New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-12-25

sides these and few other such personages. OF whom
four at least appeared in each play, there were the
Amarosos or InnamOraos men or women tine latter
not before 1900. up which time actresses were un
known in italy, with serious parts. and Smeraldlna
Colombna. Spilletn and other servettas or waiting
maids" Each OF these persons 10 whom dwelling
place is assigned spoke the dialect OF that place. so
It will be at once that the performance was
not genuine pantOmine but few OF the still familiar
names are found here. There are Pantaoon, lfar-
lequn, and Columbne, not TO mention Pullicneila.
who cannot but be related to the French Polchnel.
and the En- glish Punch. now TO longer member IN
good standing of the pantomime group These merry
people have always had hard struggle for existence.
though it must be admitted that they have come
through it pretty well. There In Italy, In the
eighteenth century, the dramatist Goldoni was dis
Pusted with them. made war upon them, and tried
TO exterminae them. lie did not succeed. Tha
people loved them too much.
Even little earlier than this their cousins, or per
haps little closer kin, had found their way into Eng
land had fought the same battles and had shown the
tenacity Of .fe. The pantOmme, on Its way from
Italy to England. passed through France, as viii
seem natural enough to any one who studies the map.
When it became established in England 1t became at
once something widely different from anything II had
ever been on the Continent. The tine Of these transl
tons and changes was the last part Of the seventeenth
century and the first part Of the eighteenth. In the
course Of their wanderngs the characters gotta bit con-
fused and them as II they had been clrelessly
packed and then shaken about on the journey.
When tie changes and the COMMISSIONS were over The
persons Of Tie pantomime found themselves In more
settled state than before. They all lad the names
and the natures which they still preserve. while IT IS
not altogether certain that they did all have the same
names and before. In fact, II Is reasonably
certain that some Of them did not.
There IS Harlequin for Instance. lie IS. perhaps,
on the whole the most important Of the pantomm!c
figures lie used 10 be duh and rather bad natured
glutton. Now lie Is airy graceful, mirhul iel'
low. full Of tricks. which he plays on the clown ana
Pantao0n. and an agreeable enough person 90 meet
as pantomime people 60. lie used to dress In a
loose white raimcnt, somewhat Ike the more modern
French P,rrot, though his present tightly and neatly
fitting suit Of diamond patcaes IS certainly old, ana
uourl. old pictures show a Harlequin who wss seen
nj English fairs In the seventeenth century dressed
much like the Harlequin Of to-day. There have been
many speCuatlJns about The origin Of tbs Jolly
fellow his name and his cO.tuue CO.umblnc. WHO 10 his
sweetheart and IS cmneny suited 10 him. IS probably
about as old as himself though Of course She could
not have been all the sort OF person She Is now at
any period before women were admitted on the stage.
one theory IS that this happy pair at first represented
Mercury and Psyche. Another Is that HARLEQUIN WAS
the son Of Mercury and Iris the goddess OF the ain-
l. T. Panchc I'm his careful and cOpious History OF
Costume tells a story Of boy named Arlechlno who
lived In EcrganO. Harlequin was always supposed