[227:A] The excessive crowd and pressure on those occasions provokes every passion of the human breast to their utmost extent; hence every petty dispute swells into a wide-spreading fray, and every little alarm becomes the source of horror and despair: a melancholy proof of this fact occurred in October 1807, at Sadler's-wells, when the words _a fight!_ were construed by certain terrified ladies into _fire!_ and, wonderful as it may appear, though neither light nor smoke were seen, nor was it scarcely possible a fire could happen in that Theatre, such are the precautions used by the managers, yet a phrensy took place in the gallery altogether unaccountable. The entreaties and despairing cries of the managers with speaking trumpets, that there was no fire, availed nothing: persons, regardless of their lives, threw themselves over into the pit; and eighteen died from pressure and suffocation on the gallery stairs: numbers, besides, will probably suffer long from their bruises. Every possible recompence has been made to their surviving friends by the Proprietors, who have prosecuted the wretches whose hateful tempers excited the terror, and given two _free_ benefits, the produce to be divided between those deprived of support by the unexpected death of their fathers or husbands. Indeed their conduct deserves the thanks of the publick. [236:A] These veterans died within a year of each other; the latter in September 1806, aged 78: they were almost the last survivors of Garrick's school. [236:B] This actor was sent a short time before to announce a Comedy for representation to the audience, and forgot the title; after pronouncing the word "called"--"called" several times, a tar vociferated "The Tempest;"--"True," said Obrien, "The Tempest." [252:A] _The True-born Irishman_, written by Macklin. [310:A] Both were reduced to ashes, Covent-garden at the close of 1808, and Drury-lane in the beginning of 1809, and _both accidentally_ without doubt. CHAP. VIII. ANECDOTES OF DRESS, AND OF THE CAPRICES OF FASHION. To render past fashions as intelligible as possible, I beg leave to refer to the prints annexed; by which every remarkable change in male and female dress may be traced between 1700 and 1806. The Ladies Bodice or Stays were sometimes made of silk, with black straps to fasten with buckles set with stones or false jewels. The head had a covering called a Hood, and this was in the form that is now worn by old-fashioned people on the upper part of the Cloak: they were of satin, sarsnet, or velvet. [Illustration: _Dress 1690-1715_] [Illustration: _Dress 1721_] [Illustration: _Dress 1735_] [Illustration: _Dress 1738_] [Illustration: _Dress 1745_] [Illustration: _Dress 1752_] [Illustration: _Dress 1766_] [Illustration: _Dress circa 1770, 1773_] [Illustration: _Dress circa 1785_] [Illustration: _Dress 1797_] [Illustration: _Dress 1807_]