Item, My Lorde usith, and accustometh to gif yerely when his lordshipp is at home, to every erlis Players that comes to his lordshipe betwixt Cristynmas ande Candelmas, if he be his special lorde & frende & Kynsman-xxs." Sect. XLIIII. p. 340.

"Item, My lorde usith and accustomyth to gyf yerely, when his lordship is at home to every lordis Players, that comyth to his lordshipe betwixt Crystynmas and Candilmas xs." Ibid.

The reader will observe the great difference in the rewards here given to such Players as were retainers of noble personages, and such as are styled Strangers, or, as we may suppose, only strollers.

The profession of a common player was about this time held by some in low estimation. In an old satire, entitled "Cock Lorreles Bote," the author enumerating the most common trades or callings, as carpenters, coopers, joyners," &c., mentions

66

Players, purse-cutters, money batterers,
Golde-washers, tomblers, jogelers,
Pardoners, &c."
Sign. B. vj.

III. It hath been observed already, that plays of Miracles, or Mysteries, as they were called, led to the introduction of Moral Plays or Moralities, which prevailed so early, and became so common, that towards the latter end of King Henry VIIth's reign, John Rastel, brother-in-law to Sir Thomas More, conceived a design of making them the vehicle of science and natural philosophy. With this view he published "A new Interlude and a Mery of the Nature of the Four Elements declarynge many proper points of Philosophy Naturall, and of Dyvers Straunge Landys, &c. It is observable that the

* This was not so small a sum then as it may now appear; for in another part of this MS. the price ordered to be given for a fat ox is but 13s. 4d., and for a lean one 88. At this rate the number of plays acted must have been twenty.

Pr. at the Sun in Fleet St. by W. de Worde, no date, b. i. 4to.

Mr. Garrick has an imperfect copy, (Old Plays, i. vol. iii.) The dramatis persona are, ". The Messenger [or Prologue]. Nature naturate; Humanytè; Studyous Desire; Sensuall Appetyte; The Taverner; Experyence; Ygnoraunce. (Also yfye lyste ye may brynge in a dysgysynge.")

"Within this xx yere Westwarde be founde new landes

That we never harde tell of before this," &c.

The West Indies were discovered by Columbus in 1492, which fixes the writing of this play to about 1510 (two years before the date of the above Houshold Book.) The play of "Hick Scorner" was probably somewhat more ancient, as he still more imperfectly alludes to the American discoveries, under the name of "the Newe founde Ilonde." (Sign. A. vij.)

It is observable that in the olden moralities, as in that last mentioned, Every-man, &c., is printed no kind of stage direction for the exits and entrances of the personages, no division of acts and scenes. But in the moral interlude of "Lusty Juventus," "* written under Edward VI., the exits and entrances began to be noted in the margin:† at length in Queen Elizabeth's reign moralities appeared formally divided into acts and scenes, with a regular prologue, &c. One of these is reprinted by Dodsley.

Before we quit this subject of the very early printed plays, it may just be observed, that, although so few are now extant, it should seem many were printed before the reign of Queen Elizabeth, as at the beginning of her reign, her Injunctions in 1559 are particularly directed to the suppressing of "many pamphlets, playes, and ballads; that no manner of person shall enterprize to print any such, &c." but under certain restrictions. Vid. Sect. V.

In the time of Hen. VIII., one or two dramatic pieces had been published under the

Afterwards follows a table of the matters handled in the interlude; among which are, "¶. Of certeyn conclusions

prouvynge the yerthe must nedes be rounde, and that yt is in circumference above xxi M. myle.”—“¶. Of certeyne points of cosmographye-and of dyvers straunge regyons --and of the new founde landys, and the maner of the people." This part is extremely curious, as it shows what notions were entertained of the new American discoveries by our own countrymen.

*Described in Series the Second, preface to book ii. The Dramatis Persona of this piece are "¶. Messenger, Lusty Juventus, Good Counsail, Knowledge, Sathan the devyll, Hypocrisie, Fellowship, Abominable-lyving, an harlot], God's merciful promises."

I have also discovered some few Freats and Intrats in the very old interlude of the "Four Elements."

classical names of comedy and tragedy,* but they appear not to have been intended for popular use: it was not till the religious ferments had subsided that the public had leisure to attend to dramatic poetry. In the reign of Elizabeth, tragedies and comedies began to appear in form, and, could the poets have persevered, the first models were good. Corboduc," a regular tragedy, was acted in 1561; and Gascoigne, in 1566, exhibited "Jocasta," a translation from Euripides, as also "The Supposes," a regular comedy, from Ariosto: near thirty years before any of Shakspeare's were printed.

The people however still retained a relish for their old mysteries and moralities,‡ and the popular dramatic poets seem to have made them their models. From the graver sort of moralities our modern Tragedy appears to have derived its origin; as our Comedy evidently took its rise from the lighter interludes of that kind. And as most of these pieces contain an absurd mixture of religion and buffoonery, an eminent critic & has well deduced from thence the origin of our unnatural Tragi-comedies. Even after the people had been accustomed to tragedies and comedies, moralities still kept their ground: one of them entitled "The New Custom" was printed so late as 1573: at length they assumed the name of masques, and, with some classical improvements, became in the two following reigns the favourite entertainments of the court.

Bishop Bale had applied the name of Tragedy to his Mystery of "God's Promises," in 1538. In 1540 John Palsgrave, B. D., had republished a Latin comedy, called "Acolastus," with an English version. Holingshed tells us (vol. iii. p. 850), that so early as 1520 the king had “a good comedie of Plautus plaied" before him at Greenwich; but this was in Latin, as Mr. Farmer informs us in his curious "Essay on the Learning of Shakespeare," 8vo. p. 31.

See Ames, p. 316. This play appears to have been

first printed under the name of "Gorboduc;" then under that of "Ferrer and Porrer," in 1569; and again under “Gorboduc,” 1590.-Ames calls the first edition quarto, Langbaine, octavo, and Tanner 12mo.

The general reception the old Moralities had upon the stage, will account for the fondness of all our first poets for allegory. Subjects of this kind were familiar with every one.

Bp. Warburt. Shakesp. vol. v.

Reprinted among Dodsley's Old Plays, vol. i.

In some of these appeared characters full as extraordinary as in any of the old Moralities. In Ben Jonson's Masque of Christmas, 1616, one of the personages is Minced Pye.

IV. The old mysteries, which ceased to be acted after the reformation, appear to have given birth to a third species of stage exhibition, which, though now confounded with tragedy and comedy, were by our first dramatic writers considered as quite distinct from them both: these were historical plays, or histories, a species of dramatic writing which resembled the old mysteries in representing a series of historical events simply in the order of time in which they happened, without any regard to the three great unities. These pieces seem to differ from tragedies, just as much as historical poems do from epic: as the Pharsalia does from the Eneid.

What might contribute to make dramatic poetry take this form was, that soon after the mysteries ceased to be exhibited, was published a large collection of poetical narratives, called "The Mirrour for Magistrates,"* wherein a great number of the most eminent characters in English history are drawn relating their own misfortunes. This book was popular, and of a dramatic cast; and therefore, as an elegant writert has well observed, might have its influence in producing historical plays. These narratives probably furnished the subjects, and the ancient mysteries suggested the plan.

There appears indeed to have been one instance of an attempt at an historical play itself, which was perhaps as early as any mystery on a religious subject; for such, I think, we may pronounce the representation of a memorable event in English history, that was expressed in actions and rhymes. This was the old Coventry play of "Hock Tuesday,"‡ founded on the story of the massacre of the Danes, as it happened on St. Brice's night, November 13, 1002.8 The play in question was performed by certain men of Coventry, among the other shows and entertainments at Kenilworth Castle, in July, 1575, prepared for Queen Elizabeth, and this the rather "because the matter mentioneth

The first part of which was printed in 1559.

Catal. of Royal and Noble Authors, vol. p. 1667. This must not be confounded with the mysteries acted on Corpus Christie day by the Franciscans at Coventry, which were also called Coventry Plays, and of which an account is given from T. Warton's Hist. of Eng. Poetry, &c., in Malone's Shaks. vol. ii. part ii. pag. 13, 14.

Not 1012, as printed in Laneham's Letter, mentioned below.

how valiantly our English women, for the love of their country, behaved themselves."

The writer, whose words are here quoted,* hath given a short description of the performance; which seems on that occasion to have been without recitation or rhymes, and reduced to mere dumb show; consisting of violent skirmishes and encounters, first between Danish and English "lance-knights on horseback," armed with spear and shield; and afterwards between "hosts" of footmen; which at length ended in the Danes being "beaten down, overcome, and many led captive by our English women."†

This play, it seems, which was wont to be exhibited in their city yearly, and which had been of great antiquity and long continuance there, had of late been suppressed, at the instance of some well meaning but precise preachers, of whose "sourness" herein the townsmen complain; urging that their play was "without example of ill manners, papistry, or any superstition;" which shows it to have been entirely distinct from a religious mystery. But having been discontinued, and, as appears from the narrative, taken up of a sudden after the sports were begun, the players apparently had not been able to recover the old rhymes, or to procure new ones, to accompany the action; which if it originally represented "the outrage and importable insolency of the Danes, the grievous complaint of Huna, king Ethelred's chieftain in wars ;"|| his counselling and contriving the plot to despatch them; concluding with the conflicts above mentioned, and their final suppression" expressed in actions and

* Ro. Laneham, whose Letter, containing a full description of the Shows, &c., is reprinted at large in Nicholls's Progresses of Q. Elizabeth, &c., vol. i. 4to., 1788.-That writer's orthography, being peculiar and affected, is not here followed.

Laneham describes this play of HOCK TUESDAY, which was "presented in an historical cue by certain good-hearted men of Coventry" (p. 32), and which was "wont to be play'd in their citie yearly" (p. 33), as if it were peculiar

to them, terming it "their old storial show" (p. 32).--And so it might be as represented and expressed by them "after their manner" (p. 33): although we are also told by Bevil Higgons, that St. Brice's Eve was still celebrated by the Northern English in commemoration of this massacre of the Danes, the women beating brass instruments, and singing old rhymes, in praise of their cruel ancestors. See his Short View of Eng. History, 8vo., p. 17. (The Preface is dated 1734.)

rhymes after their manner,' one can hardly conceive a more regular model of a complete drama; and, if taken up soon after the event, it must have been the earliest of the kind in Europe.t

Whatever this old play, or "storial show," was at the time it was exhibited to Queen Elizabeth, it had probably our young Shakspeare for a spectator, who was then in his twelfth year, and doubtless attended with all the inhabitants of the surrounding country, at these "princely pleasures of Kenilworth,"? whence Stratford is only a few miles distant. And as the Queen was much diverted with the Coventry play, "whereat her majesty laught well," and rewarded the performers with two bucks and five marks in money: who, "what rejoicing upon their ample reward, and what triumphing upon the good acceptance, vaunted their play was never so dignified, nor ever any players before so beatified:" but especially if our young bard afterwards gained admittance into the castle to see a play, which the same evening, after supper, was there "presented of a very good theme, but to set forth by the actors' well handling, that pleasure and mirth made it seem very short, though it lasted two good hours and more," we may imagine what an impression was made on his infant mind. Indeed the dramatic cast of many parts of that superb entertainment, which continued nineteen days, and was the most splendid of the kind ever attempted in this kingdom; the addresses to the Queen in the personated characters of Sybille, a savage man, and Sylvanus, as she approached or departed from the castle; and, on the water, by Arion, a Triton, or the Lady of the Lake, must have had a very great effect on a young imagination, whose dramatic powers were hereafter to astonish the world.

But that the historical play was considered by our old writers, and by Shakspeare himself, as distinct from tragedy and comedy, will sufficiently appear from various passages

*Laneham, p. 33.

The Rhymes, &c., prove this play to have been in Eng lish, whereas Mr. Thos. Warton thinks the Mysteries composed before 1328 were in Latin. Malone's Shaksp. vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 9.

Laneham, p. 32.

See Nichols's Progresses, vol. i. p. 57.

Laneham, p. 38, 39. This was on Sunday evening

July 9.

in their works. "Of late days," says Stow, "in place of those stage plays* hath been used comedies, tragedies, enterludes and histories both true and fayned."-Beaumont and Fletcher, in the prologue to " The Captain," say,

"This is nor Comedy, nor Tragedy,
Nor History."-

Polonius in "Hamlet" commends the actors, as the best in the world, "either for tragedie, comedie, historie, pastorall," &c. And Shakspeare's friends, Heminge and Condell, in the first folio edition of his plays, in 1623, have not only entitled their book “Mr. William Shakspeare's comedies, histories, and tragedies" but in their table of contents have arranged them under those three several heads; placing in the class of histories, "K. John, Richard II., Henry IV., 2 pts. Henry V., Henry VI., 3 pts. Rich. III., and Henry VIII.;" to which they might have added such of his other plays as have their subjects taken from the old Chronicles, or Plutarch's lives.

Although Shakspeare is found not to have been the first who invented this species of drama, yet he cultivated it with such superior success, and threw upon this simple inartificial tissue of scenes such a blaze of genius that his histories maintain their ground in defiance of Aristotle and all the critics of the classic school, and will ever continue to interest and instruct an English audience.

Before Shakspeare wrote, historical plays do not appear to have attained this distinction, being not mentioned in Q. Elizabeth's license in 1574|| to James Burbage and others, who are only impowered "to use, exercyse, and occupie, the arte and facultye of playenge comedies, tragedies, enterludes, stage-playes, and such other like.”—But when Shakspeare's histories had become the ornaments of the stage, they were considered by the public, and by himself, as a formal and necessary species, and are thenceforth so distin

The Creation of the World, acted at Skinners Well in 1409.

† See Stow's Survey of London, 1603, 4to., p. 94, (said in the title page to be "written in the year 1598.") See also Warton's Observations on Spenser, vol. ii. p. 109.

The same distinction is continued in the 2d and 3d folios, &c.

See Malone's Shaksp. vol. i. part ii. p. 31. [See Malone's Shaksp. vol. i. pt. ii. p. 37.

guished in public instruments. They are particularly inserted in the license granted by K. James I., in 1603,* to W. Shakspeare himself, and the players his fellows; who are authorized "to use and exercise the arte and faculty of playing comedies, tragedies, histories, interludes, morals, pastorals, stageplaies, and such like."

The same merited distinction they continued to maintain after his death, till the theatre itself was extinguished; for they are expressly mentioned in a warrant in 1622, for licensing certain " 'late comedians of Q. Anne deceased, to bring up children in the qualitie and exercise of playing comedies, histories, interludes, morals, pastorals, stageplaies, and such like." The same appears in an admonition issued in 1637‡ by Philip Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery, then Lord Chamberlain, to the master and wardens of the company of printers and stationers; wherein is set forth the complaint of his Majesty's servants the players, that "diverse of their books of comedyes and tragedyes, chronicle-historyes, and the like," had been printed and published to their prejudice, &c.

This distinction we see, prevailed for near half a century; but after the Restoration, when the stage revived for the entertainment of a new race of auditors, many of whom had been exiled in France, and formed their taste from the French theatre, Shakspeare's histories appear to have been no longer relished; at least the distinction respecting them is dropped in the patents that were immediately granted after the king's return.

This appears not only from the allowance to Mr. William Beeston in June 1660,% to use the house in Salisbury-court "for a playhouse, wherein comedies, tragedies, tragicomedies, pastoralls, and interludes, may be acted," but also from the fuller grant (dated August 21, 1760) to Thomas Killegrew, Esq., and Sir William Davenant, knt., by which

See Malone's Shaksp. vol. i. pt. ii. p. 40.

Ibid. p. 49. Here Histories, or Historical Plays, are found totally to have excluded the mention of Tragedies; a proof of their superior popularity. In an Order for the King's Comedians to attend K. Charles I. in his summer's progress, 1636 (Ibid. p. 144), Histories are not particularly mentioned: but so neither are tragedies: they being briefly directed to "act playes, comedyes, and interludes, without any lett," &c. Ibid, p. 139. This is believed to be the date by Mr. Malone, vol. ii. pt. ii. p. 239. [ Ibid. p. 244.