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A tent being plast on the stage for Henry the Sixt. He in it asleepe. To him the Lieutenant, a Purcevant, R. Cowley Jo Duke, & 1 Warder, R. Pollant. to them Pride, Gluttony, Wrath and Covetousnes at one dore. at another dore Envie, Sloth and Lechery. The three put back the foure and so exeunt.

Henry awaking Enter a Keeper J Sincler. to him a Servaunt T. Belt. To him Lidgate, & the Keeper Exit. then enter againe. Then Envy passeth over the stag. Lidgate speakes.

A Senitt. Dumb Show.

Enter King Gorboduk w^th. Counsailers. R. Burbadg Mr Brian Th. Goodale. The Queene with Ferrex and Porrex and som attendaunts follow. Saunder. W. Sly. Harry. J. Duke. Kitt. R^o Pallant. J. Holland. After Gorboduk hath consulted with his lords he brings his 2 sonns to to several seates. They enving on on other Ferrex offers to take Porex his Corowne. he draws his weapon. The King Queene and Lords step between them. They thrust them away and menasing each other exit. The Queene and Lords depart hevilie. Lidgate speaks.

Enter Ferrex crownd with drum & coulers and soldiers one way. Harry. Kitt. R. Cowley John Duke. to them at another dore Porrex drum & collors & soldiers. W. Sly. R. Pallant. John Sincler. J. Holland.

Enter queene with 2 counsailors Mr. Brian Tho. Goodale. to them Ferrex and Porrex several waies with drums and powers. Gorboduk entering in the midst between. Henry speaks.

Alarums with excurtions. After Lidgate speakes.

Enter Ferrex and Porrex severally Gorboduk still following them. Lucius Damasus Mr. Bry T. Good.

Enter Ferrex at one dore. Porrex at another. The fight. Ferrex is slayne. To them Videna the Queene. to her Damasus. to him Lucius.

Enter Porrex sad with Dordan his man. R. P. W. Sly. To them the Queene and a Ladie. Nich. Saunder. and Lords R. Cowly Mr. Brian. To them Lucius running.

Henry and Lidgat speaks. Sloth passeth over.

Enter Giraldus Phronesius Aspatia Pompeia Rodope. R. Cowly. Th. Goodale. R. Go. Ned. Nick.

Enter Sardinapalus Arbactus Nicanor and Captaines marching. Mr. Phillipps. Mr. Pope. R. Pa. Kit. J. Sincler. J. Holland.

Enter a Captaine with Aspatia and the Ladies. Kitt.

Lidgat speake.

Enter Nicanor w^th. other Captaines R. Pall. J. Sincler. Kitt. J. Holland. R. Cowly. to them Arbactus Mr. Pope. to him Will Foole† ^note J. Duke. to him Rodopeie Ned. to her Sardanapalus like a woman w^th. Aspatia Rodope Pompeia Will. Foole. to them Arbactus & 3 musitions Mr. Pope J. Sincler. Vincent. R. Cowley. to them Nicanor and others R. P. Kitt.

Enter Sardanapa. w^th. the Ladies. to them a Messenger Tho Goodale. to him Will Foole running. Alarum.

Enter Arbactus pursuing Sardanapalus. and the Ladies fly. After enter Sarda. with as many jewels robes and gold as he can cary.

alarum.

Enter Arbactus Nicanor and the other Captains in triumph. Mr. Pope R. Pa. Kitt. J. Holl. R. Cow. J. Sinc.

Henry speakes and Lidgate. Lechery passeth over the stag.

Enter Tereus Philomela Julio. R. Burbadge Ro. R. Pall. J. Sink.

Enter Progne Itis and Lords. Saunder. Will. J. Duke. W. Sly. Harry.

Enter Philomele and Tereus. to them Julio.

Enter Progne Panthea Itis and Lords. Sander. T. Belt. Will. W. Sly. Hary Th. Goodale. to them Tereus with Lords R. Burbadge. J. Duk. R. Cowley.

A dumb show. Lidgate speaks.

Enter Progne with the sampler. to her Tereus from hunting w^th. his Lords. to them Philomele with Itis hed in a dish. Mercury comes and all vanish. to him 3 Lords. Th. Goodale. Harey. W. Sly.

Henry speaks to him Lieutenant Pursevaunt and Warders. R. Cowley J. Duke J. Holland. Joh. Sincler. to them Warwick Mr. Brian.

Lidgate speaks to the audiens and so

Exitts.

[unresolved image link]

I met with this singular curiosity in the library of Dulwich College, where it had remained unnoticed from the time of Alleyn who founded that society, and was himself the chief or only proprietor of the Fortune playhouse.

The Platt (for so it is called) is fairly written out on pasteboard in a large hand, and undoubtedly contained directions appointed to be stuck up near the prompter's station. It has an oblong hole in its centre, sufficient to admit a wooden peg; and has been converted into a cover for an anonymous manuscript play entitled The Tell-tale. From this cover⁸ ^note

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I made the preceding transcript; and the best conjectures I am able to form about its supposed purpose and operation, are as follows.

It is certainly (according to its title) the groundwork of a motley exhibition, in which the heinousness of the seven deadly sins⁹ ^note was exemplified by aid of scenes and circumstances adapted from different dramas, and connected by choruses or occasional speakers. As the first part of this extraordinary entertainment is wanting, I cannot promise myself the most complete success in my attempts to explain the nature of it.

The period is not exactly fixed at which moralities gave way to the introduction of regular tragedies and comedies. Perhaps indeed this change was not effected on a sudden, but the audiences were to be gradually weaned from their accustomed modes of amusement. The necessity of half indulging and half repressing a gross and vicious taste, might have given rise to such pieces of dramatick patchwork as this. Even the most rigid puritans might have been content to behold exhibitions in which Pagan histories were rendered subservient to Christian purposes. The dulness of the intervening homilist would have half absolved the deadly sin of the poet. A sainted audience would have been tempted to think the representation of Othello laudable, provided the piece were at once heightened and moralized¹ ^note

by choruses spoken in the characters of Ireton and Cromwell.—Let it be

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remembered, however, that to perform several short and distinct plays in the course of the same evening, was a practice continued much below the imagined date of this theatrical directory. Shakspeare's Yorkshire Tragedy was one out of four pieces acted together; and Beaumont and Fletcher's works supply a further proof of the existence of the same custom.

This “Platt of the second part of the seven deadly sins” seems to be formed out of three plays only, viz. Lord Buckhurst's Gorboduc, and two others with which we are utterly unacquainted, Sardanapalus and Tereus² ^note

. It is easy to conceive how the different sins might be exposed in the conduct of the several heroes of these pieces. Thus, Porrex through envy destroys his brother;—Sardanapalus was a martyr to his sloth:

Et venere, et cœnis, et pluma Sardanapali. Juv. Sat. x.

Tereus gratified his lechery by committing a rape on his wife's sister. I mention these three only, because

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it is apparent that the danger of the four preceding vices had been illustrated in the former part of the same entertainment. “These three put back the other four,” as already done with, at the opening of the present exhibition. Likewise Envy crosses the stage before the drama of Gorboduc, and Sloth and Lechery appear before those of Sardanapalus and Tereus.—It is probable also that these different personages might be meant to appear as in a vision to King Henry VI. while he slept; and that as often as he awaked, he introduced some particular comment on each preceding occurrence. His piety would well enough entitle him to such an office. In this task he was occasionally seconded by Lidgate, the monk of Bury, whose age, learning, and experience, might be supposed to give equal weight to his admonitions. The latter certainly, at his final exit, made a formal address to the spectators.

As I have observed that only particular scenes from these dramas appear to have been employed, so probably even these were altered as well as curtailed. We look in vain for the names of Lucius and Damasus in the list of persons prefixed to the tragedy of Gorboduc. These new characters might have been added, to throw the materials that composed the last act into narrative, and thereby shorten the representation; or perhaps all was tragick pantomime, or dumb show³ ^note, except the alternate monologues of Henry and Lidgate; for from the Troie Boke of the latter I learn that the reciters of dramatick pieces were once distinct from the acting performers or gesticulators. But at what period this practice (which was perhaps

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the parent of all the pageantry and dumb shows in theatrical pieces during the reign of Elizabeth,) was begun or discontinued, I believe (like many customs of greater importance,) is not to be determined.

“In the theatre there was a smale aulter
“Amyddes sette that was halfe circuler,
“Which into easte of custome was directe,
“Upon the whiche a pulpet was erecte,
“And therein stode an auncient poete
“For to reherse by rethorykes swete
“The noble dedes that were hystoryall
“Of kynges and prynces for memoryall,
“And of these olde worthy emperours
“The great empryse eke of conquerours,
“And how they gat in Martes hye honour
“The lawrer grene for fyne of their labour,
“The palme of knighthod diserved by old date,
“Or Parchas made them passen into fate.
“And after that with chere and face pale,
“With style enclyned gan to tourne his tale,
“And for to synge after all their loose,
“Full mortally the stroke of Attropose,
“And tell also for all their worthy head
“The sodeyne breaking of their lives threde,
“How piteously they made their mortall ende
“Thrugh false fortune that al the world wil shende,
“And how the fyne of all their worthynesse
“Ended in sorowe and high tristesse.
“By compassynge of fraud or false treason,
“By sodaine murder or vengeance of poyson,
“Or conspyryng of fretyng false envye
“How unwarily that they dydden dye,
“And how their renowne and their mighty fame
“Was of hatred sodeynly made lame,
“And how their honour downward gan decline,
“And the mischiefe of their unhappy fyne,
“And how fortune was to them unswete,
“All this was told and red by the poete.
“And whyle that he in the pulpit stode
“With deadly face all devoyde of blode,
“Synging his dittees with muses all to rent,
“Amyd the theatre shrowded in a tent,
“There came out men gastfull in their cheres,
“Disfygured their faces with viseres,
“Playing by sygnes in the peoples syght
“That the poete songe hath on heyght.

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“So that there was no manner discordaunce
“Atwene his ditees and their countenaunce;
“For lyke as he alofte dyd expresse
“Wordes of joye or of heavinesse,
“Meaning and chere beneth of them playing
“From poynt to poynt was alway answering;
“Now triste, now glad, now hevy, and now light,
“And face ychaungid with a sodeyne syght
“So craftely they coulde them transfygure,
“Conforming them unto the chante plure,
“Now to synge and sodaynely to wepe,
“So well they could their observaunces kepe.
“And this was done,” &c. Troie Boke, b. ii. c. xii.

I think Gravina has somewhere alluded to the same contrivance in the rude exhibitions of very early dramatick pieces.

It may be observed, that though Lidgate assures us both tragedies and comedies were thus represented in the city of Troy, yet Guido of Colonna (a civilian and poet of Messina in Sicily) whom he has sometimes very closely followed, makes mention of no such exhibitions. The custom, however, might have been prevalent here, and it is probable that Lidgate, like Shakspeare, made no scruple of attributing to a foreign country the peculiarities of his own.

To conclude, the mysterious fragment of ancient stage directions, which gave rise to the present remarks, must have been designed for the use of those who were familiarly acquainted with each other, as sometimes, instead of the surname of a performer, we only meet with Ned or Nich⁴ ^note. Let me add, that on the whole this paper describes a species of dramatick entertainment of which no memorial is preserved in any annuals of the English stage. Steevens.

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To the preceding extract are now annexed three other “Plotts” of three of our old unpublished dramatick

James Boswell [1821], The plays and poems of William Shakspeare, with the corrections and illustrations of various commentators: comprehending A Life of the Poet, and an enlarged history of the stage, by the late Edmond Malone. With a new glossarial index (J. Deighton and Sons, Cambridge) [word count] [S10201].

To look up a word in a dictionary, select the word with your mouse and press 'd' on your keyboard.

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ADDITIONS.

HISTORICAL ACCOUNT OF THE ENGLISH STAGE.

JUST as this work was issuing from the press, some curious Manuscripts relative to the stage, were found at Dulwich College, and obligingly transmitted to me from thence. One of these is a large folio volume of accounts kept by Mr. Philip Henslowe, who appears to have been proprietor of the Rose Theatre, near the Bankside in Southwark.

The celebrated player Edward Alleyn, who has erroneously been supposed by Mr. Oldys, the writer of his life in the Biographia Britannica, to have had three wives, was married, as appears from an entry in this book, to Joan Woodward, on the 22d of October, 1592, at which time he was about twenty-six years old. This lady, who died in 1623, was the daughter of Agnes, the widow of &wblank; Woodward, whom Mr. Philip Henslowe, after the death of Woodward, married: so that Mr. Henslowe was not, as has been supposed. Alleyn's father-in-law, but only step-father to his wife.

This MS. contains a great number of curious notices relative to the dramatick poets of the time, and their productions, from the year 1597 to 1603, during which time Mr. Henslowe kept an exact account of all the money which he disbursed for the various companies of which he had the management, for copies of plays and the apparel which he bought for their

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representation. I find here notices of a great number of plays now lost, with the author's names, and several entries that tend to throw a light on various particulars which have been discussed in the preceding History of the English Stage, as well as the Essay on the order of time in which Shakspeare's plays were written. A still more curious part of this MS. is a register of all the plays performed by the servants of Lord Strange and the Lord Admiral, and by other companies, between the 19th of February, 1591–2, and November 5, 1597. This register strongly confirms the conjectures that have been hazarded relative to The First Part of King Henry VI, and the play which I have supposed to have been written on the subject of Hamlet. In a bundle of loose papers has also been found an exact Inventory of the Wardrobe, play-books, properties, &c. belonging to the Lord Admiral's servants.

Though it is not now in my power to arrange these very curious materials in their proper places, I am unwilling that the publick should be deprived of the information and entertainment which they may afford; and therefore shall extract from them all such notices as appear to me worthy of preservation.

In the register of plays the same piece is frequently repeated: but of these repetitions I have taken no notice, having transcribed only the account of the first representation of each piece, with the sum which Mr. Henslowe gained by it³ ^note

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By the subsequent representations, sometimes a larger, and sometimes a less, sum, was gained. The figures within crotchets show how often each piece was represented within the time of each account.

“In the name of God, Amen, 1591, beginninge the 19 of febreary my g. lord Stranges men, as followeth, 1591:

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-- 299 --

l.	s.	d.
R. at fryer bacone⁴ ^note, the 19 of febreary, (saterday) [4]	0.	xvii.	iii.
—mulomurco⁵ ^note , the 20 of febr. [11]	0.	xxix.	0.
—orlando⁶ ^note, the 21 of febreary [1]	0.	xvi.	vi.
—spanes (Spanish) comedye don oracio (Don Horatio) the 23 of febreary, [3]	0.	xiii.	vi.
—Syr John mandeville, the 24 of febreary, [5]	0.	xii.	vi.
R. at harey of cornwell, (Henry of Cornwall) the 25 febreary 1591, [3]	0.	xxxii.	0.
—the Jew of malltuse, (Malta) the 26 of febreary 1591, [10]	0.	l.	0.
—clorys and orgasto the 28 of febreary 1591, [1]	0.	xvii.	0.
—poope Jone, the 4 of marche 1591, [1]	0.	xv.	0.
—matchavell, the 2 of marche 1591, [3]	0.	xiii.	0.
—henery the vi⁷ ^note. the 3 of marche 1591, [13]	iii.	vi.	8.
—bendo⁸ ^note and Richardo, the 4 of marche 1591, [3]	0.	xvi.	0.
—iiii playes in one⁹ ^note, the 6 of marche 1591, [4]	iii.	xi.	0.
—the looking glass¹ ^note, the 8 of marche 1591, [4]	0.	vii.	0.
—senobia (Zenobia) the 9 of marche 1591, [1]	0.	xxii.	vi.
—Jeronimo, the 14 marche 1591 [14]	iii.	xi.	0.
R. at constantine, the 21 of marche 1591, [1]	0.	xii.	0.
—Jerusalem² ^note, the 22 of marche 1591, [2]	0.	xviii.	0.
—brandymer, the 6 of aprill 1591, [2]	0.	xxii.	0.
—the comedy of Jeronimo, the 10 of April 1591, [4]	0.	xxviii.	0.
—Titus and Vespasian, (Titus Vespasian) the 11 of Aprill 1591, [7]	iii.	iiii.	0.
—the seconde pte of tamberzanne, (Tamberlane) the 28 of april 1592, [5]	iii.	iiii.	0.
—the tanner of Denmarke, the 28 of maye 1592, [1]	iii.	xiii.	0.
—a knacke to knowe a knave³ ^note, 10 day [of June] 1592, [3]	iii.	xii.	0.

“In the name of God Amen, 1592, beginning the 29 of Desember.

l.	s.	d.
R. at the gelyons comedye (Julian of Brentford) the 5 of Jenewary 1592, [1]	0.	xxxxiiii.	0.
—the comedy of cosmo, the 12 Jenewary 1592, [2]	0.	xxxx.	iiii.
—the tragedye of the guyes⁴ ^note, 30 of Jenewary⁵ ^note, [1]	iii.	iiii.	0.

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“In the name of God, Amen, beginning the 27 of Desember 1593, the earle of Sussex his men.

l. s. d.

R. at God spede the plough, [2] iii. i. 0.

—at hewen of Burdocks, (Huon of Bourdeaux) the 28 of Desember 1593, [3] iii. x. 0.

—george a-green⁶ ^note, the 28 of Desember 1593, [4] iii. x. 0.

—buckingham, the 30 of December 1593, [4] 0. li. 0.

—Richard the Confessor⁷ ^note, the 31 of Desember 1593, [2] 0. xxxviii. 0.

—william the konkerer, the 4 of Jenewary 1593, [1] 0. xxii. 0.

—frier francis, the 7 of Jenewary 1593, [3] iii. i. 0.

the piner of wakefield⁸ ^note, the 8 of Jenewary 1593, [1] 0. xxiii. 0.

—abrame & lotte, the 9 of Jenewary 1593, [3] 0. lii. 0.

—the fayre mayd of ytale (Italy) the 12 of Jenewary 1593, [2] 0. ix. 0.

—King lude, (Lud) the 18 of Jenewary 1593 [1] 0. xxii. 0.

—titus and andronicus⁹ ^note, the 23 of Jenewary, [3] iii. viii. 0.

-- 301 --

“In the name of God, Amen, beginninge at easter, the queens men and my lord of Sussex together.

l. s. d.

R. at the Rangers comedy, 2 of April 1593, [1] iii. 0. 0.

—king leare¹ ^note, the 6 of April 1593, [2]² ^note 0. xxxviii. 0.

“In the name of God, Amen, beginninge the 14 of maye 1594, by my lord admiralls men.

l. s. d.

R. at Cutlacke, the 16 of maye 1594, [1]³ ^note 0. xxxxii. 0.

“In the name of God, Amen, beginning at newington⁴ ^note, my lord admirell men, and my lord chamberlen men, as followeth, 1594.
-- 302 --

-- 305 --

-- 306 --

l. s. d.

R. the 3 of June 1594, at heaster and the asheweros⁵ ^note, [2] 0. viii. 0.

—5 of June 1594, at andronicus, [2] 0. xii. 0.

—6 of June 1594, at cutlacke, [12] 0. xi. 0.

R. the 8 of June, at bellendon, [17] 0. xvii. 0.

—9 of June 1594, at hamlet⁶ ^note, [1] 0. viii. 0.

—11 of June 1594, at the taminge of a shrewe⁷ ^note, [1] 0. ix. 0.

—12 of June 1594, at the Jew of malta, [18] iiii. 0. 0.

—18 of June 1594, at the rangers comedy, [10] 0. xxii. 0.

—19 of June, at the guies⁸ ^note, [10] 0. liii. 0.

—26 of June 1594, at galiase⁹ ^note, [9] iii. 0. 0.

—9 of July 1594, at phillipo and hewpolyto, [12] iii. 0. 0.

—19 of July 1594, at the 2
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pte of Godfrey of Bullen,
iii. 0. 0.

R. the 30 of July 1594, at the marchant of camdew² ^note, [1] iii. viii. 0.

—12 of August 1594, at tassoes mellencoley³ ^note. [13] iii. 0. 0.

—15 of August 1594, at mahomett⁴ ^note, [8] iii. v. 0.

—25 of August 1594, at the venesyan (Venetian) comedy, [11] 0. l. vi.

—28 of August, 1594, at tamberlen, [23] iii. xi. 0.

—17 of september 1594, at palamon & arsett⁵ ^note, [4] 0. li. 0.

—24 of september 1594, at Venesyon and the love of and [an] Ingleshe lady, [1] 0. xxxxvii. 0.

—30 of september, 1594, at doctor ffostosse⁶ ^note, [24] iii. xii. 0.

—4 of october 1594, at the love of a gresyan lady [12] 0. xxvi. 0.

—18 of october, 1594, at the frenshe docter, [11] 0. xxii. 0.

—22 of october 1594, at a
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knacke to know a noneste⁷ ^note, [19]
0. xxxx. 0.

R. the 8 of november, 1594, at ceser and pompie⁸ ^note, [8] iii. ii. 0.

—16 of november, 1594, at deoclesyan, [2] 0. xxxxiii. 0.

—30 of november 1594, at warlam chester, [7] 0. xxxviii. 0.

—2 of desember 1594, at the wise men of chester, [20] 0. xxviii. 0.

—14 of desember 1594, at the mawe⁹ ^note, [4] 0. xxxxiiii. 0.

19 of desember 1594, at the 2 pte of tamberlen, [11] 0. xxxxvi. 0.

—26 of desember 1594, at the sege of london, [12] iii. iii. 0.

—11 of febreary 1594, at the frenshe comedey, [6] 0. l. 0.

—14 of febreary 1594, at long mege of westmester, [18] iii. ix. 0.

—21 of febreary 1594, at the macke¹ ^note, [1] iii. 0. 0.

—5 of marche 1594, at seleo & olempo² ^note, [7] iii. 0. 0.

—7 of maye 1595, at the first pte of Herculous³ ^note, [10] iii. xiii. 0.

—23 of maye 1595, at the 2 p. of Hercolaus, [8] iii. x. 0.

R. the 3 of June 1595, at the vii dayes of the weeke, [19] iii. 0. 0.

—18 of June 1595, at the 2 pte of sesore, (Cæsar⁴ ^note) [2] 0. lv. 0.

—20 of June 1595, at antony & vallea⁵ ^note, [3] 0. xx. 0.

—29 of august 1595, at longe-shancke⁶ ^note, [14] 0. xxxx. 0.

—5 of september 1595, at cracke mee this notte, [16] iii. 0. 0.

—17 of september 1595, at the worldes tragedy, [11] iii. v. 0.

—2 of october 1595, at the desgyses, [6] 0. xxxxiii. 0.

—15 of october 1595, at the wonder of a woman, [10] 0. liii. 0.

—29 of october 1595, at barnardo & fiamata, [7]

—14 of november 1595, at a toye to please my ladye⁷ ^note, [7]

—28 of november 1595, at harry the v.⁸ ^note [13] iii. vi. 0.

—29 of november 1595, at the welsheman, [1] 0. vii. 0.

—3 of Jenewary, 1595, at chinon of Ingland, [11] 0. l. 0.

R. the 15 of Jenewary 1595, at pethagerus⁹ ^note, [13] 0. xviii. 0.

—3 of febreary 1595, at the 1 p. of Forteunatus¹ ^note, [7] iii. 0. 0.

—13 of febreary 1595, at the blind beger of Alexandria² ^note, [13] iii. 0. 0.

—29 of aprill 1596, at Julian the apostata, [3] 0. xxxxvii. 0.

—19 of maye 1596, at the tragedie of ffocasse³ ^note, [7] 0. xxxxv. 0.

—22 of June 1596, at Troye, [4] iii. 0. 0.

—1 of July 1596, at paradox, [1] 0. xxxxv. 0.

—18 of July 1596, at the tincker of totnes iii. 0. 0.

“In the name of God, Amen, beginning one [on] Simon and Jewds day, my lord admeralles men, as followeth; 1596. [Here twenty plays are set down as having been performed between October 27, and November 15, 1596: but their titles have all been already given.]
“In the name of God, Amen, beginninge the 25 of november 1596, as followeth, the lord admerall players:
-- 307 --

-- 308 --

l. s. d.

R. the 4 of desember 1596, at Valteger, [12] 0. xxv. 0.

R. the 11 of desember 1596, at Stewkley⁴ ^note, [11] 0. xxxx. 0.

—19 of desember 1596, at nebucadonizer, [8] 0. xxx. 0.

—30 of desember 1596, at what will be shall be, [12] 0. l. 0.

—14 of Jenewary, 1597, at alexander & lodwicke, [15] 0. lv. 0.

—27 of Jenewary 1597, at woman hard to please, [12] 6. 7. 8.

—5 of febreary, 1597, at Oseryck, [2] 3. 2. 1.

—19 of marche 1597, at guido, [5]⁵ ^note &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

—7 of aprill, 1597, at v plays in one, [10] &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

—13 of aprill, 1597, at times triumph and foztus, [1] &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

—29 of aprill 1597, at Uter pendragon, [5] &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

—11 of maye 1597, at the comedy of umers, (humours⁶ ^note) [11] &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

—26 of maye 1597, at harey the fifte life and death⁷ ^note, [6] &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

R. the 3 of June, 1597, at frederycke and basellers⁸ ^note, [4] &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

—22 of June 1597, at Henges, [1] &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

—30 of June 1597, at life and death of Martin Swarte, [3] &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

—14 of July 1597, at the wiche [witch] of Islyngton⁹ ^note, [2] &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

“In the name of God, Amen, the 11 of october, beganne my lord admeralls and my lord of pembrokes men to playe at my howse, 1597:

October 11. at Jeronymo, &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

12. at the comedy of umers &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

16. at doctor fostes, &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

19. at hardacnute, &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

31. at friar spendleton, &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

November 2. at Bourbon, &wblank; &wblank; &wblank;

The following curious paper furnishes us with more accurate knowledge of the properties, &c. of a theatre in Shakspeare's time, than the reasearches of the most industrious antiquary could have attained:

“The booke of the Inventary of the goods of my Lord Admeralles men, taken the 10 of Marche in the yeare 1598.

Gone and loste.

Item, j orenge taney satten dublet, layd thycke with gowld lace.

-- 309 --

Item, j blew tafetie sewt.

Item, j payr of carnatyon satten Venesyons, layd with gold lace.

Item, j longe-shanckes sewte.

Item, j Sponnes dublet pyncket.

Item, j Spanerds gyrcken.

Item, Harey the fyftes dublet.

Item, Harey the fyftes vellet gowne.

Item, j fryers gowne.

Item, j lyttell dublet for boye.

“The Enventary of the Clownes Sewtes and Hermetes Sewtes, with dievers other sewtes, as followeth, 1598, the 10 of March.

Item, j senetores gowne, j hoode, and 5 senetores capes.

Item, j sewtte for Nepton; Fierdrackes sewtes for Dobe.

Item, iiij genesareyes gownes, and iiij torchberers sewtes.

Item, iij payer of red strasers, [strossers] and iij fares gowne of buckrome.

Item, iiij Herwodes cottes, and iij sogers cottes, and j green gown for Maryan.

Item, vj grene cottes for Roben Hoode, and iiij knaves sewtes.

Item, ij payer of grene hosse, and Andersones sewte. j whitt shepen clocke.

Item, ij rosset cottes, and j black frese cotte, and iij prestes cottes.

Item, ij whitt shepherdes cottes, and ij Danes sewtes, and j payer of Danes hosse.

Item, The Mores lymes¹ ^note, and Hercolles lymes, and Will. Sommers sewtte.

-- 310 --

Item, ij Orlates sewtes, hates and gorgetts, and vij anteckes cootes.

Item, Cathemer sewte, j payer of cloth whitte stockens, iiij Turckes hedes.

Item, iiij freyers gownes and iiij hoodes to them, and j fooles coate, cape, and babell, and branhowlttes bodeys, [bodice] and merlen [Merlin's] gowne and cape.

Item, ij black saye gownes, and ij cotton gownes, and j rede saye gowne.

Item, j mawe gowne of calleco for the quene² ^note, j carnowll [cardinal's] hatte.

Item, j red sewt of cloth for pyge, [Psyche] layed with whitt lace.

Item, v payer of hosse for the clowne, and v gerkenes for them.

Item, iij payer of canvas hosse for asane, ij payer of black strocers.

Item, j yelow leather dublett for a clowne, j Whittcomes dublett poke.

Item, Eves bodeyes, [bodice] j pedante trusser, and iij donnes hattes.

Item, j payer of yelow cotton sleves, j gostes sewt, and j gostes bodeyes.

Item, xviij copes and hattes, Verones sonnes hosse.

Item, iij trumpettes and a drum, and a trebel viall, a basse viall, a bandore, a sytteren, j anshente, [ancient] j whitt hatte.

Item, j hatte for Robin Hoode, j hobihorse.

Item, v shertes, and j serpelowes, [surplice] iiij ferdingalles.

-- 311 --

Item, vj head-tiers, j fane, [fan] iiij rebatos, ij gyrketruses.

Item, j longe sorde.

“The Enventary of all the aparell for my Lord Admiralles men, tacken the 10 of marche 1598.— Leaft above in the tier-house in the cheast.

Item, My Lord Caffes [Caiphas'] gercken, & his hoosse.

Item, j payer of hosse for the Dowlfen [Dauphin].

Item, j murey lether gyrcken, & j white lether gercken.

Item, j black lether gearken, & Nabesathe sewte.

Item, j payer of hosse, & a gercken for Valteger.

Item, ij leather anteckes cottes with basses, for Fayeton [Phæton].

Item, j payer of bodeyes for Alles [Alice] Pearce.

“The Enventary tacken of all the properties for my Lord Admeralles men, the 10 of Marche, 1598.

Item, j rocke, j cage, j tombe, j Hell mought [Hell mouth³ ^note

Item, j tome of Guido, j tome of Dido, j bedsteade.

Item, viij lances, j payer of stayers for Fayeton.

Item, ij stepells, & j chyme of belles, & j beacon.

Item, j hecfor for the playe of Faeton, the limes dead.

-- 312 --

Item, j globe, & j golden scepter; iij clobes [clubs.]

Item, ij marchepanes, & the sittie of Rome.

Item, j gowlden flece; ij rackets; j baye tree.

Item, j wooden hatchett; j lether hatchete.

Item, j wooden canepie; owld Mahemetes head.

Item, j lyone skin; j beares skyne; & Faetones lymes, & Faeton charete; & Argosse [Argus's] heade.

Item, Nepun [Neptun's] forcke & garland.

Item, j crosers stafe; Kentes woden leage [leg].

Item, Ierosses [Iris's] head, and raynbowe; j littell alter.

Item, viij viserdes; Tamberlyne brydell; j wooden matook.

Item, Cupedes bowe, and quiver; the clothe of the Sone and Mone⁴ ^note.

Item, j bores heade & Serberosse [Cerberus] iij heades.

Item, j Cadeseus; ij mose [moss] banckes, & j snake.

Item, ij fanes of feathers; Belendon stable; j tree of gowlden apelles; Tantelouse tre; jx eyorn [iron] targates.

Item, j copper targate, & xvij foyles.

Item, iiij wooden targates; j greve armer.

Item, j syne [sign] for Mother Readcap; j buckler.

Item, Mercures wings; Tasso picter; j helmet with a dragon; j shelde, with iij lyones; j elme bowle.

Item, j chayne of dragons; j gylte speare.

Item, ij coffenes; j bulles head; and j vylter.

-- 313 --

Item, iij tymbrells; j dragon in fostes [Faustus.].

Item, j lyone; ij lyon heades; j great horse with his leages [legs]; j sack-bute.

Item, j whell and frame in the Sege of London.

Item, j paire of rowghte gloves.

Item, j poopes miter.

Item, iij Imperial crownes; j playne crowne.

Item, j gostes crown; j crown with a sone.

Item, j frame for the heading in Black Jone.

Item, j black dogge.

Item, j cauderm for the Jewe⁵ ^note.

“The Enventorey of all the aparell of the Lord Admeralles men, taken the 13th of Marche 1598, as followeth:

Item, j payer of whitte saten Venesons cut with coper lace.

Item, j ash coller satten doublett, lacyd with gold lace.

Item, j peche coller satten doublett.

Item, j owld whitte satten dublette.

Item, j bleu tafitie sewtte.

Item, j Mores cotte.

Item, Pyges [Psyches] damask gowne.

Item, j black satten cotte.

Item, j harcoller tafitie sewte of pygges.

Item, j white tafitie sewte of pygges.

Item, Vartemar sewtte.

Item, j great pechcoller dublet, with sylver lace.

Item, j white satten dublet pynckte.

Item, j owld white satten dublet pynckte.

Item, j payer of satten Venesyan satten ymbradered.

Item, j payer of French hosse, cloth of gowld.

Item, j payer of cloth of gowld hosse with sylver paines.

-- 314 --

Item, j payer of cloth of sylver hosse with satten and sylver panes.

Item, Tamberlynes cotte, with coper lace.

Item, j read clock with white coper lace.

Item, j read clocke with read coper lace.

Item, j shorte clocke of taney satten with sleves.

Item, j shorte clocke of black satten with sleves.

Item, Labesyas clocke, with gowld buttenes.

Item, j payer of read cloth hosse of Venesyans, with sylver lace of coper.

Item, Valteger robe of rich tafitie.

Item, Junoes cotte.

Item, j hode for the wech [witch].

Item, j read stamel clocke with whitte coper lace.

Item, j read stamel clocke with read coper lace.

Item, j cloth clocke of russete with coper lace, called Guydoes clocke.

Item, j short clocke of black velvet, with sleves faced with shagg.

Item, j short clocke of black vellet, faced with white fore [fur].

Item, j manes gown, faced with whitte fore.

Item, Dobes cotte of cloth of sylver.

Item, j payer of pechecoler Venesyones uncut, with read coper lace.

Item, j read scarllet clocke with sylver buttones.

Item, j longe black velvet clock, layd with brod lace black.

Item, j black satten sewtte.

Item, j blacke velvet clocke, layd with twyst lace blacke.

Item, Perowes sewt, which W^m. Sley were.

Item, j payer of pechcoler hosse with sylver corlled panes.

Item, j payer of black cloth of sylver hosse, drawne owt with tused tafittie.

Item, Tamberlanes breches, of crymson vellvet.

-- 315 --

Item, j payer of sylk howse with panes of sylver corlled lace.

Item, j Faeytone sewte.

Item, Roben Hoodes sewtte.

Item, j payer of cloth of gowld hose with gowld corlle panes.

Item, j payer of rowne hosse buffe with gowld lace.

Item, j payer of mows [mouse] coller Venesyans with R. brode gowld lace.

Item, j flame collerde dublet pynked.

Item, j blacke satten dublet, layd thyck wyth blacke and gowld lace.

Item, j carnacyon dubled cutt, layd with gowld lace.

Item, j white satten dublet, faced with read tafetie.

Item, j grene gyrcken with sylver lace.

Item, j black gyrcken with sylver lace.

Item, j read gyrcken with sylver lace.

Item, j read Spanes [Spanish] dublett styched.

Item, j peche coller satten casse.

Item, Tasoes robe.

Item, j murey robe with sleves.

Item, j blewe robe with sleves.

Item, j oren taney [orange tawney] robe with sleves.

Item, j pech collerd hallf robe.

Item, j lane [long] robe with spangells.

Item, j white & orenge taney scarf, spangled.

Item, Dides [Dido's] robe.

Item, iij payer of basses.

Item, j white tafitie sherte with gowld frenge.

Item, the fryers trusse in Roben Hoode.

Item, j littell gacket for Pygge [Psyche].

Item, j womanes gown of cloth of gowld.

Item, j orenge taney vellet gowe [gown] with sylver lace, for women.

Item, j black velvet gowne ymbradered with gowld lace.

-- 316 --

Item, j yelowe satten gowne ymbradered with sylk & gowld lace, for women.

Item, j greve armer.

Item, Harye the v. velvet gowne.

Item, j payer of crymson satten Venysiones, layd with gowld lace.

Item, j blew tafitie sewte, layd with sylver lace.

Item, j Longeshankes seute.

Item, j orange coller satten dublett, layd with gowld lace.

Item, Harye the v. satten dublet, layd with gowld lace.

Item j Spanes casse dublet of crymson pyncked.

Item, j Spanes gearcken layd with sylver lace.

Item, j wattshode [watchet] tafitie dublet for a boye.

Item, ij payer of basses, j white, j blewe, of sasnet.

Item, j freyers gowne of graye.

A Note of all suche bookes as belong to the Stocke, and such as I have bought since the 3d of March, 1598.
Blacke Jonne. The Umers. Hardicanewtes. Borbonne. Sturgflaterey. Brunhowlle. Cobler quen hive. Frier Pendelton. Alls Perce. Read Cappe. Roben Hode, 1. Roben Hode, 2. Phaeyton. Treangell cockowlls. Goodwine. Woman will have her will. Welchmans price. King Arthur, life and death. 1 p^t of Hercules. 2 p^te of Hercoles. Pethagores. Focasse. Elexsander and Lodwicke. Blacke Battman. 2 p. black Battman. 2 p^t of Goodwine. Mad mans morris. Perce of Winchester. Vayvode.

-- 317 --

A Note of all suche goodes as I have bought for the Companey of my Lord Admiralls men, sence the 3 of Aprell, 1598, as followeth:

l. s. d.

Bowght a damaske casock garded with velvett, 0 18 0

Bowght a payer of paned rownd hosse of cloth whiped with sylk, drawne out with tafitie, 0 8 0

Bowght j payer of long black wollen stockens, 0 8 0

Bowght j black satten dublett 4 15 0

Bowght j payer of rownd howsse paned of vellevet 4 15 0

Bowght a robe for to goo invisibell 3 10 0

Bowght a gown for Nembia 3 10 0

Bowght a dublett of whitt satten layd thicke with gowld lace, and a payer of rowne pandes hosse of cloth of sylver, the panes layd with gold lace, 7 0 0

Bowght of my sonne v sewtes 20 0 0

Bowght of my sonne iiij sewtes 17 0 0

In the folio manuscript already mentioned I have found notices of the following plays and their several authors:

Oct. 1597. The Cobler. Dec. 1597. Mother Redcap, by Anthony Mundy⁶ ^note, and Michael Drayton.

-- 318 --

Jan. 1597–8. Dido and Æneas. Jan. 1597–8. Phaeton, by Thomas Dekker⁷ ^note

. The World runs upon Wheels, by G. Chapman. Feb. 1597–8. The First Part of Robin Hood, by Anthony Mundy⁸ ^note

. The Second Part of the Downfall of Earl Huntington, sirnamed Robinhood, by Anthony Mundy, and Henry Chettle. A Woman Will Have Her Will⁹ ^note, by William Haughton¹ ^note. The Miller, by Robert Lee. “A Booke wherein is a Part of a Welchman,” by Michael Drayton and Henry Chettle² ^note. Mar. 1598. The Triplicity of Cuckolds, by Thomas Dekker.

-- 319 --

The Famous Wars of Henry the First and the Prince of Wales, by Michael Drayton and Thomas Dekker³ ^note. Earl Goodwin and his Three Sons⁴ ^note, by Michael Drayton, Henry Chettle, Thomas Dekker, and Robert Wilson. The Second Part of Goodwin, &c. by Michael Drayton. Pierce of Exton⁵ ^note, by the same four authors. April 1598. The Life of Arthur King of England, by Richard Hathwaye. The First Part of Black Batman of the North, by Henry Chettle. The Second Part of Black Batman, by Henry Chettle, and Robert Wilson. May 1598. The First Part of Hercules, by Martin Slaughter. The Second Part of Hercules, by Martin Slaughter. Phocas, by Martin Slaughter. Pythagoras, by Martin Slaughter. Alexander and Lodowick⁶ ^note

, by Martin Slaughter.

-- 320 --

Love Prevented, by Henry Porter. The Funeral of Richard Cordelion, by Robert Wilson, Henry Chettle, Anthony Mundy, and Michael Drayton. June 1598. The Will of a Woman, by George Chapman. The Mad Man's Morris, by Robert Wilson, Michael Drayton and Thomas Dekker. Hannibal and Hermes, by Robert Wilson, Michael Drayton, and Thomas Dekker. July 1598. Valentine and Orson, by Richard Hathwaye, and Anthony Mundy. Pierce of Winchester, by Thomas Dekker, Robert Wilson, and Michael Drayton. The Play of a Woman, by Henry Chettle. The Conquest of Brute, with the First Finding of the Bath, by John Daye, Henry Chettle, and John Singer⁷ ^note. Aug. 1598. Hot Anger Soon Cold, by Henry Porter, Henry Chettle, and Benjamin Jonson. William Longsword, by Michael Drayton. Chance Medly, by Robert Wilson, Anthony Mundy, Michael Drayton, and Thomas Dekker. Catilines Conspiracy, by Robert Wilson, and Henry Chettle. Vayvoode, by Thomas Downton.

-- 321 --

Worse Afeared than Hurt, by Michael Drayton and Thomas Dekker. Sept. 1598. The First Civil Wars in France, by the same authors. The Second Part of the Civil Wars in France, by the same. The Third Part of the Civil Wars in France, by the same. The Fountain of New Fashions, by George Chapman. Mulmutius Donwallow, by William Rankins. Connan, Prince of Cornwall, by Michael Drayton, and Thomas Dekker. Nov. 1598. 'Tis No Deceit to Deceive the Deceiver, by Henry Chettle. Dec. 1598. War without Blows and Love without Suit, by Thomas Heywood. In a subsequent entry “&lblank; Love without Strife.” The Second Part of the Two Angry Women of Abington, by Henry Porter. Feb. 1598–9. Joan as Good as my Lady, by Thomas Heywood⁸ ^note

-- 322 --

Friar Fox and Gillian of Brentford, by Thomas Downton, and Samuel Redly. Æneas' Revenge, with the Tragedy of Polyphemus, by Henry Chettle. The Two Merry Women of Abington⁹ ^note, by Henry Porter.

-- 323 --

The Four Kings. March 1598–9. The Spencers, by Henry Porter. Orestes' Furies, by Thomas Dekker. June 1599. Agamemnon, by Henry Chettle and Thomas Dekker. The Gentle Craft, by Thomas Dekker. Bear a Brain, by Thomas Dekker. Aug. 1599. The Poor Man's Paradise, by William Haughton. The Stepmother's Tragedy, by Henry Chettle. The Lamentable Tragedy of Peg of Plymouth, by Wm. Bird, Thos. Downton, and Wm. Jubey. Nov. 1599. The Tragedy of John Cox of Colmiston, by Wm. Haughton, and John Day. The Second Part of Henry Richmond, by Robert Wilson¹ ^note. The Tragedy of Thomas Merry, by William Haughton, and John Day. Dec. 1599. Patient Grissell, by Thomas Dekker, Henry Chettle, and William Haughton. The Arcadian Virgin, by Henry Chettle, and William Haughton. Jan. 1599–1600. Owen Tudor, by Michael Drayton, Richard Hathwaye, Anthony Mundy, and Rt. Wilson. The Italian Tragedy by John Day. Jugurtha, by William Boyle. Truth's Supplication to Candlelight, by Tho. Dekker.

-- 324 --

The Spanish Morris, by Thomas Dekker, Wm. Haughton, and John Day. Damon and Pythias, by Henry Chettle. March 1599–1600. The Seven Wise Masters, by Henry Chettle, Thomas Dekker, William Haughton, and John Day. April 1660. Ferrex and Porrex² ^note, by Wm. Haughton. The English Fugitives, by the same. The golden Ass and Cupid and Psyche, by Thomas Decker, John Daye, and Henry Chettle. The Wooing of Death, by Henry Chettle. Alice Pierce. Strange news out of Poland, by William Haughton, and &lblank; Pett. The Blind Beggar of Bethnell Green, by Henry Chettle, and John Day. June 1600. The fair Constance of Rome, by Anthony Mundy, Richard Hathwaye, Michael Drayton, and Thomas Dekker. The Second part of the Fair Constance of Rome, by the same. December 1600. Robinhood's Penn'orth's, by William Haughton. Hannibal and Scipio, by Richard Hathwaye and William Rankins. Feb. 1600–1. Scogan and Skelton, by the same. The Second Part of Thomas Strowde³ ^note,

-- 325 --

by William Haughton, and John Day⁴ ^note. March The Conquest of Spain by John of Gaunt, by Richard Hathwaye, &lblank; Hawkins, John Day, and Wm. Haughton. All Is Not Gold That Glisters, by Samuel Rowley, and Henry Chettle. April 1601. The Conquest of the West-Indies, by Wentworth Smith, William Haughton, and John Day. Sebastian King of Portugal, by Henry Chettle, and Thomas Dekker. The Six Yeomen of the West, by William Haughton, and John Day. The Third Part of Thomas Strowde, by William Haughton, and John Day The Honourable Life of the Humorous Earl of Gloster, with his Conquest of Portugal, by Anthony Wadeson. Aug. 12. 1601. Cardinal Wolsey⁵ ^note by Henry Chettle. The Proud Woman of Antwerp, by William Haughton, and John Day The Second Part of Thomas Dough, by John Day, and William Haughton. Sept. 1601. The Orphan's Tragedy, by Henry Chettle. Nov. 12. 1601. The Rising of Cardinal Wolsey⁶ ^note, by Anthony Mundy, Michael Drayton, Henry Chettle, and Wentworth Smith.

-- 326 --

The Six Clothiers of the West, by Richard Hathway, Wentworth Smith, and Wm. Haughton. The Second Part of the Six Clothiers, by the same. Nov. 1601, Too Good To Be True, by Henry Chettle, Rich. Hathwaye, and Wentworth Smith. Jan. 1601–2. Judas, by William Haughton, Samuel Rowley⁷ ^note

, and William Borne. The Spanish Fig. Apr. 1602. Malcolm King of Scots, by Charles Massy. May 1602. Love parts Friendship, by Henry Chettle, and Wentworth Smith. The Second Part of Cardinal Wolsey⁸ ^note, by Henry Chettle. The Bristol Tragedy, by Day⁹ ^note. Tobyas, by Henry Chettle. Jefftha, by Henry Chettle.

-- 327 --

Two Harpies, by Dekker, Drayton, Middleton, Webster, and Mundy. July 1602.A Danish Tragedy, by Henry Chettle. The Widow's Charm¹ ^note, by Ant. Mundy. A Medicine for a Curst Wife, by T. Dekker. Sampson, by Samuel Rowley, and Edw. Jubye. Sept. 1602. Wm. Cartwright, by William Haughton. Felmelanco, by Henry Chettle, and &lblank; Robinson. Joshua, by Samuel Rowley. Oct. 1602. Randall, earl of Chester, by T. Middleton² ^note. Nov. 1602. As Merry As May Be, [acted at court] by J. Daye, Wentworth, Smith, and R. Hathwaye. Albeke Galles³ ^note by Thomas Heywood, and Wentworth Smith. Marshal Osrick, by Thomas Heywood, and Wentworth Smith. The Three Brothers, a tragedy, by Wentworth Smith. Lady Jane, [probably Lady Jane Grey] by Henry Chettle, Thomas Dekker, Thomas Heywood, Wentworth Smith, and John Webster. The Second Part of Lady Jane, by Thomas Heywood, John Webster, Henry Chettle, and Thomas Dekker. Christmas Comes But Once A Year, by T. Dekker. The Overthrow of Rebels.

-- 328 --

The Black Dog of Newgate, by Richard Hathwaye, John Day, Wentworth Smith, and another poet. The Second Part of the Same. by the Same. The Blind Eats Many A Fly, by T. Heywood. The Fortunate General, a French History, by Wentworth Smith, John Day, and Richard Hathwaye. Dec. 1602. The Set of Tennis, by Anthony Mundy. The London Florentine, by Thomas Heywood, and Henry Chettle. The Second Part of the London Florentine, by Thomas Heywood, and Henry Chettle. The Tragedy of Hoffman⁴ ^note, by Henry Chettle. Singer's Voluntary, by John Singer. The Four Sons of Amon, by Robert Shawe. Feb. 1602–3. A Woman Kill'd With Kindness. by T. Heywood. March 1602–3. The Boast of Billingsgate, by John Day, and Richard Hathwaye. The Siege of Dunkerk, by Charles Massy. The Patient Man and Honest Whore, by Thomas Dekker and Thomas Middleton. The Italian Tragedy, by Wentworth Smith, and John Day. Pontius Pilate. Jane Shore, by Henry Chettle, and John Day. Baxter's Tragedy.

-- 329 --

The following notices, which I have reserved for this place, relate more immediately to our author. I have mentioned in a former page that I had not the smallest doubt that the name of Shakspeare, which is printed at length in the title-pages of Sir John Oldcastle, 1600⁵ ^note, and The London Prodigall, 1605, was affixed to those pieces, by a knavish bookseller without any foundation; and am now furnished with indubitable evidence on this subject; for under the year 1599 the following entry occurs in Mr. Henslowe's folio Manuscript:

“The 16th of October, 99. Received by me Thomas Downton of Philip Henslowe, to pay Mr. Monday, Mr. Drayton, Mr. Wilson, and Hathway, for The first part of the Lyfe of Sir Jhon Ouldcastell, and in earnest of the Second Pte, for the use of the company, ten pound, I say received 10 lb.

“Received [Nov. 1599] of Mr. Hinchelo for Mr. Munday and the reste of the poets, at the playinge of Sir John Oldcastell, the firste tyme, xs. as a gifte.”

“Received [Dec. 1599] of Mr. Henslowe, for the use of the company, to pay Mr. Drayton for the second parte of Sir Jhon Ouldcasell, foure pound, I say received per me Thomas Downton, iiij lb⁶ ^note

.”

We have here an indisputable proof of a fact which has been doubted, and can now pronounce with certainty

-- 330 --

that our poet was entirely careless about literary fame, and could patiently endure to be made answerable for compositions which were not his own, without using any means to undeceive the publick.

The bookseller for whom the first part of Sir John Oldcastle was printed, “as it hath bene lately acted by the Right Honourable the earl of Notingham Lord High Admirall of England his servants,” was Thomas Pavier, who however had the modesty to put only the initial letters of his christian and surname (T. P.) in the spurious title-page which he prefixed to it. In 1602, he entered the old copy of Titus Andronicus on the Stationers' books, with an intention (no doubt) to affix the name of Shakspeare to it, finding that our poet had made some additions to that piece.

To this person we are likewise indebted for the mistake which has so long prevailed⁷ ^note, relative to the two old plays entitled The First Part of the Contention between the two famous Houses of York and Lancaster, and The true Tragedie of Richard Duke of Yorke, which were printed anonymously in 1600, as acted by the earl of Pembroke's Servants, and have erroneously been ascribed to our poet, in consequence of Pavier's reprinting them in the year 1619, and then for the first time fraudulently affixing Shakspeare's name to them. To those plays, as to Oldcastle, he put only the initial letters of his christian and surname. For him likewise, The Yorkshire Tragedy was printed in the year 1608, and our poet's name affixed to it.

The Life and Death of Lord Cromwell, published in 1602, and ascribed to W. S. and the Puritan Widow, which was published in 1607, with the same

-- 331 --

initial letters, were probably written by Wentworth Smith, a dramatick writer whose name has so often occurred in the preceding pages, with perhaps the aid of Anthony Mundy, or some other of the same fraternity. Locrine, which was printed in 1595, as newly set forth, overseen and corrected, by W. S. was probably revised by the same person.

It is extremely probable from the register of dramatick pieces in a former page, that Cardinal Wolsey had been exhibited on the stage before our poet produced him in K. Henry VIII. To the list of plays written by Shakspeare upon subjects which had already been brought upon the scene, must also be added Troilus and Cressida, as appears from the following entries:

“Aprel 7, 1599. Lent unto Thomas Downton to lende unto Mr. Deckers, & harey cheattel, in earnest of ther boocke called Troyeles & Creassedaye, the some of iiilb.”

“Lent unto harey cheattell, & Mr. Dickers, in pte of payment of their booke called Troyelles & Cresseda, the 16 of Aprell, 1592, xxs.”

I suspect the authors changed the name of this piece before it was produced, for in a subsequent page are the following entries:

“Lent unto Mr. Deckers and Mr. Chettel the 26 of maye, 1599, in earnest of a booke called Troylles and Creseda, the sum of xxs.” In this entry a line is drawn through the words Troylles and Creseda, and “the tragedy of Agamemnon” written over them.

“Lent unto Robart Shawe, the 30 of maye 1599, in fulle payment of the boocke called the tragedie of Agamemnon, the sum of iiili. vs.—to Mr. Deckers, and harey Chettell.”

-- 332 --

“Paid unto the Master of the Revells man for lycensyng of a boocke called the Tragedie of Agamemnon the 3 of June, 1599, viis.”

We have seen in the list of plays performed in 1593–4, by the servants of the earl of Sussex, the old play of Titus Andronicus, in which on its revival by the king's servants, our author was induced, for the advantage of his own theatre, to make some alterations, and to add a few lines. The old play of King Henry VI. which was played with such success in 1591, he without doubt touched in the same manner, in consequence of which it appeared in his works under the title of The First Part of King Henry VI. How common this practice was, is proved by the following entries made by Mr. Henslowe:

“Lent unto the companye, the 17 of August, 1602, to pay unto Thomas Deckers, for new adycions to Owldcastell, the some of xxxxs.”

“Lent unto John Thane, the 7 of september, 1602, to geve unto Thomas Deckers for his adicions in Owldcastell, the some of xs.”

“Lent unto Samuel Rowley, the 14 of desember, 1600, to geve unto Thomas Deckers, for his paynes in Fayeton, [Phaeton] some of xs. For the corte.”

“Lent unto Samuel Rowley, the 22 of desember, 1601, to geve unto Thomas Decker for altering of Fayton [Phaeton] for the corte, xxxs.”

“P^d unto Thomas Deckers, at the apoyntment of the company, the 16 of janeuary 1601, towards the altering of Tasso, the some of xxs.”

“Lent unto my sonne E. Alleyn, the 7 of november, 1602, to geve unto Thomas Deckers for mending of the play of Tasso, the some of xxxxs.”

“Lent unto Mr. Birde, the 4 of desember, 1602,

-- 333 --

to paye unto Thomas Deckers, in pt of payment for Tasso, the sum of xxs.”

These two old playes of Phaeton and Tasso's Melancholy, we have seen in a former page, had been exhibited some years before.

“Lent unto the company, the 22 of november, 1602, to paye unto William Birde, and Samuel Rowley, for ther adycions in Docter Fostes, the some of iiiilb.”

“P^d. unto Thomas Hewode, the 20 of september, [1602] for the new adycions of Cutting Dick, the some of xxs.”

The following curious notices occur, relative to our poet's old antagonist, Ben Jonson; the last two of which furnish a proof of what I have just observed with respect to Titus Andronicus, and the First Part of King Henry VI.; and the last article ascertains that he had the audacity to write a play, after our author, on the subject of K. Richard III.

“Lent unto Bengemen Johnson, player, the 22 of July, 1597, in redy money, the some of fower poundes, to be payd yt again whensoever either I or my sonne [Edw. Alleyn] shall demand yt. I saye iiijlb. “Witness E. Alleyn, and John Synger.”

“Lent unto Bengemen Johnsone, the 3 of desember, 1597, upon a booke which he was to writte for us before crysmas next after the date hereof, which he showed the plotte unto the company: I saye, lent in redy mony, unto hime the some of xxs.”

“Lent Bengemyn Johnson, the 5 of Jenewary, 1597, [1597–8] in redy money, the some of vs.

“Lent unto the company, the 13 of agust, 1598, to bye a boocke called Hoate anger sone cowld, of Mr. Porter, Mr. Cheatell, & Bengemen Johnson, in full payment, the some of vilb.

-- 334 --

“Lent unto Robart Shawe, & Jewbey, the 23 of Octob. 1598, to lend unto Mr. Chapman, one [on] his playboocke, & ij actes of a tragedie of Bengemen's plott, the sum of iijlb.

“Lent unto Wm. Borne, alias Birde, the 10 of agust, 1599, to lend unto Bengemen Johnson and Thomas Dekker, in earnest of ther booke which they are writing, called Pagge of Plim⁷ ^note, the some of xxxxs.

“Lent unto Thomas Downton, the 3 of september, 1599, to lend unto Thomas Deckers, Bengemen Johnson, Heary Cheattell, and other jentellmen, in earnest of a playe called Robart the second kinge of Scottes tragedie, the some of xxxxs.

“Lent unto Wm. Borne, the 23 of september, 1599, to lend unto Bengemen Johnsone, in earnest of a boocke called the scottes tragedie, the some of xxs.

“Lent unto Mr. Alleyn, the 25 of september, 1601, to lend unto Bengemen Johnson, upon his writing of his adycians in Jeronymo⁸ ^note, xxxxs.

-- 335 --

“Lent unto Bengemy Johnsone, at the apoyntment of E. Alleyn, and William Birde, the 22 of June, 1602, in earnest of a boocke called Richard Crook-back, and for new adycions for Jeronimo, the some of xlb.”

I insert the following letter, which has been lately found at Dulwich College, as a literary curiosity. It shows how very highly Alleyn the player was estimated. What the wager alluded to was, it is now impossible to ascertain. It probably was, that Alleyn would equal his predecessors Knell and Bentley, in some part which they had performed, and in which his contemporary, George Peel, had likewise been admired.

“Your answer the other night so well pleased the gentlemen, as I was satisfied therewith, though to the hazarde of the wager: and yet my meaning was not to prejudice Peele's credit, neither wolde it, though it pleased you so to excuse it. But beinge now growen farther in question, the partie affected to Bently scornynge to win the wager by your deniall, hath now given you libertie to make choyce of any one play that either Bently or Knell plaide; and least this advantage agree not with your mind, he is contented both the plaie and the tyme shal be referred to the gentlemen here present. I see not how you can any waie hurt your credit by this action: for if you excell them, you will then be famous; if equall them, you win both the wager and credit; if short of them, we must and will saie, Ned Allen still. “Your friend to his power,
“W. P.

-- 336 --

“Deny mee not, sweet Ned; the wager's downe,
  “And twice as muche commaunde of me or myne;
  “And if you wynne, I swear the half is thine,
“And for an overplus an English crowne:
  “Appoint the tyme, and stint it as you pleas,
  “Your labour's gaine, and that will prove it ease.”

That a contest of this kind was not uncommon among the candidates for theatrical fame, may be shown by the following passage in The Guls Hornebooke, by Decker, 1609: “And let any hooke draw you either to a fencers supper, or to a players that acts such a part for a wager.” So also, in the Induction to The Knight of the Burning Pestle:

“Wife.

Nay, gentlemen, he hath played before my husband, says Musidorus, before the wardens of our company.

“At.

Ay, and he should have played Jeronimo with a shoemaker for a wager.”

The two following letters, which were found among Mr. Henslowe's papers, ascertain the low state of the dramatick poets in his time. From the former of them it should seem, that in a few years after the accession of James the First, the price of a play had considerably risen. Neither of them are dated, but I imagine they were written some time between the years 1612 and 1615.—Mr. Henslowe died about the 8th of January, 1615–16.

“Mr. Hinchlow,

“I have ever since I saw you kept my bed, being so lame that I cannot stand. I pray, Sir, goe forward with that reasonable bargayn for The Bellman. We will have but twelve pounds, and the overplus of the second day; whereof I have had ten shillings, and desire but twenty shillings more, till you have three sheets of my papers. Good Sir, consider how for your sake I have put myself out of the assured way to get money, and from twenty pounds a play am

-- 337 --

come to twelve. Thearfor in my extremity forsake me not, as you shall ever command me. My wife can acquaint you how infinit great my occasion is, and this shall be sufficient for the receipt, till I come to set my hand to the booke.

“Yours at comand,
“Robert Daborne.”

At the bottom of this letter Mr. Henslowe has written the following memorandum:

“Lent Mr. Daborne upon this note, the 23 of agust, in earnest of a play called The Bellman of London, xxs.”

“To our most loving friend,
Mr. Philip Hinchlow,
Esquire, These.

“Mr. Hinchlow,

“You understand our unfortunate extremitie, and I do not thincke you so void of christianitie but that you would throw so much money into the Thames as wee request now of you, rather then endanger so many innocent liues. You know there is xl. more at least to be receaved of you for the play. We desire you to lend us vl. of that; which shall be allowed to you; without which we cannot be bayled, nor I play any more till this be dispatch'd. It will lose you xxl. ere the end of the next weeke, besides the hinderance of the next new play. Pray, Sir, consider our cases with humanity, and now give us cause to acknowledge you our true freind in time of neede. Wee have entreated Mr. Davison to deliver this note, as well to witnesse your love as our promises, and alwayes acknowledgment to be ever “Your most thanckfull and loving friends,
“Nat. Field.”

-- 338 --

“The money shall be abated out of the money remayns for the play of Mr. Fletcher and ours. “Rob. Daborne.” “I have ever found you a true loving friend to mee, and in so small a suite, it beeinge honest, I hope you will not faile us. “Philip Massinger.”

Indorsed,

“Received by mee Robert Davison of Mr. Hinchlow, for the use of Mr. Daboerne, Mr. Feeld, Mr. Messenger, the sum of vl. “Robert Davison.”

The dimensions and plan of the Globe Playhouse, as well as the time when it was built, are ascertained by the following paper. I had conjectured that it was not built before 1596; and we have here a confirmation of that conjecture.

“This Indenture made the eighte day of Januarye, 1599, and in the two and fortyth yeare of the reigne of our sovereigne ladie Elizabeth, by the grace of God Queene of England, Fraunce and Ireland, defender of the fayth, &c. Between Phillipp Henslowe and Edward Allen of the parishe of St. Saviours in Southwark, in the countie of Surry, gentleman, on thone parte, and Peter Streete, citizen and carpenter of London, on thother parte, Witnesseth; that whereas the said Phillipp Henslowe and Edward Allen the day of the date hereof have bargained, compounded, and agreed with the said Peter Streete for the erectinge, buildinge, and setting up of a new House and Stage for a play-howse, in and uppon a certeine plott or peece of grounde

-- 339 --

appoynted out for that purpose, scituate and beinge near Goldinge lane in the parish of Saint Giles without Cripplegate of London; to be by him the said Peter Streete or some other sufficient workmen of his providing and appoyntment, and att his propper costes and chardges, (for the consideration hereafter in these presents expressed) made, builded, and sett upp, in manner and form following: that is to saie, the frame of the saide howse to be sett square, and to conteine fowerscore foote of lawful assize everye waie square, without, and fiftie five foote of like assize square, everye waie within, with a good, suer, and stronge foundacion of pyles, brick, lyme, and sand, both withoute and within, to be wrought one foote of assize at the leiste above the ground; and the saide frame to conteine three stories in height, the first or lower storie to conteine twelve foote of lawful assize in heighth, the second storie eleaven foote of lawful assize in height, and the third or upper storie to conteine nine foote of lawful assize in height. All which stories shall conteine twelve foot and a half of lawful assize in breadth throughoute, besides a juttey forwards in eyther of the saide two upper stories of tene ynches of lawful assize; with fower convenient divisions for gentlemens roomes⁹ ^note, and other sufficient and convenient divisions for twoopennie roomes¹ ^note; with necessarie seates to be placed and sett as well in those roomes as throughoute all the rest of the galleries of the said howse; and with suche like steares, conveyances, and divisions without and within, as are made and contryved in and to the late-erected play-howse on the Bancke in the said parish of Saint Saviours, called the Globe; with a stadge and tyreinge-howse, to be made, erected and

-- 340 --

sett upp within the saide frame: with a shadow or cover over the saide stadge; which stadge shall be placed and sett, as alsoe the stearcases of the saide frame, in such sorte as is prefigured in a plot thereof drawen; and which stadge shall conteine in length fortie and three foote of lawfull assize, and in breadth to extende to the middle of the yarde² ^note of the said howse: the same stadge to be paled in belowe with goode stronge and sufficyent new oken boardes, and likewise the lower storie of the said frame withinsied, and the same lower storie to be alsoe laide over and fenced with stronge yron pyles: And the said stadge to be in all other proportions contryved and fashioned like unto the stadge of the saide Playhouse called the Globe; with convenient windowes and lights glazed to the saide tireynge-howse. And the saide frame, stadge, and stearcases, to be covered with tyle, and to have a sufficient gutter of leade, to carrie and convey the water from the coveringe of the said stadge, to fall backwards. And alsoe all the saide frame and the stearcases thereof to be sufficyently enclosed without with lathe, lyme, and haire. And the gentlemens roomes and two-pennie roomes to be seeled with lathe, lyme, and haire; and all the flowers of the saide galleries, stories, and stadge to be boarded with good and sufficient newe deale boardes of the whole thicknes, wheare neede shall be. And the said howse, and other thinges before mentioned to be made and doen, to be in all other contrivitions, conveyances, fashions, thinge and thinges, effected, finished and doen, according to the manner and fashion of the saide howse called the Globe; saveinge only that all the princypall and maine postes of the saide frame, and stadge forward, shall be square and wrought palaster-wise, with carved proportions called

-- 341 --

Satiers, to be placed and sett on the topp of every of the same postes: and saveing alsoe that the saide Peter Streete shall not be charged with anie manner of paynteinge in or aboute the saide frame, howse, or stadge, or anie parte thereof, nor rendering the walles within, nor feelinge anie more or other roomes then the gentlemens roomes, twoo-pennie roomes, and stadge, before mentioned. Nowe thereuppon the said Peter Streete doth covenante, promise, and graunte for himself, his executors, and administrators, to and with the said Phillip Henslowe, and Edward Allen, and either of them, and thexecutors, and administrators of them, by these presents, in manner and forme followinge, that is to say; That he the saide Peter Streete, his executors, or assigns, shall and will at his or their owne propper costes and chardges, well, workman-like, and substantially make, erect, sett upp, and fullie finnishe in and by all thinges accordinge to the true meaninge of theis presents, with good stronge and substancyall new tymber and other necessarie stuff, all the said frame and other works whatsoever in and uppon the saide plott or parcell of grounde, (beinge not by anie authoritie restrayned, and having ingres, egres, and regres to doe the same,) before the five and twentyth daye of Julie, next comeing after the date hereof. And shall alsoe att his or their like costes and chardges provide and find all manner of workmen, tymber, joysts, rafters, boords, dores, bolts, hinges, brick, tyle, lathe, lyme, haire, sande, nailes, lead, iron, glass, workmanshipp and other thinges whatsoever which shall be needful, convenyent and necessarie for the saide frame and works and everie parte thereof: and shall alsoe make all the saide frame in every poynte for scantlings lardger and bigger in assize than the scantlings of the timber of the saide new-erected howse called The Globe. And alsoe that he the saide Peter Streete shall furthwith,

-- 342 --

as well by him selfe as by suche other and soe manie workmen as shall be convenient and necessarie, enter into and uppon the saide buildinges and workes, and shall in reasonable manner procede therein withoute anie wilfull detraction, untill the same shall be fully effected and finished. In consideration of all which buildings and of all stuff and workmanshipp thereto belonginge, the said Philip Henslowe, and Edward Allen, and either of them, for themselves, theire and either of theire executors and administrators, doe joyntlie and severallie covenante and graunt to and with the saide Peter Streete, his executors and administrators, by theis presents, that the saide Phillipp Henslowe, and Edward Allen, or one of them, or one of them, shall and will well and trulie paie or cause to be paide unto the saide Peter Streete, his executors or assignes, att the place aforesaid appoynted for the erectinge of the said frame, the full some of fower hundred and fortie poundes, of lawfull money of Englande, in manner and forme followinge; that is to saie, at suche tyme and when as the tymber woork of the saide frame shall be raysed and sett upp by the saide Peter Streete, his executors or assignes, or within seaven daies then next followinge, twoo hundred and twentie poundes; and att suche time and when as the said frame-work shall be fullie effected and finished as is aforesaid, or within seaven daies then next followinge, thother twooe hundred and twentie poundes, withoute fraude or coven. Provided allwaies, and it is agreed betwene the said parties, that whatsoever some or somes of money the said Phillip Henslowe, or Edward Allen, or either of them, shall lend or deliver unto the saide Peter Streete, his executors or assignes, or any other by his appoyntment or consent, for or concerninge the saide woork

-- 343 --

or anie parte thereof, or anie stuff thereto belonginge, before the raiseing and setting upp of the saide frame, shall be reputed, accepted, taken and accoumpted in parte of the first payment aforesaid of the saide some of fower hundred and fortie poundes: and all such some and somes of money as they or anie of them shall as aforesaid lend or deliver betwene the razeing of the said frame and finishing thereof, and of all the rest of the said works, shall be reputed, accepted, taken and accoumpted in parte of the laste payment aforesaid of the same some of fower hundred and fortie poundes; anie thinge above said to the contrary notwithstandinge. In witness whereof the parties abovesaid to theis present indentures interchangeably have sett their handes and seales. Yeoven the daie and yeare above-written.”

The following paper is also curious, as ascertaining the structure of our ancient places of entertainment, and the various uses to which they were applied. It is endorsed by Mr. Malone: “New building of the Bear Garden in August 1613, on plan of the Swan Theatre.” The Swan Theatre, it has been already mentioned, p. 56, fell into decay about that time. Boswell.

Articles covenanted, granted, and agreements concluded and agreed upon this nyne and twentythe daie of August, Anno d^mni, 1613, between Phillip Henslowe of the parish of St. Saviours in Southwarke within the countye of Surrie Esquier and Jacob Maide of the parish of Saint Olaves in Southwarke aforesaide, waterman, on thone partie, and Gilbert Katherens of the said parish of St. Saviours in Southwarke, carpenter, on thother partie, as followeth, that is to saie.

Imprimis, the saide Gilbert Katherens for him, his

-- 344 --

executors, administrators, and assignes, doth covenant, promise, and graunt, to and with the saide Phillip Henslowe and Jaconb Maide, and either of them, the executors, administrators and assignes of them and either of them, by theise presents, in manner and forme following, That he the saide Gilbert Katherens, his executors, administrators, or assignes, shall and will at his or their owne proper costes and charges uppon or before the last daie of November next ensuinge the daie of the date of these presentes above-written, not onlie take downe or pull downe all that game place or house wherein beares and bulls have been heretofore usually bayted, and also one other house or stable wherein bulls and horses did usuallie stande, sett, lyinge and beynge uppon or near the Banke syde in the saide parishe of St. Saviours in Southwarke commonlie called or knowen by the name of the Beare garden, but shall also at his or their owne proper costes and charges uppon or before the saide last daie of November newly erect, builde, and sett up one other game place or plaie house fitt and convenient in all thinges both for players to plaie in and for the game of beares and bulls, to be bayted in the same; and also a fitt and convenient tyre house and a frame to be carryed or taken away and to stande uppon tressels good substantiall and sufficient for the carrying and bearing of suche a stage; and shall new builde erect and sett up again the saide plaie house or game place neere or uppon the saide place where the same game place did heretofore stande. And to builde the same of suche large compasse, forme, wideness, and height, as the plaie house called the Swan in the libertie of Paris Garden in the saide parishe of St. Saviours now is. And shall also builde two steare casses without and adjoyning to the saide playe house in suche convenient places as shal be most fitt and convenient for them to stande uppon, and of such largnes and height as the stear casses of

-- 345 --

the saide playe house called the Swan now are or be. And shall also builde the heavens over the saide stage, to be borne or carried without any postes or supporters to be fixed or sett uppon the saide stage: and all gutters of leade needfull for the carryage of all suche raine water as shall fall uppon the same, And shall also make two boxes in the lower most storie, fitt and decent for gentlemen to sitt in; And shall make the partitions betweene the roomes as they are at the saide play house called the Swan. And to make turned cullumes [columns] uppon and over the stage, And shall make the principalls and fore front of the saide plaie house of good and sufficient oken tymber, and no firr tymber to be putt or used in the lowermost or under stories, excepte the upright postes on the backe parte of the saide stories: all the bindinge joystes to be of oken tymber, the inner principall postes of the first storie to be twelve footes in height and tenn ynches square; the inner principall postes in the midall storie to be eight ynches square: the innermost postes in the upper storie to be seaven ynches square; the &lblank; postes in the first storie to be eight ynches square in the seconde storie seaven ynches square, and in the upper storie six ynchessquare. Also the brest summers in the lowermost storie to be nyne ynches deepe and seaven ynches in thicknes and in the midall storie to be eight ynches depe and six ynches in thicknes: the byndinge joistes of the first storie to be nyne and eight ynches in depth and thicknes, and in the midell storie to be viii and vii ynches in depth and thicknes. Item, to make a good sure and sufficient foundacion of brickes for the saide playe house or game place and to make it xii ynches at the leaste above the grounde. Item to new builde erect and sett up the said bull house and stable with good and sufficient scantling tymber plankes and bordes and partitions, of that largenes and fittnes as

-- 346 --

shall be sufficient to kepe and hold six bulls and three horses or geldinges, with rackes and mangers in the same. And also a lofer [louvre] or storie over the saide house as nowe it is. And shall also at his or their owne proper coste and charges new tyle with Englishe tyles all the upper roofe of the saide playe house, game place, and bull house or stable. And shall finde and paie for at his like proper costes and charges all the lyme lears, sand, brickes, tyles, laths, nayles, workmanshippe and all other thinges needfull and necessarie for the full finishinge of the saide playe house or game place to be made in all thinges and in suche forme and fashion as the said playhouse called the Swan, the scantling of the tymbers, tyles and foundations as is aforesaide, without fraud or covin. And the saide Phillip Henslowe and Jacob Maide and either of them for them thexecutors administrators and assignes of them and either of them, doe covenant and graunt to and with the saide Gilbert Katherens his executors administrators and assignes in manner and forme followinge, that is to saie, that the saide Gilbert or his assignes shall or may have and take to his or their use and behalfe not onlie all the tymber, benches, seates, slates, tyles, brickes, and all other thinges belonginge to the saide game place, bull house or stable, and also all suche old tymber whiche the saide Phillip Henslowe hath latlie bought being of an old house in Thames Street, London, whereof most parte is now lying in the yarde or backside of the said Beare garden. And also be satisfied and paid unto the saide Gilbert Katherens his executors administrators or assignes for the doinge and finishinge of the workes and buildings aforesaid the sum of three hundred and three score poundes of good and lawful monie of Englande in manner and forme followinge, that is to saie, in handle at then

-- 347 --

sealing and delivery hereof three score poundes whiche the said Gilbert acknowledgeth himselfe by theyse presentes to have received. And moreover to paie every weeke weeklie duringe the sixe weekes unto the said Gilbert or his assignes when he shall sett workmen to worke uppon or about the buildinge the premisses the somme of tenn poundes of lawfull monie of Englande to paie them their wages yf theyre wages doth amount unto so muche monie. And when the saide plaiehouse bull house and stable are reared, then to make upp the saide wages one hundred poundes of lawfull monie of Englande, and to be paide unto the saide Gilbert Katherens or his assignes. And when the saide plaie house bull house and stable are reared, tyled, walled, then to paie unto the saide Gilbert Katherens or his assignes one other hundred poundes of lawfull monie of England And when the saide plaie house bull house and stable are fullie finished builded and done, in manner and forme aforesaide, then to paie unto the saide Gilbert Katherens or his assignes one other hundred poundes of lawfull monie of England, in full satisfac&obar;n and payment of the saide somme of ccc lxli. And to all and singuler the covenantes, grauntes, articles, and agreements, above in theise presentes contayned, whiche on the parte and behalfe of the saide Gilbert Katherens his executors administrators or assignes, are and ought to be observed, performed, fulfilled, and done, the saide Gilberte Katherens bindeth him selfe, his executors, administrators, and assignes, unto the saide Philipp Henslowe and Jacob Maide, and to either of them thexecutors administrators and assignes of them or either of them, by theise presentes. In witness whereof the saide Gilbert Katherens hath hereunto sett his hande and seal the daie and yere first above written.

The marke [G. K.] of Gilbert Katherens.

-- 348 --

As the following article in Mr. Malone's Supplement, &c. 1780, is omitted in his present Historical Account of the English Stage, it is here reprinted.— The description of a most singular species of dramatick entertainment, cannot well be considered as an unnatural adjunct to the preceding valuable mass of theatrical information. Steevens.

“A transcript of a very curious paper now in my possession, entitled, The Platt of the Secound Parte of the Seven Deadlie Sinnes, serves in some measure to mark the various degrees of consequence of several of these [our ancient] performers.

The piece entitled The Seven Deadly Sins, in two parts, (of one of which the annexed paper contains the outlines,) was written by Tarleton the comedian³ ^note

-- 349 --

From the manner in which it is mentioned by Gabriel Harvey, his contemporary, it appears to have been a new and unexampled species of dramatick exhibition. He expressly calls it a play. I think it probable, that it was first produced soon after a violent attack had been made against the stage. Several invectives against plays were published in the latter part of the reign of Queen Elizabeth. It seems to have been the purpose of the author of this exhibition, to concenter in one performance the principal subjects of the serious drama, and to exhibit at one view those uses to which it might be applied with advantage. That these Seven Deadly Sins, as they are here called, were esteemed the principal subjects of tragedy, may appear from the following verses of Heywood, who, in his Apology for Actors, introduces Melpomene thus speaking;

“Have I not whipt Vice with a scourge of steele,
“Unmaskt sterne Murther, sham'd lascivious Lust,
“Pluckt off the visar from grimme treason's face,
“And made the sunne point at their ugly sinnes?
“Hath not this powerful hand tam'd fiery Rage,
“Kill'd poysonous Envy with her own keene darts,
“Choak'd up the covetous mouth with moulten gold,
“Burst the vast wombe of eating Gluttony,
“And drown the drunkard's gall in juice of grapes?
“I have shew'd Pride his picture on a stage,
“Layde ope the ugly shapes his steel-glasse hid,
“And made him passe thence meekely &lblank;.”

As a very full and satisfactory account of the exhibition described in this ancient fragment, by Mr. Steevens, will be found in the following pages, it is unnecessary to add any thing upon the subject.— What dramas were represented in the first part of the Seven Deadly Sins, we can now only conjecture, as probably the Plot of that piece is long since destroyed. The ill consequences of Rage, I suppose, were inculcated by the exhibition of Alexander, and the death

-- 350 --

of Clitus, on which subject, it appears, there was an ancient play⁴ ^note. Some scenes in the drama of Midas⁵ ^note were probably introduced to exhibit the odiousness and folly of Avarice. Lessons against Pride and ambition were perhaps furnished, either by the play of Ninus and Semiramis⁶ ^note, or by a piece formed on the story of Phaeton⁷ ^note: And Gluttony, we may suppose, was rendered odious in the person of Heliogabalus. Malone.

-- --

The Platt* ^note

of the Secound Parte of the Seven Deadlie Sinns. FINIS.

King Henry VI.
E. of Warwick,	Geo. Bryan*.
Lieutenant,	Rich. Cowley*.
Pursuivant,	John Duke† ^note.
Warder,	R. Pallant.
Gorboduc,	R. Burbage*.
Porrex,	W. Sly*.
Ferrex,	Harry (i. e. Condell)*.
Lucius,	G. Bryan.
Damasus,	T. Goodale.
Videna, (the Queen,)	Saunder (i. e. Alexander Cooke)*.
Tereus,	R. Burbage.
Philomela,	R. Pallant.
Panthea,	T. Belt.
Itys,	Will.
Julio,	J. Sincler‡ ^note.
Progne,	Saunder.
Sardanapalus,	Aug. Phillips*.
Arbactus,	Tho. Pope*.
Nicanor,	R. Pallant.
Giraldus,	R. Cowley.
Phronesius,	T. Goodale.
Will. Fool,	J. Duke.
Aspatia,	R. Gough*.
Pompeia,	Ned (perhaps Edward Alleyn)
Rodope,	Nich. (Nicholas Tooley)*.

Steevens.

-- 357 --

pieces⁵ ^note. See No. I. II. and III. The originals are in my possession.

There is reason to suppose that these curiosities once belonged to the collection of Alleyn, the founder of Dulwich College; nor am I left without expectation that at some future period I may derive more important intelligence from the dispersed remains of that theatrical repository.

The Dead Man's Fortune and Tamar Cam⁶ ^note, will not, I believe, be found in any catalogues of dramatick performances. At least they are not enumerated among such as have fallen within Mr. Reed's observation, or my own.

That the play of Frederick and Basilea was acted, by the Lord Admiral's Company, four times in the year 1597, may be ascertained from Mr. Malone's Additions, p. 308.

-- 358 --

In these three “Plotts” the names of several ancient players, “unregister'd in vulgar fame,” are preserved. —But to luckier and more industrious antiquaries of the scene I must resign the task of collecting anecdotes of their lives: so that “Pigg, Ledbeter, White and Black Dick and Sam, Jack Gregory, Little Will Barne, and the red-faced fellow,” &c. appear at present with less celebrity than their brethren who figured in the plays of Shakspeare.

Notwithstanding the reader must observe that the drift of the foregoing dramatick pieces cannot be collected from the mere outlines before us, he may be ready enough to charge them with absurdity. Justice therefore requires me to add, that even the scenes of our authour would have worn as unpromising an aspect, had their skeletons only been discovered.

For several reasons I suspect that these “Plotts” had belonged to three distinct theatres, in which at different periods Alleyn might have held shares.— The names of the performers in each company materially disagree⁶ ^note

; the “Plotts” themselves are written

-- 359 --

out in very different hands; and (though the remark may seem inconsiderable) their apertures are adapted to pegs of very different dimensions. See the second paragraph in p. 350. Steevens.

-- --

The plotte of the deade mans fortune.

Enter the prolouge.

Enter laertes Eschines and vrganda.

Enter pescodde to him his father.

Enter Tesephon allgeryus laertes w^th
atendantes: Darlowe: lee: b samme: to
them allcyane and statyra.

Enter validore and aspida at severall dores
to them the panteloun* ^note.

Musique.

&stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam;

Enter carynus and Prelior to them
statyra and allcyane.

Enter vrganda laertes Eschines: Exit
Eschines and enter for Bell veile.

Enter panteloun and his man to them his wife
aspida to her validore.

Dar.
lee.
sam.

Enter Tesephonn allgerius alcyane & statyra
w^m atendantes to them carynus and
prelior to them laertes & Bell veile.

Enter valydore & aspida cuttynge of
ruffes to them the maide.

Enter panteloun whiles he speakes
validore passeth ore the stage disguisde
then Enter pescode to them aspida to
them the maide w^th pescodds apparell.

Musique

&stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam;

Enter carynus and prelyor = here the
laydes speakes in prysonn.

Enter laertes and Bell veile to them the
Jayler to them the laydes.

Enter Tesephon Allgerius at severall dores
disguisd w^th meate to them the Jayler.

Enter panteloun & pescode = enter aspida
to sir validore & his man b. samme to
them the panteloun and pescode w^th spectakles† ^note

Musique

&stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam;

Enter Tesephon allgerius w^th attendantes Dar. &
tyre man & others to them Burbage‡ ^note a messenger
to them Euphrodore—Robart lee & b. samme.

Enter carynus & prelior to them vrganda
w^th a lookinge glasse accompaned w^th satires
plainge on ther Instruments.

Enter carynus madde to him prelyor
madde.

Enter aspida & pescode to her
Enters rose.

Enter panteloun & pescodde.

Enter aspida and validore disguisd like rose w^th
a flasket of clothes to them rose w^th a
nother flasket of clothes to them the panteloun
to them pescodde.

Musique.

&stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam; &stellam;

Enter Vrganda Alcione Statira Enter Laertes
Eschines enters w^t out disguise.

Enter kinge Egereon allgeryus tesephon
w^th lordes the executioner w^th his
sworde & blocke & offycers w^th holberds
to them carynus & prelyor then after that
the musicke plaies and then enters 3 antique
faires dancynge on after a nother
the first takes the sworde from the executioner
and sendes him a waye the other
caryes a waie the blocke and the third sends
a waie the offycers & unbindes allgeryus
& tesephon and as they entred so they departe.

Enter to them vrganda laertes and
Eschines leadinge their laides hand in hand.

Enter the panteloun & pescode.

Enter validore.

Enter aspida to her rose.

Enter the panteloun & causeth the
cheste or truncke to be broughte forth.

FINIS.