Burlesques William Makepeace Thackeray

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the Moors: and who knows, trivial as it may seem, whether it was not that very
circumstance which caused the destruction in Spain of the Moorish power?
Although Isaac, we may be sure, never told his daughter that Ivanhoe had cast up again, yet
Master Ben Davids did, who heard it from his employer; and he saved Rebecca's life by
communicating the intelligence, for the poor thing would have infallibly perished but for
this good news. She had now been in prison four years three months and twenty-four days,
during which time she had partaken of nothing but bread and water (except such occasional
tit-bits as Davids could bring her—and these were few indeed; for old Isaac was always a
curmudgeon, and seldom had more than a pair of eggs for his own and Davids' dinner); and
she was languishing away, when the news came suddenly to revive her. Then, though in the
darkness you could not see her cheeks, they began to bloom again: then her heart began to
beat and her blood to flow, and she kissed the ring on her neck a thousand times a day at
least; and her constant question was, "Ben Davids! Ben Davids! when is he coming to
besiege Valencia?" She knew he would come: and, indeed, the Christians were encamped
before the town ere a month was over.
And now, my dear boys and girls, I think I perceive behind that dark scene of the backkitchen
(which is just a simple flat, painted stone-color, that shifts in a minute,) bright
streaks of light flashing out, as though they were preparing a most brilliant, gorgeous, and
altogether dazzling illumination, with effects never before attempted on any stage. Yes, the
fairy in the pretty pink tights and spangled muslin is getting into the brilliant revolving
chariot of the realms of bliss.—Yes, most of the fiddlers and trumpeters have gone round
from the orchestra to join in the grand triumphal procession, where the whole strength of
the company is already assembled, arrayed in costumes of Moorish and Christian chivalry,
to celebrate the "Terrible Escalade," the "Rescue of Virtuous Innocence"—the "Grand
Entry of the Christians into Valencia"—"Appearance of the Fairy Day-Star," and
"Unexampled displays of pyrotechnic festivity." Do you not, I say, perceive that we are
come to the end of our history; and, after a quantity of rapid and terrific fighting, brilliant
change of scenery, and songs, appropriate or otherwise, are bringing our hero and heroine
together? Who wants a long scene at the last? Mammas are putting the girls' cloaks and
boas on; papas have gone out to look for the carriage, and left the box-door swinging open,
and letting in the cold air: if there WERE any stage-conversation, you could not hear it, for
the scuffling of the people who are leaving the pit. See, the orange-women are preparing to
retire. To-morrow their play-bills will be as so much waste-paper—so will some of our
masterpieces, woe is me: but lo! here we come to Scene the last, and Valencia is besieged
and captured by the Christians.