DOI Heft:
March 29, 1862
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.16869#0137
March 29, 1862.
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
129
RESERVED "SEATS WITH A RESERVATION.
Most visitprs of the theatre go there to be amused; but they very
often meet with diversion besides amusement. Seated in the second
or third row of the boxes, after the play has begun, whilst they are
closely following the performance in a peculiarly effective part of it,
their attention is suddenly diverted therefrom by a party of people who
hgve taken plaoes in front, and who, coming in late, oblige everybody
intervening between their seats and the door, to get up and make
room to let them pass. This is a diversion which is not only additional,
but entirely opposite to the amusement which is afforded by the players;
it provokes grins and not laughter; clenched teeth, which hold in lan-
guage that if uttered would perhaps incur the penalty of a crown.
Ladies and gentlemen who prefer the amusement of listening to the
drama to the diversion of mind occasionally, as above described
experienced in theatres, will read with some satisfaction the annexea
brief report of a little lawsuit, the result of which affords them hope of
future deliverance from that unwelcome diversion:—
“ Managers and Playgoers.—On Saturday, at the Westminster County Court,
waj| tried an action of Young v. Buckstone, lessee of the Haymarket Theatre. The
plaintiff, on the 3rd of February, took certain places in the boxes, for which he paid
35s., and received a printed receipt bearing on it the numbers of the seats. Plaintiff
and his friends arrived at the theatre after the first act was over, and found his
engaged seats occupied. He was offered others, but he declined, and demanded
back his money, which was refused, and he brought his action for the amount.
The attention of the Judge was called, on the part of the defendant, to a note in the
receipt, which said, ‘ Places secured until the end of the first act only.’ The Judge,
Mr. F. Bayley, held this to be fatal to the plaintiff’s case, and entered judgment
for the defendant, calling upon the plaintiff to pay the costs of four witnesses who
were in attendance from the theatre to give evidence, if necessary.”
Playgoers, who are accustomed to go to the play really for the pur-
pose of seeing and hearing it, ought to be greatly obliged to Mr.
Young, the plaintiff in the above-cited case of Young v. Buckstone,
for having generously, out of his own pocket, obtained a legal decision
which, if Mr. Buckstone’s good example is generally followed by
managers, will in some measure secure them in the undisturbed pur-
suit of their object. Of course the plaintiff did not happen to notice
the condition under which the seats were reserved, noted in the receipt
for his 35#., and his lawyer, doubtless, overlooked it also. Mr. Young,
doubtless, never expected, or was advised, that the letter of the law
would bear him out in ignoring so just a stipulation. Otherwise we
should most heartily congratulate him on having lost his cause, and had
to pay Mr. Buckstone’s costs as well as his own, and the costs of
Mr. Buckstone’s four witnesses, besides having lost his £1 15#., and
being deservedly laughed at for his failure in a mean and shabby
attempt to “ County-Court ” Mr. Buckstone.
THE VULPICIDE.
(A Hunting Song.)
The month was March, and South the wind,
Light clouds o’erspread the sky.
The fox before, the hounds behind
. Were chasing in full cry.
For many a mile o’er hills and dales
The hunters’ course had been,
O’er hedge and ditch, and double rails,
With prickly fence between.
A sportsman gay from London town,
Was roaming with his gun ;
He brought the tuneful thrushes down,
And blackbirds floored like fun.
A fine hen-pheasant chanced to stray
From out a neighbouring wood ;
With steady aim he blazed away.
And bagged her where she stood.
Ah ! hark the music of the pack,
And huntsman’s sounding horn,
On crafty Reynard’s devious track,
Upon his ear are borne.
They cqme, o’er yonder corn-field green !
He lists the wdd halloo,
And now sees what those outcries mean :
The fox is in fheir view.
Exhausted by the lengthened chace,
Sly Reynard comes that way,
With panting sides and slackened pace,
Winch sore fatigue betray.
Five minutes more, and then the hounds
Their prey will surely gain;
When pop ! the Sportsman’s piece resounds,
And lo 1 the fox is slain.
The hunters keen, not at the death.
Come in, but after that:
And each man shouts with all his breath.
And waves his cap or hat.
Forthwith the fox’s brush they hew
From whence that tail had grown;
And fix the same our Sportsman to,
So as to seem his own.
THE ORGAN GRINDING NUISANCE.
“ Dear Mr. Punch,
“ As master and missus leastways Master takes Inn yure
paper reglar, i wish youd please be So good as Putt im in punch so as
for im to se Is self in a Tru Hte. Has e apperes wen a poar Italyan
orgin man Cums to play Hus a toon at the Airy, runnin out in the
Strete stormin and Raven horderen the poar f'ela orf or give Im in
chardg to the pelisse. And wy ? al for nothink Save and Ixcep Master
bein a Stronomer or Somthink of that sort and bizzey with Rithmetic
and Mathew Matticks and al that nonsens oh e Mustent be disturbed at
is Bokes and rightin.
“ Pleas ser i wants to No wot write master ave got to ender me and
susan avin our Musick ? e as ism when e and missus goze to consorts
and Italion Theaiter and wy ain’t we to ave our litel ltalien Uproar as
wel ?
“ Sumioheres Orescint, March 1862.” “ Mary.”
There is no reason why Mary should not enjoy her little uproar, or
as much uproar she likes, if- she will only go to hear it when she can
have that pleasure unattended by anybody else’s annoyance. When
she gets a holiday, or leave out, that is her time to enjoy the re-
creation of uproar. Her master, when engaged in professional calcula-
tions, is probably earning the income out of which her own wages are
paid. That alone is a sufficient reason why she has no right to the
enjoyment of an uproar which distracts his attention from his
labours.—Ed.
The Pope’s own Peer.
We are in a position to state that his Holiness the Pope has written
an autograph letter to the Marquis oe Normanby, thanking the noble
Marquis for the zeal and devotion which he has displayed on the right
side m the questions which he has put, and the speeches he has made in
the House of Lords touching Italian affairs. The Holy Father tells
Lord Normanby that the bitterness he is obliged to taste continually
is sweetened by his Lordship’s sympathy, which affords sherry to the
bitters. __
Classical Association.
Under the signature of “ A Wykehamist ” a correspondent of the
Morning Post suggests the establishment of ‘‘another first-class club,”
to consist of “ Eton, Winchester, Charterhouse, Rugby, and Harrow
men,” and to be called “ the Old Public Schools Club.” That seems
a roundabout and rather clumsy name. The proposed society had
better be called “ The Birch Club.”
Mere Impertinence.—Mr. Disraeli says that the Declaration ol
Paris ought to be altered. Well, Paris declared for Venus. Would
Mr. Disraeli have him declare for Jewno ?
Von. 42.
5
PUNCH, OR THE LONDON CHARIVARI.
129
RESERVED "SEATS WITH A RESERVATION.
Most visitprs of the theatre go there to be amused; but they very
often meet with diversion besides amusement. Seated in the second
or third row of the boxes, after the play has begun, whilst they are
closely following the performance in a peculiarly effective part of it,
their attention is suddenly diverted therefrom by a party of people who
hgve taken plaoes in front, and who, coming in late, oblige everybody
intervening between their seats and the door, to get up and make
room to let them pass. This is a diversion which is not only additional,
but entirely opposite to the amusement which is afforded by the players;
it provokes grins and not laughter; clenched teeth, which hold in lan-
guage that if uttered would perhaps incur the penalty of a crown.
Ladies and gentlemen who prefer the amusement of listening to the
drama to the diversion of mind occasionally, as above described
experienced in theatres, will read with some satisfaction the annexea
brief report of a little lawsuit, the result of which affords them hope of
future deliverance from that unwelcome diversion:—
“ Managers and Playgoers.—On Saturday, at the Westminster County Court,
waj| tried an action of Young v. Buckstone, lessee of the Haymarket Theatre. The
plaintiff, on the 3rd of February, took certain places in the boxes, for which he paid
35s., and received a printed receipt bearing on it the numbers of the seats. Plaintiff
and his friends arrived at the theatre after the first act was over, and found his
engaged seats occupied. He was offered others, but he declined, and demanded
back his money, which was refused, and he brought his action for the amount.
The attention of the Judge was called, on the part of the defendant, to a note in the
receipt, which said, ‘ Places secured until the end of the first act only.’ The Judge,
Mr. F. Bayley, held this to be fatal to the plaintiff’s case, and entered judgment
for the defendant, calling upon the plaintiff to pay the costs of four witnesses who
were in attendance from the theatre to give evidence, if necessary.”
Playgoers, who are accustomed to go to the play really for the pur-
pose of seeing and hearing it, ought to be greatly obliged to Mr.
Young, the plaintiff in the above-cited case of Young v. Buckstone,
for having generously, out of his own pocket, obtained a legal decision
which, if Mr. Buckstone’s good example is generally followed by
managers, will in some measure secure them in the undisturbed pur-
suit of their object. Of course the plaintiff did not happen to notice
the condition under which the seats were reserved, noted in the receipt
for his 35#., and his lawyer, doubtless, overlooked it also. Mr. Young,
doubtless, never expected, or was advised, that the letter of the law
would bear him out in ignoring so just a stipulation. Otherwise we
should most heartily congratulate him on having lost his cause, and had
to pay Mr. Buckstone’s costs as well as his own, and the costs of
Mr. Buckstone’s four witnesses, besides having lost his £1 15#., and
being deservedly laughed at for his failure in a mean and shabby
attempt to “ County-Court ” Mr. Buckstone.
THE VULPICIDE.
(A Hunting Song.)
The month was March, and South the wind,
Light clouds o’erspread the sky.
The fox before, the hounds behind
. Were chasing in full cry.
For many a mile o’er hills and dales
The hunters’ course had been,
O’er hedge and ditch, and double rails,
With prickly fence between.
A sportsman gay from London town,
Was roaming with his gun ;
He brought the tuneful thrushes down,
And blackbirds floored like fun.
A fine hen-pheasant chanced to stray
From out a neighbouring wood ;
With steady aim he blazed away.
And bagged her where she stood.
Ah ! hark the music of the pack,
And huntsman’s sounding horn,
On crafty Reynard’s devious track,
Upon his ear are borne.
They cqme, o’er yonder corn-field green !
He lists the wdd halloo,
And now sees what those outcries mean :
The fox is in fheir view.
Exhausted by the lengthened chace,
Sly Reynard comes that way,
With panting sides and slackened pace,
Winch sore fatigue betray.
Five minutes more, and then the hounds
Their prey will surely gain;
When pop ! the Sportsman’s piece resounds,
And lo 1 the fox is slain.
The hunters keen, not at the death.
Come in, but after that:
And each man shouts with all his breath.
And waves his cap or hat.
Forthwith the fox’s brush they hew
From whence that tail had grown;
And fix the same our Sportsman to,
So as to seem his own.
THE ORGAN GRINDING NUISANCE.
“ Dear Mr. Punch,
“ As master and missus leastways Master takes Inn yure
paper reglar, i wish youd please be So good as Putt im in punch so as
for im to se Is self in a Tru Hte. Has e apperes wen a poar Italyan
orgin man Cums to play Hus a toon at the Airy, runnin out in the
Strete stormin and Raven horderen the poar f'ela orf or give Im in
chardg to the pelisse. And wy ? al for nothink Save and Ixcep Master
bein a Stronomer or Somthink of that sort and bizzey with Rithmetic
and Mathew Matticks and al that nonsens oh e Mustent be disturbed at
is Bokes and rightin.
“ Pleas ser i wants to No wot write master ave got to ender me and
susan avin our Musick ? e as ism when e and missus goze to consorts
and Italion Theaiter and wy ain’t we to ave our litel ltalien Uproar as
wel ?
“ Sumioheres Orescint, March 1862.” “ Mary.”
There is no reason why Mary should not enjoy her little uproar, or
as much uproar she likes, if- she will only go to hear it when she can
have that pleasure unattended by anybody else’s annoyance. When
she gets a holiday, or leave out, that is her time to enjoy the re-
creation of uproar. Her master, when engaged in professional calcula-
tions, is probably earning the income out of which her own wages are
paid. That alone is a sufficient reason why she has no right to the
enjoyment of an uproar which distracts his attention from his
labours.—Ed.
The Pope’s own Peer.
We are in a position to state that his Holiness the Pope has written
an autograph letter to the Marquis oe Normanby, thanking the noble
Marquis for the zeal and devotion which he has displayed on the right
side m the questions which he has put, and the speeches he has made in
the House of Lords touching Italian affairs. The Holy Father tells
Lord Normanby that the bitterness he is obliged to taste continually
is sweetened by his Lordship’s sympathy, which affords sherry to the
bitters. __
Classical Association.
Under the signature of “ A Wykehamist ” a correspondent of the
Morning Post suggests the establishment of ‘‘another first-class club,”
to consist of “ Eton, Winchester, Charterhouse, Rugby, and Harrow
men,” and to be called “ the Old Public Schools Club.” That seems
a roundabout and rather clumsy name. The proposed society had
better be called “ The Birch Club.”
Mere Impertinence.—Mr. Disraeli says that the Declaration ol
Paris ought to be altered. Well, Paris declared for Venus. Would
Mr. Disraeli have him declare for Jewno ?
Von. 42.
5