he published it with the following title: The New Inne, or the light Heart, a comedy; as it was never acted, but most negligently played, by fome, the kings fervants, and more fqueamishly beheld and. cenfured by others, the kings fubjects, 1629: And now at last set at liberty to the readers, his Ma.ties fervants and fubjects, to be judged, 1631." In the Dedication to this piece, the author, after expreffing his profound contempt for the spectators, who were at the first representation of this play, fays, "What did they come for then, thou wilt afk me. I will as punctually answer: to fee and to be feene. To make a general mufter of themselves in their clothes of credit, and poffeffe the stage against the playe: to diflike all, but marke nothing: and by their confidence of rifing between the actes in oblique lines, make affidavit to the whole house of their not understanding one scene. Arm'd with this prejudice, as the flage furniture or arras clothes, they were there; as fpectators away; for the faces in the hangings and they beheld alike."

The exhibition of plays being forbidden fome time before the death of Charles I. Sir William D'Avenant in 1656 invented a new fpecies of en

An ordinance for the fuppreffing of all ftage-plays and interludes, was enacted Feb. 13, 1647-8, and Oliver and his Saints feem to have been very diligent in enforcing it. From Whitelocke's Memorials, p. 332, we learn that Captain Bethan was appointed 13 Dec. 1648,) Provost Martial, "with power to feize upon all ballad-fingers, and to fupprefs ftage-plays.'

"20 Dec. 1649. Some ftage-players in Saint John's-ftreet [the Red Bull theatre was in this ftreet,] were apprehended by troopers, their cloaths taken away, and themfelves carried to prifon.' Ibidem, p. 419.

Jan. 1655. [1655-6.] Players taken in Newcastle, and whipt for rogues." Ibid. 619.

"Sept. 4, 1656. Sir William D'Avenant printed his Opera, notwithstanding the nicety of the times." Ibidem, p, 639.

tertainment, which was exhibited at Rutland House, at the upper end of Alderfgate-ftreet. The title of the piece, which was printed in the fame year, is, The Siege of Rhodes, made a Representation by the Art of profpective in Scenes; and the Story fung in recitative Mufick. "The original of this musick,” fays Dryden," and of the fcenes which adorned his work, he had from the Italian operas; but he heightened his characters (as I may probably imagine) from the examples of Corneille and fome French poets." If, fixty years before, the exhibition of the plays of Shakspeare had been aided on the common ftage by the advantage of moveable fcenes, or if the term Scene had been familiar to D'Avenant's audience, can we fuppofe that he would have found it neceffary to ufe a periphraftick defcription, and to promife that his reprefentation fhould be affifted by the art of profpective in fcenes?" It has been often wifhed," fays he in his Addrefs to the Reader, "that our Scenes (we having obliged ourselves to the variety of five changes, according to the ancient dramatick diftinctions made for time,) had not been confined to about eleven feet in the height and about fifteen in depth, including the places of paffage referved for the mufick." From thefe words we learn that he had in that piece five fcenes. In 1658 he exhibited at the old theatre called the Cockpit in Drury-lane, The Cruelty of the Spaniards in Peru, express'd by vocal and inftrumental Mufick, and by Art of perfpective in Scenes. In fpring 1662, having ob

6 Fleckno in the preface to his comedy entitled Demoifelles a-laMode, 1667, obferves, that "one Italian scene with four doors will do" for the reprefentation.

In "The Publick Intelligencer, communicating the chief occurrences and proceedings within the dominions of England,

tained a patent from King Charles the Second, and built a new playhouse in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, he opened his theatre with The First Part of the Siege of Rhodes, which fince its first exhibition he had enlarged. He afterwards in the fame year exhibited The Second Part of the Siege of Rhodes, and his comedy called The Wits; "these plays," fays Downes, who himself acted in The Siege of Rhodes, "having new Scenes and decorations, being the first that ever were introduced in England." Scenes had certainly been used before in the mafques at Court, and in a few private exhibitions, and by D'Avenant himself in his attempts at theatrical entertainments fhortly before the death of Cromwell: Downes therefore, who is extremely inaccurate in his language in every part of his book, must have meant the firft ever exhibited in a regular drama, on a publick theatre.

Scotland, and Wales, from Monday, December 20, to Monday, December 27, 1658," I find the following notice taken of D'Avenant's exhibition by the new Protector, Richard:

"Whitehall, December 23.

"A courfe is ordered for taking into confideration the Opera, fhewed at the Cockpitt in Drury Lane, and the perfons to whom it ftands referred, are to fend for the poet and actors, and to inform themselves of the nature of the work, and to examine by what authority the fame is expofed to publick view; and they are alfo to take the beft information they can, concerning the acting of ftage-playes, and upon the whole to make report," &c.

The Saints were equally averfe to every other fpecies of festivity as well as the Opera, and confidered holydays, the common prayerbook, and a play-book, as equally pernicious; for in the fame paper I find this notification:

"It was ordered by his Highnefs the Lord Protector and the Council, that effectual letters be written to the Lord Mayor and Aldermen of the city of London, and to the Juftices of peace for Weftminster and the liberties thereof, Middlefex and Borough of Southwark, to use their endeavour for abolishing the use of the festivals of Christmas, Eafter, and other feafts called holydaies; as aifo for preventing the ufe of the common prayer-book."

I have faid that I could produce the testimony of Sir William D'Avenant himself on this fubject. His prologue to The Wits, which was exhibited in the fpring of the year 1662, foon after the opening of his theatre in Lincoln's-Inn-Fields, if every other document had perished, would prove decifively that our author's plays had not the affiftance of painted scenes. "There are fome, fays D'Ave

nant,

who would the world perfuade,

"That gold is better when the ftamp is bad;
"And that an ugly ragged piece of eight
"Is ever true in metal and in weight;
"As if a guinny and louís had lefs
"Intrinfick value for their handfomeness.
"So diverfe, who outlive the former age,
"Allow the coarfenefs of the plain old flage,
"And think rich vefts and scenes are only fit

Difguifes for the want of art and wit."

And no lefs decifive is the different language of the licence for erecting a theatre, granted to him by King Charles I. in 1639, and the letters patent which he obtained from his fon in 1662. In the former, after he is authorized "to entertain, govern, privilege, and keep fuch and fo many players to exercife action, mufical prefentments, fcenes, dancing, and the like, as he the faid William Davenant fhall think fit and approve for the faid house, and fuch perfons to permit and continue at and during the pleafure of the faid W. D. to act plays in fuch houfe fo to be by him erected, and exercise mufick, mufical prefentments, fcenes, dancing, or other the like, at the fame or other hours, or times, or after plays are ended,"-the claufe which empowers him to take certain prices from thofe who fhould refort to his theatre runs thus:

8 i. e. approve.

"And that it fhall and may be lawful to and for the faid W. D. &c. to take and receive of fuch our fubjects as fhall refort to fee or hear any fuch plays, Scenes, and entertainments whatsoever, fuch fum or fums of money, as is or hereafter from time to time shall be accustomed to be given or taken in other playhouses and places for the like plays, fcenes, prefentments, and entertainments."

Here we see that when the theatre was fitted up in the usual way of that time without the decoration of scenery, (for Scenes in the foregoing paffages mean, not paintings, but fhort ftage-reprefentations or prefentments,) the ufual prices were authorized to be taken: but after the Restoration, when Sir W. D'Avenant furnished his new theatre with scenery, he took care that the letters patent which he then obtained, fhould fpeak a different language, for there the correfponding claufe is as follows:

"And that it shall and may be lawful to and for the faid Sir William D'Avenant, his heirs, and affigns, to take and receive of fuch of our subjects as fhall refort to fee or hear any fuch plays, fcenes, and entertainments whatfoever, fuch fum or fums of money, as either have accuftomably been given and taken in the like kind, or as fhall be thought reasonable by him or them, in regard of the great expences of SCENES, mufick, and fuch new decorations as have not been formerly used."

Here for the first time in thefe letters patent the word fcene is ufed in that fenfe in which Sir William had employed it in the printed title-pages of his mufical entertainments exhibited a few years before. In the former letters patent granted in 1639, the word in that fenfe does not once occur.

To the teftimony of D'Avenant himself may be added that of Dryden, both in the paffage already