pictures; and fome paffages in our old dramas incline me to think, that when tragedies were performed, the ftage was hung with black. In the early part, at least, of our author's acquaintance with the theatre, the want of scenery feems to have been fupplied by the fimple expedient of writing the names of the different places where the fcene was laid in the progrefs of the play, which were difpofed in fuch a manner as to be vifible to the audience." Mafques; nor have we fufficient reafon for believing that Tragedy, her legitimate offspring, continued to be expofed in rags, while appendages more fuitable to her dignity were known to be within the reach of our ancient managers. Shakspeare, Burbage, and Condell, must have had frequent opportunities of being acquainted with the mode in which both mafques, tragedies, and comedies, were reprefented in the inns of court, the halls of noblemen, and in the palace itself." "Sir Crack, I am none of your fresh pictures, that use to beautify the decayed old arras, in a publick theatre." Induction to Cynthia's Revels, by Ben Jonfon, 1601. 8 in the Induction to an old tragedy called A warning for fair Women, 1599, three perfonages are introduced, under the names of Tragedy, Comedy, and Hiftory. After fome conteft for fuperiority, Trag ay prevails; and Hiflory and Comedy retire with thefe words; "Hift. Look, Comedie, I mark'd it not till now, "The stage is hung with blacke, and I perceive "The auditors prepar'd for tragedie. "Com. Nay then, I fee fhe fhall be entertain'd. "Thefe ornaments befeem not thee and me; "We'll make them laugh with mirthful jefts to-morrow." So, in Marston's Infatiate Countefs, 1613: "The ftage of heaven is hung with folemn black, Again, in Daniel's Civil Warres, Book V. 1602: Again, in King Henry VI. Part I: 66 Hung be the heavens with black," &c. Again, more appofitely, in The Rape of Lucrece, 1594: "Black stage for tragedies, and murthers fell." 9" What child is there, that coming to a play and seeing Thebe Though the apparatus for theatrick exhibitions was thus fcanty, and the machinery of the fimpleft kind, the invention of trap-doors appears not to be modern; for in an old Morality, entitled, All for Money, we find a marginal direction, which implies that they were very early in use.2 We learn from Heywood's Apology for Alors,' that the covering, or internal roof, of the ftage, was anciently termed the heavens. It was probably painted of a fky-blue colour; or perhaps pieces of drapery tinged with blue were fufpended across the ftage, to represent the heavens. 4 It appears from the stage-directions + given in written upon an old door, doth believe that it is Thebes?" Defence of Poefte, by Sir Philip Sidney. Signat. G. 1595. When D'Avenant introduced fcenes on the publick ftage, this ancient practice was ftill followed. See his Introduction to his Siege of Rhodes, 1656: "In the middle of the freefe was a compartment, wherein was written-RHODES." 2" Here with fome fine conveyance, Pleasure shall appeare from beneathe." All for Money, 1578. So, in Marston's Antonio's Revenge, 1602: "Enter Balurdo from under the stage." In the fourth act of Macbeth several apparitions arife from beneath the stage, and again defcend. The cauldron likewise finks: Why finks that cauldron, and what noife is this?" In The Roaring Girl, a comedy by Middleton and Decker, 1611, there is a character called Trap-door. 3 Apology for Actors, 1612. Signat. D. + Spanish Tragedy, 1610, A&t IV. Signat. L. "Enter Hieronimo. He knocks up the curtain. "Enter the duke of Caftile. Caft. How now Hieronimo, where's "That you take all this pains? your fellows, "Hiero. O, fir, it is for the author's credit "To look that all things may go well. "But, good my lord, let me entreat your grace, "To give the king the copy of the play. "This is the argument of what we fhew. "Caft. I will, Hieronimo, The Spanish Tragedy, that when a play was exhibited within a play, (if I may fo exprefs myself,) as is the cafe in that piece and in Hamlet, the court or audience before whom the interlude was performed fat in the balcony, or upper ftage already defcribed; and a curtain or traverfe being hung across the ftage for the nonce, the performers entered between that curtain and the general audience, and on its being drawn, began their piece, addreffing themfelves to the balcony, and regardless of the fpectators in the theatre, to whom their backs must have been turned during the whole of the performance. From a plate prefixed to Kirkman's Drolls, printed in 1672, in which there is a view of a theatrical booth, it should seem that the stage was formerly lighted by two large branches, of a form fimilar to those now hung in churches; and from Beaumont's Verfes prefixed to Fletcher's Faithful Shepberdefs, which was acted before the year 1611, we find that wax lights were used." These branches having been found incommodious, as they obftructed the fight of the spectators, "Hiero. Let me entreat your grace, that when "You would vouchfafe to throw me down the key. "Enter Balthazar, with a chair. "Hiero. Well done, Balthazar; hang up the tilt: "Our fcene is Rhodes. What, is your beard on ?" Afterwards the tragedy of Solyman and Perfeda is exhibited before the King of Spain, the Duke of Caftile, &c. 5 "Some like, if the wax lights be new that day." 6 Fleckno in 1664, complains of the bad lighting of the ftage, even at that time: Of this curious art [fcenery] the Italians (this latter age) are the greateft mafters; the French good proficients; and we in England only scholars and learners yet, having proceeded no farther than to bare painting, and not arrived to the ftupendous wonders of your great ingeniers; efpecially not knowing yet how to gave place at a fubfequent period to fmall circular wooden frames, furnished with candles, eight of which were hung on the stage, four at either fide: and these within a few years were wholly removed by Mr. Garrick, who, on his return from France in 1765, first introduced the prefent commodious method of illuminating the ftage by lights not vifible to the audience. The body of the house was illuminated by creffets, or large open lanterns of nearly the fame fize with those which are fixed in the poop of a fhip. If all the players whofe names are enumerated in the first folio edition of our author's works, belonged to the fame theatre, they compofed a numerous company; but it is doubtful whether they all performed at the fame period, or always continued in the fame houfe. Many of the companies, in the infancy of the stage, certainly were fo thin, that place our lights, for the more advantage and illuminating of the scenes.” Short Difcourfe of the English Stage. See Cotgrave's French Dictionary, 1611, in v. Falot: "A creffet light, fuch as they use in playhoufes,) made of ropes wreathed, pitched, and put into fmall and open cages of iron." The Watchmen of London carried creffets fixed on poles till 1539 (and perhaps later), Stowe's Survey, p. 160, edit. 1618. 8 An actor, who wrote a pamphlet against Mr. Pope, foon after the publication of his edition of Shakspeare, fays, he could prove that they belonged to feveral different companies. It appears from the MS. Register of lord Stanhope, treasurer of the chamber to king James I, that Jofeph Taylor, in 1613, was at the head of a diftinct company from that of Heminge called the lady Elizabeth's fervants, who then acted at the Hope on the Bankfide. He was probably however, before that period, of the king's company, of which afterwards he was a principal ornament. Some of the players too, whofe names are prefixed to the firft folio edition of our author, were dead in the year 1600, or foon after; and others there enumerated, might have appeared at a fubfequent period, to fupply their lofs. See the Catalogue of Actors, poft, the fame perfon played two or three parts; and a battle on which the fate of an empire was fuppofed to depend, was decided by half a dozen combatants." It appears to have been a common practice in their mock engagements, to discharge Imall pieces of ordnance on or behind the ftage.' Before the exhibition began, three flourishes were played, or, in the ancient language, there were three foundings. Mufick was likewife played between the acts. The inftruments chiefly used, were 9 In the Induction to Marfton's Antonio and Mellida, 1602, Piero afks Alberto what part he acts. He replies, "the neceffity of the play forceth me to act tavo parts." See alfo the Dramatis Perfone of many of our ancient plays; and below, p. 226, n. 9. 2 "And fo our fcene muft to the battle fly, Right ill difpos'd, in brawl ridiculous, "The name of Agincourt." King Henry V. A&t IV. Much like to fome of the players that come to the scaffold with drumme and trumpet, to proffer skirmish, and when they have founded alarme, off go the pieces, to encounter a fhadow, or conquer a paper monster." Schoole of Abufe, by Stephen Goffon, 1579. So, in The True Tragedie of Richarde Duke of Yorke, and the Death of good King Henrie the Sixt, 1600: "Alarmes to the bat taile.-York flies; then the chambers be difcharged; then enter the king," &c. 4 Come, let's bethink ourselves, what may be found "To deceive time with, till the fecond found." Notes from Black-fryars, by H. Fitz-Jeoffery, 1617. See alfo the Addrefs to the readers, prefixed to Decker's Satir maflix, a comedy, 1602: "Inftead of the trumpets founding thrice before the play begin," &c. 5 See the Prologue to Hannibal and Scipio, a tragedy, 1637: "The places fometimes chang'd too for the fcene, "Which is tranflated, as the mufick plays "Betwixt the acts." The practice appears to have prevailed in the infancy of our ftage. See the concluding lines of the second act of Gammer Gurion's Needle, 1575: |