"So, so," said the Duke of York, who, unperceived by Grimaldi, had followed his friend; "this is the way stakes are divided, eh?—I'll tell you what, Sir Godfrey, although Mr. Grimaldi is not a porter, I entertain no doubt that he would carry your box for you every evening upon such terms as these."
Having vented this joke, his Royal Highness returned to his box. As he was not often behind the scenes at the theatre, this was, with one exception, the only time Grimaldi encountered him.
CHAPTER XXII.
1818 to 1823.
Profit and Loss—Appearance of his Son at Covent Garden—His last engagement at Sadler's Wells—Accommodation of the Giants in the Dublin Pavilion—Alarming state of his health—His engagement at the Coburg—The liberality of Mr. Harris—Rapid decay of Grimaldi's constitution, his great sufferings, and last performance at Covent Garden—He visits Cheltenham and Birmingham with great success—Colonel Berkeley, Mr. Charles Kemble, and Mr. Bunn.
By his six weeks' excursion in 1818, Grimaldi cleared 682l. 12s. but the disastrous result of the Sadler's Wells season, and the expenditure of ready money in the purchase of his shares, swallowed up nearly the whole of his gains in the provinces—so that notwithstanding his great success and the enormous sums he had so recently acquired, the autumn of 1818 found him still poor, and entirely dependent on his salary for support. He looked forward, however, to the next season at Sadler's Wells, in the hope that some success might repay a portion of the money he had already lost.
The opening of Sadler's Wells[72] was attended by many difficulties and embarrassments. Only ten days before the commencement of the season, Mr. Charles Dibdin suddenly relinquished his post of acting stage-manager, and was with great difficulty prevailed upon to make the necessary arrangements for the first week. As he left the theatre at Whitsuntide, and nobody could be found to supply his place, Grimaldi was obliged to fill it himself, and to relinquish, though with great unwillingness, his summer excursion, with all its advantages. He produced a new pantomime of his own invention, called "The Fates," which ran the whole of the season, and drew very good houses. The result was, that when the books were made up at the end of the season, each of the proprietors had something to receive; which was a very agreeable improvement on the untoward prospects with which the preceding year had opened.
[72] Sadler's Wells opened on Easter Monday, April 12, 1819, with a pantomime, the scenes selected from successful harlequinades at that theatre, commencing with the opening from that of the "Talking Bird;" Clown, Mr. Grimaldi, with a new song, "Hot Codlins," composed by Mr. Whitaker; Columbine, Miss Tree, from the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane. On April 19, the "Great Devil" was revived; Nicola, Mr. Grimaldi; the Lady Matilda, Miss Tree: and on Whit Monday, May 31, the new harlequinade, called "The Fates, or Harlequin's Holiday," was produced under Grimaldi's immediate direction. He played the Clown; Bologna, as Harlequin, made his first appearance that evening, after a ten years' absence; Barnes, Pantaloon; the ever juvenile Widdicomb played the West Indian; and Columbine, Miss Tree. On the same night, at Covent Garden, "Mother Goose" was revived, with additional scenes from "Harlequin Munchausen," "Gulliver," and "Whittington." Ellar was the Harlequin, and Grimaldi had to play at both theatres in the two pieces. The pantomime was played at Covent Garden on July 19th, the last night of the season, by the express desire of the Duke and Duchess of Kent. The pantomime of "Harlequin's Holiday" continued uninterruptedly till August 9th, when it was announced it would be withdrawn for a short time, to re-embellish the scenery, machinery, and dresses, and would then be re-produced with additional scenes. On August 2, Grimaldi sustained Friday in the burletta of the "Bold Buccaneers," which was successfully repeated during the season. The Duke and Duchess, pleased with Grimaldi's performance at Covent Garden, visited Sadler's Wells, on August 27th. On September 13th, Grimaldi played Scaramouch, in "Don Juan;" Donna Anna, Miss Tree; when the bills announced a change of entertainments on the Monday following, September 20th, for the benefit of Mr. Grimaldi.