The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer | Page 8

the morning in question, then, I had scarcely left my quarters, when

one of my brother officers informed me that the Colonel had made a
great uproar, that one of the bills of the play had been put up on his
door --which, with his avowed dislike to such representations, he
considered as intended to insult him: he added, too, that the Colonel
attributed it to me. In this, however, he was wrong--and, to this hour, I
never knew who did it. I had little time, and still less inclination, to
meditate upon the Colonel's wrath--the theatre had all my thoughts; and
indeed it was a day of no common exertion, for our amusements were
to conclude with a grand supper on the stage, to which all the elite of
Cork were invited. Wherever I went through the city--and many were
my peregrinations--the great placard of the play stared me in the fact;
and every gate and shuttered window in Cork, proclaimed, "THE
PART OF OTHELLO, BY MR. LORREQUER."
As evening drew near, my cares and occupations were redoubled. My
Iago I had fears for--'tis true he was an admirable Lord Grizzle in Tom
Thumb --but then--then I had to paint the whole company, and bear all
their abuse besides, for not making some of the most ill-looking
wretches, perfect Apollos; but, last of all, I was sent for, at a quarter to
seven, to lace Desdemona's stays. Start not, gentle reader--my fair
Desdemona--she "who might lie by an emperor's side, and command
him tasks"--was no other than the senior lieutenant of the regiment, and
who was a great a votary of the jolly god as honest Cassio himself. But
I must hasten on--I cannot delay to recount our successes in detail. Let
it suffice to say, that, by universal consent, I was preferred to Kean; and
the only fault the most critical observer could find to the representative
of Desdemona, was a rather unlady-like fondness for snuff. But,
whatever little demerits our acting might have displayed, were speedily
forgotten in a champagne supper. There I took the head of the table;
and, in the costume of the noble Moor, toasted, made speeches,
returned thanks, and sung songs, till I might have exclaimed with
Othello himself, "Chaos was come again;"--and I believe I owe my
ever reaching the barrack that night to the kind offices of Desdemona,
who carried me the greater part of the way on her back.
The first waking thoughts of him who has indulged over-night, was not
among the most blissful of existence, and certainly the pleasure is not

increased by the consciousness that he is called on to the discharge of
duties to which a fevered pulse and throbbing temples are but ill-suited.
My sleep was suddenly broken in upon the morning after the play, but a
"row-dow-dow" beat beneath my window. I jumped hastily from my
bed, and looked out, and there, to my horror, perceived the regiment
under arms. It was one of our confounded colonel's morning drills; and
there he stood himself with the poor adjutant, who had been up all night,
shivering beside him. Some two or three of the officers had descended;
and the drum was now summoning the others as it beat round the
barrack-square. I saw there was not a moment to lose, and proceeded to
dress with all despatch; but, to my misery, I discovered every where
nothing but theatrical robes and decorations--there lay a splendid turban,
here a pair of buskins--a spangled jacket glittered on one table, and a
jewelled scimitar on the other. At last I detected my "regimental
small-clothes," &c. Most ignominiously thrust into a corner, in my
ardour for my Moorish robes the preceding evening.
I dressed myself with the speed of lightning; but as I proceeded in my
occupation-guess my annoyance to find that the toilet-table and glass,
ay, and even the basin-stand, had been removed to the dressing-room of
the theatre; and my servant, I suppose, following his master's example,
was too tipsy to remember to bring them back; so that I was unable to
procure the luxury of cold water--for now not a moment more
remained--the drum had ceased, and the men had all fallen in. Hastily
drawing on my coat, I put on my shako, and buckling on my belt as
dandy-like as might be, hurried down the stairs to the barrack-yard. By
the time I got down, the men were all drawn up in line along the square;
while the adjutant was proceeding to examine their accoutrements, &c.
as he passed down. The colonel and the officers were standing in a
group, but no conversing. The anger of the commanding officer
appeared still to continue, and there was a dead silence maintained on
both sides. To reach the spot where