The Merry Past 



masks whimsical, and everything in the highest 

 taste. At the top of the walk was a hermitage, 

 from the side of which issued a real cascade ; from 

 this recess the singer Guadani came forth, attired 

 as the hermit of the cave, and sang a charming song. 

 Just, however, as he was in the middle of his quavers, 

 the police officers entered, and bore him off in a 

 manner so theatrical that the company conceived 

 the attack part of the evening's entertainment. 

 Guadani, it should be added, eventually got bail and 

 was liberated, on a promise of never appearing again 

 as a public character in these Soho amusements. 

 Meanwhile the bacchanalian crew had been joined 

 by Lord Lyttleton, Mr. Daisey Walker, and Mr. 

 Fitzgerald, who commenced the third act by ap- 

 proaching the altar where the flame was burning ; 

 each man held a torch in his right hand and a goblet 

 in his left, and on a signal being given for the dance, 

 they suddenly thrust in their torches, which were 

 quickly lighted. The revels then began ; their 

 cups overflowed with wine, and they singing, dancing, 

 and drinking in the most riotous manner. Without 

 the slightest method in their madness, and of a 

 sudden, as if moved by one impulse, they rushed from 

 the bower and flew to the square. It had struck 

 five o'clock, and a long train of Calvert's drays were 

 setting out upon their daily duty. The bacchanalian 

 maskers fell upon the drivers, and attacked them with 

 their lighted flambeaux, till a general engagement 

 ensued, which made a great noise. The inhabitants 

 of the square became alarmed, up went the windows, 



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