The Sun.
London, England, 1868-04-22 00:00:00

MIMIC WAR.

Out-of-door theatricals.--Innumerable bands of
music, endless banners and triumphant arches.—
Gallant attack and heroic defence of a real fortress
by the combined forces—regular and irregular
effective and non-effective, professional and
amateur.---Desperate encounter, terrific combat,
fearful onslaught, the whole forming ono of the
most successful and marvellous spectacles on re-
cord.
The above, as witnessed by enraptured thousands,
will (with additional novelties and attractions) be
repeated every Easter Monday till further notice.
The managers and directors seize this opportunity
to assure their patrons that they will spare neither
exertion nor expense to render every display more
and more worthy of public approbation and
support ; and, in conclusion, refer the said patrons
and public generally to the subjoined impartial
criticism.
When. Ducrow commanded at Astley's with a
horsey voice—consequent of great equestrian exer-
tion, and Gomersal strode its boards, as representa-
tive of Napoleon 1., unrivalled in his style of snuff-
taking from his waistcoat pocket, after the fashion
of his great prototype, we believed that the
theatrical display of mimic war had reached the
acme of success. There and then a regiment,
attired in blue, full twenty strong, fled across the
stage pursued by a regiment clothed in red, equally
numerous. There and then a squadron of cavalry,
composed of at least a dozen horses—all cream-
coloured or piebald came plunging across the
boards in full retreat, their riders all helmeted,
back-plated and breast-plated, and shortly after-
wards horses (so similar that one took them for the
same) came rushing after in hot pursuit, whose
riders were helmeted alone. There and then one
real and solitary cannon was shoved upon the his-
trionic platform, and blazed away at the histrionic
wing with such unerring precision that its blue
ethereal sky bore many a warry mark of the de-
structive effects *of powder, even in those days,
and the connoisseurs of Lambeth-Cut declared it
was an able representation of the battle of Water-
sublime delineation of real war. Thank
heaven! We have outlived all these restricted notions
of human perfection,—we have lived to see that
mimic war can clear the bounds of painted scenes
and rage upon the open fields,—we have witnessed
real forts attacked upon our native soil, our peace-

ful villages filled with hostile and contending
multitudes,—in a word, we were amidst the en-
raptured spectators of the military display round
Portsmouth on Monday last.
On the all-eventful day, the railway authorities

from an early hour were fully awake to their duties,
and forty-eight trains were despatched from Lon-
don to the scene of action, in the short period of
two hours and a half,—forty-eight trains crammed
with thousands and tens of thousands of ama-
teur actors to join with their comrades, who had
professionals speciallyand with the regular
engaged arrived on previous days,
for the occasion.
The population of Portsmouth were up and ready
to receive them—at least all of any importance,
and welcome ! welcome! ! was everywhere repeated
by cheering voices, as on banner and on festooned
arches. One of these of the triumphal order
was at least sixty feet high, and surmounted by the
models of two thorough-bred British lions ; for

these animals are by no means fabulous as is gene-
rally supposed, but reared by lady-dogs, especially
retained as wet nurses, on account of the amiable
weakness of their royal mothers, who prefer de-
vouring their offspring rather than they should
grow up in the protection of barred security, and
to a daily dietary weighed out to a scruple. But
haste ! haste ! The famous march past has com-
menced. The London Scottish and the London
Rifle Brigade, so perfect in drill, so thoroughly
soldier-like in appearance, are preceded and fol-
lowed by corps of less distinguished attainments.
In fact, as usual, there are actors of every merit
and of personal appearance too. Some, whose
shaggy locks had been all the better for a three-
penny shearing ; some, who would have looked all
the sprucer in wigs ; some, who had hair enough on
their faces to make a lady's muff, tippet, and cuffs ;
some, who had not the show of a bristle and
prospectless of getting any since bear's-grease has
grown out of fashion—for that article when in
vogue was capable, as is well-known, of produc-
ing a luxuriant crop of human hair upon paving-
stones. Nevertheless, the beardless marched
proudly by the side of their bearded comrades, as
though conscious of their own merits, or as though
they bore in mind the lines of our immortal
bard—
" How many cowards whose hearts are all as false
As stairs of sand, wear yet upon their chins
The beards of Hercules and frowning Mars."—
Some regiments appeared to have organized them-
for the
dwarf and the giant
selves purposely
grotesque, the drilled and
the undrilled, the genteel and the shabby, the
promiscuously mixed, as
though it were a patriotic duty to render contrast
as startling as possible. Yet, after all, it was a
fine and glorious show--a
noble and gallant spec-
tacle ;—and if Volunteers are still open to improve-
ment, it is but the lot of all human institutions.
But now to the fight ! The hostile forces ap-
proach the rampart walls, and skirmishers meet
skirmishers in the open plain. The enemy gain
ground, their cavalry charge, their artillery thun-
der, our patriots are out-numbered, the lines of
Portsmouth are seriously menaced,—the mighty
arsenal of England is in danger. But no ! Huzza,
huzza! Our blue-jackets to our aid! Our gallant
sailors to the rescue ! Borne along by a fortuitous
tide, their gun-bats steam up a creek, unbeknown.to the enemy (as Mrs. Gamp would say if sh 6 11 ad
witnessed the movement), to hurl destruction from
their well-worked guns upon the hostile flank.
Now ! now's your tiae, ye gallant patriots,---.
" England expects every man will do his little
utmost." " Charge, Chester, charge ! On Stan-
ley, on !" "Up Volunteers, and at them !"
Nobly, most nobly did they respond unto
the call, and backward rolls the dismal tide
of war. Yet they had to do with no despicable
troops, no foreign legion, but with rebels for the
occasion, and slowly these retired from their false
position, disputing every inch of advantageous