Читать книгу The Pedestrian's Guide through North Wales. A tour performed in 1837 онлайн

33 страница из 66

The fourth act is over; and Triptolemus experiences a strange sensation rising from the bottom of his abdomen and gradually spreading itself over his whole body!—he feels less valiant than when first he donned the shining helmet (alias saucepan) and fastened the glittering falchion to his mailed side. Ting a ring ting! goes the prompter’s bell! Triptolemus was trembling at his post. The music ceases—the curtain rises—the martial music is played loudly behind the scenes, and the audience with breathless anxiety await the entrance of the dauntless hero, the brave Earl of Richmond.

The trumpeters have almost split their cheeks,—the troops march on, two and two—the Earl of Oxford then advances, next Sir James Blunt, and then Sir Walter Herbert. Triptolemus who had been advised to appear last, and with a rush to “take the natives by surprise,” as it is termed in theatrical phraseology, now darted forward to the footlights, “swift as an arrow from the Tartar bow.” The applause was deafening, and made him fancy that the gods were at war above him; nor was he much out in his conceit, for a chimney sweeper who had edged himself into the centre of the gallery at that moment, caused such a commotion amongst the goddesses, that they assisted, with their screams, the general uproar, and shouts and cat calls “shook the pond’rous roof.” This state of commotion was too violent to last, and at length silence was obtained, and the hero commenced—