacewhereourconveniencewaswellconsulted，andwherewewerewelllookedafter，toenjoyanevening’sentertainmentincommon。Wewerenotgoingtoloseanypartofwhatwehadpaidforthroughanybody’scaprice，andasacommunitywehadacharactertolose。So，wewerecloselyattentive，andkeptexcellentorder；andletthemanorboywhodidotherwiseinstantlygetoutfromthisplace，orwewouldputhimoutwiththegreatestexpedition。

Webeganathalf-pastsixwithapantomime-withapantomimesolong，thatbeforeitwasoverIfeltasifIhadbeentravellingforsixweeks-goingtoIndia，say，bytheOverlandMail。TheSpiritofLibertywastheprincipalpersonageintheIntroduction，andtheFourQuartersoftheWorldcameoutoftheglobe，glittering，anddiscoursedwiththeSpirit，whosangcharmingly。

Weweredelightedtounderstandthattherewasnolibertyanywherebutamongourselves，andwehighlyapplaudedtheagreeablefact。