But it is an amusing legend in any case.
The melodrama of "The Corsican Brothers," first produced in England at the Princess's Theatre in 1852, and splendidly revived at the Lyceum by Mr.Irving in 1880, reawakened the public interest in the ghosts of the theatre; and the spectre that rose from the stage as from a cellar, and crossing it, gained his full stature gradually as he proceeded, was for some time a great popular favourite, though burlesque dogged his course, and a certain ridicule always attended his exertions.

The fidgety musical accompaniment brought from Paris, and known as "The Ghost Melody," by M.Varney, excited much admiration, while the intricate stage machinery involved in the production of the apparition of Louis dei Franchi gave additional interest to the performance.

Of late years the modern drama has made scarcely any addition to our stock of stage ghosts.

The ingenious invention known as the Spectral Illusion of Messrs.

Dircks and Pepper obtained great favour at one time, and awakened some interest upon the subject of theatrical phantoms.