Mr. Punch, (whose original family name was probably Pulcinella,) first came into existence at Acerra, an ancient city at a short distance from Naples. The date of this event is differently stated by authors who have incidentally mentioned him; Riccoboni[1] fixing it before the year 1600, and Gimma[2] and Signorelli[3] after the commencement of the seventeenth century. The words of Gimma are very precise, and as he enters into particulars, it seems safe to rely upon his authority for this important fact: he says, "Silvio Fiorillo, comedian, who procured himself to be called the Captain Matamoros, invented the Neapolitan Pulcinella; to which Andrea Calcese, who had the surname of Ciuccio, by study and natural grace added much. Calcese was a tailor, and died in the plague of the year 1656: he imitated the peasants of Acerra, a very ancient city of Terra di Lavoro, not far from Naples." Signorelli expressly calls Punch, un buffon[4]dell' Acerra; and of the
↑He uses general terms, and his authority is not much to be relied on: "Histoire du Théatre Italien depuis la Decadence de la Comedie Latine, &c."
↑"Storia Criticade'Teatriantiche e moderne."—Napoli 1777. It is to be observed, however, that the Dottore Pietro Napoli Signorelli relies for his assertion on the statement of Gimma in his "Italia Letterata." As one proof that Pulcinella was not known before the year 1600, it may be noticed that he is not mentioned by one of the burlesque poets of Italy, who flourished anterior to that date, Berni, Molza, Casa, Lasca, &c.
↑Voltaire, in his "Questions sur L'Encyclopedie," thus speaks of the etymology of the Italian word buffone, after ridiculing the classical derivation pedantically assigned to it—"Ce mot de bufon est reçu depuis longtems chez les Italiens et
