dyvers ftraunge landys, and of the new-found landys, the tracts of Amèrica recently discovered, and the manners of the natives, are described. The characters are, a Meffenger, who speaks the prologue, Nature, Humanity, Studious Defire, Senfual Appetite, a Taverner, Experience, and Ignorance'."

As it is uncertain at what period of time the ancient Myfteries ceased to be reprefented as an ordinary fpectacle for the amusement of the people, and Moralities were fubftituted in their room, it is equally difficult to afcertain the precife time when the latter gave way to a more legitimate theatrical exhibition. We know that Moralities were exhibited occafionally during the whole of the reign of queen Elizabeth, and even in that of her fucceffor, long after regular dramas had been prefented on the scene; but I fufpect that about the year 1570 (the 13th year of queen Elizabeth) this fpecies of drama began to lofe much of its attraction, and gave way to fomething that had more the appearance of comedy and tragedy. Gammer Gurton's Needle, which was written by Mr. Sill, (afterwards bishop of Bath and Wells,) in the 23d year of his age, and acted at Chrift's College, Cambridge, in 1566, is pointed out by the ingenious writer of the tract entitled Hiftoria Hiftrionica, as the first piece that looks like a regular comedy;" that is, the first play that was neither Mystery nor Morality, and in which fome humour and difcrimination of character may be found. In 1561-2 Thomas Sackville lord Buckhurft, and Thomas Norton, joined in writing the tragedy

1 HIST. OF E. P. Vol. II. p. 364. "Dr. Percy fuppofes this play to have been written about the year 1510, from the following lines: "Within this xx yere

"Weftwarde he found new landes

"That we never harde tell of before this."

The Weft-Indies were difcovered by Columbus in 1492." Ibid.

2 The licence granted in 1603 to Shakspeare and his fellow-comedians, authorifes them to play comedies, tragedies, hiftories, interludes, morals, paftorals, &c. See also The Guls Hornebooke, 1609: "if in the middle of his play, (bee it paftoral or comedie, morall or tragedie,) you rife with a fhrewd and difcontented face," &c.

of

of Ferrex and Porrex, which was exhibited on the 18th of January in that year by the Students of the Inner Temple, before queen Elizabeth at Whitehall. Neither of thefe pieces appears to have been acted on a publick theatre, nor was there at that time any building in London conftructed folely for the purpofe of representing plays. Of the latter piece, which, as Mr. Warton has obferved, is perhaps the firft fpecimen in our language of an heroick tale written in verse, and divided into acts and scenes, and cloathed in all the formalities of a regular tragedy," a correct analyfis may be found in the HISTORY OF ENGLISH POETRY 3, and the play itself within these few years has been accurately reprinted.

It has been justly remarked by the fame judicous writer, that the early practice of performing plays in schools and univerfities greatly contributed to the improvement of our drama. "While the people were amufed with Skelton's Trial of Simony, Bale's God's Promifes, and Chrift's Defcent into Hell, the fcholars of the times were compofing and acting plays on hiftorical fubjects, and in imitation of Plautus and Terence. Hence ideas of legitimate fable must have been imperceptibly derived to the popular and vernacular drama."

In confirmation of what he has fuggefted, it may be obferved, that the principal dramatick writers, before Shakspeare appeared, were scholars. Greene, Lodge, Peele, Marlowe, Nafhe, Lily, and Kyd, had all a regular univerfity education. From whatever cause it may have arifen, the dramatick poetry about this period certainly affumed a better, though till an exceptionable, form. The example which had been furnished by Sackville was quickly followed, and a great number of tragedies and hiftorical plays was produced between the years 1570 and 1590; fome of which are ftill extant, though by far the greater part is loft. This, I appre

3 Vol. III. pp. 355, et feq.

4 HIST. OF E. P. II. p. 388.

hend,

hend, was the great era of those bloody and bombaftick pieces, which afforded fubfequent writers perpetual topicks of ridicule: and during the fame period were exhibited many Hiftories, or historical dramas, formed on our English Chronicles, and representing a series of events fimply in the order of time in which they happened. Some have fuppofed that Shakspeare was the first dramatick poet that introduced this fpecies of drama; but this is an undoubted error. I have elsewhere observed that every one of the fubjects on which he conftructed his hiftorical plays, appears to have been dramatized, and brought upon the fcene, before his time.

5 See Vol. VI. p. 426.

Goffon in his Plays Confuted in five actions, printed about the year 1580, fays, “In playes either thofe things are fained that never were, as Cupid and Pfycbe, plaid at Paules; [he means, in Paul's school,]— or if a true biftorie be taken in hand, it is made like our fhavelings, longeft at the rifing and falling of the funne." From the fame writer we learn, that many preceding dramatick poets had travelled over the ground in which the fubjects of feveral of Shakspeare's other plays may be found. "I may boldly fay it, (fays Goffon) because I have feene it, that the Palace of Pleafare, the Golden Affe, the Æthiopian Hiftorie, Amadis of Fraunce, the Round table, bawdie comedies in Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish, have beene thoroughly ranfackt to furnish the playe-houses in London." Signat. D 5. b.

Lodge, his antagonist in this controversy, in his Play of plays and paftimes, a work which I have never feen, urges, as Prynne informs us, in defence of plays, that "they dilucidate and well explain many darke obfcure biftories, imprinting them in men's minds in fuch indelible characters that they can hardly be obliterated." Hiftriomaftix, P. 940. See also Heywood's Apology for Actors, 1612: "Plays have made the ignorant more apprehenfive, taught the unlearned the knowledge of many famous biftories; inftructed such as cannot reade, in the discovery of our English Chronicles : and what man have you now of that weake capacity that cannot discourse of any notable thing recorded, even from William the Conqueror, nay from the landing of Brute, untill this day, being poffeft of their true ufe,?"-In'Florio's dialogues in Italian and English, printed in 1591, we have the following dialogue a "G. After dinner we will goe fee a play.

H. The plaies that they play in England are not right comedies. T. Yet they do nothing elfe but plaie every daye.

H. Yea, but they are neither right comedies, nor right tragedies. G. How would you name them then?

H. Reprefentations of biftories, without any decorum."

The

The hiftorical drama is by an elegant modern writer fuppofed to have owed its rife to the publication of The Mirrour for Magiftrates, in which many of the most distinguished characters in English history are introduced, giving a poetical narrative of their own misfortuues. Of this book three editions, with various alterations and improvements, were printed between 1563 and 1587.

At length (about the year 1591) the great luminary of the dramatick world blazed out, and our poet produced thofe plays which have now for two hundred years been the boat and admiration of his country

men.

Our earliest dramas, as we have feen, were reprefented in churches or near them by ecclefiafticks: but at a very early period, I believe, we had regular and eftablished players, who obtained a livelihood by their art. So early as in the year 1378, as has been already noticed, the finging-boys of St. Paul's reprefented to the king, that they had been at confiderable expence in preparing a ftage reprefentation at Christmas. Thefe, however, cannot properly be called comedians, nor am I able to point out the time when the profeffion of a player became common and established. It has been fuppofed that the licenfe granted by queen Elizabeth to James Burbage and others, in 1574, was the first regular licenfe ever granted to comedians in England; but this is a mistake, for Heywood informs us that fimilar licenfes had been granted by her father king Henry the Eighth, king Edward the Sixth, and queen Mary. Stowe records, that "when king Edward the Fourth would fhew himself in ftate to the view of the people, he repaired to his palace at St. John's, where he was accustomed to fee the City Actors." In two books in the Remembrancer's-office in

6 Walpole's Royal and Noble Authors, Vol. I. p. 166.

the

7 Apology for Alors, 4to. 1612, Signat. E 1. b. "Since then," adds Heywood, "that houfe by the princes free gift hath belonged to the office of the Revels, where our court playes have been in late dayes yearely rehearfed, perfected, and corrected, before they come to the publike view of the prince and the nobility." This houfe

muft

1

the Exchequer, containing an account of the daily expences of king Henry the Seventh, are the following articles; from which it appears that at that time players, both French and English, made a part of the appendages of the court, and were fupported by regal establishment. "Item, to Hampton of Worcester for making of balades, 20s. Item, to my ladie the kings moders poete, 66s. 8d. Item, to a Welsh Rymer, in reward, 13s. 4d. Item, to my Lord Privie-Seals fole, in rew. 1os. Item, to Pachye the fole, for a rew. 6s. 8d. Item, to the foolish duke of Lancaster, 3s. Item, to Dix the foles mafter, for a months wages, 10s. Item, to the King of Frances fole, in rew. 41. Item, to the Frenfhe players, in rew.20s. Item, to the tumbler upon the ropes, 20s. Item, for heling of a feke maid, 6s. 8d. [Probably the piece of gold given by the king in touching for the evil.] Item, to my lord princes organ-player, for a quarters wages at Michell. 10s. Item, to the players of London, in reward, 10s. Item, to Mafter Barnard, the blind poete, 100s. Item, to a man and woman for ftrawberries, 8s. 4d. Item, to a woman for a red rofe, zs.' The foregoing extracts are from a book of which almost every page is figned by the king's own hand, in the 13th year of his reign. The following are taken from a book which contains an account of expences in the 9th year of his reign. Item, to Cart for writing of a boke, 6s. 8d. Item, payd for two playes in the hall, 26s. 8d. Item, to the kings players for a reward, 100s. Item, to the king to play at cardes, 100s. Item, loft to my lord Morging at buttes, 6s. 8d. Item, to Harry Pyning, the king's godfon, in reward, 20s. Item, to the players that begged by the way, 6s. 8d."

Some of thefe articles I have preferved as curious, though they do not relate to the fubject immediately before us. This account afcertains, that there was then not only a regular troop of players in London, but also must have been chofen on account of its neighbourhood to Whitehall, where the royal theatre then was. The regular office of the Revels at that time was on St. Peter's hill, near the Blackfriars' playhouse.

* For these extracts I am indebted to Francis Grofe, efq. to whom every admirer of the venerable remains of English antiquity has the highest obligations.

a royal