| Citation |
MS-B.771.023
21 Mar 1771:114 (1/3)
[hand pointing right] Last Thursday evening a concert of
animal and instrumental music was performed to conclude the
partial joys of the day. A number of sconk shells were
commission'd for the amusement and pleasure of the company,
which was greatly encreased by the additional music of
several tunes, performed on the baby's whistles and rattles,
by the two little children, who were seated in a Lady's lap
for the advantage of being seen and heard. The tunes were
Daddy rising; Loss of Honour; Corrupted Virtue. The
attention of the company was sometimes engaged by the
appearance of a paste board skull stuffed with cotton wool,
introduced to act the part of Merry Andrew, to let the
company know there must always be one fool in the play. At
other times by the appearance of a lanthorn jaw'd monkey, in
the character of Gov. Bernard's baboon, attended by a
scraper or body bender to shew himself their humble servant,
but nobody's friend, and display a few ministerial monkey
tricks; this occasioned a frothy dispute between baboon and
scraper who was the best skill'd in apish airs, which was
left to the decision of the company, who agreed, that he who
had neither brains nor teeth should be deemed the best,
which was the happy lot of both. In the middle of all, was
placed an old-fashioned Lady, formerly a maid of honour,
with a foretop of hair Cherokeed, to imitate the Indian
dress, the sides plated in form of an Olive branch, which
engrossed the attention of many, who were highly diverted,
and thought it impossible for any one to ape an Indian squaw
to such perfection in dress. The diversion of the whole was
suddenly closed by the appearance of an outlawed tipler, or
ropy skull L---s playing on the bagpipe, which put him to
the necessity of breathing so furiously to supply the
musical pipe, and the upper shell being so very hollow, and
the parts not used to violent distentions, instantly
exploded, diffusing such a horrid, disagreeable stench as
routed the whole company, who directly left the room in
great confusion.
Mortals, disfigured as the fashions grow.
Make proper dupes and apes for public show!
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