So* S. VII. May 21. '6&.3 



KOTES AND QUERIES. 



411 



Mr. Morley takes great credit to himself for his 

 discovery of Fielding's connexion with Bartholo- 

 mew Fair. But his researches, restricted to a few 

 old newspapers, have been but very imperfectly 

 carried out. Fielding did not confine himself to 

 Bartholomew and Southwark Fairs, but erected 

 his booth at Tottenham-Court Fair; and that too 

 at a period subsequent to his admission into the 

 Middle Temple ! — a fact totally unknown to the 

 historian of Bartholomew Fair. This piece of 

 "new information" in the life of our great no- 

 velist is thus verified by Genest, tlie diligent 

 collector of so many valuable dramatic records : — 



" 1738, Tottenham Court, at Fielding's and Hallam's 

 Great Booth, near the turnpike in Tottenham-Court, dur- 

 ing the Fair, the town will be diverted with a new En- 

 tertainment (never perform'd before), call'd the Mad 

 Lovers, or Sport upon Sport, with the Comical Humours 

 of Squire Graygoose and his man Doodle, my Lady Gray- 

 goose, and Capt. Atall." 



A little research would show us that this was 

 not the last year of Fielding's career as a booth- 

 proprietor. Indeed I have some very curious 

 matter on the subject now before me, but I shall 

 reserve it for a separate paper on Henry Fielding. 

 Having taken up so much space, I shall conclude 

 the present article with a rhyming enumeration 

 of the theatrical companies, and their doings, in 

 the Bartholomew Fair of 1731. It is extracted 

 from the 86th number of the Memoirs of the So- 

 ciety of Grub Street, and has not, to my know- 

 ledge, been quoted or referred to before. It 

 ought certainly to have found a place in Mr. 

 Morley's volume : — 



I. 



" At the great Theatrical Booth, call'd Lee and Har- 

 pek's, 

 The only one, they say, that is free from sharpers, 

 An excellent new Droll will dayly be presented, 

 Call'd Guy, Earl of Warwick, with which all will be con- 

 tented. 

 For it shews what perils he underwent for fair Phil- 



Lis's love ; 

 How he kill'd the monstrous Dun Cow, which on Duns- 

 more-heath did rove, 

 And eke the dreadful Dragon, and the Giant Cole- 



BRAND ; 



And then rescued fair Philus from a Tower ; which 



with brand 

 The Giant's servant had set on fire, in order to burn her. 

 Because with all their fraud and force they could not turn 



her 

 From loving Guy Earl of Warwick, that magnanimous 



hero. 

 To which are added, the Comical distresses of Guy's 



servant Rogero. 



IL 



" At the great Theatrical Booth of Mili.er, Mills, and 



Gates, 

 A new Opera is shewn, in new scenes, gowns, and 



coats : 

 The Banish'd General 'tis call'd, or, The Distressed 



Lovers, 

 And now is proper to be seen by all inconstant rovers. 



With all the humours comical, both in mirth and in 



dudgeon. 

 Of Squire NicoD, Hobble- Wallop, and of his rare 



man Gudgeon. 



in. 



"At the great Theatrical Booth of Fielding, Hippis- 



LEY, and Hall, 

 A new Dramatic Opera will be shewn to great and 



small ; 

 The Emperor of China, Grand-Volgi (by our Court 



much regarded), 

 Or, The Constant Couple made happy, and Virtue Re- 

 warded : 

 Written by the great Author of the Generous Free 



Mason, 

 A greater Author, or Actors you never did gaze on : 

 With the Comical humours of Squire Shallow, that 



great looby. 

 In his Treaties of Marriage, &c., and of his man Robin 



Booby, 

 Intennixt with variety of songs, and strange fancies. 

 Set to old famous Ballad-tunes, and with Country 



dances. 



IV. 

 "At Yeates's great Booth, which Cow-lane now faces, 

 Will be perform'd with ivondeiful grimaces, 

 And seen, we hope, e'er long by one and all. 

 An opera Tragi-Comi-Farcical : 

 The Generous Free Mason it is nam'd, 

 . Or, Constant Lady, ybr her beauty fatn'd ; 

 Together with the humours of Squire Noodle, 

 And those more comic of his servant Doodle. 

 Note, in the Songs true men and women join, 

 And not, as usual here, cows, sheep, and swine, 

 A curious piece of fine Machinery, 

 Mooving by clock-work, brought from Italy, 

 Here never shewn before, is shewn beside. 

 Which is full nine foot high, and eight foot wide ; 

 Above three hundred figures move to view, 

 In manner wo7iderful, intirely new. 



V. 



"At the great Booth Theatrical of Bullock, 

 (Pray, Gentlemen, stop here, and take a full look, 

 Tho' Bullocks twice a week assemble here ; 

 This famous Bullock's seen but once a year. 

 In bulls, «ows, calves here then is driv'n a trade : 

 Now Bulls by Cows and Calves are hourly made.) 

 Here you may see display'd in Tragic state 

 The London Merchant, or George i3arnweirs/(/<e ; 

 A Tale, which told in neither verse, nor prose, 

 Discloses such a scene of real woes, 

 As, if your hearts are tender, needs must Jit ye, 

 And make your eyes distill in drops nfpity. 

 But not on such sad things too long to dwell 

 Our Flora's Opera, or Hob in Well, 

 Will every mother please, and giggling daughter. 

 And make them all besplit themselves with laughter." 



Edward F. Kimbault. 



CLIPPING THE coin OF THE REALM. 



Lord Macaulay, in the fourth volume of his 

 History (p. 619. at seq.), gives us a graphic de- 

 scription of the practice of clipping the coin of 

 the realm, and the mischievous eifects it produced 

 upon the currency, together with examples of the 

 rigour with which the law ajrainst such offences 



