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amusement to the company； while the feet of five hundred nymphs were
cutting flicflacs on the stage at a few paces distant。 Ah； I remember a
different state of things！ Credite posteri。 To see these nymphs
gracious powers； how beautiful they were！ That leering； painted；
shrivelled； thin…armed； thick…ankled old thing； cutting dreary capers；
coming thumping down on her board out of time that an opera…dancer？
Pooh！ My dear Walter； the great difference between my time and yours；
who will enter life some two or three years hence； is that； now； the dancing
women and singing women are ludicrously old； out of time； and out of
tune； the paint is so visible； and the dinge and wrinkles of their wretched
old cotton stockings； that I am surprised how anybody can like to look at
them。 And as for laughing at me for falling asleep； I can't understand a
man of sense doing otherwise。 In my time； a la bonne heure。 In the
reign of George IV。； I give you my honour； all the dancers at the opera
were as beautiful as Houris。 Even in William IV。's time； when I think of
Duvernay prancing in as the Bayadere； I say it was a vision of loveliness
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such as mortal eyes can't see nowadays。 How well I remember the tune
to which she used to appear！ Kaled used to say to the Sultan； 〃My lord； a
troop of those dancing and singing gurls called Bayaderes approaches；〃
and； to the clash of cymbals； and the thumping of my heart； in she used to
dance！ There has never been anything like it never。 There never will
be I laugh to scorn old people who tell me about your Noblet； your
Montessu； your Vistris； your Parisot pshaw； the senile twaddlers！ And
the impudence of the young men； with their music and their dancers of to…
day！ I tell you the women are dreary old creatures。 I tell you one air in
an opera is just like another； and they send all rational creatures to sleep。
Ah； Ronzi de Begnis； thou lovely one！ Ah； Caradori； thou smiling angel！
Ah； Malibran！ Nay； I will come to modern times； and acknowledge that
Lablache was a very good singer thirty years ago （though Porto was the
boy for me）： and they we had Ambrogetti； and Curioni； and Donzelli； a
rising young singer。
But what is most certain and lamentable is the decay of stage beauty
since the days of George IV。 Think of Sontag！ I remember her in
Otello and the Donna del Lago in ‘28。 I remember being behind the
scenes at the opera （where numbers of us young fellows of fashion used to
go）； and seeing Sontag let her hair fall down over her shoulders previous
to her murder by Donzelli。 Young fellows have never seen beauty like
that； heard such a voice； seen such hair； such eyes。 Don't tell me！ A
man who has been about town since the reign of George IV。； ought he not
to know better than you young lads who have seen nothing？ The
deterioration of women is lamentable； and the conceit of the young
fellows more lamentable still； that they won't see this fact； but persist in
thinking their time as good as ours。
Bless me！ when I was a lad； the stage was covered with angels； who
sang； acted； and danced。 When I remember the Adelphi； and the
actresses there： when I think of Miss Chester； and Miss Love； and Mrs
Serle at Sadler's Wells； and her forty glorious pupils of the Opera and
Noblet； and the exquisite young Taglioni； and Pauline Leroux； and a host
more！ One much…admired being of those days I confess I never cared for；
and that was the chief male dancer a very important personage then；
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with a bare neck； bare arms； a tunic； and a hat and feathers； who used to
divide the applause with the ladies； and who has now sunk down a trap…
door for ever。 And this frank admission ought to show that I am not your
mere twaddling laudator temporis acti your old fogey who can see no
good except in his own time。
They say that claret is better nowadays； and cookery much improved
since the days of my monarch of George IV。 Pastry Cookery is
certainly not so good。 I have often eaten half…a… crown's worth （including；
I trust； ginger…beer） at our school pastrycook's； and that is a proof that the
pastry must have been very good； for could I do as much now？ I passed
by the pastrycook's shop lately； having occasion to visit my old school。 It
looked a very dingy old baker's； misfortunes may have come over him
those penny tarts certainly did not look so nice as I remember them： but
he may have grown careless as he has grown old （I should judge him to be
now about ninety…six years of age）； and his hand may have lost its
cunning。
Not that we were not great epicures。 I remember how we constantly
grumbled at the quantity of the food in our master's house which on my
conscience I believe was excellent and plentiful and how we tried once
or twice to eat him out of house and home。 At the pastrycook's we may
have over…eaten ourselves （I have admitted half…a…crown's worth for my
own part； but I don't like to mention the real figure for fear of perverting
the present generation of boys by my monstrous confession） we may
have eaten too much； I say。 We did； but what then？ The school
apothecary was sent for： a couple of small globules at night； a trifling
preparation of senna in the morning； and we had not to go to school； so
that the draught was an actual pleasure。
For our amusements； besides the games in vogue； which were pretty
much in old times as they are now （except cricket par exemple and I
wish the present youth joy of their bowling； and suppose Armstrong and
Whitworth will bowl at them with light field…pieces next）； there were
novels ah！ I trouble you to find such novels in the present day！ O
Scottish Chiefs； didn't we weep over you！ O Mysteries of Udolpho； didn't
I and Briggs Minor draw pictures out of you； as I have said？ Efforts；
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feeble indeed； but still giving pleasure to us and our friends。 〃I say； old
boy； draw us Vivaldi tortured in the Inquisition；〃 or； 〃Draw us Don
Quixote and the windmills； you know；〃 amateurs would say； to boys who
had a love of drawing。 〃Peregrine Pickle〃 we liked； our fathers admiring
it； and telling us （the sly old boys） it was capital fun； but I think I was
rather bewildered by it； though 〃Roderick Random〃 was and remains
delightful。 I don't remember having Sterne in the school library； no doubt
because the works of that divine were not considered decent for young
people。 Ah！ not against thy genius； O father of Uncle Toby and Trim；
would I say a word in disrespect。 But I am thankful to live in times when
men no longer have the temptation to write so as to call blushes on
women's cheeks； and would shame to whisper wicked allusions to honest
boys。 Then； above all； we had Walter Scott； the kindly； the generous； the
pure the companion of what countless delightful hours； the purveyor
of how much happiness； the friend whom we recall as the constant
benefactor of our youth！ How well I remember the type and the brownish
paper of the old duodecimo 〃Tales of My Landlord！〃 I have never dared
to read the 〃Pirate；〃 and the 〃Bride of Lammermoor；〃 or 〃Kenilworth；〃
from that day to this； because the finale is unhappy； and people die； and
are murdered at the end。 But 〃Ivanhoe；〃 and 〃Quentin Durward〃！ Oh！
for a half…holiday； and a quiet corner； and one of those books again！
Those books； and perhaps those eyes with which w