From these sources we collect, most distinctly, that the popularity of Punch was completely established, and that he triumphed over all his rivals, materially lessening the receipts at least at the Opera, if not at the regular national theatres, and accomplishing at that period, by his greater attractiveness, what Dennis, by his “Essay on Operas after the Italian manner,” and other critiques de profession, had been unable to effect. He could hardly have taken such firm possession of the public mind if he had only recently emigrated from his native country.
The late Mr. Joseph Strutt, in his “Sports and Pastimes of the People of England,” thus speaks of the puppet-shows in his time: “In my memory these shows consisted of a wretched display of wooden figures, barbarously formed and decorated, without the least degree of taste or propriety: the wires that communicated the motion to them appeared at the top of their heads, and the manner in which they were made to move evinced the ignorance and inattention of the managers. The dialogues were mere jumbles of absurdities and nonsense, intermixed with low, immoral discourses, passing between Punch and the fiddler, for the orchestra rarely admitted of more than one minstrel; and these flashes of merriment were made offensive to decency by the actions of the puppet.”
From whatever cause the change may have arisen, certain it is that at present, in the ordinary exhibitions of “Punch and Judy,” the breaches of decorum complained of by Mr. Strutt are rare and slight.
We have never seen less than two men concerned in these ambulatory exhibitions: one to carry the theatre and use Punch’s tin whistle, and the other to bear the box of puppets and blow the trumpet. During the performance the money is collected from the bystanders, and far from agreeing with Mr. Strutt that the contributions are “very trifling,” we have seen, for we have taken the pains to ascertain it, three, four and five shillings obtained at each repetition; so that, supposing only ten performances take place in a summer’s day, the reward to the two men, on an average, might be about a sovereign each. On one occasion we remember to have seen three different spectators give sixpence, besides the pennies elsewhere contributed, on which the collector went back to the theatre and whispered the exhibitor, who immediately made Punch thus address the crowd: “Ladies and gentlemen, I never yet played for sevenpence halfpenny, and I never will; so good-morning.” He then “struck his tent” and departed, pocketing nearly two shillings, and excusing himself from going through the performance, under pretence that all the contributions he had received only amounted to sevenpence halfpenny.
[CHAPTER III.]
ANTIQUITY OF PUNCH IN AMERICA.
In the preceding chapters we have spoken of the origin, progress and high esteem held for Punch and puppet-plays throughout the countries of Italy and England; and judging from our own personal experience and actual knowledge, in still greater favor may Punch be said to hold for himself amongst the fun-loving Americans. What children’s party is brought to a perfect state of merriment unless with the greetings and comicalities of Mr. Punch?
Though for a while the tracing of the adventures and travels of Mr. Punch throughout this land is lost, yet we have before us sufficient to show that his family are of good antiquity, the New York Gazette of Feb. 20th, 1739, having the following announcement: