us that fimilar licenfes had been granted by her father King Henry the Eighth, King Edward the Sixth, and Queen Mary. Stowe records, that "when King Edward the Fourth would fhew himfelf in ftate to the view of the people, he repaired to his palace at St. John's, where he was accuftomed to fee the City Actors." In two books in the Remembrancer's-office in the Exchequer, containing an account of the daily expences of King Henry the Seventh, are the following articles; from which it appears that at that time players, both French and English, made a part of the appendages of the court, and were fupported by regal eftablishment. "Item, to Hampton of Worcester for making of balades, 20s. Item, to my ladie the kings moders poète, 66s. 8d. Item, to a Welsh Rymer, in reward, 13s. 4d. Item, to my Lord Privie-Seals fole, in rew. 10s. Item, to Pachye the fole, for a rew. 6s. 8d. Item, to the foolish duke of Lancafter, 3s. Item, to Dix the foles mafter, for a months wages, IOS. Item, to the King of Frances fole, in rew. 41. Item, to the Frenfhe players, in rew. 20s. Item, to the tumbler upon the ropes, 20s. Item, for heling of a seke maid, 6s. 8d. [Probably the piece of gold given by the King in touching for the evil.] Item, to my lord princes organ-player, for a quarters wages at Michell. 10s. Item, to the players of London, in reward, 10s. Item, to Master

2 Apology for Actors, 4to. 1612, Signat. E 1. b. "Since then," adds Heywood, "that houfe by the princes free gift hath belonged to the office of the Revels, where our court playes have been in late dayes yearely rehearsed, perfected, and corrected, before they come to the publike view of the prince and the nobility." This houfe must have been chofen on account of its neighbourhood to Whitehall, where the royal theatre then was. The regular office of the Revels at that time was on St. Peter's Hill, near the Blackfriars' playhoufe.

Barnard, the blind poete, 100s. Item, to a man and woman for ftrawberries, 8s. 4d. Item, to a woman for a red rofe, 2s." The foregoing extracts are from a book of which almost every page is figned by the King's own hand, in the 13th year of his reign. The following are taken from a book which contains an account of expences in the 9th year of his reign: " Item, to Cart for writing of a boke, 6s. 8d. Item, payd for two playes in the hall, 26s. 8d. Item, to the kings players for a reward, IOOS. Item, to the king to play at cardes, 100s. Item, loft to my lord Morging at buttes, 6s. 8d. Item, to Harry Pyning, the king's godfon, in reward, 20s. Item, to the players that begged by the way, 6s. 8d.”

Some of these articles I have preferved as curious, though they do not relate to the subject immediately before us. This account afcertains, that there was then not only a regular troop of players in London, but also a royal company. The intimate knowledge of the French language and manners which Henry muft have acquired during his long fojourn in foreign courts, (from 1471 to 1485,) accounts for the article relative to the company of French players.

In a manufcript in the Cottonian Library in the Museum, a narrative is given of the fhews and ceremonies exhibited at Christmas in the fifth year of this king's reign, 1490." This Criftmafs I faw no difgyfyngs, and but right few plays; but ther was an abbot of mif-rule, that made muche sport, and did right well his office.-On Candell Mafs day, the king, the qwen, my ladye the kings moder,

3 For thefe extracts I am indebted to Francis Grofe, Efq. to whom every admirer of the venerable remains of English antiquity has the highest obligations.

with the fubftance of al the lordes temporell present at the parlement, &c. wenten a proceffion from the chapell into the hall, and foo into Weftmynfter Hall:- The kynge was that daye in a riche gowne of purple, pirled withe gold, furred wythe fabuls.-At nyght the king, the qwene, and my ladye the kyngs moder, came into the Whit hall, and ther had a pley."-" On New-yeeres day at nyght, (fays the fame writer, fpeaking of the year 1488,) ther was a goodly difgyfyng, and also this Cristmass ther wer many and dyvers playes.”4

A proclamation which was iffued out in the year 1547 by King Edward the Sixth, to prohibit for about two months the exhibition of " any kind of interlude, play, dialogue, or other matter set forth in the form of a play, in the English tongue." defcribes plays as a familiar entertainment, both in London, and in the country, and the profeffion of an actor as common and eftablished." Forafmuch as a great number of those that be common players of interludes and playes, as well within the city of London as elsewhere within the realme, doe for the most part play fuch interludes as contain matter tending to fedition," &c. By common players of interludes here mentioned, I apprehend,

4 Leland. Collect. Vol. IV. Append. pp. 235, 256, edit. 1774. 5 Itinerant companies of actors are probably coeval with the first rife of the English ftage. King Henry the Seventh's bounty to fome ftrolling players has been mentioned in the preceding page. In 1556, the fourth year of Queen Mary, a remonftrance was iffued from the Privy-council to the Lord Prefident of the North, ftating,

that certain lewd [wicked or diffolute] perfons, naming themfelves to be the fervants of Sir Francis Lake, and wearing his livery or badge on their fleeves, have wandered about these north parts, and reprefenting certain plays and interludes, reflecting on the queen and her confort, and the formalities of the mafs." Strype's Memorials, Vol. III. Append. III. p. 185.

6 Fuller's Church Hiftory, B. VII. p. 390.

were meant the players of the city, as contradiftinguished from the king's own fervants. In a manufcript which I faw fome years ago, and which is now in the library of the Marquis of Lanfdown, are fundry charges for the players belonging to King Edward the Sixth; but I have not preferved the articles. And in the household-book of Queen Mary, in the Library of the Antiquarian Society, is an entry which fhews that fhe alfo had a theatrical establishment: "Eight players of interludes, each 66s. 8d.-261. 13s. 4d."

It has already been mentioned that originally plays were performed in churches. Though Bonner bishop of London iffued a proclamation to the clergy of his diocefe in 1542, prohibiting "all manner of common plays, games, or interludes, to be played, fet forth, or declared within their churches, chapels," &c. the practice feems to have been continued occafionally during the reign of Queen Elizabeth; for the author of The Third Blaft of Retrait from Plays and Players complains, in 1580, that "the players are permitted to publish their mammetrie in every temple of God, and that throughout England;" &c. and this abufe is taken notice of in one of the Canons of King James the First, given foon after his acceffion in the year 1603. Early however in Queen Elizabeth's reign the established players of London began to act in temporary theatres conftructed in the yards of inns; and about the year 1570, I imagine, one or

"In procefs of time it [playing] became an occupation, and many there were that followed it for a livelihood, and, what was worfe, it became the occafion of much fin and evil; great multitudes of people, especially youth, in Queen Elizabeth's reign, reforting to thefe plays: and being commonly acted on fundays and feftivals, the churches were forfaken, and the playhoufes thronged. Great inns were used for this purpose, which had fecret chambers

two regular playhouses were erected. Both the theatre in Blackfriars and that in Whitefriars were certainly built before 1580; for we learn from a puritanical pamphlet published in the last century, that foon after that year, " many goodly citizens and well difpofed gentlemen of London, confidering that play-houses and dicing-houfes were traps for young gentlemen, and others, and perceiving that many inconveniences and great damage would enfue upon the long fuffering of the fame,-acquainted fome pious magiftrates therewith,-who thereupon made humble fuite to Queene Elizabeth and her privy-councell, and obtained leave from her majefty to thrust the players out of the citty, and to pull down all playhouses and dicing-houses within their liberties; which accordingly was effected, 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,

and places, as well as open ftages and galleries." Strype's Additions to Stowe's Survey, folio, 1720. Vol. I. p. 247.

8" In playes either thofe thinges are fained that never were, as Cupid and Pfyche, played at Paules, [the school-room of St. Paul's,] and a great many comedies more at the Blackfriers, and in every playboufe in London, which for brevity fake I over-fkippe; or," &c. Plays confuted in five Actions, by Stephen Goffon, no date, but printed about the year 1580.

9 Richard Reulidge's Monfter lately found out and difcovered, or the Scourging of Tipplers, 1628, pp. 2, 3, 4. What he calls the theatres in Gracious-ftreet, Bifhopfgate-ftreet, and Ludgate-hill, were the temporary fcaffolds erected at the Cross-Keys Inn in Gracechurchftreet, the Bull in Bishopfgate-street, and the Bell-Savage on Ludgate-hill."That nigh Paul's," was St. Paul's school-room, behind the Convocation-house.