George’s-in-the-East，andhadfoundittobeanestablishmenthighlycreditabletothoseparts，andthoroughlywelladministeredbyamostintelligentmaster。Iremarkedinit，aninstanceofthecollateralharmthatobstinatevanityandfollycando。’ThiswastheHallwherethoseoldpaupers，maleandfemale，whomIhadjustseen，metfortheChurchservice，wasit？’-’Yes。’-’DidtheysingthePsalmstoanyinstrument？’-’Theywouldliketo，verymuch；theywouldhaveanextraordinaryinterestindoingso。’-
’Andcouldnonebegot？’-’Well，apianocouldevenhavebeengotfornothing，buttheseunfortunatedissensions-’Ah！better，farbetter，myChristianfriendinthebeautifulgarment，tohaveletthesingingboysalone，andleftthemultitudetosingforthemselves！YoushouldknowbetterthanI，butIthinkIhavereadthattheydidso，onceuponatime，andthat’whentheyhadsunganhymn，’SomeonenotinabeautifulgarmentwentupintotheMountofOlives。
Itmademyheartachetothinkofthismiserabletrifling，inthestreetsofacitywhereeverystoneseemedtocalltome，asI
walkedalong，’Turnthisway，man，andseewhatwaitstobedone！’
SoIdecoyedmyselfintoanothertrainofthoughttoeasemyheart。
But，Idon’tknowthatIdidit，forIwassofullofpaupers，thatitwas，afterall，onlyachangetoasinglepauper，whotookpossessionofmyremembranceinsteadofathousand。
’Ibegyourpardon，sir，’hehadsaid，inaconfidentialmanner，onanotheroccasion，takingmeaside；’butIhaveseenbetterdays。’
’Iamverysorrytohearit。’
’Sir，Ihaveacomplainttomakeagainstthemaster。’
’Ihavenopowerhere，Iassureyou。AndifIhad-’
’But，allowme，sir，tomentionit，asbetweenyourselfandamanwhohasseenbetterdays，sir。Themasterandmyselfarebothmasons，sir，andImakehimthesigncontinually；but，becauseIaminthisunfortunateposition，sir，hewon’tgivemethecounter-
sign！’
AsIshutthedoorofmylodgingbehindme，andcameoutintothestreetsatsixonadrizzlingSaturdayeveninginthelastpastmonthofJanuary，allthatneighbourhoodofCovent-gardenlookedverydesolate。Itissoessentiallyaneighbourhoodwhichhasseenbetterdays，thatbadweatheraffectsitsoonerthananotherplacewhichhasnotcomedownintheWorld。InitspresentreducedconditionitbearsathawalmostworsethananyplaceIknow。Itgetssodreadfullylow-spiritedwhendampbreaksforth。ThosewonderfulhousesaboutDrury-laneTheatre，whichinthepalmydaysoftheatreswereprosperousandlong-settledplacesofbusiness，andwhichnowchangehandseveryweek，butneverchangetheircharacterofbeingdividedandsub-dividedonthegroundfloorintomouldydensofshopswhereanorangeandhalf-a-dozennuts，orapomatum-pot，onecakeoffancysoap，andacigarbox，areofferedforsaleandneversold，weremostruefullycontemplatedthatevening，bythestatueofShakespeare，withtherain-dropscoursingoneanotherdownitsinnocentnose。Thoseinscrutablepigeon-holeoffices，withnothinginthemnotsomuchasaninkstandbutamodelofatheatrebeforethecurtain，where，intheItalianOperaseason，ticketsatreducedpricesarekeptonsalebynomadicgentlemeninsmearyhatstootallforthem，whomoneoccasionallyseemstohaveseenonrace-courses，notwhollyunconnectedwithstripsofclothofvariouscoloursandarollingball-thoseBedouinestablishments，desertedbythetribe，andtenantless，exceptwhenshelteringinonecorneranirregularrowofginger-
beerbottles，whichwouldhavemadeoneshudderonsuchanight，butforitsbeingplainthattheyhadnothinginthem，shrunkfromtheshrillcriesofthenews-boysattheirExchangeinthekennelofCatherine-street，likeguiltythingsuponafearfulsummons。Atthepipe-shopinGreatRussell-street，theDeath’s-headpipeswereliketheatricalmementomori，admonishingbeholdersofthedeclineoftheplayhouseasanInstitution。IwalkedupBow-street，disposedtobeangrywiththeshopsthere，thatwerelettingouttheatricalsecretsbyexhibitingtowork-a-dayhumanitythestuffofwhichdiademsandrobesofkingsaremade。Inoticedthatsomeshopswhichhadoncebeeninthedramaticline，andhadstruggledoutofit，werenotgettingonprosperously-likesomeactorsI
haveknown，whotooktobusinessandfailedtomakeitanswer。Inaword，thosestreetslookedsodull，and，consideredastheatricalstreets，sobrokenandbankrupt，thattheFOUNDDEADontheblackboardatthepolicestationmighthaveannouncedthedeceaseoftheDrama，andthepoolsofwateroutsidethefire-enginemaker’satthecornerofLong-acremighthavebeenoccasionedbyhishavingbroughtoutthewholeofhisstocktoplayuponitslastsmoulderingashes。
Andyet，onsuchanightinsodegenerateatime，theobjectofmyjourneywastheatrical。AndyetwithinhalfanhourIwasinanimmensetheatre，capableofholdingnearlyfivethousandpeople。
WhatTheatre？HerMajesty’s？Farbetter。RoyalItalianOpera？
Farbetter。Infinitelysuperiortothelatterforhearingin；
infinitelysuperiortoboth，forseeingin。ToeverypartofthisTheatre，spaciousfire-proofwaysofingressandegress。Foreverypartofit，convenientplacesofrefreshmentandretiringrooms。
Everythingtoeatanddrinkcarefullysupervisedastoquality，andsoldatanappointedprice；respectablefemaleattendantsreadyforthecommonestwomenintheaudience；ageneralairofconsideration，decorum，andsupervision，mostcommendable；anunquestionablyhumanisinginfluenceinallthesocialarrangementsoftheplace。
SurelyadearTheatre，then？BecausetherewereinLondonnotverylongagoTheatreswithentrance-pricesuptohalf-a-guineaahead，whosearrangementswerenothalfsocivilised。Surely，therefore，adearTheatre？Notverydear。Agalleryatthree-
pence，anothergalleryatfourpence，apitatsixpence，boxesandpit-stallsatashilling，andafewprivateboxesathalf-a-crown。
Myuncommercialcuriosityinducedmetogointoeverynookofthisgreatplace，andamongeveryclassoftheaudienceassembledinit-amountingthatevening，asIcalculated，toabouttwothousandandoddhundreds。Magnificentlylightedbyafirmamentofsparklingchandeliers，thebuildingwasventilatedtoperfection。
Mysenseofsmell，withoutbeingparticularlydelicate，hasbeensooffendedinsomeofthecommonerplacesofpublicresort，thatI
haveoftenbeenobligedtoleavethemwhenIhavemadeanuncommercialjourneyexpresslytolookon。TheairofthisTheatrewasfresh，cool，andwholesome。Tohelptowardsthisend，verysensibleprecautionshadbeenused，ingeniouslycombiningtheexperienceofhospitalsandrailwaystations。Asphaltpavementssubstitutedforwoodenfloors，honestbarewallsofglazedbrickandtile-evenatthebackoftheboxes-forplasterandpaper，nobenchesstuffed，andnocarpetingorbaizeused；acoolmaterialwithalightglazedsurface，beingthecoveringoftheseats。
ThesevariouscontrivancesareaswellconsideredintheplaceinquestionasifitwereaFeverHospital；theresultis，thatitissweetandhealthful。Ithasbeenconstructedfromthegroundtotheroof，withacarefulreferencetosightandsoundineverycorner；theresultis，thatitsformisbeautiful，andthattheappearanceoftheaudience，asseenfromtheproscenium-witheveryfaceinitcommandingthestage，andthewholesoadmirablyrakedandturnedtothatcentre，thatahandcanscarcelymoveinthegreatassemblagewithoutthemovementbeingseenfromthence-
ishighlyremarkableinitsunionofvastnesswithcompactness。
Thestageitself，andallitsappurtenancesofmachinery，cellarage，heightandbreadth，areonascalemoreliketheScalaatMilan，ortheSanCarloatNaples，ortheGrandOperaatParis，thananynotionastrangerwouldbelikelytoformoftheBritanniaTheatreatHoxton，amilenorthofSt。Luke’sHospitalintheOld-
street-road，London。TheFortyThievesmightbeplayedhere，andeverythiefridehisrealhorse，andthedisguisedcaptainbringinhisoiljarsonatrainofrealcamels，andnobodybeputoutoftheway。Thisreallyextraordinaryplaceistheachievementofoneman’senterprise，andwaserectedontheruinsofaninconvenientoldbuildinginlessthanfivemonths，ataroundcostoffive-and-
twentythousandpounds。Todismissthispartofmysubject，andstilltorendertotheproprietorthecreditthatisstrictlyhisdue，Imustaddthathissenseoftheresponsibilityuponhimtomakethebestofhisaudience，andtodohisbestforthem，isahighlyagreeablesignofthesetimes。
Asthespectatorsatthistheatre，forareasonIwillpresentlyshow，weretheobjectofmyjourney，Ienteredontheplayofthenightasoneofthetwothousandandoddhundreds，bylookingaboutmeatmyneighbours。Wewereamotleyassemblageofpeople，andwehadagoodmanyboysandyoungmenamongus；wehadalsomanygirlsandyoungwomen。Torepresent，however，thatwedidnotincludeaverygreatnumber，andaveryfairproportionoffamilygroups，wouldbetomakeagrossmis-statement。Suchgroupsweretobeseeninallpartsofthehouse；intheboxesandstallsparticularly，theywerecomposedofpersonsofverydecentappearance，whohadmanychildrenwiththem。Amongourdressesthereweremostkindsofshabbyandgreasywear，andmuchfustianandcorduroythatwasneithersoundnorfragrant。Thecapsofouryoungmenweremostlyofalimpcharacter，andwewhoworethem，slouched，high-shouldered，intoourplaceswithourhandsinourpockets，andoccasionallytwistedourcravatsaboutourneckslikeeels，andoccasionallytiedthemdownourbreastslikelinksofsausages，andoccasionallyhadascrewinourhairovereachcheek-
bonewithaslightThief-flavourinit。Besidesprowlersandidlers，weweremechanics，dock-labourers，costermongers，pettytradesmen，smallclerks，milliners，stay-makers，shoe-binders，slop-workers，poorworkersinahundredhighwaysandbyways。Manyofus-onthewhole，themajority-werenotatallclean，andnotatallchoiceinourlivesorconversation。Butwehadallcometogetherinaplacewhereourconveniencewaswellconsulted，andwherewewerewelllookedafter，toenjoyanevening’sentertainmentincommon。Wewerenotgoingtoloseanypartofwhatwehadpaidforthroughanybody’scaprice，andasacommunitywehadacharactertolose。So，wewerecloselyattentive，andkeptexcellentorder；andletthemanorboywhodidotherwiseinstantlygetoutfromthisplace，orwewouldputhimoutwiththegreatestexpedition。
Webeganathalf-pastsixwithapantomime-withapantomimesolong，thatbeforeitwasoverIfeltasifIhadbeentravellingforsixweeks-goingtoIndia，say，bytheOverlandMail。TheSpiritofLibertywastheprincipalpersonageintheIntroduction，andtheFourQuartersoftheWorldcameoutoftheglobe，glittering，anddiscoursedwiththeSpirit，whosangcharmingly。
Weweredelightedtounderstandthattherewasnolibertyanywherebutamongourselves，andwehighlyapplaudedtheagreeablefact。