The Express.
London, England, 1857-12-26 00:00:00

PANTOMIMES.

Pantomime among the ancients was a species of

entertainment wherein tha levers] passions were *exposed
by gestures and attitude'. The Greeks introduood panto.
mime in their choruses, some of the actors dancing sad
gesticulating, accompanied by music, whilst others rang.
The Romano had sieges dramatic representations, consisting
of dance and gesture only, styled " WWI° pantomimorum,"
and some of their actors obtained a high degree of excellence
In the art. Pantomime dames were originally introduced
among the Greeks and seem to hare bad much action: but
the Romans appear to hare been the first who rendered by
moans of gesture the sense of a regular plot.

The =Cleat pentotnimists did not make uae of the modem
class face, but gasttalttsd with maaks, in the same manner
se thelothar comedians. To each piece it wu customary to
glee the don of the mask, am we in modern plays prefix the
manes of the characters ; hence, dramatis perraner —usage d
the drama—is now underetood to mean " persona of the
drama."

Pantomime acting, accompanied by music, seems to bare
been in use among the Chinese, Fenian, and other Oriental
people from the most remote period. After the death et
Augustus, pantomimes made further progress, and continued
with little interruption a favourite entertainment among the
Romans for nearly two centuries. Pantomime, were origi-
nally rendered by a single performer ; and we read of one of
Nero's court executing the amours of blare and Venus is
dumb declamation, without any muskal accompaniment.
They were afterwards represented by entire troupes.
The buffooneries performed by the Spaniards appear tellers
mach resembled the pantomimic exhibitions of the ancients,
as did the dumb-farces of France in the 16th century, is
which the actors, without speakinr, were understood by
means of human telegraphy. As soon as these seem sp•
pealed, we are told, labels (the like of which are now in an
at unlicensed homes, and, in theatrical phraseology, known is
" flags") fell down successively from the ceiling upon their
heads; these were fllled with couplets of songs, sniffs
is large character , the tunes of which were played by
the music, and the words read and sung by the pit
The performer, daring the time, made gestures agreeable to
the words.

Pantomime continued to linger in Italy for some yeas;
it, however, made but little progress in England before the
commencement of the eighteenth century, when it impelled
only in the form of a ballet, and hem been described sea
thing called an entertainment, which ended m usual with s
grand dance—generally the best part of it." Colley Cibte
informs us that at that period, us order to" give evert demist
some improvement, end to make it something moo
than motion without meaning, the feble of Mao
and Venus was formed into • connected presents.
lion of dances In character." He also wide`
We generally made use of these pantomimes tort
is
for crutches to our weakest playa." These exhibitions was
not received without some opposition. The fret
tr
guise pantomime introduced among us was Kr
kquits Sorcerer with the Lora of Pinto and Prism
pine, fur which we are indebted to Mr. John Ea,
a popular performer of the hero of the " magic lath." It
was produced at the theatre in Lincoln's-inn-flelda •
1726, Mr. Rich playing Harlequin under the sunned met
of Lun. Mr. Rich acquired both fame and fortune by
pantomimes, in the " monnting " of which he spored neiths
timenor expense. It is said that more than athoneand poen&
were aometimm expended in the decorations of his lurk
quinadee, the success of which was greatly enhanced by the
assistance of the celebrated George Lambert, tbo founder it
the memorable Bed-steak Club, who was engaged as sects
artist; and it was at Rich's theatre the effect of stage •2"•7
and machinery was first seen in full splendour. Mr. Ithl
dosed his earthly earner in 1761, subsequent to obi&
period pantomimes increased rapidly in petal'
la 1766, Mr. Love composed The Homed ;
reran et Rhodes, which was produced at DeurriOt
Its success, we learn from "Victors History of the Thelma
was " Welly owing to the reports our newepaPers 11'

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