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actresses, after the Restoration, were educated there. We learn from Dryden's "Mc Flecknoe" that this "Nursery" was in Barbican: he is speaking of the houses of ill-fame in that neighbourhood.

"Near those a Nursery erects its head,

Where queens are form'd, and future heroes bred;
Where unfledg'd actors learn to laugh and cry,
Where infant punks their tender voices try,
And little Maximins the gods defy."

How long "the Nursery " existed I have not ascertained, but it is mentioned in the Duke of Buckingham's "Rehearsal,” first printed I believe in 1672, but first acted, I apprehend, nine or ten years before, when Sir Robert Howard, instead of Dryden, was the object of its ridicule. We have it on the authority of Gerard Langbaine, in 1691, that "many years ago" he had seen Chapman's "Revenge for Honour," acted "at the Nursery."-Acc. of Dram. Poets, p. 64. I do not think I need say anything more by way of preface to what follows, excepting that, singularly enough, I do not find any mention of the Nursery in Downs's Roscius Anglicanus, 1708, although he must have been living when it was in full operation. Any members of the Shakespeare Society who can give farther information on the subject will oblige

Islington, 4 May, 1847.

THOMAS EDLYNE TOMLINS.

QUARTA PARS PATENTUM DE ANNO REGNI CAROLI SECUNDI SEXTO DECIMO.

"Charles the Second, by the Grace of God, &c., To all to whom theis Presents shall come Greeting.

"Whereas, in and by our Lettres Patents under our Great Seale of England, beareing date the five and twentieth day of

Aprill, in the foureteenth yeare of our raigne, Wee did graunt to our trustie and welbeloved servant, Thomas Killigrew, Esquire, one of the groomes of our bedchamber, and to his heyres and assignes, full power, lycence, and authoritie that hee, they, and every of them, by him and themselves, and by all and every such person and persons as hee or they should depute or appoint, and his and their labourers, servants, and workemen should and might lawfully, peaceably, and quietly frame, erect, new build, and sett upp, in any place within our citties of London and Westminster, or the suburbes thereof, where he or they should find best accomodation for that purpose, to bee assigned and allotted out by the surveyor of our workes, one theatre or playhouse, with such necessary tyreing and retyring roomes and other places convenient, of such extent and demension as the said Thomas Killigrewe, his heyres or assignes, should thinke fitting, where Tragedies, Comedies, Playes, Operas, Musique, Sceanes, and all other Entertainments of the stage whatsoever, may bee shewed and presented.

"And Wee did thereby, for us, our heyres and successors, grant unto the said Thomas Killigrew, his heyres and assignes, full power, licence, and authoritie from time to time to gather together, entertayne, governe, priviledge, and keepė such and soe many players and persons to exercise and act Tragedyes, Comedies, Playes, Operas, and other performances of the stage, within the said house soe erected or to bee erected and built as aforesaid, as should seeme meete for the makeing upp of one severall company for the said Thomas Killigrewe, to be called The servants of us and our deare consort, and to consist of such number as the said Thomas Killigrew, his heyres or assignes, should thinke meete, with severall priviledges, liberties, and immunities in the said Letters Patent conteyned, as therein will more fully appeare.

"And whereas Wee did alsoe by our Letters Patents, under the great seale of England, beareing date the fifteenth day of January, in the said foureteenth yeare of our raigne, graunt unto our

trustie and welbeloved Sir William Davenant, knight, and his heyres, libertie to erect another playhouse, and to gather together another company for acting of playes and other exercises of the stage, the which said other company, to be erected by the said Sir William Davenant, were to bee called The servants of our dearely beloved brother, James, Duke of Yorke, with severall liberties, priviledges, and immunities, in our said last recyted Letters Patents conteyned, as thereby may further appeare, and did by our said severall recyted Letters Patents graunt and prohibite that none other should, from the severall dates of the said respective recyted Letters Patents, act or represent Comedies, Tragedies, Playes, or Entertainements of the stage within our said citties of London and Westminster, or the suburbes thereof, as by the said severall Letters Patents, relation being thereunto had, may alsoe appeare.

"And whereas Wee had formerly, by warrant under our privy signett, beareing date att Whitehall the foure and twentieth day of December, in the yeare of our Lord one thousand six hundred and sixtie, given and graunted to George Jolly, gentleman, full power and authoritie to erect one company, consisting respectively of such as hee should chuse and appoint, and to purchase, build, or hyre, att his costs and charges, one house or theatre, with all convenient roomes and other necessarys thereunto apperteyneing, for the representation of Tragedies, Commedies, Playes, Operas, Farses, and all other Entertainements of that nature, in any convenient place, and to establish payments for such as should resort to the same, the said company to bee under the governement of the said George Jolly, as by the said warrant may appeare; of which said warrant the said George Jolly had made noe use, nor was any graunt passed under our great seale by vertue thereof, but the said George Jolly, in and by articles of agreement under his hand and seale, made betweene him, the said George Jolly, on the one part, and the said Thomas Killigrewe and the said William Davenant on th' other part, dated the thirtieth day of

December, in the foureteenth yeare of our raigne, did, for the consideration therein mentioned, actually deliver the said warrant or graunt to the said Thomas Killigrewe and Sir William Davenant, and such benefitt as hee might clayme thereby, and did thereby agree that the said Thomas Killigrewe and Sir William Davenant should have the full use and benefitt thereof in such manner as by the same may appeare.

"And whereas the said Thomas Killigrewe and Sir William Davenant have, by their petition to us presented, signified their consent and humbly besought us to graunt and confirme unto William Legg, Esquire, one of the groomes of our bedchamber, his heyres and assignes, power, libertie, licence, and authoritie to erect and make a theatre, and to gather together boyes and girles and others, to bee instructed in the nature of a Nursery, for the trayneing upp of persons to act playes, to bee from time to time approved by the said Thomas Killigrewe and Sir William Davenant, their heyres and assignes, and the said company to bee under the governement of the said Thomas Killigrewe and Sir William Davenant, their heyres and assignes, to the intent that the said Thomas Killigrewe and Sir William Davenant, their heyres and assignes, according to such agreements as are or shall bee had and made betweene them and the said William Legg and his heyres in that behalfe, may, out of the said company to be graunted and confirmed to the said William Legge and his heyres, take out actors, and remove the said boyes and girles and other actors soe to bee there instructed, for the supply of each of their said companyes, as shall bee meete.

"Now, know yee that Wee, of our especiall grace, certaine knowledge, and meere motion, have given and graunted, and by theis presents, for us, our heyres, and successors, doe give and graunt unto the said William Legge, his heyres and assignes, full power, lycence, and authoritie that hee, they, and every of them, by him and themselves, and by all and every such person and persons as hee or they shall depute or appoint,

and his and their labourers, servants, and workemen, shall and may lawfully, peaceably, and quietly frame, erect, and new build, and set upp, or otherwise purchase or procure, in any place within our citties of London and Westminster, or the suburbes thereof, wherein hee or they shall find best accommodation for that purpose, to bee assigned and allotted out or approved by the surveyor of our workes for the time being, one theatre or playhouse, with such necessary tyreing and retyreing roomes and other places convenient, of such extent and dimensions as hee or they shall thinke fitting, wherein tragedies, Comedies, Playes, Operas, Musique, Sceanes, and all other Entertainments of the stage whatsoever, may be shewed and presented.

"And Wee do hereby, for us, our heyres, and successors, graunt unto the said William Legg, his heyres and assignes, full power, licence, and authoritie from time to time to gather together, entertaine, governe, priviledge, and keepe such and soe many players and persons to exercise and act Tragedies; Comedies, Playes, Operas, and other performances of the stage within the said house, soe to bee erected or built as aforesaid, as to him or them shall from time to time seeme meete, for the makeing upp and supplying of a company for acting of playes, and instructing boyes and gyrles in the art of playing, to bee in the nature of a Nursery, from time to time to be removed to the said two severall theatres abovementioned, which said company shall bee called by the name of a Nursery.

"And Wee doe hereby graunt full power and authoritie to the said William Legg, his heyres and assignes, the said persons soe by him and them gathered together and erected, to permitt and continue from time to time to act playes and entertainements of the stage of all sorts, peaceably and quietly, without the impeachment or impediment of any person or persons whatsoever, for the honest recreation of such as shall desire to see the same: and that itt shall and may bee lawfull to and for the said William Legg, his heyres and assignes, to

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