The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1874-04-01
TAHEATEEsS OF sEaAKES-
PElAseE'S TENHE. ...

There were already soven thea.
tors in London in Shakespeare
time, so brisk and univ oreal was
the taste for dramatic reprosontu-
tons. Great and rude contrivan-
COS, awkward in their construction,
barbaroas in their appointments;
but a fervid imagination readily
supplied all that they lacked, and
hardy bodies endured all 'incon-
vcnlcnc"s without difficulty. On
dirty site, on tho banks Of tho
Thames, roso tho principal thcntcr,
tho Globe, n sort Of hexngonaI tow
cr surrounded by u muddy ditch,
on which was hoistcd rod flag.
The common people could entor rs
we'll rs the rich; thcro wero six
penny, twopcnny, even penny
seats, but they could not sec it
without money. lit rained, and
it often rains in London, the poo-
plo in the pit, butchers, mercers,
bakers, sailors, apprentices, re.
cclvcd tho streaming rain upon
their heads. / suppose thoy did
not trouble themselves about it;
1t was not so long since they be-
gan topavc the streets Of London;
and when mon like these have had
experience of sewers and puddlcs,
Lhcy arc not afraid Of catching
cold. .
While they arc waiting for tho
piece, they amuso themselves al.
ter thcir fashion, drink beer, crack
nuts, cat fruit, howl, and pow and
then resort to their fists; they havo
been known to fall upon tho &C.
tors, and turn tho thoaters upside
down. AZ other times they wcro
dissatisfied and wont to tho tavern
to give tho poet hiding, or toss
him in blanket; they wcro coarse
follows, and thcro was no month
when tho cry Of "Clubs" did not
call them ont Of their shops to cx-
crcisc their brawny arms. When
the beer took cfloct, thcro was Il
great upturncd barrel in tho pit,
II peculiar receptacle for general
use. The smoll rises, then comes
tho cry, "Burn the iuni ipcr!" They
burn some in plato on tho stage,
and the heavy smoke ILLS the air.
Certainty tho folk there assem-
blcd could scarcel y get disgustcd
at anything, and cannot havo bad
sensitive noses. tn tho timo Of
Rabclai# there was not much clean
Illness to speak Of. Remember that
they were hardly ont Of the middle
age, and that in tho middle ago
man lived on q dunghiIl. Above
them on tho stage, worc tho spec
tators able to pay shilling, tho
elegant people, the EcntIeloIks.-
These woro sheltered from tho
rain, and if thcy choose to pay an
extra shilling, could havo Il stool.
10 this wero reduced tho prcroga-
tivos Of rank and the devices of
comfort. 1t often happened that
there wcrc not stools enough then
they lie down on tho ground. This
was not timo to be dainty. They
play cards, smoke, insult tho pit,
who give it them back without
stinting, and throw apples at them
into the bargain.
They also gcsticulatc, swear at
them in Italian, French, English :;
crack aloud jokes in dainty, com
posite, ,high-colorcd words; in short,
they have the energetic, original,
gay manners Of artists, the samo
humor, tho same absence Of con-
straint, and TO complete the rcscm-
blancc, tho samo desire to mako
themselves singular, the same i'm
aginatlvo cravings, the samo ab-
surd and picturesque devices,
boards cut to point, into the
shape of a fan, u spade, tho letter
IL, gaudy and expensive dresses,
copied from five or six ncighbor-
ing nations, embroidered, laced
with gold, motley, continually
heightened in effect, or changed
for others; thcro WAS, rs it were,
Il carnival on their brains as well
as on their bacls.-Iuinc's History
Of EngiiSh LHcratuyc.