116A (Vol. 2)

PLAY UPON WORDS.—ASTLEY having announced his new House under the head of “The Amphitheatre of Arts,” occasioned the following definition to be given of it by a wag, who, on being asked what motive the Manager could have in view by such a name, replied as follows:--the Art of fascinating by machinery; the Art of training a horse; the Art of making a dancer; the Art of captivating by music; the Art to draw a crowded audience; the Art to delight them when drawn together; the Art to make them return again; the Art to please the eye; the Art to charm the sense; and, lastly, (which, by the bye, may be termed the ne plus ultra of the whole) the Art of reimbursing himself the expenses at ending the Art of drawing all the before-mentioned Arts together.