1829. ] The Theatres. 171 
haunted Gold Mine; and to haste with it to Maximilian’s court, there to 
disenchant the Princess Una, and gain her hand. To provide him with a 
guide and aid, Sunbeam strikes a pile of charcoal, out of which tumbles Nip, 
who is instructed by Sunbeam in his duty, and presented with “a fam’d 
aliiagest of wond’rous power.” Dolph receives the miniature of Una, with 
whose beauty he is enraptured. We at last see the outer cavern of the 
haunted Gold Mine, its guardian demon is fighting with a serpent, when Nip 
leads in Dolph, who, stimulated by a look at the miniature, proceeds. All 
sorts of shadows and “ chimeras dire,’ vanish at the almagest of Nip. 
Presently Swartz, the “ Goblin of the Gold Mines and Incubus of the 
Golden Goose,” is seen in “‘ the magic cavern of the Golden Goose.” He calis 
his goblin spies, Firedamp, Mouldwarp, Dross and Zink, and the Blue 
Devils, and tells them, “ by the pricking of his thumbs,” he knows there’s 
something wicked in the wind. ‘They all peep about, but, by the magic of 
Nip’s almagest, are eluded and depart. Dolph and Nip, after many skirmishes 
with the imps, succeed in finding the goose. They go to a tavern to rest 
themselves. he fame of their achievement, and the value of their acquisition, 
has gotabroad. Dolph falls asleep at the table with the goose under his arm, 
and the landlord and his family steal thither in the dark to get possession 
of it: but ignorant of its quality of making people adhere together on 
touching it, each is bound to the other; they shriek and alarm Dolph, who 
recovers the talisman and departs, leaving the party vainly endeavouring to 
disentangle themselves. The court of the Empero Maximilian is next 
discovered. Every dress and every article of furniture has been contrived 
with the view of exciting merriment. A proclamation is exhibited, promising 
that he who shall first succeed in making the princess laugh, shall have her 
hand and her father’s crown. ‘The princess appears, wrapped in the most 
immoyeable gloom. Various officers of state cut antics before her, but it will 
not do. A baron of the court presents himself, in full confidence of obtaining 
the prize. He, with the rest, makes himself ridiculous to no purpose, and 
is greatly annoyed at the failure. Intelligence is brought of the arrival of a 
person unquestionably possessing power to revolutionize the lady’s muscles. 
Officers of the court are dispatched in quest of him. Dolph enters, followed 
by the messengers, all sticking together. . Stumbling, in their attempts to get 
apart, against the king and his ministers, the whole court is suddenly entan- 
gled so absurdly, that the princess can resist no longer, and bursts into an im- 
moderate fit of laughter. The charm having wrought its effect, Dolph releases 
the groupes, and demands his recompence. The disappointed baron asks the 
king if he can disgrace himself by receiving a poulterer’s boy as his son-in- 
law, and bids Dolph begone, as the proclamation was a jest. The king sides 
with the baron, and orders his guards to seize Dolph. Una pleads for him, 
and the youth keeps them at bay with the goose, till Swartz rising out of the 
earth, tells the king that falsehood has renewed the spell upon his daughter, 
and restored the goose, which Swartz now seizes. Nip waves his talismanic 
wand, and Sunbeam appears, and defies Swartz, and to show that mirth shall 
not forsake either the princess or the youth, they are transformed into Harlequin 
_and Columbine, and attended by the faithful Nip as Pierrot ; while to punish 
_ the king and baron for their folly, she turns them into Clown and Pantaloon. 
Swartz then flies off, declaring that, do their best, Harlequin shall never be 
united with Columbine, till, from the “ depths of night,’ he regains the 
Golden Goose; and here the harlequinade commences; at the close of 
which, Swartz appears with the Golden Goose in the realms of fog. Signs 
-and omens have warned him that his prize is in peril, and he invokes the 
mists to hide him from pursuit. The wand of Harlequin, and the talisman 
of Pierrot, combined, enable them to intercept Swartz and seize the Goose. 
This done, Sunbeam dispels the clouds, Swartz owns himself vanquished, and 
the loving couple are happy. 
_ The fourth of these Christmas novelties, that at the Copure, is “ invented 
Z2 
