fected, and the playhouses in Gracious-street, Bishopsgate-street, that nigh Paul's, that on Ludgatehill, and the White-friers, were quite pulled down and suppressed by the care of these religious senators. The theatre in Blackfriars, not being within the liberties of the city of London, escaped the fury of these fanaticks. Elizabeth, however, though she yielded in this instance to the frenzy of the time, was during the whole course of her reign a favourer of the stage, and a frequent attendant upon plays. So early as in the year 1569, as we learn from another puritanical writer, the children of her chapel, (who are described as "her majesty's unfledged minions,")" flaunted it in their silkes and sattens," and acted plays on profane subjects in the chapel-royal. In 1574 she granted a licence to James Burbage, probably the father of the celebrated tragedian, and four others, servants to the Earl of Leicester, to exhibit all kinds of stage-plays, during pleasure, in any part of England," as well for the recreation of her loving subjects, as for her own solace and pleasure when she should think

Richard Reulidge's Monster lately found out and discovered, or the scourging of Tipplers, 1628, pp. 2, 3, 4. What he calls the theatres in Gracious Street, Bishopsgate Street, and Ludgate Hill, were the temporary scaffolds erected at the Cross Keys Inn in Gracechurch Street, the Bull in Bishopsgate Street, and the Bell Savage on Ludgate Hill. "That nigh Paul's," was St. Paul's school-room, behind the Convocation-house.

"Even in her majesties chapel do these pretty upstart youthes prophane the Lordes-day by the lascivious writhing of their tender limbes, and gorgeous decking of their apparell, in feigning bawdie fables, gathered from the idolatrous heathen poets," &c, The Children of the Chapel stript and whipt, 1569, fol. xiii. b. These children acted frequently in Queen Elizabeth's reign at the theatre in Whitefriars.

good to see them;"2 and in the year 1583, soon after a furious attack had been made on the stage

2 For the notice of this ancient theatrical licence we are indebted to Mr. Steevens. It is found among the unpublished collections of Rymer, which were purchased by parliament, and are deposited in the British Museum. Ascough's Catalogue of Sloanian and other manuscripts, No. 4625.

"Pro Jacobo Burbage et aliis, de licentia speciali.

"Elizabeth by the grace of God, Quene of England, &c. To all justices, mayors, sheriffes, bayliffes, head constables, under constables, and all other oure officers and mynisters, greting.

"Know ye, that we of our especiall grace, certen knowledge, and mere motion, have licensed and auctorised, and by these presents do lycense and auctorise our loving subjectes James Burbage, John Perkyn, John Lanham, William Johnson, and Robert Wilson, servaunts to our trustie and well beloved cosen and counseyllour the Earle of Leycester, to use, exercyse and occupie the arte and facultye of playenge commedies, tragedies, enterludes, stage-playes, and such other like as they have alredie used and studied, or hereafter shall use and studie, as well for the recreation of our lovinge subjectes as for our solace and pleasure when we shall thinke good to see them, as also to use and occupie all such instrumentes as they have alredie practised or hereafter shall practise, for and duringe our pleasure; and the said commedies, tragedies, enterludes, and stage-plaies, together with their musicke, to shew, publishe, exercise and occupie to their best commoditie, during all the terme aforesaid, as well within the liberties and freedomes of anye our cities, townes, bouroughs, &c. whatsoever, as without the same, thoroughoute our realme of England. Willinge and commaundinge yowe and every of you, as ye tender our pleasure, to permit and suffer them herein withoute anye lettes, hynderaunce, or molestation, duringe the terme aforesaid, any acte, statute, or proclamation or commaundement heretofore made or hereafter to be made notwythstandynge; provyded that the saide commedies, tragedies, enterludes and stage-playes be by the Master of our Revells for the tyme beynge before sene and allowed; and that the same be not published or shewen in the tyme of common prayer, or in the tyme of greate and common plague in our saide citye of London. In wytnes wherof, &c.

by the puritans, twelve of the principal comedians of that time, at the earnest request of Sir Francis Walsingham, were selected from the companies then subsisting, under the licence and protection of various noblemen,3 and were sworn her majesty's servants. Eight of them had an annual stipend of

"Wytnes our selfe at Westminster the 10th daye of Maye. [1574.] "Per breve de privato sigillo.”

Mr. Steevens supposed that Mr. Dodsley was inaccurate in saying in the preface to his Collection of Old Plays, p. 22, that "the first company of players we have any account of in history are the children of Paul's in 1578," four years subsequent to the above licence. But the figures 1578 in that page are merely an error of the press for 1378, as may be seen by turning to a former page of Mr. Dodsley's preface, to which, in p. 22, he himself refers.

: The servants of the Earls of Derby, Pembroke, and Essex ; those of the Lord Chamberlain; the servants of the Lord Admiral (Nottingham); those of Lord Strange, Lord Sussex, Lord Worcester, &c.-By the statute 39 Eliz. c. 4, noblemen were authorized to license players to act both in town and country; the statute declaring" that all common players of interludes wandering abroad, other than players of interludes belonging to anie baron of this realme, or anie other honourable personage of greater degree, to be authorised to play under the hand and seale of arms of such baron or personage, shall be adjudged and deemed rogues and vagabonds."

This statute has been frequently mis-stated by Prynne and others, as if it declared all players (except noblemen's servants) to be rogues and vagabonds: whereas it was only made against strolling players.

Long after the playhouses called the Theatre and the Curtain had been built, and during the whole reign of Elizabeth, the companies belonging to different noblemen acted occasionally at the Cross Keys in Gracechurch Street, and other inns, and also in the houses of noblemen at weddings and other festivals.

↑ "Comedians and stage-players of former time were very poor and ignorant in respect of these of this time; but being now [in 1583] growne very skilfull and exquisite actors for all matters, they were entertained into the service of divers great

31. 6s. 8d. each.". At that time there were eight

lords; out of which companies there were twelve of the best chosen, and, at the request of Sir Francis Walsingham, they were sworn the queenes servants, and were allowed wages and liveries as groomes of the chamber: and untill this yeare 1583, the queene had no players. Among these twelve players were two rare men, viz. Thomas Wilson, for a quicke, delicate, refined, extemporall witt, and Richard Tarleton, for a wondrous plentifull pleasant extemporall wit, he was the wonder of his tyme. He lieth buried in Shoreditch church."- "He was so beloved," adds the writer in a note, " that men use his picture for their signes." Stowe's Chron. published by Howes, sub. ann. 1583, edit. 1615.

The above paragraph was not written by Stowe, not being found in the last edition of his Chronicle published in his lifetime, 4to. 1605 and is an interpolation by his continuator, Edmund Howes.

Richard Tarleton, as appears by the register of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, was buried there September the third, 1588.

The following extract from Strype shows in how low a state the stage was at this time:

66

Upon the ruin of Paris Garden, [the fall of a scaffold there in January, 1583-4,] suit was made to the Lords [of the Council] to banish plays wholly in the places near London: and letters were obtained of the Lords to banish them on the Sabbath days.

"Upon these orders against the players, the Queen's players petitioned the Lords of the Councel, That whereas the time of their service drew very near, so that of necessity they must needs have exercise to enable them the better for the same, and also for their better keep and relief in their poor livings, the season of the year being past to play at any of the houses without the city: Their humble petition was, that the Lords would vouchsafe to read a few articles annexed to their supplication, and in consideration [that] the matter contained the very stay and state of their living, to grant unto them confirmation of the same, or of as many as should be to their honours good liking; and withal, their favourable letters to the Lord Maior, to permit them to exercise within the city; and that their letters might contain some orders to the Justices of Middlesex in their behalf." Strype's Additions to Stowe's Survey, Vol. I. p. 248.

Household-book of Queen Elizabeth in 1584, in the Museum, MSS. Sloan. 3194. The continuator of Stowe says, she had no players before, (see. n. 4,) but I suspect that he is mis

companies of comedians, each of which performed twice or thrice a week."

King James the First appears to have patronized the stage with as much warmth as his predecessor. In 1599, while he was yet in Scotland, he solicited Queen Elizabeth (if we may believe a modern historian) to send a company of English comedians to Edinburgh; and very soon after his accession to the throne, granted the following licence to the company at the Globe, which is found in Rymer's Fœdera.

"Pro LAURENTIO FLETCHER & WILLIELMO SHAKESPEARE & aliis.

"A. D. 1603. Pat.

“1.

"1. Jac. P. 2. m. 4. James by the grace of God, &c. to all justices, maiors, sheriffs, constables, headboroughs, and other our officers and loving subjects, greeting. Know you that wee, of our special grace, certaine knowledge, and meer motion, have licensed and authorised, and by these presentes doe licence and authorize theise our servaunts, Laurence Fletcher, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Richard Burbage, Augustine Phillippes, John Hemings, Henrie Condel, William Sly, Robert Armin, Richard Cowly, and the rest of their associates, freely to use and exercise the art and faculty of playing comedies, tragedies, histories, interludes, morals, pastorals, stage-plaies, and such

taken, for Queen Mary, and King Edward the Sixth, both had players on their establishments. See p. 45.

6" For reckoning with the leaste the gaine that is reaped of eight ordinarie places in the citie, (which I know,) by playing but once a weeke, (whereas many times they play twice, and sometimes thrice,) it amounteth to two thousand pounds by the year." A Sermon preached at Paules Crosse, by John Stockwood, 1578.