. Vanishing England . ies flocked to the boothsfor amusement, and during its continuance the play-houses of London were closed. I must not omit to mention the other attractions, thefireproof lady, Madam Giradelli, who put melted lead inher mouth, passed red-hot iron over her body, thrust herarm into fire, and washed her hands in boiling oil ; Paap, the Dutch dwarf, twenty-eight inches high ;bear-dancing, the learned pig, the beautiful spottednegro boy, peep-shows, Wombells royal menagerie, thelearned cats, and a female child with two perfect heads. But it is time to ring down the curt
. Vanishing England . ies flocked to the boothsfor amusement, and during its continuance the play-houses of London were closed. I must not omit to mention the other attractions, thefireproof lady, Madam Giradelli, who put melted lead inher mouth, passed red-hot iron over her body, thrust herarm into fire, and washed her hands in boiling oil ; Paap, the Dutch dwarf, twenty-eight inches high ;bear-dancing, the learned pig, the beautiful spottednegro boy, peep-shows, Wombells royal menagerie, thelearned cats, and a female child with two perfect heads. But it is time to ring down the curtain. The last daysof the fair were not edifying. Scenes of riot and debauch,of violence and lawlessness disgraced the assembly. Its VANISHING FAIRS 359 usefulness as a gathering for trade purposes had passedaway. It became a nuisance and a disgrace to older days the Lord Mayor used to ride in his grandcoach to our old gateway, and there proclaim it with agreat flourish of trumpets. In 1850 his worship walked. - ^ ? An Ancient Maker of Nets in a Kentisli Fair quietly to the accustomed place, and found that there wasno fair to proclaim, and five years later the formality wasentirely dispensed with, and silence reigned over the his-toric ground over which century after century the hearts ofour forefathers throbbed with the outspoken joys of old gateway, like many aged folk, has much onwhich to meditate in its advanced a^e. 360 VANISHING ENGLAND Many other fairs have been suppressed in recent years,but some survive and thrive with even greater vigourthan ever. Some are hiring fairs, where you may seeyoung men with whipcord in their caps standing in frontof inns ready to be hired by the farmers who come toseek labourers. Women and girls too come to be hired,but their number decreases every year. Such is theAbingdon fair, which no rustic in the adjoining villagesever thinks of missing. We believe that the Notting-ham Goose Fair, which is attended by very large crow
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