332
JUGGLERS.
where tlie Italian jugglers perform, or even a place in thetwo shilling gallery of our theatres, yet such people shouldhe, indeed, diverted, and not deprived of the rights andprivileges of freemen: were they to be denied the annualpleasure to see the able necromancer, Sicur Gyngeli, per-form his admirable tricks at Bartholomew fair, the goodpeople of the British metropolis would consider it a seriousinfringement upon their natural privileges.
Thus Anna, Dido’s sister, had early discovered the cheatsof the juggler’s art, and hence expresses herself:
lieu / sacri valum creorcs numira nobiSyT'Jkunt, spondent qua novis me die am me cusis.
44 (), soothmg priestcraft! (> the close disguise44 Of cheat, imposture, and well varnish’d lies !
44 With a pretended zeal, the shades they implore,
The gods of night, demurely they adore;u With promis’d cures, they gull our ea&v minds,
44 A solemn vow, which holy knavery binds.”
It is said, that when Gasner exhibited his deceptions inGermany, he was advised to try his art at Berlin or Gottin-gen , and drive out there, if it were possible, one of thesmallest of their devils; but since those cities were not thea-tres where he was likely to succeed, he did not venture toappear in them.
It would he, however, much belter, if the populace aredetermined absolutely to pay for being deceived, they shouldbe exposed to the,momentary deception of jugglers, than toa continual deception from their fellow men in whom thevconlide. Their deceptions are more easily seen through anddetected; and, consequently, they soon cease to become hurt-ful. As late as 1G01, a horse, which had been taught to performa number of tricks, was tried as one possessed of a devil, andactually condemned to be burnt l 1 At present, however, horsesof this kind, and even hogs, are so often publicly exposed inevery heretical country of Europe , that the Iloly SpanishInquisition itself, perhaps, would be ashamed of such a pro-secution. They might, probably, be advised that the labourof their teachers, and the docility of the animals, meriteda better return.
The grave portion of our readers will, we hope, pardonour indulgence in this playful mood; but we hope to illus-trate this subject better by the assumption of an innocent