One of the amusements of 1718 was the juggling exhibition of a fire-eater, whose name was De Hightrehight, a native of the valley of Annivi in the Alps. This tremendous person ate burning coals, chewed flaming brimstone and _swallowed_ it, licked a red-hot poker, placed a red-hot heater on his tongue, kindled coals on his tongue, suffered them to be blown, and broiled meat on them, ate melted pitch, brimstone, bees-wax, sealing wax, and rosin, with a spoon; and, to complete the business, he performed all these impossibilities five times _per diem_, at the Duke of Marlborough's head in Fleet-street for the trifling receipts of 2_s._ 6_d._ 1_s._ 6_d._ and 1_s._ Master Hightrehight had the honour of exhibiting before Lewis XIV. the Emperor of Germany, the King of Sicily, the Doge of Venice, and an infinite number of princes and nobles--and the Prince of Wales, who had nearly lost this inconceivable pleasure by the envious interposition of the Inquisition at Bologna and in Piedmont, which holy office seemed inclined to try _their mode of burning_ on his _body_, leaving to him the care of resisting the flames and rendering them harmless; but he was preserved from the unwelcome ordeal by the interference of the Dutchess Royal Regent of Savoy and the Marquis Bentivoglia. The following paragraph occurs in the Weekly Journal of March 15, 1718; from which an idea may be formed of the audiences at Sadler's Wells about that period: "Sadler's Wells being lately opened, there is likely to be a great resort of strolling damsels, half-pay officers, peripatetic tradesmen, tars, butchers, and others that are musically inclined," who had an opportunity this year of gratifying their curiosity at the Duke of Marlborough's head, by listening to sentences in German, French, and English, pronounced by a _Speaking Dog_ in sounds so correctly articulate, as to deceive a person who did not see him into the belief that the _vox humana_ was actually in use at the moment. Penkethman exhibited at his booth in Southwark several _dancing dogs_ imported from France. A person who was called the Grimace Spaniard induced the proprietors of the Boarded House to advertise his intention of fighting bulls with darts, and to kill one with his sword after the Spanish manner. The man attempted the feat; but whether he was unskilful, or _John Bull_, the British beast, was too spirited, it is certain he completely failed; and retired with the disappointed clamour of the populace thundering in his ears. A Royal Academy of Musick was established by letters patent in 1719; and the Directors were concerned in the management of the Opera, for which Mr. Handel visited the Continent to obtain performers.