"BARTHOLOMEW FAIR"

The first public performance of Ben Johnson's "Bartholomew Fair," the tenth play of the Harvard Chapter of the Delta Upsilon fraternity, will be given this evening at 8 o'clock in Brattle Hall. The second performance will be given in Jordan Hall, Boston, on Monday, and the third in Brattle Hall next Thursday. There will be a performance in "The Barn," Wellesley, April 11, and at the Academy of Music, Northampton, on April 20. Tickets at $1.50 and $1 may be obtained from W. L. Stevens '08, Weld 8, and at Thurston's or Herrick's.

A. S. Hills '00, formerly of the department of public speaking, assisted by B. G. Willard, instructor in public speaking, has prepared the play for performance and has coached the players. The incidental music is by A. M. Hurlin 2G.

"Bartholomew Fair" was first produced at the Hope Theatre, London, in 1614, and quickly became one of the most popular pieces of the time. After the Restoration it was revived, and the part of Cokes was played by Nokes, the most celebrated comic actor of his day.

The comedy presents a lively picture of London life three centuries ago. There is little plot but much action, centring in a typical Smithfield fair in London, where there is plenty of petty thieving, and much buying and selling of wares.

Cokes, a country squire, comes up to London to the fair, to get his marriage license, attended by Waspe, his testy guardian, who calls for the license at John Littlewit's. Mrs. Littlewit conceives a violent craving for roast pig, and Dame Purecraft, her mother, and Rabbi Zeal-of-the-Land Busy, both hypocritical Puritans, agree to escort her to the fair, where it may be obtained, although they protest loudly against the vanity of such shows. The Rabbi salves his conscience for going by promising to eat to the fall of the wicked and to "eat exceedingly." Overdo, a justice of the peace, appropriately disguised as a fool, comes to the fair on the scent for "enormities" which he immediately begins to discover and try to correct; but he ends by getting himself well beaten on the suspicion of having cut Cokes's purse.

Arrived at the fair, Busy warns the Littlewits to beware of the "heathen," and all enter Ursula's booth to partake of pig. Justice Overdo enters, still preserving his incognito, and the extravagant Cokes begins to buy up all the toys and ginger-bread at the fair. He has his purse cut by Edgworth while Nightingale creates a diversion by ballad singing, and Justice Overdo, suspected of the theft, is given into custody. The Puritanical Busy then tries to seize Leatherhead's toys on the ground that they are "idols" which must be "torn down," and is arrested for his pains.

Act IV discloses him in the stocks where he finds Justice Overdo and Waspe, who has been sent there for fighting. The stupid watchmen get into a fight with a harmless madman, and the distinguished culprits escape. This act is further enlivened by a fight between two gallants, Quarlous and Winwife, for the hand of Grace Wellborn.

In the last act the toyman presents in a puppet show a ridiculous parody on the story of Hero and Leander. The zealous Busy rushes in to pull down the puppets, but, consenting to a debate with them, he is utterly routed by their arguments. Justice Overdo then reveals his identity in order to stop the show, and reads off the list of misdoings he has discovered. All the "enormities" are turned upon him, and he finds he has been mistaken in every individual case. Conciliated, he seeks reconciliation with the falsely accused by a general invitation to go home with him to supper.

The cast is as follows:

Induction,  C. B. Wetherell '08John Littlewit,  T. Eaton '08Zeal-of-the-Land Busy,  J. C. Bills, Jr., '09Winwife,  F. Izard '08Tom Quarlous,  O. L. M. H. Lyding '09Bartholomew Cokes,  F. A. Wilmot '10Humphrey Waspe,  H. R. Shipherd '08Adam Overdo,  C. B. Wetherell '08Lanthorn Leatherhead,  J. A. Eccles '10Ezekiel Edgworth,  L. R. Martineau, Jr., '09Nightingale,  R. M. Middlemass '09Mooncalf,  C. W. Burton '08Dan Jordan Knockem,  A. W. Sampson '09Val Cutting,  G. A. McKay '08Trouble-All,  R. H. Smith '10Haggise,  C. W. Burton '08Bristle,  F. S. Howe '08Filcher,  C. E. Hale '10Sharkwell,  J. W. Baker '08Northern,  C. E. Hale '10Puppy,  C. C. Rausch '09Pocher,  F. L. Baker '09Costardmonger,  J. W. Baker '08Mousetrap-Man,  F. S. Howe '08Corncutter,  R. H. Smith '10Citizens at the Fair,  R. E. Hoguet '08  H. C. Broun '10Mrs. Littlewit,  L. B. Packard '09Dame Purecraft,  N. B. Cole '09Dame Overdo,  L. F. Black '09Grace Wellborn,  L. E. Matteson '08Joan Trash,  P. E. Illman '09Ursula,  H. P. Breed '0