being there, The Mayd of the Mill by the K. company. Att Whitehall. Upon St. John's night, the prince only being there, The Bondman by the queene [of Bohemia's] company. Att Whitehall. "Upon Innocents night, falling out upon a Sonday, The Buck is a theif, the king and prince being there. By the kings company. At Whitehall. Upon New-years night, by the K. company, The Wandering Lovers, the prince only being there. Att Whitehall. "Upon the Sonday after, beinge the 4 of January 1623, by the Queene of Bohemias company, The Changelinge; the prince only being there. Att Whitehall. "Upon Twelfe Night, the mafke being put off, More diffemblers befides Women, by the kings company, the prince only being there. Att Whitehall. "To the Duchefs of Richmond, in the kings abfence, was given The Winters Tale, by the K. company, the 18 Janu. 1623. Att Whitehall. Upon All-hollows night, 1624, the king beinge at Roifton, no play. "The night after, my Lord Chamberlin had Rule a wife and have a wife for the ladys, by the kings company. Upon St. Steevens night, the prince only being there, [was acted] Rule a wife and have a wife, by the kings company. Att Whitehall. "Upon St. John's night, [the prince] and the duke of Brunfwick being there, The Fox, by the At Whitehall. Upon Innocents night, the [prince] and the duke of Brunfwyck being there, Cupids Revenge, note. The worst play that ere I faw," fays the writer in a marginal by the Queen of Bohemia's Servants. Att Whitehall. 1624. Upon New-years night, the prince only being there, The first part of Sir John Falstaff, by the king's company. Att Whitehall, 1624. "Upon Twelve night, the Mafque being putt of, and the prince only there, Tu Quoque, by the Queene of Bohemias fervants. Att Whitehall, 1624. "Upon the Sonday night following, being the ninthe of January, 1624, the Mafque was performd. "On Candlemas night the 2 February, no play, the king being att Newmarket." From the time when Sir Henry Herbert came into the office of the Revels to 1642, when the theatres were fhut up, his Manuscript does not furnish us with a regular account of the plays exhibited at court every year. Such, however, as he has given, I shall now fubjoin, together with a few anecdotes which he has preferved, relative to fome of the works of our poet and the dramatick writers who immediately fucceeded him. "For the king's players. An olde playe called Winters Tale, formerly allowed of by Sir George Bucke, and likewyfe by mee on Mr. Hemmings his worde that there was nothing prophane added or reformed, thogh the allowed booke was miffinge; and therefore I returned it without a fee, this 19 of Auguft, 1623. "For the king's company. The Historye of Henry the First, written by Damport [Davenport]; this 10 April, 1624,-£.1. 0. 0. This play in a late entry on the Stationers' books was ascribed by a fraudulent bookfeller to Shakspeare. "For the king's company. An olde play called The Honeft Mans Fortune, the originall being loft, was re-allowed by mee at Mr. Taylor's intreaty, and on condition to give mee a booke [The Arcadia], this 8 Februa. 1624." The manufcript copy of The Honeft Man's Fortune is now before me, and is dated 1613. It was therefore probably the joint production of Beaumont and Fletcher. This piece was acted at the Globe, and the copy which had been licensed by Sir George Buc, was without doubt deftroyed by the fire which confumed that theatre in the year 1613. The allowed copy of The Winter's Tale was probably deftroyed at the fame time. 17 July, 1626. [Received] from Mr. Hemmings for a courtefie done him about their Blackfriers hous,-.3. 0. 0. [Received] from Mr. Hemming, in their company's name, to forbid the playing of Shakefpeare's plays, to the Red Bull Company, this 11 of Aprill, 1627,—£.5. 0. 0. "This day, being the 11 of Janu. 1630, I did refufe to allow of a play of Meffinger's, becaufe 3 Maffinger's Duke of Millaine and Virgin Martyr were printed in 1623. It appears from the office-book of Sir Henry Herbert that his other plays were produced in the following order: The Bondman, Dec. 3, 1623. Acted at the Cockpit in Drury Lane, The Renegado, or the Gentleman of Venice, April 17, 1624. Afted at the Cockpitt. The Parliament of Love, Nov. 3, 1624. Acted at the Cockpit. Of this play the laft four acts are yet extant in manufcript. The Spanish Viceroy, acted in 1624. This play is loft. The Roman Actor, October 11, 1626. Acted by the king's company. The Judge, June 6, 1627. Acted by the king's company. This play is loft. The Great Duke was licenfed for the Queen's Servants, July 5, itt did contain dangerous matter, as the depofing of Sebastian king of Portugal, by Philip the [Second,] and ther being a peace fworen twixte the 1627. This was, I apprehend, The Great Duke of Florence, which was acted by that company. The Honour of Women was licenfed May 6, 1628. I suspect that this was the original name of The Maid of Honour, which was printed in 1631, though not entered for the stage in Sir Henry Herbert's book. The Picture, June 8, 1629. Acted by the king's company. Minerva's Sacrifice, Nov. 3, 1629. Acted by the king's company. This play is loft. The Emperor of the Eaft, March 11, 1630-31. Acted by the king's company. Believe as you lift, May 7, 1631. Acted by the king's company. This play is loft. The Unfortunate Piety, June 13, 1631. Acted by the king's company. This play is loft. The Fatal Dowry does not appear to have been licensed for the ftage under that title, but was printed in 1632. It was acted by the king's company. The City Madam, May 25, 1632. Acted by the king's com pany. A new Way to pay old Debts does not appear to have been licensed for the ftage, but was printed in Nov. 1632. The Guardian was licenfed, Octob. 31, 1633. Acted by the king's company. The Tragedy of Cleander, May 7, 1634. Acted by the king's company. This play is loft. A Very Woman, June 6, 1634. The Orator, Jan. 10, 1634-5. This play is loft. Acted by the king's company. The Bashful Lover, May 9, 1636. pany. Acted by the king's com 1638. Acted by the fame The King and the Subject, June 5, company. This title, Sir Henry Herbert fays, was changed. I fufpect it was new named The Tyrant. The play is loft. Alexius, or the Chafte Lover, Sept. 25, 1639. Acted by the king's company. The Fair Anchorefs of Paufilippo, Jan. 26, 1639-40. Acted by the king's company. Several other pieces by this author were formerly in poffeffion of John Warburton, Efq. Somerset Herald, but I know not when they were written. Their titles are, Antonio and Vallia, The Woman's Plot, Philenzo and Hippolita, Tafte and Welcome. kings of England and Spayne. I had my fee notwithstandinge, which belongs to me for reading itt over, and ought to be brought always with the booke. "Received of Knight, for allowing of Ben Johnfons play called Humours reconcil'd, or the Magnetick Lady, to bee acted, this 12th of Octob. 1632, £.2. 0. 0. "18 Nov. 1632. In the play of The Ball, written by Sherley, and acted by the Queens players, 4 The book-keeper of Blackfriars' playhoufe. The date of this piece of Ben Jonfon has hitherto been unafcertained. Immediately after this entry is another, which accounts for the defect of feveral leaves in the edition of Lord Brooke's Poems, 1633: "Received from Henry Seyle for allowinge a booke of verfes of my lord Brooks, entitled Religion, Humane Learning, Warr, and Honor, this 17 of October 1632, in mony, .1. o. o: in books to the value of .1. 4. o."-In all the published copies twenty leaves on the fubject of Religion, are wanting, having been cancelled, probably by the order of Archbishop Laud. The fubfequent entry afcertains the date of Cowley's earlieft production: "More of Seyle, for allowinge of two other fmall peeces of verfes for the prefs, done by a boy of this town called COWLEY, at the fame time, .o. 10. o." Such of the plays of Shirley as were registered by Sir Henry Herbert, were licenfed in the following order: Love Tricks, with Complements, Feb. 10, 1624-5 Mayds Revenge, Feb. 9, 1625-6. The Brothers, Nov. 4, 1626. The Witty fair One, Octob. 3, 1628. The Faithful Servant, Nov. 3, 1629. The Duke, May 17, 1631. |