When the duke d’Aremberg was confined at Antwerp, a person was brought
in as a spy, and imprisoned in the same place. The duke observed some
slight sketches by his fellow prisoner on the wall, and, conceiving they
indicated talent, desired Rubens, with whom he was intimate, and by whom
he was visited, to bring with him a pallet and pencils for the painter,
who was in custody with him. The materials requisite for painting were
given to the artist, who took for his subject a group of soldiers
playing at cards in the corner of a prison. When Rubens saw the picture,
he cried out that it was done by Brouwer, whose works he had often seen,
and as often admired. Rubens offered six hundred guineas for it; the
duke would by no means part with it, but presented the painter with a
larger sum. Rubens exerted his interest, and obtained the liberty of
Brouwer, by becoming his surety, received him into his house, clothed as
well as maintained him, and took pains to make the world acquainted with
his merit. But the levity of Brouwer’s temper would not suffer him long
to consider his situation any better than a state of confinement; he
therefore quitted Rubens, and died shortly afterwards, in consequence of
a dissolute course of life.
[Illustration: ~Representation of a Pageant Vehicle and Play.~]
The state, and reverence, and show,
Were so attractive, folks would go
From all parts, ev’ry year, to see
These pageant-plays at Coventry.
This engraving is from a very curious print in Mr. Sharp’s “Dissertatien
on the Pageants or Dramatic Mysteries, anciently performed at
Coventry.”
Coventry is distinguished in the history of the drama, because, under
the title of “Ludus _Coventriæ_,” there exists a manuscript volume of
most curious early plays, not yet printed, nor likely to be, unless
there are sixty persons, at this time sufficiently concerned for our
ancient literature and manners, to encourage a spirited gentleman to
print a limited number of copies. If by any accident the manuscript
should be destroyed, these plays, the constant theme of literary
antiquaries from Dugdale to the present period, will only be known
through the partial extracts of writers, who have sometimes inaccurately
transcribed from the originals in the British Museum.[7]
Mr. Sharp’s taste and attainments qualifying him for the task, and his
residence at Coventry affording him facility of research among the
muniments of the corporation, he has achieved the real labour of drawing
from these and other unexplored sources, a body of highly interesting
facts, respecting the vehicles, characters, and dresses of the actors in
the pageants or dramatic mysteries anciently performed by the trading
companies of that city; which, together with accounts of municipal
entertainments of a public nature, form his meritorious volume.
Very little has been known respecting the stage “properties,” before the
rise of the regular drama, and therefore the abundant matter of that
nature, adduced by this gentleman, is peculiarly valuable. With “The
Taylors’ and Shearemens’ Pagant,” complete from the original manuscript,
he gives the songs and the _original music_, engraved on three plates,
which is eminently remarkable, because it is, perhaps, the only existing
specimen of the melodies in the old Mysteries. There are ten other
plates in the work; one of them represents the club, or maul, of Pilate,
a character in the pageant of the Cappers’ company. “By a variety of
entries it appears he had a club or maul, stuffed with wool; and that
the exterior was formed of leather, is authenticated by the actual
existence of such a club or maul, discovered by the writer of this
Dissertation, in an antique chest within the Cappers’ chapel, (together
with an iron cresset, and some fragments of armour,) where it had
probably remained ever since the breaking up of the pageant.” The
subject of the Cappers’ pageant was usually the trial and crucifixion of
Christ, and the descent into hell.
The pageant vehicles were high scaffolds with two rooms, a higher and a
lower, constructed upon four or six wheels; in the lower room the
performers dressed, and in the higher room they played. This higher
room, or rather, as it may be called, the “stage,” was all open on the
top, that the beholders might hear and see. On the day of performance
the vehicles were wheeled, by men, from place to place, throughout the
city; the floor was strewed with rushes; and to conceal the lower room,
wherein the performers dressed, cloths were hung round the vehicle:
there is reason to believe that, on these cloths, the subject of the
performance was painted or worked in tapestry. The higher room of the
Drapers’ vehicle was embattled, and ornamented with carved work, and a
crest; the Smiths’ had vanes, burnished and painted, with streamers
flying.
In an engraving which is royal quarto, the size of the work, Mr. Sharp
has laudably endeavoured to convey a clear idea of the appearance of a
pageant vehicle, and of the architectural appearance of the houses in
Coventry, at the time of performing the Mysteries. So much of that
engraving as represents the vehicle is before the reader on the
preceding page. The vehicle, supposed to be of the Smiths’ company, is
stationed near the Cross in the Cross-cheaping, and the time of action
chosen is the period when Pilate, on the charges of Caiphas and Annas,
is compelled to give up Christ for execution. Pilate is represented on a
throne, or chair of state; beside him stands his son with a sceptre and
poll-axe, and beyond the Saviour are the two high priests; the two armed
figures behind are knights. The pageant cloth bears the symbols of the
passion.
Besides the Coventry Mysteries and other matters, Mr. Sharp notices
those of Chester, and treats largely on the ancient setting of the watch
on Midsummer and St. John’s Eve, the corporation giants, morris dancers,
minstrels, and waites.
* * * * *
I could not resist the very fitting opportunity on the opening of the
new year, and of the _Table Book_ together, to introduce a memorandum,
that so important an accession has accrued to our curious literature,
as Mr. Sharp’s “Dissertation on the Coventry Mysteries.”
[7] By a notice in Mr. Sharp’s “Dissertation,” he proposes to publish
the “Coventry Mysteries,” with notes and illustrations, in two vols.
octavo: 100 copies on royal paper, at three guineas; and 25, on
imperial paper, at five guineas. Notwithstanding he limits the entire
impression to these 125 copies, and will commence to print as soon as
the _names_ of sixty subscribers are sent to his publishers, it
appears that this small number is not yet complete. The fact is
mentioned here, because it will be a reproach to the age if such an
overture is not embraced.
* * * * *
“THE THING TO A T.”
A young man, brought up in the city of London to the business of an
undertaker, went to Jamaica to better his condition. Business
flourished, and he wrote to his father in Bishopsgate-street to send
him, with a quantity of black and grey cloth, twenty gross of black
_Tacks_. Unfortunately he had omitted the top to his T, and the order
stood twenty gross of black _Jacks_. His correspondent, on receiving the
letter, recollected a man, near Fleet-market, who made quart and pint
tin pots, ornamented with painting, and which were called _black Jacks_,
and to him he gave the order for the twenty gross of _black Jacks_. The
maker, surprised, said, he had not so many ready, but would endeavour to
complete the order; this was done, and the articles were shipped. The
undertaker received them with other consignments, and was astonished at
the mistake. A friend, fond of speculation, offered consolation, by
proposing to purchase the whole at the invoice price. The undertaker,
glad to get rid of an article he considered useless in that part of the
world, took the offer. His friend immediately advertised for sale a
number of fashionable punch vases just arrived from England, and sold
the jacks, gaining 200 per cent.!
The young undertaker afterwards discoursing upon his father’s blunder,
was told by his friend, in a jocose strain, to order a gross of
warming-pans, and see whether the well-informed correspondents in London
would have the sagacity to consider such articles necessary in the
latitude of nine degrees north. The young man laughed at the suggestion,
but really put in practice the joke. He desired his father in his next
letter to send a gross of warming-pans, which actually, and to the great
surprise of the son, reached the island of Jamaica. What to do with this
cargo he knew not. His friend again became a purchaser at prime cost,
and having knocked off the covers, informed the planters, that he had
just imported a number of newly-constructed sugar ladles. The article
under that name sold rapidly, and returned a large profit. The parties
returned to England with fortunes, and often told the story of the black
jacks and warming-pans over the bottle, adding, that “Nothing is lost in
a good market.”
* * * * *