THE BALLOON OF THE WEEK.
TILE genuine Pantomime and legitimate Clown, driven from the stage by the encroachments of Burletta, take refuge in suburban grounds. The ascent of the "Nassau Balloon" from the pleasure- .grounds of Cremorne House realized in broad day-light the incon- gruous mixture of classes and characters that used only to be witnessed on the stage in pantomime. A genuine Clown, in full costume, sang "Hot Codlins" in the car; while a real Lord and a real Officer of the Life Guards stood beside him hob-nobbing with ladies in champagne. Then the cords were cut, and the -buoyant ball soared aloft with a bound, carrying with it this .heterogeneous party of jellifies's, just as Harlequin's magic sword was wont to make their prototypes of the stage disappear. The gazing crowd they left behind was as motley as any of the great slevisers of tricks and shiftings for Grimaldi could have desired : JI live Persian Ambassador with his suite were there to stroke their chins and cry " Ullah kerim," surrounded by staid citizens with.their myriad families, shop-clerks, and sempstresses making holyclay, "our own," and gentlemen of the swell mob.
Before the first French Revolution, a favourite amusement was the playing at equality in mason-lodges "brother duke" and "brother coal-porter" met and exchanged amenities in the dress of the order. When dietin.ctions of rank wer abolished, some ardent masons walked about in ecstacy, exclaiming, "This is masonry vow the whole of society are masons!" In this country, the ibeataical stage during the performance of a pantomime has hi- therto been the only proper type of equality—where all ranks and qualities jostled each other. But now, pantomime, as arst ma- mmy, has transferred its tricks to a wider stage. Young noble- men who take pleasure-trips with the Clown in full costume may *eat -he seen walking with him,asm in arm in Bond -Street. They main tacr.laim, " All the world is a pantomime !'"
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