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MEMOIRS OF JOSEPH GKIMALBI. I f
"Wells without the pit effect. As the piece was withdrawn at
the end of a month, and he had nothing to do for the remainder of the season, he again repaired to Putney.
In Christmas 1783, he once more appeared at Drury Lane, in
a pantomime called "Hurly Burly."* In this piece he had to represent, not only the old part of the monkey, but that of a cat? besides; and in sustaining the latter character he met with an accident, his speedy recovery from which would almost induce one to believe that he had so completely identified himself with the character as to have eight additional chances for his life. The dress he wore was so clumsily contrived, that when it was sewn upon him he could not see before him; consequently) as he was running about the stage, he fell down a trap-door, which had been left open to represent a well, and tumbled down a distance of forty feet, thereby breaking his collar-bone, and inflicting several contusions upon his body. He was immediately conveyed home, and placed under the care of a surgeon, but he did not recover soon enough to appear any more that season at Drury Lane, although at Easter he performed at Sadler's "Wells as usual.
In the summer of this year, he used to be allowed, as a mark
of high and special favour, to spend every alternate Sunday at the house of his mother's father, " who," says Grimaldi himself, " resided in Newton-street, Holborn, and was a carcase butcher, doing a prodigious business; besides which, he kept the Blooms- bury slaughter-house, and, at the time of his death, had done so for more than sixty years." "With this grandfather, "Joe" was a great favourite; and as he was very much indulged and petted when he went to see him, he used to look forward to
* A pantomimical olio, entitled " The Caldron," in which G-rimaldi played
Clown, was produced at Drury-lanej September 27,1785, performed a few nights, and withdrawn. The pantomime of " Hurly Burly; or, the Fairy of the Wells," •was produced for the first time, on December 26, in that year, and not at Christ- mas, 1783. Grimaldi played " Clodpate," the Clown, in this piece: it was very successful.
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