fected, and the playhouses in Gracious-ftreet, Bifhopfgate-ftreet, that nigh Paul's, that on Ludgatehill, and the White-friers, were quite pulled down and fuppreffed by the care of these religious fenators." The theatre in Blackfriars, not being within the liberties of the city of London, efcaped the fury of these fanaticks. Elizabeth, however, though the yielded in this inftance to the frenzy of the time, was during the whole courfe of her reign a favourer of the ftage, 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 defcribed as " her majesty's unfledged minions,") "flaunted it in their filkes and fattens," and acted plays on profane fubjects in the chapel-royal. In 1574 fhe granted a licence to James Burbage, probably the father of the celebrated tragedian, and four others, fervants to the Earl of Leicester, to exhibit all kinds of ftage-plays, during pleasure, in any part of England, as well for the recreation of her loving fubjects, as for her own folace and pleasure when the fhould think

• Richard Reulidge's Monfier lately found out and difcovered, or the fcourging of Tipplers, 1628, pp. 2, 3, 4. What he calls the theatres in Gracious Street, Bishopfgate Street, and Ludgate Hill, were the temporary fcaffolds erected at the Cross Keys Inn in Gracechurch Street, the Bull in Bishopfgate Street, and the Bell Savage on Ludgate Hill. "That nigh Paul's," was St. Paul's fchool-room, behind the Convocation-house.

"Even in her majefties chapel do these pretty upftart youthes prophane the Lordes-day by the lafcivious 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 fiript and whipt, 1569, fol. xiii. b. Thefe children acted frequently in Queen Elizabeth's reign at the theatre in Whitefriars.

good to fee them ;" and in the year 1583, foon after a furious attack had been made on the ftage

2 For the notice of this ancient theatrical licence we are in-. debted to Mr. Steevens. It is found among the unpublished collections of Rymer, which were purchased by parliament, and are depofited in the British Mufeum. Afcough's Catalogue of Sloanian and other manufcripts, No. 4625.

"Pro Jacobo Burbage et aliis, de licentia fpeciali.

"Elizabeth by the grace of God, Quene of England, &c. To all juftices, mayors, fheriffes, bayliffes, head conftables, under conftables, and all other oure officers and mynifters, greting.

"Know ye, that we of our especiall grace, certen knowledge, and mere motion, have licensed and auctorised, and by thefe prefents do lycenfe and auctorife our loving fubjectes James Burbage, John Perkyn, John Lanham, William Johnson, and Robert Wilfon, fervaunts to our truftie and well beloved cofen and counfeyllour the Earle of Leycefter, to ufe, exercyfe and occupie the arte and facultye of playenge commedies, tragedies, enterludes, ftage-playes, and fuch other like as they have alredie ufed and studied, or hereafter shall use and ftudie, as well for the recreation of our lovinge fubjectes as for our folace and pleasure when we fhall thinke good to fee them, as also to use and occupie all fuch inftrumentes as they have alredie practifed or hereafter fhall practife, for and duringe our pleasure; and the faid commedies, tragedies, enterludes, and stage-plaies, together with their muficke, to fhew, publifhe, exercife and occupie to their heft commoditie, during all the terme aforefaid, as well within the liberties and freedomes of anye our cities, townes, bouroughs, &c. whatfoever, as without the fame, thoroughoute our realme of England. Willinge and commaundinge yowe and every of you, as ye tender our pleasure, to permit and fuffer them herein withoute anye lettes, hynderaunce, or moleftation, duringe the terme aforefaide, any acte, ftatute, or proclamation or commaundement heretofore made or hereafter to be made notwyth ftandynge; provyded that the faide commedies, tragedies, enterludes and ftage-playes be by the Mafter of our Revells for the tyme beynge before fene and allowed; and that the fame be not publifhed or fhewen in the tyme of common prayer, or in the tyme of greate and common plague in our faide 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 Walfingham, were felected from the companies then fubfifting, under the licence and protection of various noblemen,3 and were fworn her majefty's fervants.4 Eight of them had an annual ftipend of

Wytnes our felfe at Westminster the 10th daye of Maye. [1574.]

"Per breve de privato figillo."

Mr. Steevens fuppofed that Mr. Dodfley was inaccurate in faying 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 fubfequent to the above licence. But the figures 1578 in that page are merely an error of the prefs for 1378, as may be seen by turning to a former page of Mr. Dodfley's preface, to which, in p. 22, he himself refers.

3 The fervants of the Earls of Derby, Pembroke, and Effex; thofe of the Lord Chamberlain; the fervants of the Lord Admiral (Nottingham); thofe of Lord Strange, Lord Suffex, Lord Worcester, &c.-By the ftatute 39 Eliz. c. 4, noblemen were authorized to license players to act both in town and country; the ftatute 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 perfonage of greater degree, to be authorised to play under the hand and feale of arms of fuch baron or perfonage, fhall be adjudged and deemed rogues and vagabonds."

This ftatute has been frequently mif-ftated by Prynne and others, as if it declared all players (except noblemen's fervants) 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 occafionally at the Crofs Keys in Gracechurch Street, and other inns, and alfo in the houses of noblemen at weddings and other feftivals.

4" Comedians and ftage-players of former time were very poor and ignorant in refpect of thefe of this time; but being now [in 1583] growne very skilfull and exquisite actors for all matters, they were entertained into the fervice of divers great VOL. III.

E

31. 6s. 8d. each.5 At that time there were eight

lords; out of which companies there were twelve of the best chofen, and, at the request of Sir Francis Walfingham, they were fworn the queenes fervants, and were allowed wages and liveries as groomes of the chamber and untill this yeare 1583, the queene had no players. Among thefe twelve players were two rare men, viz. Thomas Wilfon, for a quicke, delicate, refined, extemporall witt, and Richard Tarleton, for a wondrous plentifull pleafant extemporall wit, he was the wonder of his tyme. He lieth buried in Shoreditch church."—" He was fo beloved," adds the writer in a note, "that men use his picture for their fignes." Stowe's Chron. published by Howes, fub. ann. 1583, edit. 1615.

The above paragraph was not written by Stowe, not being found in the laft 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 fhows in how low a state the ftage was at this time:

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

"Upon thefe orders against the players, the Queen's players petitioned the Lords of the Councel, That whereas the time of their fervice drew very near, fo that of neceflity they must needs have exercife to enable them the better for the fame, and alfo for their better keep and relief in their poor livings, the feafon of the year being past to play at any of the houfes without the city: Their humble petition was, that the Lords would vouchfafe to read a few articles annexed to their fupplication, and in confideration [that] the matter contained the very stay and state of their living, to grant unto them confirmation of the fame, or of as many as fhould be to their honours good liking; and withal, their favourable letters to the Lord Maior, to permit them to exercife within the city; and that their letters might contain fome orders to the Juftices of Middlesex in their behalf." Strype's Additions to Stowe's Survey, Vol. I. p. 248.

5 Household-book of Queen Elizabeth in 1584, in the Mufeum, MSS. Sloan. 3194. The continuator of Stowe fays, fhe had no players before, (ice n. 4,) but I fufpect that he is mifta

companies of comedians, each of which performed twice or thrice a week.6

King James the First appears to have patronized the stage with as much warmth as his predeceffor. In 1599, while he was yet in Scotland, he folicited Queen Elizabeth (if we may believe a modern hiftorian) to send a company of English comedians to Edinburgh; and very foon after his acceffion 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. Jac. P. 2. m. 4. James by the grace of God, &c. to all juftices, maiors, fheriffs, conftables, headboroughs, and other our officers and loving fubjects, greeting. Know you that wee, of our fpecial grace, certaine knowledge, and meer motion, have licensed and authorised, and by these prefentes doe licence and authorize theife our fervaunts, Laurence Fletcher, WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE, Richard Burbage, Auguftine Phillippes, John Hemings, Henrie Condel, William Sly, Robert Armin, Richard Cowly, and the reft of their affociates, freely to ufe and exercife the art and faculty of playing comedies, tragedies, hiftories, interludes, morals, paftorals, ftage-plaies, and fuch like other

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

6" For reckoning with the leafte 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 fometimes thrice,) it amounteth to two thousand pounds by the year." A Sermon preached at Paules Croffe, by John Stockwood, 1578.