The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-07-12 00:00:00

VAUXHALL.

The annual juvenile fete, recently established by the
present proprietors of Vauxhall Gardens, was given there
on Saturday evening last, and every thing concurred to
render it as complete an entertainment as could be wished.
The weather was very fine, and furnished one of those
mellow and delightful evenings so rarely encountered in
this country, but without which Vauxhall can never be
said to be really agreeable. The lighting up of the Gar-
dens was finished by six o'clock, about which time the vi-
sitors began to arrive, and carriages continued " discharg-
ing their freight" without intermission until nine, when
the Gardens p. esented a truly picturesque and delightful
appearance, from the immense numbers of children that
were collected, looking about them with amazement and
delight, and appearing as if all their infantine notions
of Fairy La..d were realized. The illuminations were
indeed of a mute than ordinarily brilliant nature,
among which were devices ingeniously representing
the several sports of childhood—such as trap-ball, kite-
Hying, battledore and shuttlecock, leap-frog, blind-n an's-
buff, &c. at which the children appeared to be mightily en-
tertained. The performances %cert.—the Pantomime, har-
lequin and the Woud-cutters, the tricks of the Indian
Juggler, Fantoccini, Rope-dancing, and Music. The
Juveniles seemed to be must pleased with the Pantomime ;
and, indeed, if we might judge from the countenances of
the &vacs, we should say that Mr. Pope's remark that—
" Men are but children of a larger growth,"
was on the present occasion fully borne out, as the adults
showed great anxiety to see all that was to be seen ; often,
we think, to the prejudice of those for whom the entertain-
ment' were specially provided. Precisely at i.e.: o'clock the
fire-works were exhibited, at which sonic of the younger
' children were much terrified, displaying their alarm in no
very smothered accents ; but their fears were
calmed. The discharge was very splendid. The Co-
mpany then paraded the walks for about a quarter of an hour,
forming a most brilliant and splendid coup chril, after
which they began to disperse ; some of the children,
attracted by the music, exhibited " on the light fantastic
toe" with considerable skill, grace, and effect. We remarked
with much pleasure the total absence of the cyprian corps,
from these scenes. Praise is due to some one for this, but
whether we are to yield it to those superintending the ad-
mission of visitors, or to the ladies themselves, we know
not. On the whole, the thing went off with much eclat.
At half-past eleven o'clock the lamps .were extinguished,
which compelled thaw, who wished to loiter, to depart, con-
sequently long befere• twelve the gsnlens were cleared. We
cannot conclude this account without bestowing our tnced
of approbation on the Proprieton for the very liberal and
spirited manner in which the whole of the entertainment
was supported, and for which they received a double corn-
, pensation, one in the profits which the treasury would de-
! rive from the crowded state of the gardens—the other from
the pleasure and gratification universally dispensed by them
lon cue of the most interesting assemblies we ever witnessed.