Sidor som bilder
PDF
ePub

AVING now, as concifely as I could, traced

the hiftory of the English Stage, from its first rude state to the period of its maturity and greatest fplendor, I fhall endeavour to exhibit as accurate a delineation of the internal form and economy of our ancient theatres, as the diftance at which we ftand, and the obfcurity of the fubject, will per

mit.

The most ancient English playhouses of which I have found any account, are, the playhouse in Blackfriars, that in Whitefriars, the Theatre, of

8 There was a theatre in Whitefriars, before the year 1580. See P. 155. A Woman's a Weathercock was performed at the private playhouse in White-friars in 1612. This theatre was, I imagine, either in Salisbury court or the narrow ftreet leading into it. From an extract taken by Sir Henry Herbert from the office-book of Sir George Buc, his predeceffor in the office of Mafter of the Revels, it appears that the theatre in Whitefriars was either rebuilt in 1613, or intended to be rebuilt. The entry is: "July 13, 1613, for a license to erect a new play-houfe in the White-friers, &c. £. 20." I doubt however whether this scheme was then carried into execution, because a new playhouse was erected in Salisbury-court in 1629. That theatre probably was not on the fite of the old theatre in White-friars, for Prynne fpeaks of it as then newly built, not re-built; and in the fame place he mentions the re-building of the Fortune and Red Bull theatres.-Had the old theatre in Whitefriars been pulled down and re-built, he would have used the fame language with refpect to them all. The Rump, a comedy by Tatham, was acted in 1669, in the theatre in Salisbury-court (that built in 1629). About the year 1670 a new theatre was erected there, (but whether on the fite of that last mentioned I cannot ascertain,) known by the name of the Theatre in Dorfet Gardens, to which the Duke of York's company under the conduct of Sir William D'Avenant's widow removed from Lincoln's-inn-fields in 1671. The former playhoufe in Salisbury-court could hardly have fallen into decay in fo short a period as forty years; but I suppose was found too small for the new scenery introduced after the Restoration. The Prologue to Wycherley's Gentleman Dancing Mafter, printed in 1673, is addreffed VOL. II. M

which I am unable to ascertain the fituation, and The Curtain, in Shoreditch." The Theatre, from its name, was probably the first building erected in or near the metropolis purpofely for fcenick exhibitions.

In the time of Shakspeare there were feven principal theatres; three private houses, namely, that in Blackfriars, that in Whitefriars, and The Cockpit or Phenix,' in Drury-Lane; and four that were

"To the city, newly after the removal of the Duke's Company from Lincoln's-Inn fields to their new theatre near Salisburycourt."

Maitland in his Hiftory of London, p. 963, after mentioning Dorfet Stairs, adds, "near to which place ftood the theatre or playhouse, a neat building, having a curious front next the Thames, with an open place for the reception of coaches."

9 It was probably fituated in fome remote and privileged place, being, I fuppofe, hinted at in the following paffage of a fermon by John Stockwood, quoted below, and preached in 1578: "Have we not houfes of purpose built with great charges for the maintainance of them, [the players,] and that without the liberties, as who fhall fay, there, let them fay what they will, we will play. I know not how I might, with the godly-learned efpecially, more difcommend the gorgeous playing-place erected in the fields, than to term it, as they pleafe to have it called, a Theatre."

2 The Theatre and The Curtain are mentioned in "A Sermon preached at Paules-Crofs on St. Bartholomew day, being the 24th of Auguft, 1578, by John Stockwood," and in an ancient Treatife againft Idleness, vaine Plaies and Interludes, by John Northbrook, bl. 1. no date, but written apparently about the year 1580. Stubbes, in his Anatomy of Abufes, p. 90, edit. 1583, inveighs against Theatres and Curtaines, which he calls Venus' Palaces. Edmund Howes, the continuator of Stowe's Chronicle, fays, (p. 1004,) that before the year 1570, he " neither knew, heard, nor read of any fuch theatres, fet ftages, or play-houses, as have been purposely built within man's memory."

This theatre had been originally a Cockpit. It was built or re-built not very long before the year 1617, in which year we learn from Camden's Annals of King James the First, it was pulled down by the mob: "1617, Martii 4. Theatrum ludionum nuper erectum in Drury-Lane à furente multitudine diruitur, et apparatus

called publick theatres; viz. The Globe on the Bankfide, The Curtain in Shoreditch, The Red Bull, at the upper end of St. John's-street, and The Fortunes

dilaceratur." I fuppofe it was fometimes called The Phænix from that fabulous bird being its fign. It was fituated oppofite the Caftle-tavern in Drury-Lane, and was ftanding fome time after the Restoration. The players who performed at this theatre in the time of King James the Firft, were called the Queen's Servants, till the death of Queen Anne, in 1619. After her death they were, I think, for fome time denominated the Lady Elizabeth's Servants; and after the Marriage of King Charles the First, they regained their former title of the Queen's players.

4 See Skialetheia, an old collection of Epigrams, and Satires, 16mo. 1598:

if my difpofe

"Perfuade me to a play, I'll to the Rofe,

"Or Curtain,

The Curtain is mentioned in Heath's Epigrams, 1610, as being then open; and The Hector of Germany was performed at it by a company of young men in 1615. The original fign hung out at this playhoufe (as Mr. Steevens has obferved) was the painting of a curtain ftriped. The performers at this theatre were called The Prince's Servants, till the acceffion of King Charles the First to the crown. Soon after that period it feems to have been used only by prize-fighters.

5 The Fortune theatre, according to Maitland, was the oldeft theatre in London. It was built or re-built in 1599 by Edward Alleyn, the player, (who was alfo proprietor of the Bear-Garden, from 1594 to 1610,) and coft 520l. as appears from the following memorandum in his hand-writing:

"What The Fortune coft me, Nov. 1599.

"First for the leas to Brew,

"Then for building the play-hous,
"For other privat buildings of myn owne,

240.

520.

120.

£.880."

"So that it hath coft me for the leaffe, It was a round brick building, and its dimenfions may be conjectured from the following advertisement in The Mercurius Politicus, Tuesday Feb. 14, to Tuefday Feb. 21, 1661, for the prefervation of which we are indebted to Mr. Steevens: "The Fortune playhouse fituate between Whitecross-street and Golding-la, in the parish of Saint Giles, Cripplegate, with the ground thereto belonging, is to be lett to be built upon; where twenty-three tene

in Whitecross-street. The last two were chiefly frequented by citizens." There were however, but fix companies of comedians; for the playhouse in Blackfriars, and the Globe, belonged to the fame troop. Befide these feven theatres, there were for

ments may be erected, with gardens; and a ftreet may be cut through for the better accommodation of the buildings."

The Fortune is fpoken of as a playhouse of confiderable fize, in the prologue to The Roaring Girl, a comedy which was acted there, and printed in 1611:

"A roaring girl, whofe notes till now ne'er were,

"Shall fill with laughter our vaft theatre."

See alfo the concluding lines of Shirley's prologue to The Doubtful Heir, quoted below.

Howes in his continuation of Stowe's Chronicle, p. 1004, edit. 1631, fays, it was burnt down in or about the year 1617: " About foure yeares after, [i. e. after the burning of the Globe] a fayre ftrong new-built play-houfe near Golden-lane, called the Fortune, by negligence of a candle was cleane burnt to the ground, but fhortly after re-built far fairer." He is, however, mistaken as to the time, for it was burnt down in December, 1621, as I learn from a letter in Dr. Birch's collection in the Mufeum, from Mr. John Chamberlain to Sir Dudley Carleton, dated Dec. 15, 1621, in which is the following paragraph: "On funday night here was a great fire at The Fortune, in Golding-lane, the firft play-house in this town. It was quite burnt downe in two hours, and all their apparell and play-books loft, whereby thofe poore companions are quite undone. There were two other houfes on fire, but with great labour and danger were faved." MSS. Birch, 4173. It does not appear whether this writer, by "the first play-houfe in this town," means the firft in point of fize or dignity, or the oldeft. I doubt much of its being the oldeft, though that is the obvious meaning of the words, and though Maitland has afferted it: becaufe I have not found it mentioned in any of the tracts relative to the ftage, written in the middle of Elizabeth's reign.

Prynne fays that the Fortune on its re-building was enlarged. Epiftle Dedicat. to Hiftriomaflix, 4to. 1633.

Before this theatre there was either a picture or ftatue of Fortune. See The English Traveller, by Heywood, 1633:

[ocr errors]

I'le rather ftand here,

"Like a statue in the fore-front of your houfe
"For ever; like the picture of dame Fortune
"Before the Fortune play-house."

Wright's Hiftoria Hiftrionica, 8vo. 1699, p. 5.

fome time on the Bankfide three other publick theatres; The Swan, The Rofe, and The Hope: but The Hope being used chiefly as a bear-garden, and The Swan and The Rofe having fallen to decay early in King James's reign, they ought not to be enumerated with the other regular theatres.

All the established theatres that were open in 1598, were either without the city of London or its liberties."

It appears from the office-book of Sir Henry

The Swan and the Rofe are mentioned by Taylor the waterpoet, but in 1613 they were fhut up. See his Works, p. 171, edit. 1633. The latter had been built before 1598. See p. 163, n. 4. After the year 1620, as appears from Sir Henry Herbert's officebook, they were ufed occafionally for the exhibition of prizefighters.

8 Ben Jonfon's Bartholomew-Fair was performed at this theatre in 1614. He does not give a very favourable defcription of it:"Though the fair be not kept in the fame region that fome here perhaps would have it, yet think that the author hath therein obferved a fpecial decorum, the place being as dirty as Smithfield, and as ftinking every whit."-Induction to Bartholomew Fair.

It appears from an old pamphlet entitled Holland's Leaguer, printed in quarto in 1632, that The Hope was occafionally ufed as a bear-garden, and that The Swan was then fallen into decay.

Sunt porro Londini, extra urbem, theatra aliquot, in quibus hiftriones Angli comoedias et tragoedias fingulis fere diebus, in magna hominum frequentia agunt; quas variis etiam faltationibus, fuaviffima adhibita mufica, magno cum populi applaufu finiri folent.” Hentzneri Itinerarium, 4t0. 1598, p. 132.

2 For the use of this very curious and valuable manuscript I am indebted to Francis Ingram, of Ribbisford near Bewdley in Worcestershire, Efq. Deputy Remembrancer in the Court of Exchequer. It has lately been found in the fame old cheft, which contained the manufcript Memoirs of Lord Herbert of Cherbury, from which Mr. Walpole about twenty years ago printed the Life of that nobleman, who was elder brother to Sir Henry Herbert.

The first Master of the Revels in the reign of Queen Elizabeth was Thomas Benger, whofe patent paffed the great feal Jan. 18, 1560-1. It is printed in Rymer's Fadera. His fucceffor, Edmund Tilney, obtained a grant of this office (the reverfion of which John

« FöregåendeFortsätt »