THE KING OF CLOWNS.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XIII, Issue XVIII, 3 November 1894, Page 409

THE KING OF CLOWNS.

Joseph Gsimaldi, the celebrated clown, was the son of Signor Grimaldi, a dentist and dancer, who came to England in 1760, in the suite of Queen Charlotte, and who was the son of a far celebrated sauteur, who performed chiefly in France, and from his vast powers of jumping obtained the sobriquet of Ironlegs. The skill of Grimaldi the second as a dancer, and his inventive powers as a ballet master, were made known to Garrick, who engaged him in the latter capacity. Having become a favourite on the boards, he neglected his shop; but though be practised it less, he did not wholly resign his

calling of a dentist. His temper led him into a variety of disagreements with managers, on which occasions he returned to tooth drawing as a matter of course : and as his manners were remarkable, and his dialect ridiculous, many visited him, rather to notice his peculiarities than test hi B skill. The signor died on the 14th March, 1788. Joseph, his elder son, was born on the 18th December, 1779. He made his first appearance at Diury Lane Theatre when only two years and eight months old, in the character of the child in the serious pantomime of * Robinson Crusoe.’ At seven years of age little Joey was regularly engaged at that establishment. He gradually grew into the favour of the public as a serious pantomimist, but he did not for many years attempt to rival the Dslphinis, Follets, etc , who made our great-grandsires merry.

In 1798 he obtained the hand of Miss Hughes, whose father was the proprietor of Sadlei's Wells—a love match, though a prudential one in other respects. Mrs Grimaldi died In 1799. After remaining nearly three years a widower, in 1802 he led to the altar Miss Bristow, of Covent Garden

Theatre, by whom be had one son, Joseph, commonly known as * Young Joe.' Grimaldi remained at Drury until about 1808, when Mr Harris secured his services, and there he aided in the production of all the celebrated pantomimes, from * Mother Goose ’ down to * Harlequin Gulliver.* He was also engaged at Sadler’s Wells, and night after night he played clown there (the pantomime being performed first), and then repeated the character at Covent Garden, and on one occasion actually played clown three times in one evening—at Sadler's Wells, the Circus, and Coven t Garden. Having demanded too great a salary, the proprietors of Sadler’s Wells engaged Paulo in bis stead, and Grimaldi * starred ’ in the country, and in this expedition he amassed enough to buy his shares in that theatre. In 1823, when only torty-four years of age, he was overtaken by a premature decline of health, and, as he told the public, *my anxiety to merit your favours has excited me to more

exertion than my constitution could bear, and, like vaulting ambition, I have overleapt myself.' This was uttered at Drury Lane, on bis making the exertion of performing once more, to taking his final leave of the stage, on the 27th June, 1828. He then retired to near Woolwich, on a pension of £l3O from the Drury Lane Theatrical Fund, his post on the stage being taken by bis only son, Joseph Samuel William Grimaldi, who died of the etl'ects of intemperance in December, 1832.

In 1835 Grimaldi lost his wife, when he removed from Woolwich to Pentonville. The landlord of a neighbouring public bouse (the Marquis Cornwallis) was accustomed to fetch him on bis back in order to pass the evening with bis other guests, and to carry him home in the same fashion. He passed bis last evening in that manner in good spirits, and died suddenly in his bed during the night of May 31st, 1837.

To do adequate justice to the genius of Grimaldi (for such it was) is difficult, if not impossible. He bad but to show his face to create an atm raphere of merriment.