streets；　so　broken　and　bankrupt；　that　the　FOUND　DEAD　on　the　black
  board　at　the　police　station　might　have　announced　the　decease　of　the
  Drama；　and　the　pools　of　water　outside　the　fire…engine　maker's　at
  the　corner　of　Long…acre　might　have　been　occasioned　by　his　having
  brought　out　the　whole　of　his　stock　to　play　upon　its　last
  smouldering　ashes。
  And　yet；　on　such　a　night　in　so　degenerate　a　time；　the　object　of　my
  journey　was　theatrical。　　And　yet　within　half　an　hour　I　was　in　an
  immense　theatre；　capable　of　holding　nearly　five　thousand　people。
  What　Theatre？　　Her　Majesty's？　　Far　better。　　Royal　Italian　Opera？
  Far　better。　　Infinitely　superior　to　the　latter　for　hearing　in；
  infinitely　superior　to　both；　for　seeing　in。　　To　every　part　of　this
  Theatre；　spacious　fire…proof　ways　of　ingress　and　egress。　　For　every
  part　of　it；　convenient　places　of　refreshment　and　retiring　rooms。
  Everything　to　eat　and　drink　carefully　supervised　as　to　quality；　and
  sold　at　an　appointed　price；　respectable　female　attendants　ready　for
  the　commonest　women　in　the　audience；　a　general　air　of
  consideration；　decorum；　and　supervision；　most　commendable；　an
  unquestionably　humanising　influence　in　all　the　social　arrangements
  of　the　place。
  Surely　a　dear　Theatre；　then？　　Because　there　were　in　London　（not
  very　long　ago）　Theatres　with　entrance…prices　up　to　half…a…guinea　a
  head；　whose　arrangements　were　not　half　so　civilised。　　Surely；
  therefore；　a　dear　Theatre？　　Not　very　dear。　　A　gallery　at　three…
  pence；　another　gallery　at　fourpence；　a　pit　at　sixpence；　boxes　and
  pit…stalls　at　a　shilling；　and　a　few　private　boxes　at　half…a…crown。
  My　uncommercial　curiosity　induced　me　to　go　into　every　nook　of　this
  great　place；　and　among　every　class　of　the　audience　assembled　in　it
  …　amounting　that　evening；　as　I　calculated；　to　about　two　thousand
  and　odd　hundreds。　　Magnificently　lighted　by　a　firmament　of
  sparkling　chandeliers；　the　building　was　ventilated　to　perfection。
  My　sense　of　smell；　without　being　particularly　delicate；　has　been　so
  offended　in　some　of　the　commoner　places　of　public　resort；　that　I
  have　often　been　obliged　to　leave　them　when　I　have　made　an
  uncommercial　journey　expressly　to　look　on。　　The　air　of　this　Theatre
  was　fresh；　cool；　and　wholesome。　　To　help　towards　this　end；　very
  sensible　precautions　had　been　used；　ingeniously　combining　the
  experience　of　hospitals　and　railway　stations。　　Asphalt　pavements
  substituted　for　wooden　floors；　honest　bare　walls　of　glazed　brick
  and　tile　…　even　at　the　back　of　the　boxes　…　for　plaster　and　paper；
  no　benches　stuffed；　and　no　carpeting　or　baize　used；　a　cool　material
  with　a　light　glazed　surface；　being　the　covering　of　the　seats。
  These　various　contrivances　are　as　well　considered　in　the　place　in
  question　as　if　it　were　a　Fever　Hospital；　the　result　is；　that　it　is
  sweet　and　healthful。　　It　has　been　constructed　from　the　ground　to
  the　roof；　with　a　careful　reference　to　sight　and　sound　in　every
  corner；　the　result　is；　that　its　form　is　beautiful；　and　that　the
  appearance　of　the　audience；　as　seen　from　the　proscenium　…　with
  every　face　in　it　commanding　the　stage；　and　the　whole　so　admirably
  raked　and　turned　to　that　centre；　that　a　hand　can　scarcely　move　in
  the　great　assemblage　without　the　movement　being　seen　from　thence　…
  is　highly　remarkable　in　its　union　of　vastness　with　compactness。
  The　stage　itself；　and　all　its　appurtenances　of　machinery；
  cellarage；　height　and　breadth；　are　on　a　scale　more　like　the　Scala
  at　Milan；　or　the　San　Carlo　at　Naples；　or　the　Grand　Opera　at　Paris；
  than　any　notion　a　stranger　would　be　likely　to　form　of　the　Britannia
  Theatre　at　Hoxton；　a　mile　north　of　St。　Luke's　Hospital　in　the　Old…
  street…road；　London。　　The　Forty　Thieves　might　be　played　here；　and
  every　thief　ride　his　real　horse；　and　the　disguised　captain　bring　in
  his　oil　jars　on　a　train　of　real　camels；　and　nobody　be　put　out　of
  the　way。　　This　really　extraordinary　place　is　the　achievement　of　one
  man's　enterprise；　and　was　erected　on　the　ruins　of　an　inconvenient
  old　building　in　less　than　five　months；　at　a　round　cost　of　five…and…
  twenty　thousand　pounds。　　To　dismiss　this　part　of　my　subject；　and
  still　to　render　to　the　proprietor　the　credit　that　is　strictly　his
  due；　I　must　add　that　his　sense　of　the　responsibility　upon　him　to
  make　the　best　of　his　audience；　and　to　do　his　best　for　them；　is　a
  highly　agreeable　sign　of　these　times。
  As　the　spectators　at　this　theatre；　for　a　reason　I　will　presently
  show；　were　the　object　of　my　journey；　I　entered　on　the　play　of　the
  night　as　one　of　the　two　thousand　and　odd　hundreds；　by　looking　about
  me　at　my　neighbours。　　We　were　a　motley　assemblage　of　people；　and　we
  had　a　good　many　boys　and　young　men　among　us；　we　had　also　many　girls
  and　young　women。　　To　represent；　however；　that　we　did　not　include　a
  very　great　number；　and　a　very　fair　proportion　of　family　groups；
  would　be　to　make　a　gross　mis…statement。　　Such　groups　were　to　be
  seen　in　all　parts　of　the　house；　in　the　boxes　and　stalls
  particularly；　they　were　composed　of　persons　of　very　decent
  appearance；　who　had　many　children　with　them。　　Among　our　dresses
  there　were　most　kinds　of　shabby　and　greasy　wear；　and　much　fustian
  and　corduroy　that　was　neither　sound　nor　fragrant。　　The　caps　of　our
  young　men　were　mostly　of　a　limp　character；　and　we　who　wore　them；
  slouched；　high…shouldered；　into　our　places　with　our　hands　in　our
  pockets；　and　occasionally　twisted　our　cravats　about　our　necks　like
  eels；　and　occasionally　tied　them　down　our　breasts　like　links　of
  sausages；　and　occasionally　had　a　screw　in　our　hair　over　each　cheek…
  bone　with　a　slight　Thief…flavour　in　it。　　Besides　prowlers　and
  idlers；　we　were　mechanics；　dock…labourers；　costermongers；　petty
  tradesmen；　small　clerks；　milliners；　stay…makers；　shoe…binders；
  slop…workers；　poor　workers　in　a　hundred　highways　and　byways。　　Many
  of　us　…　on　the　whole；　the　majority　…　were　not　at　all　clean；　and　not
  at　all　choice　in　our　lives　or　conversation。　　But　we　had　all　come
  together　in　a　place　where　our　convenience　was　well　consulted；　and
  where　we　were　well　looked　after；　to　enjoy　an　evening's
  entertainment　in　common。　　We　were　not　going　to　lose　any　part　of
  what　we　had　paid　for　through　anybody's　caprice；　and　as　a　community
  we　had　a　character　to　lose。　　So；　we　were　closely　attentive；　and
  kept　excellent　order；　and　let　the　man　or　boy　who　did　otherwise
  instantly　get　out　from　this　place；　or　we　would　put　him　out　with　the
  greatest　expedition。
  We　began　at　half…past　six　with　a　pantomime　…　with　a　pantomime　so
  long；　that　before　it　was　over　I　felt　as　if　I　had　been　travelling
  for　six　weeks　…　going　to　India；　say；　by　the　Overland　Mail。　　The
  Spirit　of　Liberty　was　the　principal　personage　in　the　Introduction；
  and　the　Four　Quarters　of　the　World　came　out　of　the　globe；
  glittering；　and　discoursed　with　the　Spirit；　who　sang　charmingly。
  We　were　delighted　to　understand　that　there　was　no　liberty　anywhere
  but　among　ourselves；　and　we　highly　applauded　the　agreeable　fact。
  In　an　allegorical　way；　which　did　as　well　as　any　other　way；　we　and
  the　Spirit　of　Liberty　got　into　a　kingdom　of　Needles　and　Pins；　and
  found　them　at　war　with　a　potentate　who　called　in　to　his　aid　their
  old　arch　enemy　Rust；　and　who　would　have　got　the　better　of　them　if
  the　Spirit　of　Liberty　had　not　in　the　nick　of　time　transformed　the
  leaders　into　Clown；　Pantaloon；　Harlequin；　Columbine；　Harlequina；
  and　a　whole　family　of　Sprites；　consisting　of　a　remarkably　stout
  father　and　three　spineless　sons。　　We　all　knew　what　was　coming　when
  the　Spirit　of　Liberty　addressed　the　king　with　a　big　face；　and　His
  Majesty　backed　to　the　side…scenes　and　began　untying　himself　behind；
  with　his　big　face　all　on　one　side。　　Our　excitement　at　that　crisis
  was　great；　and　our　delight　unbounded。　　After　this　era　in　our
  existence；　we　went　through　all　the　incidents　of　a　pantomime；　it　was
  not　by　any　means　a　savage　pantomime；　in　the　way　of　burning　or
  boiling　people；　or　throwing　them　out　of　window；　or　cutting　them　up；
  was　often　very　droll；　was　always　liberally　got　up；　and　cleverly
  presented。　　I　noticed　that　the　people　who　kept　the　shops；　and　who
  represented　the　passengers　in　the　thoroughfares；　and　so　forth；　had
  no　conventionality　in　them；　but　were　unusually　like　the　real　thing
  …　from　which　I　infer　that　you　may　take　that　audience　in　（if　you
  wish　to）　concerning　Knights　and　Ladies；　Fairies；　Angels；　or　such
  like；　but　they　are　not　to　be　done　as　to　anything　in　the　streets。　　I
  noticed；　also；　that　when　two　young　men；　dressed　in　exact　imitation
  of　the　eel…and…sausage…cravated　portion　of　the　audience；　were
  chased　by　policemen；　and；　finding　themselves　in　danger　of　being
  caught；　dropped　so　suddenly　as　to　oblige　the　policemen　to　tumble
  over　them；　there　was　great　rejoicing　among　the　caps　…　as　though　it
  were　a　delicate　reference　to　something　they　had　heard　of　before。
  The　Pantomime　was　succeeded　by　a　Melo…Drama。　　Throughout　the
  evening　I　was　pleased　to　observe　Virtue　quite　as　triumphant　as　she
  usually　is　out　of　doors；　and　indeed　I　thought　rather　more　so