who pretended to have feen the opera in Italy, had informed their friends, that the lion was to act a part in High-Dutch, and roar twice or thrice to a Thorough-Bass, before he fell at the feet of Hydafpes. To clear up a matter that was fo varioufly reported, I have made it my business to examine whether this pretended lion is really the savage he appears to be, or only a counterfeit.

But before I communicate my discoveries I muft acquaint the reader, that upon my walking behind the scenes last winter, as I was thinking on fome thing else, I accidently justled against a monstrous animal that extremely startled me, and upon my nearer furvey of it, appeared to be a lion rampant. The lion feeing me very much furprised, told me, in a gentle voice, that I might come by him if I pleased: For (fays he) I do not intend to hurt any body. I thanked him very kindly, and passed by him: And in a little time after faw him leap upon the stage, and act his part with very great applaufe. It has been observed by feveral, that the lion has changed his manner of acting twice or thrice fince his first appearance; which will not feem strange, when I acquaint my reader that the lion has been changed upon the audience three several times. The first lion was a candle-fnuffer, who, being a fellow of a testy cholerick temper, overdid his part, and would not fuffer himself to be killed so easily as he ought to have done; besides, it was observed of him, that he grew more furly every time he came out of the lion; and having dropt fome words in ordinary conversation, as if he had not fought his best, and that he fuffered himself to be thrown upon his back in the fcuffle, and that he would wrestle, with Mr. Nicolini for what he pleased, out of his lion's skin, it was thought proper to difcard him: And it is verily believed, to this day, that. had he been brought upon the stage another time, he would certainly have done mischief. Besides it

was

was objected against the first lion, that he reared himself fo high upon his hinder paws, and walked in fo erect a pofture, that he looked more like an old man than a lion.

The fecond lion was a tailor by trade, who belonged to the play-houfe, and had the character of a mild and peaceable man in his profeffion. If the former was too furious, this was too fheepish, for his part; infomuch, that after a fhort modeft walk upon the stage, he would fall upon the first touch of Hydaspes, without grappling with him, and giving him an opportunity of shewing his variety of Italian trips: It is faid, indeed, that he once gave him a rip in the flesh-colour doublet; but this was only to make work for himself, in his private character of a tailor. I must not omit that it was this second lion who treated me with so much humanity behind the scenes.

The acting lion at present is, I am informed, a. country gentleman who does it for his diverfion, but defires his name may be concealed. He says very handsomely, in his own excuse, that he does not act for gain, that he indulges an innocent pleafure in it; and that it is better to pass away an evening in this manner, than in gaming and drinking: But at the fame time fays, with a very agreeable rallery upon himfelf, that if his name should be known, the ill-natured world might call him, The ass in the lion's skin. This gentleman's temper is made out of fuch a happy mixture of the mild and the cholerick, that he outdoes both his predeceffors, and has drawn together greater audiences than have been known in the memory of man.

I must not conclude my narrative, without taking notice of a groundless report that has been raised to a gentleman's difadvantage, of whom I must declare myself an admirer; namely, that Signior Nicolini and the lion have been feen fitting peaceably by one another, and smoking a pipe together

gether behind the scenes; by which their common enemies would infinuate, that it is but a sham combat which they reprefent upon the stage: But upon inquiry I find, that if any fuch correfpondence has paffed between them, it was not until the combat was over, when the lion was to be looked upon as dead, according to the received rules of the Dra

ma.

Befides, this is what is practised every day in Westminster-Hall, where nothing is more usual than to fee a couple of lawyers, who have been tearing each other to pieces in the court, embracing one another as foon as they are out of it.

I would not be thought, in any part of this relation, to reflect upon Signior Nicolini, who in acting this part only complies with the wretched taste of his audience; he knows very well, that the lion has many more admirers than himself; as they say of the famous Equestrian statue on the Pont-Neuf at Paris, that more people go to fee the horse, than the King who fits upon it. On the contrary, it gives me a just indignation to fee a person, whose action gives new majesty to kings, resolution to heroes, and softness to lovers, thus sinking from the greatness of his behaviour, and degraded into the character of the London Prentice, I have often wished, that our tragedians would copy after this great mafter in action. Could they make the fame ufe of their arms and legs, and inform their faces with as fignificant looks and paffions, how glorious would an English tragedy appear with that action, which is capable of giving a dignity to the forced thoughts, cold conceits, and unnatural expreffions of an Italian opera. In the mean time, I have related this combat of the lion, to shew what are at present the reigning entertainments of the politer part of Great Britain.

Audiences have often been reproached by wri ters for the coarseness of their taste; but our preAlone ato nd videsofent sent grievance does not seem to be the want of a good taste, but of common fenfe.

No 14. FRIDAY, MARCH 16.

-Teque his, infelix, exue monftris.

C

OVID. Met. 1. iv. ver. 590.

Wretch that thou art! put off this monstrous shape.

I WAS reflecting this morning upon the spirit and humour of the publick diverfions five and twenty years ago, and those of the present time; and lamented to myself, that, though in those days they neglected their morality, they kept up their good sense; but that the beau monde, at present, is only grown more childish, not more innocent than the former. While I was in this train of thought, an odd fellow, whose face I have often seen at the play-house, gave me the following letter with these words, Sir, The Lion prefents his humble service to you, and defired me to give this into your own hands.

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From my den in the Hay-market, March 15.
SIR,

I Have read all your papers, and have stifled my resentment against your reflections upon operas until that of this day, wherein you plainly infinuate, that Signior Nicolini and myself have a correfpondence more friendly than is confiftent ' with the valour of his character, or the fierceness

6

of mine. I defire you would for your own fake • forbear fuch intimations for the future; and must fay it is a great piece of ill-nature in you, to show ' so great an esteem for a foreigner, and to discourage a lion that is your own countryman.

• I take

،

'I take notice of your fable of the lion and man, but am fo equally concerned in that matter, that ' I shall not be offended to which foever of the animals the fuperiority is given. You have mifrepresented me, in faying that I am a country gentleman, who act only for my diversion; whereas, ' had I still the fame woods to range in which I once had when I was a fox-hunter, I should not refign my manhood for a maintenance; and assure you, as low as my circumstances are at prefent, I am fo much a man of honour that I would fcorn

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to be any beaft for bread but a lion.geait

'Yours, &c.'

I had no fooner ended this, than one of my landlady's children brought me in several others, with fome of which I shall make up my present paper, they all having a tendency to the fame fubject, viz. the elegance of our present diverfions.

،

Covent-garden, March 13.

I Have been for twenty years under-fexton of this parish of St. Paul's, Covent-Garden, and have not missed tolling in to prayers fix times in 'all those years; which office I have performed to my great fatisfaction, until this fortnight last paft, during which time I find my congregation take ' the warning of my bell, morning and evening, to go to a puppet-show, fet forth by one Powell, under the Piazzas. By this means I have not only loft my two customers, whom I used to place, for fix-pence apiece, over againft Mrs. Rachel Eyebright, but Mrs. Rachel herself is gone thither alfo. There now appear among us none but a • few ordinary people, who come to church only to fay their prayers, so that I have no work worth speaking of but on Sundays. I have placed my fon at the Piazzas, to acquaint the ladies, that • the bell rings for church, and that it stands on the