Richardson, of Bartholomew Fair fame, who was responsible for the introduction of many novelties, first presented Girardelli to an English audience at Portsmouth, where her success was so pronounced that a London appearance was arranged for the same year; and at Mr.Laston's rooms, 23 New Bond Street, her performance attracted the most fashionable metropolitan audiences for a considerable time.Following this engagement she appeared at Richardson's Theater, at Bartholomew Fair, and afterwards toured England in the company of Signor Germondi, who exhibited a troupe of wonderful trained dogs.
One of the canine actors was billed as the ``Russian Moscow Fire Dog, an animal unknown in this country, (and never exhibited before) who now delights in that element, having been trained for the last six months at very great expense and fatigue.''
Whether Girardelli accumulated sufficient wealth to retire or became discouraged by the exposure of her methods cannot now be determined, but after she had occupied a prominent position in the public eye and the public prints for a few seasons she dropped out of sight, and I have been unable to find where or how she passed the later years of her life.
I am even more at a loss concerning her contemporary, John Brooks, of whom I have no other record than the following letter, which appears in the autobiography of the famous author-actor-manager, Thomas Dibdin, of the Theaters Royal, Covent Garden, Drury Lane, Haymarket and others.This one communication, however, absolves of any obligation to dig up proofs of John Brooks' versatility: he admits it himself.
To Mr.T.Dibdin, Esq.Pripetor of the Royal Circus.
May 1st, 1817.
Sir:
I have taken the Liberty of Riting those few lines to ask you the favour if a Greeable for me to Come to your House, as i Can do a great many different things i Can Sing a good Song and i Can Eat Boiling hot Lead and Rub my naked arms With a Red hot Poker and Stand on a Red hot sheet of iron, and do Diferent other things.--Sir i hope you Will Excuse me in Riting I do not Want any thing for my Performing for i have Got a Business that will Sirport me I only want to pass a Way 2 or 3 Hours in the Evening.
Sir i hope you Will Send me an Answer Weather Agreeple or not.
I am your Humble Servant, J.B.
Direct to me No.4 fox and Knot Court King Street Smithfield.
JOHN BROOKS.
We shall let this versatile John Brooks close the pre-Chabert record and turn our attention to the fire-eaters of Chabert's day.Imitation may be the sincerest flattery, but in most cases the victim of the imitation, it is safe to say, will gladly dispense with that form of adulation.
When Chabert first came to America and gave fresh impetus to the fire-eating art by the introduction of new and startling material, he was beset by many imitators, or--as they probably styled themselves--rivals, who immediately proceeded, so far as in them lay, to out-Chabert Chabert.
One of the most prominent of these was a man named W.C.Houghton, who claimed to have challenged Chabert at various times.In a newspaper advertisement in Philadelphia, where he was scheduled to give a benefit performance on Saturday evening, February 4th, 1832, he practically promised to expose the method of poison eating.Like that of all exposers, however, his vogue was of short duration, and very little can be found about this super-Chabert except his advertisements.The following will serve as a sample of them:
ARCH STREET THEATRE
BENEFIT
OF THE AMERICAN FIRE KING
