It was in 1717 that Rich devised this new form of entertainment, though it was not till 1724, when “The Necromancer, or History of Dr. Faustus” was produced by Rich, which took the town by storm, that Pantomime became such a rage.  It has been stated that what induced Rich to turn his attention to Pantomime was the bringing over of a German, named Swartz, who had two performing dogs that could dance.  They were engaged at L10 a night; and brought full houses.  However, be this as it may, in the “Daily Courant,” of December 20, 1717, we find him, advertising for his “Italian Mimic Scenes”—­as he, for long enough, so termed his Pantomimes—­as follows:—­

      “Harlequin Executed:  a new Italian Mimic Scene between a
      Scaramouch, a Harlequin, a Country Farmer, his Wife, and
      others.”

Of Rich and his early Pantomimes, Davies observes:—­

John Rich was the son of Christopher Rich, formerly patentee of Drury Lane Theatre, and he imbibed from his father a dislike of people with whom he was obliged to live and converse.  His father wished to acquire wealth by French dancers and Italian singers, than by the united skill of the most accomplished comedians.  The son inherited the same taste, and when he came into the patent, with his brother Christopher, of Drury Lane, and after having ineffectually tried his talent for acting in the part of the Earl of Essex, and other important characters, he applied himself to the study of Pantomimical representations at Lincoln’s Inn Fields Theatre.  To retrieve the credit of his theatre Rich created a species of dramatic composition unknown to this, and, I believe, to any other country, which he called Pantomime.  It consisted of two parts, one serious, the other comic; by the help of gay scenes, fine habits, grand dances, appropriate music, and other decorations, he exhibited a story from “Ovid’s Metamorphosis,” or some other fabulous history.  Between the pauses of the acts he interwove a comic fable, consisting chiefly of the courtship of Harlequin and Columbine, with a variety of surprising adventures and tricks, which were produced by the magic wand of Harlequin; such as the sudden transformation of palaces and temples to huts and cottages; of men and women into wheelbarrows and joint stools; of trees turned to houses; colonnades to beds of tulips; and mechanics’ hops into serpents and ostriches.

It is a most remarkable fact that the Pantomimes that Rich brought out, all of them could be written down as successes.  In the exhibition of his Pantomimes, Mr. Rich always displayed the greatest taste.  He had also acquired a considerable reputation as a performer of the motley hero under the name of “Lun Junr,” as he was so designated on the bills at that time, and he was the first performer who rendered the character of Harlequin at all intelligible in this country.  To others he taught the art of silent, but expressive, action, the interpreter of the mind.  Feeling was pre-eminent in his Miming; and he used to render the scene of a separation with Columbine as graphic as it was affecting.  Excellent were his “statue scenes” and his “catching the butterfly;” so also were his other dumb show performances.