a strikes the ground; a bed
of roses appears. Harlequin surveys everything, and runs round the
stage. Earth sinks in the bed of roses, and Water in the fountains.
Air ascends in the car. Columbine enters dancing; is amazed at the
sight of Harlequin, who retires from her with equal surprise; they
follow each other round the fountain in a _pas de deux_. They are
surprised by the entrance of Columbine's guardian, who comes in
preceded by servants in rich liveries. Clown, as his running footman,
enters with a lap-dog. Old man takes snuff; views himself in a
pocket-glass. Clown imitates him; old man sees Harlequin and
Columbine, and pursues them round the fountains, but the lovers go
off, followed by Sir Amoroso and servants." The lovers are pursued
through some sixteen scenes, till the fairies unite them in the Temple
of the Elements. At this time, it is to be noted, the last scene held
that place as a spectacle which is now enjoyed by the transformation
scene. Throughout the pantomime the relations of Clown and Pantaloon,
or Sir Amoroso, the guardian (he is called by these titles
indifferently), as master and servant are carefully preserved.

Although in "Harlequin in his Element" there appears little answering
to the modern "opening," and no "transformation" of the characters,
yet both these peculiarities are to be discovered in the famous
pantomime of "Mother Goose," which was presented to the town a year
sooner, and was the work of the same author. In "Mother Goose" there
are four opening scenes and fifteen of harlequinade--the pantomime of
to-day generally reversing this arrangement of figures. Colin, a young
peasant, is changed to Harlequin; Collinette, his mistress, to
Columbine; Squire Bugle to Clown; and Avaro, an old miser, to
Pantaloon. In the harlequinade are scenes of Vauxhall Gardens, and the
exterior of St. Dunstan's Church, Fleet Street, with a crowd assembled
to see the figures strike the bell (these figures were subsequently
removed to the Marquis of Hertford's villa, in the Regent's Park), a
grocer's shop and post-office, an inn, a farm-yard, &c.; while many of
the tricks are identical with those still delighting holiday
audiences; but the allusions to political events and current topics,
so dear to modern purveyors of burlesque and pantomime, have no place
in the entertainment. The doggerel and songs of the opening are
without puns or pretensions of a comic kind, and must certainly be
described as rathe