“September 27th. Another party of the officers, under Lieut. Blight’s direction, performed (with the addition of some good scenery, painted by Mr. Adams, master’s mate) The Mock Doctor. Characters taken by Messrs. Pitt, Laurence, Johnstone, Geikie, Martin, and Peyton, with Masters Lauzun and Snell as Dorcas and Charlotte. The ship’s company, whose theatre was amidships, near the main mast on the main deck, also performed The Tragedy of Pizarro and at the end of the first act was recited The Soliloquy of Dick the Apprentice.
“Wednesday, October 9th. We had the play of Columbus; or, A World Discovered, and Rattray, Thorndyke, Wilson, Hurst, Pitt, Austin, Bidgood, and myself acted, the character of the High Priest of the Sun being taken by Wichelo, and ladies by Midshipmen Pinett and Pyne, Priestessess by Masters Shepherd, Bowden, Lever, Jones, etc. On the playbill it was announced, ‘In the course of the Performance will be two splendid Processions—a view of the Interior of the Temple of the Sun, with a Grand Altar burning Incense, etc. Grand Hymn of the Priestesses, etc. Towards the close of the Play the Destruction of the Temple by an Earthquake accompanied by Thunder, Lightning, and Hail-Storm! with the rescue of Cora from the Ruins by Alonzo!!
“Catherine and Petruchio was the last performance, a few days before the action of Trafalgar, together with a Play called The Village, which I wrote.
“It was on the evening of the 19th of October—Saturday—while I was with some officers in my cabin in the Gunroom, where we were preparing for another Play for the following Monday, and we were rehearsing, when one of the Midshipmen came to inform us that a Frigate was joining the Fleet, with signals flying ‘That the Enemy were at sea.’ We immediately broke up our theatrical conference. That night was partly passed in the bustle of preparation, while we stood under easy sail towards Cadiz.”[21]
We have in addition the text of a prologue to one of the midshipmen’s plays, presented before Lord Northesk and the officers. It gives one the best possible idea of the magnificent self-confidence with which the British Fleet anticipated the issue of Trafalgar.
Address.
[Spoken on board his Majesty’s ship “Britannia,” off Cadiz.]
My Lord and Gentlemen,—Alas! off Cadiz,
How hard it is we can’t address the ladies,
For “if the brave alone deserve the fair,”