nd, _in propria persona_, and he laughed so
heartily at the play, without once exhibiting any signs of annoyance
at the appearance of his supposed prototype, that the whole affair
wore a most absurd aspect; and thus terminated a singular specimen of
'great cry and little wool.'"

A stage wig has hardly since this risen to the importance of a state
affair. Yet the Chamberlain has sometimes interfered to stay any
direct stage portraiture of eminent characters. Thus Mr. Buckstone was
prohibited from appearing "made up" as Lord John Russell, and Mr. A.
Wigan, when performing the part of a French naval officer some
five-and-twenty years ago, was directed by the authorities to reform
his aspect, which too much resembled, it was alleged, the portraits of
the Prince de Joinville. The actor effected a change in this instance
which did not much mend the matter. It was understood at the time
indeed that he had simply made his costume more correct, and otherwise
had rather heightened than diminished his resemblance to the son of
Louis Philippe. Other stage-wig questions have been of minor
import--relating chiefly to the appropriateness of the _coiffures_ of
Hamlet and others. Should the Prince wear flaxen tresses or a
"Brutus"? Should the Moor of Venice appear in a negro's close woolly
curls, or are flowing locks permissible to him? These inquiries have a
good deal exercised the histrionic profession from time to time. And
there have been doubts about hair-powder and its compatibility with
tragic purposes. Mademoiselle Mars, the famous French actress, decided
upon defying accuracy of costume, and declined to wear a powdered wig
in a serious part. Her example was followed by Rachel, Ristori, and
others. When Auber's "Gustave, ou le Bal Masque," was in rehearsal,
the singers complained of the difficulty they experienced in
expressing passionate sentiments in the powdered wigs and stately
dress of the time of Louis XV. In the masquerade they were therefore
permitted to assume such costumes as seemed to them suited to the
violent catastrophe of the story. They argued that _"le moindre geste
violent peut exciter le rire en provoquant l'explosion d'un nuage
blanc; les artistes sont donc contraints de se tenir dans une reserve
et dans une immobilite qui jettent du froid sur toutes les
situations."_ It is true that Garrick and his contemporaries wore
hair-powder, and that in their hands the drama certainly did not lack
vehemently emotiona