Whilst the ‘Burlesque à la Swiss’
No one dares to think amiss.
Christian as the ‘Tyrolean’,
Sings both sweet and herculean;
Thus, together or apart,
Shake the cobwebs from the heart;
For there ne’er was ‘companee’
So provocative of glee.
But ‘tis needless thus to tell
What the world doth know so well;
Therefore all we have to say
Is to name the ‘happy day’ –
Day, we say, but days we mean,
When these Minstrels may be seen.
These are shown on our front page;
Look! and then your seats engage.”
How far the foregoing doggerel helped to give the popular Chrysty’s(sic) their crowded audiences it is not possible to say; but it happened that the sale of the Gazette of that week was more than usually brisk, and that Mr. Love, the Hall-keeper being unable to purchase a copy at the booksellers, was desired to give a shilling[1] for one if that would procure it. Let the latter circumstance, then, be the excuse for here quoting the said doggerel. The said Minstrels came again, and gave a morning and an evening performance on the 7th of July, the pre-announcement of the same by the Gazette being as follows:-
- “These facetious factotums, fully as ever faithful to their far-famed facinations(sic) as the foremost fabricators of fun and frolic, do fearlessly inform the fair and free of this fashionable fellowship of their fancy to face such folk, in a few days forthcoming, when with unfailing fidelity these famous fiddlers, and fun-makers will furnish further felicity by their fund of fact and fiction.”
“London Sights” was the theme of a reading at the Norman-road Temperance Hall on the 31st of July, the said reading being intended for the information of such members of the association as were then raising a fund for the purpose of visiting the metropolis and the Exhibition. Mr. T. B. Brett was the reader; Commander Morrison, R. J. (author of Zadkiel’s Almanac) was chairman; and his daughter, Miss Morrison, presided at the piano.
The Harp Recital of Mr. Aptommas (his second performance in St. Leonards) on the 27th of November, was one which afforded the utmost pleasure to a numerous and fashionable audience at the Assembly Rooms. The harpist was assisted by Fräulein Mehlhorn, a German lady, whose operatic singing was also much applauded.
East-Sussex Foxhounds.
These hounds met at Beauport on the 5th of February, where the liberal proprietor of the mansion entertained the ladies and gentlemen of the hunt with a dejeuner a la fourchette. The day was favourable for the sport, and a three hours’ chase of a fox over many miles of ground, through rivers and even into the sea, afforded all the pleasure that the most sanguine could desire.
- ↑ An explanation of old currency and coinage may be found at the following website Pre-decimal currency, accessdate: 16 June 2022
