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until the

      remonstrance of the Publisher, at the earnest desire of the

      noble Author, had failed in protecting that Drama from its

      intrusion on the Stage, for which it was never intended.”

      This announcement had the effect of exciting public

      expectation beyond its usual pitch upon such occasions. The

      circumstances were somewhat new in the history of the Drama:

      the question being, whether a published Flay could be

      legally brought on the Stage without the consent, or rather

      we should say, in defiance of the Author. “We are not aware

      whether this question has been absolutely decided, but this

      we do know, that the Piece was performed several nights, and

      underwent all the puffing of the adventurous Manager, as

      well as all the severity of the Critics. The newspapers of

      the day were filled with histories and observations upon it.

      No subject engrossed the conversation of the polite and

      play-going part of the community but Lord Byron, The Doge of

      Venice, and Mr. Elliston. They were all bepraised and

      beplastered—exalted and debased—acquitted and condemned;

      but it was generally allowed on all hands, that the printed

      Tragedy contained many striking beauties, notwithstanding

      its alleged resemblance to Venice Preserved. We are,

      however, speaking of the acted Tragedy, and the magnanimous

      Manager, who with such promptitude produced it in an altered

      shape; and having already alluded to the theatrical puffing

      so constantly resorted to upon all occasions, we shall drop

      the curtain upon the subject, after merely remarking, that

      the Times of the same day has been known to contain the

      Manager's puff, declaring the piece to have been

      received with rapturous applause, in direct opposition

      to the Editor's critique, which as unequivocally pronounced

      its complete failure!

      will of its publisher, and the injunction{1} of the Lord Chancellor, were attractions of no ordinary nature; and

      1 Injunction—The word injunction implies a great deal, and

      has in its sound so much of the terrific, as in many

      instances to paralyze exertion on the part of the supposed

      offending person or persons. It has been made the instrument

      of artful, designing, and malicious persons, aided by

      pettifogging or pretended attorneys, to obtain money for

      themselves and clients by way of compromise; and in numerous

      instances it is well known that fear has been construed into

      actual guilt. Injunctions are become so common, that even

      penny printsellers have lately issued threats, and promised

      actual proceedings, against the venders of articles said to

      be copies from their original drawings, and even carried it

      so far as to withhold (kind souls!) the execution of their

      promises, upon the payment of a 5L. from those who were

      easily to be duped, having no inclination to encounter the

      glorious uncertainty of the law, or no time to spare for

      litigation. We have recently been furnished with a curious

      case which occurred in Utopia, where it appears by our

      informant, that the laws hold great similarity with our own.

      A certain house of considerable respectability had imported

      a large quantity of Welsh cheese, which were packed in

      wooden boxes, and offered them for sale (a great rarity in

      Eutopia) as double Gloucester.

      It is said that two of a trade seldom agree; how far the

      adage may apply to Eutopia, will be seen in the sequel. A

      tradesman, residing in the next street, a short time after,

      received an importation from Gloucester, of the favourite

      double production of that place, packed in a similar way,

      and (as was very natural for a tradesman to do, at least we

      know it is so here,) the latter immediately began to vend

      his cheese as the real Double Gloucester. This was an

      offence beyond bearing. The High Court of Equity was moved,

      similar we suppose to our High Court of Chancery, to

      suppress the sale of the latter; but as no proof of

      deception could be produced, it was not granted. This only

      increased the flame already excited in the breasts of the

      first importers; every effort was made use of to find a good

      and sufficient excuse to petition the Court again, and at

      length they found out one of the craft to swear, that as the

      real Gloucester had been imported in boxes of a similar

      shape, make, and wood, it was quite evident that the

      possessor must have bought similar cheeses, and was imposing

      on the public to their great disadvantage, notwithstanding

      they could not find a similarity either of taste, smell, or

      appearance. In the mean time the real Gloucester cheese

      became a general favourite with the inhabit-ants of Utopia,

      and upon this, though slender ground, the innocent tradesman

      was served with a process, enjoining him not to do that,

      which, poor man, he never intended to do; and besides if he

      had, the people of that country were not such ignoramuses as

      to be so deceived; it was merely to restrain him from

      selling his own real double Gloucester as their Welsh

      cheeses, purporting, as they did, to be double Gloucester,

      or of mixing them together (than which nothing could be

      further from his thoughts,) and charging him at the same

      time with having sold his cheeses under their name. But the

      most curious part of the business was, the real cheeseman

      brought the investigation before the Court, cheeses in boxes

      were produced, and evidence was brought forward, when, as

      the charges alleged could not be substantiated, the

      restraint was removed, and the three importers of Welsh

      cheese hung their heads, and retired in dudgeon.

      the Hon. Tom availed himself of the circumstance to leave the Box, though the truth was, there were other attractions of a more enlivening cast in his view.

      “Come,” said he, “we shall have a better opportunity of seeing the House, and its decorations, by getting nearer to the curtain; besides, Ave shall have a bird's-eye view of the company in all quarters, from the seat of the Gods to the Pit.”

      The

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