ther were divers perfonated fo naturally, both of lords and others of the court, that I took it ill, and would have forbidden the play, but that Biston [Chriftopher Beefton] promifte many things which found faulte withall fhould be left out, and that he would not fuffer it to be done by the poett any more, who deferves to be punifht; and the first that offends in this kind, of poets or players, fhall be fure of publique punishment.

"R. for allowinge of The Tale of the Tubb, Vitru Hoop's parte wholly ftrucke out, and the motion of the tubb, by commande from my lord chamberlin; exceptions being taken against it by Inigo Jones, furveyor of the kings workes, as a personal injury unto him. May 7, 1633,-£.2. 0. 0."

In this piece, of which the precife date was hitherto unknown, Vitru Hoop, i. e. Vitruvius Hoop, undoubtedly was intended to reprefent Inigo Jones.

"The comedy called The Yonge Admirall, being free from oaths, prophanefs, or obfceanes, hath given mee much delight and fatisfaction in the readinge, and may ferve for a patterne to other poetts, not only for the bettring of maners and language, but for the improvement of the quality, which hath received fome brufhings of late.

"When Mr. Sherley hath read this approbation,

The Opportunity, Nov. 29, 1634.
The Coronation, Feb. 6, 1634-5•.

Chabot, Admiral of France, April 29, 1635.

The Lady of Pleafure, Octob. 15, 1635.

The Dukes Miftrefs, Jan. 18, 1635-6.

The Royal Mafter, April 23, 1638.

The Gentleman of Venife, 30 Octob. 1639.

Rofania, 1 June, 1640.

The Impoftor, Nov. 10, 1640.

The Politique Father, May 26, 1641.

The Cardinall, Nov. 25, 1641.

The Sifters, April 26, 1642.

I know it will encourage him to pursue this beneficial and cleanly way of poetry, and when other poetts heare and fee his good fuccefs, I am confident they will imitate the original for their own credit, and make fuch copies in this harmless way, as fhall speak them masters in their art, at the first fight, to all judicious fpectators. It may be acted this 3 July, 1633.

"I have entered this allowance, for direction to my fucceffor, and for example to all poetts, that fhall write after the date hereof.

"Received of Bifton, for an ould play called Hymens Holliday, newly revived at their house, being a play given unto him for my ufe, this 15 Aug. 1633, £.3. 0. o. Received of him for fome alterations in it, .1. 0. 0.

Meetinge with him at the ould exchange, he gave my wife a payre of gloves, that coft him at leaft twenty fhillings.

Upon a fecond petition of the players to the High Commiffion court, wherein they did mee right in my care to purge their plays of all offense, my lords Grace of Canterbury beftowed many words upon mee, and difcharged mee of any blame, and layd the whole fault of their play called The Magnetick Lady, upon the players. This happened the 24 of Octob. 1633, at Lambeth. In their firft petition they would have excufed themselves on mee and the poett."

"On Saterday the 17th of Novemb." being the Queens birth day, Richarde the Thirde was acted by the K. players at St. James, wher the king and queene were prefent, it being the first play the

This is a mistake. It should be the 16th of November. She was born Nov. 16, 1609.

3

queene fawe fince her M.tys delivery of the Duke of York. 1633.

"On tufday the 19th of November, being the king's birth-day, The Yong Admirall was acted at St. James by the queen's players, and likt by the K. and Queen.

"The Kings players fent mee an ould booke of Fletchers called The Loyal Subject, formerly allowed by Sir George Bucke, 16 Novemb. 1618, which according to their defire and agreement I did perufe, and with fome reformations allowed of, the 23 of Nov. 1633, for which they fent mee according to their promife £.1. o. 0.7

"On tufday night at Saint James, the 26 of Novemb. 1633, was acted before the King and Queene, The Taminge of the Shrew. Likt.

"On thursday night at St. James, the 28 of Novemb. 1633, was acted before the King and Queene, The Tamer Tamd, made by Fletcher. Very well likt.

"On tufday night at Whitehall the 10 of Decemb. 1633, was acted before the King and Queen, The Loyal Subject, made by Fletcher, and very well likt by the king.

"On Monday night the 16 of December, 1633, at Whitehall was acted before the King and Queen, Hymens Holliday or Cupids Fegarys, an ould play of Rowleys. Likte.

"On Wensday night the first of January, 1633, Cymbeline was acted at Court by the Kings players. Well likte by the kinge.

"On Monday night the fixth of January and the Twelfe Night, was prefented at Denmark-house, before the King and Queene, Fletchers pastorall

7 In the margin the writer adds-" The firft ould play fent mee to be perufed by the K. players.'

called The Faithfull Shepheardeffe, in the clothes the Queene had given Taylor the yeare before of her owne paftorall.

"The scenes were fitted to the pastorall, and made, by Mr. Inigo Jones, in the great chamber, 1633.

"This morning being the 9th of January, 1633, the kinge was pleasd to call mee into his withdrawinge chamber to the windowe, wher he went over all that I had crofte in Davenants play-booke, and allowing of faith and flight to bee affeverations only, and no oathes, markt them to ftande, and fome other few things, but in the greater part allowed of my reformations. This was done upon a complaint of Mr. Endymion Porters in De

cember.

"The kinge is pleasd to take faith, death, flight, for affeverations, and no oaths, to which I doe humbly fubmit as my mafters judgment; but under favour conceive them to be oaths, and enter them here, to declare my opinion and fubmiffion.

"The 10 of January, 1633, I returned unto Mr. Davenant his play-booke of The Witts, corrected by the kinge.

"The kinge would not take the booke at Mr. Porters hands; but commanded him to bring it unto mee, which he did, and likewife commanded Davenant to come to me for it, as I believe; otherwife he would not have byn fo civill.

"The Guardian, a play of Mr. Meffengers, was acted at court on Sunday the 12 January, 1633, by the Kings players, and well likte.

In a fmall tract of the laft age, of which I have forgot the title, we are told that Charles the fecond, being reprimanded by one of his bishops for frequently introducing profane oaths in his difcourfe, defended himself by faying, "Your martyr fwore twice

more than I do.”

"The Tale of the Tub was acted on tufday night at Court, the 14 Janua. 1633, by the Queenes players, and not likte.

"The Winters Tale was acted on thurfday night at Court, the 16 Janu. 1633, by the K. players, and likt.

"The Witts was acted on tufday night the 28 January, 1633, at Court, before the Kinge and Queene. Well likt. It had a various fate on the stage, and at court, though the kinge commended the language, but diflikt the plott and characters.

"The Night-walkers was acted on thursday night the 30 Janu. 1633, at Court, before the King and Queen. Likt as a merry play. Made by Fletcher."

"The Inns of court gentlemen prefented their mafque at court, before the kinge and queene, the 2 February, 1633, and performed it very well. Their fhew through the streets was glorious, and in the nature of a triumph.-Mr. Surveyor Jones invented and made the fcene; Mr. Sherley the poett made the profe and verse.

"On thursday night the 6 of Febru. 1633, The Gamefter was acted at Court, made by Sherley, out of a plot of the king's, given him by mee; and well likte. The king fayd it was the best play he had feen for feven years.

"On Shrovetufday night, the 18 of February, 1633, the Kinge dancte his Mafque, accompanied with 11 lords, and attended with 10 pages. It was the nobleft mafque of my time to this day, the best poetrye, beft fcenes, and the beft habitts. The kinge and queene were very well pleasd with my fervice, and the Q. was pleasd to tell mee before

9 In a former page the following entry is found:

For a play of Fletchers corrected by Sherley, called The Night Walkers, the 11 May, 1633, £.2. o. o. For the queen's players."