ns from this pantomime,
the popularity of which he attributes wholly to Gherardi. It was
Biancolelli, however, who first brought it into favour and in whose
lifetime it was actually printed, a rare honour, although doubtless it
was owing to the great Gherardi that it retained and renewed its
success. Gherardi died 31 August, 1700.

As the author himself states in his preface, _Harlequin roi dans la
Lune_, a three act comedy by Bodard de Tezay, produced at the Varietes
Amusantes, 17 December, 1785, has nothing to do with the old Italian
scenes. An opera by Settle, entitled _The World in the Moon_, put on at
Drury Lane in 1697, is quite different from Mrs. Behn's farce. Settle
has written a comedy which deals with the rehearsal of a new opera, _The
New World in the Moon_. Tom Dawkins, a country lout just arrived in
London, is taken to the theatre to see the rehearsal, and ordinary comic
scenes intermingled with provision for elaborate sets, as the opera
proceeds, form the strangest jumble. The piece takes its name from the
first operatic scene, which represents a huge silver moon that gradually
wanes, whilst a song, 'Within this happy world above', is performed.

THEATRICAL HISTORY.

_The Emperor of the Moon_, which is certainly as Lowe says 'one of the
best pantomimic farces ever seen' on the English boards at any rate, was
produced with great success at the Duke's Theatre, Dorset Garden, in
1687. The character of Scaramouch was admirably suited to Tony Leigh, a
low comedian 'of the mercurial kind', who 'in humour ... loved to take a
full career', whilst Tom Jevon, young, slim and most graceful of
dancers, proved the King of all Harlequins, past, present and to come.
Lee and Jevon also acted the parts of Scaramouch and Harlequin in
Mountford's three act extravaganza, _Dr. Faustus_ (4to 1697), but
produced a decade earlier, probably November, 1685. Scaramouch is the
necromancer's man, and the comic scenes, although the stage tricks are
old, prove very good pantomime. It will be remembered that Harlequin and
Scaramouch are to be found in _The Rover_, Part II. Mrs. Behn's farce
kept its place in the repertory and long remained a favourite. On 18
September, 1702, at Drury Lane, Will Pinkethman, complying with the wish
of several friends and critics, essayed Harlequin without the
traditional black mask, 'but, alas! in vain: Pinkethman could not take
to himself the shame of the character without being concealed; he was n