Of this metropolis William Mitchell was the first Lord Mayor. He was the inaugurator, if not the creator, of an entirely new school of dramatic architecture, which was as general, and sometimes as absurd, as the style which has since spread over the country at the expense of the reputation of good Queen Anne; and he led the popular taste for a number of years, to the great enjoyment of his clients, if not to their mental profit. William Horncastle, a good singer and a fair actor, and Dr. William K. Northall were his assistants in dramatic construction, and the authors of many of his extravagant productions. One of his earliest and most popular burlesques was entitled _La Mosquito_. It was based upon _The Tarantula_ of Fanny Elssler, and was presented at the close of his first season. An extract from the bill will give a fair idea of the quality of the fooling: "First time in this or any other country, a new comic burlesque ballet, entitled _La Mosquito_, in which Monsieur Mitchell will make his first appearance as _une Premiere Danseuse_, and show his agility in a variety of terpsichorean efforts of all sorts in the genuine Bolerocachucacacavonienne style.... The ballet is founded on the well-known properties of the mosquito, whose bites render the patient exceedingly impatient, and throws him into a fit of slapping and scratching and swearing delirium, commonly termed the '_Cacoethes Scratchendi_,' causing the unfortunate being to cut capers enough for a considerable number of legs of mutton. The scene lies in Hoboken," etc. Concerning Mitchell's performance, Dr. Northall writes, in _Before and Behind the Curtain_: "We shall long remember the comic humor with which he burlesqued the charming and graceful Fanny. The manner of his exit from the stage at the conclusion of the dance was irresistibly comic, and the serious care with which he guided himself to the side scenes, to secure a passage for his tremendous bustle, was very funny." Mr. Mitchell's other famous burlesque parts were Man Fred, Hamlet, Willy Walters (in _The Humpback_), Sam Parr, Jap (in _Loves of the Angels_), Antony, and Richard Number Three. Very few portraits of this old actor, either in character or otherwise, are known to the collectors. The accompanying print is from a drawing made by Charles Parsons while seated in the pit of the old Olympic half a century ago, when the draughtsman--a mere lad--was beginning his professional career. The original sketch was given to Mr. Mitchell by the young artist, who received in return a pass to the theatre--the highest ambition of the boys of that period. [Illustration: WILLIAM MITCHELL AS RICHARD NUMBER THREE.]