"To the Duchess of Richmond, in the kings absence, was given The Winter's Tale, by the K. company, the 18 Janu. 1623. Att Whitehall. "Upon All-hollows night, 1624, the king beinge at Roiston, no play. "The night after, my Lord Chamberlin had Rule a Wife and Have a Wife for the ladys, by the kings company. 66 Upon St. Steevens night, the prince only being there, [was acted] Rule a Wife and Have a Wife, by the kings company. Att Whitehall. 66 Upon St. John's night, [the prince] and the duke of Brunswick being there, The Fox, by the At Whitehall. 66 Upon Innocents night, the [prince] and the duke of Brunswyck being there, Cupids Revenge, 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. 66 66 Upon Twelve night, the Masque being putt of, and the prince only there, Tu Quoque, by the Queene of Bohemias servants. Att Whitehall, 1624. 66 Upon the Sonday night following, being the ninthe of January 1624, the Masque 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 shut 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 subjoin, together with a few anecdotes which he has preserved, relative to some of the works of our poet and the dramatick writers who immediately succeeded "For the king's players. An olde playe called Winter's Tale, formerly allowed of by Sir George Bucke, and likewyse by mee on Mr. Hemmings his worde that there was nothing profane added or reformed, thogh the allowed booke was missinge; and therefore I returned it without a fee, this 19 of August, 1623. "For the king's company. The Historye of Henry the First, written by Damport [Davenport]; this 10 April, 1624,-17. 0. 0. "For the king's company. An olde play called The Honest Mans Fortune, the originall being lost, 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 manuscript copy of The Honest 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 сору which had been licensed by Sir George Buc, was without doubt destroyed by the fire which consumed that theatre in the year 1613. The allowed copy of The Winter's Tale was probably destroyed at the same time. "17 July, 1626, [Received] from Mr. Hemmings for a courtesie done him about their Blackfriers hous, -31. 0. 0. 66 [Received] from Mr. Hemming, in their company's name, to forbid the playing of Shakespeare's plays, to the Red Bull Company, this 11 of April, 1627,-51. 0. 0. "This day being the 11 of Janu. 1630, I did refuse to allow of a play of Messinger's, because itt did 4 This play in a late entry on the Stationers' books was ascribed by a fraudulent bookseller to Shakspeare. 5 Massinger'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: contain dangerous matter, as the deposing of Sebastian king of Portugal, by Philip the [Second,] and The Bondman, Dec. 3, 1623. Acted at the Cockpit in Drury Lane. The Renegado, or the Gentleman of Venice, April 17, 1624. Acted at the Cockpit. The Parliament of Love, Nov. 3, 1624. Acted at the Cockpit. Of this play the last four Acts are yet extant in manuscript. The Spanish Viceroy, acted in 1624. This play is lost. 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 lost. The Great Duke was licensed for the Queen's Servants, July 5, 1627. This was, I apprehend, The Great Duke of Florence, which was acted by that company. The Honour of Women was licensed 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 lost. The Emperor of the East, March 11, 1630-31. Acted by the king's company. Believe as you list, May 7, 1631. Acted by the king's company. This play is lost. The Unfortunate Piety, June 13, 1631. Acted by the king's company. This play is lost. The Fatal Dowry does not appear to have been licensed for the stage 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 company. A new Way to pay old Debts does not appear to have been licensed for the stage, but was printed in Nov. 1632. The Guardian was licensed 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 lost. A Very Woman, June 6, 1634. The Orator, Jan. 10, 1634-5. This play is lost. Acted by the king's company. Acted by the king's company. The Bashful Lover, May 9,1636. Acted by the king's company. The King and the Subject, June 5, 1638. Acted by the same company. This title, Sir Henry Herbert says, was changed. I suspect it was new named The Tyrant. The play is lost. ther being a peace sworen twixte the 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 6, for allowing of Ben Johnsons play called Humours Reconcil'd, or the Magnetick Lady, to bee acted, this 12th of Octob. 1632, 21. 0. 0. "18 Nov. 1632. In the play of The Ball, written by Sherley', and acted by the Queens players, ther Alexius, or the Chaste Lover, Sept. 25, 1639. Acted by the king's company. The Fair Anchoress of Pausilippo, Jan. 26, 1639-40. Acted by the king's company. Several other pieces by this author were formerly in possession of John Warburton, Esq. Somerset Herald, but I know not when they were written. Their titles are, Antonio and Vallia, The Woman's Plot, Philenzo and Hippolita, Taste and Welcome. [Mr. Gifford excludes Antonio and Vallia from the list of Massinger's plays; and mentions others which were destroyed by Mr. Warburton's servant. BosWELL.] 6 The book-keeper of Blackfriars' playhouse. The date of this piece of Ben Jonson has hitherto been unascertained. Immediately after this entry is another, which accounts for the defect of several leaves in the edition of Lord Brooke's Poems, 1633: "Received from Henry Seyle for allowinge a booke of verses of my lord Brooks, entitled Religion, Humane Learning, Warr, and Honor, this 17 of October 1632, in mony, 17. Os. Od. in books to the value of 17. 4s. Od."-In all the published copies twenty leaves on the subject of Religion, are wanting, having been cancelled, probably, by the order of Archbishop Laud. The subsequent entry ascertains the date of Cowley's earliest production : "More of Seyle, for allowinge of two other small peeces of verses for the press, done by a boy of this town called Cowley, at the same time, Ol. 10s. Od." 7 Such of the plays of Shirley as were registered by Sir Henry Herbert, were licensed 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 Traytor, May 4, 1631. were divers personated so naturally, both of lords and others of the court, that I took it ill, and would have forbidden the play, but that Biston [Christopher Beeston] promiste many things which I found faulte withall should be left out, and that he would not suffer it to be done by the poett any more, who deserves to be punisht; and the first that offends in this kind, of poets or players, shall be sure of publique punish ment. "R. for allowinge of The Tale of the Tubb, Vitru Hoop's parte wholly strucke out, and the motion of the tubb, by commande from my lorde chamberlin; exceptions being taken against it by Inigo Jones, surveyor of the kings workes, as a personal injury unto him. May 7, 1633,-21. 0. 0." In this piece, of which the precise date was hitherto unknown, Vitru Hoop, i. e. Vitruvius Hoop, undoubtedly was intended to represent Inigo Jones. "The comedy called The Yonge Admirall, being free from oaths, prophaness, or obsccanes, hath given mee much delight and satisfaction in the readinge, The Duke, May 17, 1631. Loves Cruelty, Nov. 14, 1631. The Coronation, Feb. 6, 1634-5. Chabot, Admiral of France, April 29, 1635. The Duke's Mistress, Jan. 18, 1635-6. The Royal Master, April 23, 1638. The Gentleman of Venise, Octob. 30, 1629. The Impostor, Nov. 10, 1640. The Politique Father, May 26, 1641. The Cardinall, Nov. 25, 1641. The Sisters, April 26, 1642. |