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NARRATIVE OF A 



tra, to take position at the foot of the stage. Then sepa- 

 rating the women from the men. he placed the former 

 immediately behind the orchestra, making them squat on 

 the ground, and bidding them to keep silent. This he 

 called the pit. Behind the women, and all round, were 

 distributed the boys and such of the men as were of low 

 statue. The tall fellows were directed to stand behind 

 the short ones and the boys, or to shift for themselves as 

 well as they could. This was the gallery. A space in 

 front of the stage was set apart by the curate para los 

 senores, (for the ladies and gentlemen.) A couple of 

 benches were placed here, one behind the other, and this 

 he called the front boxes. The docility and good humour 

 with which the people submitted to the dispositions of the 

 curate, and the respect they showed him, impressed me 

 with a most favourable opinion of their character and 

 feelings. The spectators sat in the open air, under the 

 light of an old wooden chandelier bristling with tallow 

 candles. They now began to be impatient for the play, 

 or for something to amuse them, and the cries of musica ! 

 musica ! though responded to by the orchestra, were soon 

 followed by those of la comedia ! la comedia ! At length 

 an actor steps before the curtain, and recites a prologue, 

 the subject of which is the life and merits of St. Isidro 

 labrador. The patron solicits our particular attention 

 to this part of the performance, which he tells us is his 

 own composition. We of course listen with admiration, 

 and, on the conclusion of the prologue, dismiss the actor 

 with a burst of applause. Now the curtain rises, and the 

 play begins. 



The title of this performance was El enamorado pobre^ 

 or the Poor Lover. The plot turns upon the rivalship of 

 two gentlemen, who aspire to the hand of a fair lady : the 

 one exceedingly amiable, accomplished, and handsome, 

 but very poor ; the other, destitute of every advantage, 

 except that he is very rich. The embarrassment of the 

 lady, before deciding in favour of either, and the arts 



