perhaps Shakspeare, in the same laugh against them : "Prayse but Orchestra, and the skipping art, "You shall commaund him; faith, you have his hart, "Will daunce Kempe's Jigg: They'le revel with neate jumps; Such were the patentees of King James; and such the associates, who were adopted among the royal servants and though they were not named in the license of 1603, yet were the original actors of Shakspeare's characters. We have seen, upon the accession of King James, three companies established, by collecting the discarded servants of the several noblemen. At the epoch of Shakspeare's death, there were, probably, five companies of players in London: viz. The King's servants, who performed at The Globe, and in the Blackfriars; the Queen's servants, who acted at The Red Bull, and became afterwards distinguished as the Children of the Revels; the Prince's servants, who played at The Curtaine; the Palsgrave's servants, who exhibited at The Fortune; and the Lady Elizabeth's servants, who performed at the Cockpit, in Drury Lane. During the same period, there were seven regular playhouses, including 5 The Scourge of Villanie, 1599, sig H. 3 b. This is Sir John Davis, the Attorney General of Ireland, who wrote the two celehrated poems, Nosce Teipsum; and the Orchestra, in praise of dancing. I observe, that Mr. Malone sometimes confounds Sir John Davis, with Davis, the epigrammatist, who was a very different person. [P. 78, 81.] Sir John Davis is the first of our poets who reasoned in rhime; yet the palm of logical poetry has been assigned, by Johnson, to Dryden; though the laureate of James II can boast of nothing which is comparable to the Nosce Teipsum of Davis, for concatenation of argument, and subtilty of thought. [Mr. Chalmers, in correcting Mr. Malone, is himself in an error. The epigram quoted p. 81, was certainly written by Sir John Davis. BOSWELL.] three on the Bankside; the Swan, the Rose, and the Hope; which, however, were not much frequented, and, early in the reign of James, fell into disuse: Yet, one Rosseter obtained a patent, under the great seal, for erecting a playhouse, without the liberties of London; and by virtue thereof, proceeded to convert the house of Lady Sanclair, on Puddle-wharff, into a theatre. The Lord Mayor and aldermen were alarmed: They considered this measure as an infringement of their jurisdiction: and feared the interruption of publick worship, on the week days, from its nearness to a church. These considerations, upon complaint made to them, induced the privy-council to determine, that no playhouse should be erected in that place. But, it is always more easy to resolve, 6 An order was issued to that effect, on the 26th of September, 1615, in the following terms : "Whereas complaint was made to this board by the Lord Mayor and aldermen of the city of London, That one Rosseter and others having obtained license under the great seal of England for the building of a playhouse have pulled down a great messuage in Puddle-wharf which was sometimes the house of Lady Sanclers within the precinct of the Blackfryers, are now erecting a new play-house in that place, to the great prejudice and inconvenience of the government of that city. Their Lordships thought fit to send for Rosseter, to bring in his letters patents which being seen and perused by the Lord Chief Justice of England [Coke.] For as much as the inconveniences urged by the Lord Mayor and aldermen were many and of some consequence to their government, and specially for that the said playhouse would join so near unto the church in Black fryers as it would disturb and interrupt the congregation at divine service upon the week days. And that the Lord Chief Justice did deliver to their Lordships that the license granted to the said Rosseter, did extend to the building of a playhouse WITHOUT the liberties of London, and not within the city. It was this day ordered by their Lordships, that there shall be no playhouse erected in that place, and that the Lord Mayor of London shall straitly prohibit and forbid the said Rosseter, and the rest of the patentees, and their workmen to proceed in the making and converting the said building into a playhouse: And if any of the patentees or their workmen shall proceed in their intended building contrary to this their Lordships inhibition, that then the Lord Mayor shall commit him than to execute. Rosseter seems not to have been terrified by the threats of commitment. Notwithstanding several prohibitions, he proceeded, though with some interruptions, to execute his purpose. New complaints were made; and fresh orders were issued. At length, in January, 1617, the Lord Mayor was directed to cause Rosseter's playhouse to be pulled down. Yet, such directions are seldom executed, unless they be loudly called for by the publick voice. At the general pulling down of playhouses and bear-gardens, in 1648, Major-General Skippon was sent, with a body of horse, to assist the levellers. But, a new power was at hand, which, without direction, or authority, could pull a playhouse down with armipotent speed. "On Shrove-tuesday, the fourth of March, 1616-17," saith Howes, the chronicler of the times," many disordered persons, of sundry kinds, assembled in Finsbury-field, Stepneyfield, and Lincoln's-inn-fields; and in riotous manner did beat down the walls and windows of many victualling houses, which they suspected to be bawdy or them so offending unto prison, and certify their Lordships of their contempt in that behalf. Of which, their Lordships order the said Rosseter and the rest to take notice and conform themselves accordingly, as they will answer to the contrary at their peril." 7 A letter was written, by the privy-council, to the Lord Mayor of London, on the 26th January, 1616-17, in the following terms: "Whereas his Majesty is informed that notwithstanding divers commandments and prohibitions to the contrary, there be certain persons that go about to set up a playhouse in the Black fryars, near unto his Majesty's Wardrobe, and for that purpose have lately erected and made fit a building which is almost if not fully finished: You shall understand that his Majesty hath this day expressly signified his pleasure, that the same shall be pulled down ; so as it be made unfit for any such use. Whereof wee require your Lordship to take notice, and to cause it to be performed with all speed, and thereupon to certify us of your proceedings." 8 Com' Journal, 23d June, 1648. houses and that afternoon they spoiled a new playhouse, and likewise did more hurt in other places." It was the playhouse in Drury Lane, belonging to the Queen's servants, which was thus spoiled; though the cause of this outrage does not appear. This foul disorder was deemed of dangerous consequence. And the privy-council directed the Lord Mayor and aldermen of London, and the Justices of Middlesex, to hold a special sessions: for inquiring, strictly, after the offenders, and punishing, examplarily, the guilty 9. 9 The letter, which was written, on that occasion, is as follows: "It is not unknown unto you what tumultuous outrages were yesterday committed near unto the city of London in divers places, by a rowte of lewd and loose persons apprentices and others, especially in Lincoln's-inn fields and Drury-lane, where, in attempting to pull down a playhouse belonging to the Queen's Majesty's servants, there were divers persons slain and others hurt and wounded, the multitude there assembled being to the number of many thousands as we are credibly informed. Forasmuch as the example of so foul and insolent a disorder may prove of dangerous consequence if this should escape without sharp punishment of the principal offenders: Wee do therefore in his Majesty's name expressly require your Lordship, and the rest of the commissioners of Oyer and Terminer for the city of London and county of Middlesex, to take it presently into your care, to have a strict inquiry made for such as were of the company, as well apprentices or others, and forthwith to hold a special Sessions of Oyer and Terminer for that purpose, and there with severity to proceed against such as shall be found offenders as to law and justice appertaineth. And for that it was also observed that amongst this crew of apprentices there were an exceeding great multitude of vagrant rogues gathered together as there are always about this city ready for any mischief upon every occasion a great dishonour and scandal to the government. Wee are therefore to recommend that also unto you from his Majesty as a special charge, that you do think upon some course, and put it in execution presently for the dispatching of that sort of people and removing of them far from about the city of London and Westminster and the confines thereof, especially at this present, when his Majesty and a great part of his council are to be absent for so long a time. And as providence and discretion doth now needfully require, since this warning is given you, to have at all times here Leaving those directions behind him, King James departed for Scotland, on the 14th of March, 1616-17; "taking such recreations by the way," says the malignant Wilson," as might best beguile the days, but lengthen the nights; for what with hawking, hunting, and horse-racing, the days quickly ran away, and the nights with feasting, masking, and dancing, were the more extended." Amid sik dauncing and deray, King James had three plays acted before him, for preventing hearts discontent, and sour affliction1. The reign of James saw the English stage advance to its full maturity, and to the greatest splendour; not indeed in the external form, and scenick œconomy, of the ancient or present theatres, but in ingenuity of fable, felicity of dialogue, and sublimity of style, which then animated the English dramas: Such were the happy productions of the creative genius of Shakspeare! When his influence was withdrawn, by his retirement from the theatrick world, the stage as rapidly declined, till it was totally suppressed, by violence, in 1648. Owing to a remarkable coincidence, or singular fatality, the stage was deprived of its principal pillars, about the same period. Alexander Cooke died, in 1614. Shakspeare ceased to write, in 1615. Philip Henslow, the great patron of poets, and of players, died after an eye and watch upon the apprentices likewise, who by this experience and the like where the reins of liberty are given them, are found apt to run into many unsufferable insolencies. Touching all these points his Majesty will expect a strict and particular account frem you of your duties, whereof wee wish you may acquit yourselves as becometh you." [The council-register of the 5th of March, 1616-17.] On the 11th of July, 1617, there issued a warrant for payment to certain players, for three stage plays, that were acted before his Majesty, in his journey to Scotland, such sums of money as is usual in the like kind.-The such sums were probably 108. for each play. [Council-register.] |