Audiences have often been reproached by Writers for
the Coarseness of their Taste, but our present Grievance
does not seem to be the Want of a good Taste, but
of Common Sense.
C.
[Footnote 1: The famous Neapolitan actor and
singer, Cavalier Nicolino Grimaldi, commonly called
Nicolini, had made his first appearance in an opera
called ‘Pyrrhus and Demetrius,’ which was
the last attempt to combine English with Italian.
His voice was a soprano, but afterwards descended
into a fine contralto, and he seems to have been the
finest actor of his day. Prices of seats at the
opera were raised on his coming from 7s. 6d. to 10s.
for pit and boxes, and from 10s. 6d. to 15s. for boxes
on the stage. When this paper was written he had
appeared also in a new opera on ‘Almahide,’
and proceeded to those encounters with the lion in
the opera of Hydaspes, by a Roman composer,
Francesco Mancini, first produced May 23, 1710, which
the Spectator has made memorable. It had
been performed 21 times in 1710, and was now reproduced
and repeated four times. Nicolini, as Hydaspes
in this opera, thrown naked into an amphitheatre to
be devoured by a lion, is so inspired with courage
by the presence of his mistress among the spectators
that (says Mr Sutherland Edwards in his ‘History
of the Opera’)
’after appealing to the monster
in a minor key, and telling him that
he may tear his bosom, but cannot touch
his heart, he attacks him in
the relative major, and strangles him.’]
[Footnote 2: that]
* * * *
*
No. 14. Friday, March 16, 1711.
Steele.
... Teque his, Infelix, exue monstris.
Ovid.
I was reflecting this Morning upon the Spirit and
Humour of the publick Diversions Five and twenty Years
ago, and those of the present Time; and lamented to
my self, that though in those Days they neglected their
Morality, they kept up their Good Sense; but that the
beau Monde, at present, is only grown more
childish, not more innocent, than the former.
While I was in this Train of Thought, an odd Fellow,
whose Face I have often seen at the Play-house, gave
me the following Letter with these words, Sir, The
Lyon presents his humble Service to you, and desired
me to give this into your own Hands.
From my Den in the Hay-market, March 15.
SIR
’I have read all your Papers, and
have stifled my Resentment against your Reflections
upon Operas, till that of this Day, wherein you plainly
insinuate, that Signior Grimaldi and my self
have a Correspondence more friendly than is consistent
with the Valour of his Character, or the Fierceness
of mine. I desire you would, for your own Sake,
forbear such Intimations for the future; and must say
it is a great Piece of Ill-nature in you, to show
so great an Esteem for a Foreigner, and to discourage
