Joseph Wilmot, or, The Memoirs of a Man-Servant — page 92: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

79 hollow formed by rocks overhauging the place, two | little ones began to renew their antics joyously vehicles resembling the gipsy-carts one sees in|} and gleefully before me, I tossed? them each a shady lanes in England, were standing ; and a larger piece of silver, which enhanced their mirth couple of miserable-looking horses were nibbling into the most exuberant delight. Two chests con- away at the grass at a little distance. A fire was | taining the “ properties,’ were open upon the lighted upon the ground ; and over it, by means of ground; and on ;the ground itself a portion of three upright poles, joining at the upper ends, was their contents: were spread. There were articles JOSEPH WILMOT; OR, THE MEMOIRS OF A MAN-SERVANT. suspended a cauldron, also in the true gipsy- fashion. This however was no gipsy encampment : but three or four men, as many females, and a couple of children, were dressing themselves in the costume of itinerant mountebanks and morris- dancers. Without much regard to decency, they were thus performing their toilets in the open air —that place being a dressing-room with which nature had furnished them. © The moment I was descried by the troop, the two little half-naked children came running to- wards me; and in the French language they begged me to give them a few sows. One was a girl of about nine—the other a boy of seven; and both were nice-looking children,—their limbs displaying a marvellous elasticity and lightness as they thus bounded towards me. But when I gave them each a small silver coin, they cut such capers, turning head over heels, and curvetting in the air, that I was quite astonished at these specimens of what they were professionally able to perform. Expressing their thanks in joyous tones, they bounded back to the troop, to whom they displayed the pieces of money, which were evidently a per- fect treasure in their estimation. A man, also half-dressed, now came hastening towards me with a bottle in one hand and a glass in the other; and speaking in French, he begged me to take a drop of brandy, which he proffered in order to display his gratitude for my kindness towards his children. He was a tall slender person, about forty years of age, with a well-knit frame, and limbs as elastic as those of a tight-rope dancer. I declined the proffered refreshment—but questioned him as to the pursuits of himself and his comrades. I learnt that they were a troop of dancers and mountebanks, as I had anticipated—that he and his family (consisting of his wife and those two children) were French—and that the rest of the party were Savoyards—that they travelled in this gipsy-fashion from place to place—and that they were now dressing themselves in their professional attire in order to pay a visit to the adjacent village. The man assured me that they experienced more Sympathy and picked up more money in small hamlets than in large towns; and that they had been doing tolerably well for the last few weeks, during which their exhibitions were altogether confined to the Apennine villages. Having given me these particulars in a frank and ingenuous manner, he invited me to come amongst the of quaint costume, male and female—wigs of various colours—masks—boxes of rouge and pallets of paint. Pretending to be inspired by curiosity, I examined these articles,—especially directing my attention to the wigs. The French mountebank who had conducted me thither, fancy- ing that I was deeply interested in their proceed- ings, opened a tin box and exhibited several pairs of false whiskers and moustaches, as well as an im- mense black beard; and he informed me that all these succedaneous articles were his,own handi- work—for that he was properly a hairdresser by ~ trade, but that being ruined by misfortunes, and having always had a taste for a roving life, he had taken to the pursuits in which I now found him engaged. “And my wife too,” he added, indicating a good-looking woman of about two-and-thirty, who was apparelled in some fairy costume, and was now addressing herself to the completion of her. children’s fancy toilet,—“my wife too is much happier than when we had the cares of a business that was never profitable: for to tell you the truth, sir, we were both too fond of frequenting - the theatres and places of amusement ever to get on. Now we lead a merry life, and have no tax- collectors knocking at our door—no landlord com- ing for his rent. But pray examine these spe- cimens,”’ continued the man, showing me the false whiskers and moustaches. “I flatter myself that ixcuse me for saying that your beardless coun- tenance would be wonderfully improved by a pair of these whiskers: and if you were only to add the moustache, you would be perfectly irresistible amongst the ladies !” “Do you think so?” I asked with a smile. “But could not any keen eye detect that they were false P” ’ “Tt all depends, sir, on .the way in which they are put on,’ replied the mountebank. “If you seriously thought of accepting the little present which I am desirous to make you in return for your kindness towards the children, I would fasten them myself in the first instance; and you would afterwards be enabled to do it for yourself with the utmost nicety and precision.” “And what do these bottles contain?” I in- quired, as I perceived three or four phials at the bottom of the tin box. “Dyes for the complexion,” responded the troop, and see how they decorated themselves for | Frenchman: “we sometimes use them in par- their performance. on the score of the females: but he assured me that their toilet was now all but finished—and I accepted the invitation; for a certain idea was already floating vaguely in my mind—namely, | no Paris artiste could turn out anything better. I at first made some scruple | ticular performances. They are mere decoctions of herbs that grow wild amongst these mountains— and here, for instance, are some!” As he spoke he took from one of the trunks a | quantity of the very same herb that I had been that possibly I now had an opportunity of pro- searching for, and with which my pockets were curing a better disguise than I had as yet anti- cipated. filled: so that I at once saw I might save myself the trouble of making my own brewing, by the On arriving amongst the group, I was welcomed | purchase of one of these phials. with smiles of gratitude for the money which I “These specimens of hair,’ I said, “ are really had bestowed upon the children; and as these | so excellent that I shall certainly avail myself of ener represen nec gemcapeesetnp aces aa asish estos Sean anoaasovesaasienpetieiomasiniinastaaabrsios asd aeapcesuiseemiees oamamnebaba naa anedesact haps SORIA NSO OR eeprom NENA CORNICE LOO@ S (CO) ii