Sect. I. p. 22.

"ITEM to be payd . for Rewards of Players for

.....

"Playes playd in Christynmas by stranegers in my "house after xx d*. every Play by estimacion : "sum xxxiij. s. iiijd †.

Sect. V. p. 44.

"My Lords Chapleyns in householde vj. viz. the "Almonar, and if he be a MAKER OF INTERLUDYS, "than he to have a servant to the intent for writ"tynge of the parts: and ells to have none. "Maister of gramar, &c.

Sect. XLIV. p. 340.

The

ITEM, my lorde usith and accustomith to gyf yerely "when his lordship is at home to every Erles "PLAYERS that comes to his lordship betwixt "cristynmas and candilmas if he be his speciall "lorde and friende and kinsman-xx S.

Ibid.

"ITEM, my lorde usith and accustomyth to gyf yerely "when his lordship is at home to every Lordis

*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 8s.

+ At this rate the number of Plays acted must have been twenty.

"PLAYERS,

PLAYERS, that comyth to his lordship betwixt "cristynmas and candilmas-XS.

Sect. XLIV. p. 343.

"ITEM, my lorde usith and accustomyth to gyfyerely "if his lordship kepe a chapell and be at home, them "of his lordships chapell, if they doo play the Play "of the NATIVITE uppon cristynmas day in the "mornynge in my lordis chapell before his lord❝ship-xxs.

"ITEM,

....

Ibid. p. 345.

to them of his lordships chappell and "other his lordships servaunts that doith play the "Play before his lordship uppon SHROF-TEWSDAY "at night yerely in reward-xs.

« ITEM,

....

Ibid.

... to them .... that playth the Play of "RESURRECTION upon estur day in the mornlordis chapell' befor his lordshipe

in my

66 ynge 66-XXS.

Ibid. p. 346.

"ITEM, My lorde usith and accustomyth yerely to gif "hymn which is ordeyned to be the MAISTER OF "THE REVELS yerely in my lordis hous in cristinmas "for the overseynge and orderinge of his lordships "Playes, Interludes and Dresinge that is plaid befor "his lordship in his hous in the xij dayes of chrisU tinmas

"tinmas and they to have a rewarde for that caus "yerely-xxs.

Ibid. p. 351.

"ITEM, My lorde usith and accustomyth to gyf every "of the Four Persons that his lordship admyted as "his PLAYERS to come to his lordship yerely at "crystynmas and at all other such tymes as his "lordship shall comande them for playing of Playes "and Interludes befor his lordship in his lordshipis "hous for every of their fees for an hole yere”. . . .

I shall conclude this subject with the following mis<< cellaneous remarks.

THERE is reason to think, that about the time of the Reformation great numbers of PLAYS were printed, though few of that age are now to be found; for part of Queen Elizabeth's INJUNCTIONS in 1559 are particularly directed to the suppressing of "Many pam"phlets, PLAYS, and Ballads: that no manner.of "Person shall enterprize to print any such, &c. but ❝ under certain restrictions." Vid. sect. 5.

With regard to the Playhouse PRICES, an ancient satirical piece called the "Black-Booke, Lond. 1604.” 4to. talks of." the SIXPENNY roomes in play-houses:" and leaves a legacy to one whom he calls " Arch"tobacco-Taker of England, in ordinaries, upon "STAGES both common and private."————And in the "Belman's Night-Walks, by DECKER, 1616." 4to. I find this Pay thy TWO-PENCE to a Player, in this

"gallery

gallery thou mayst sit by a harlot." Yet small as these PRICES may now be thought, the Profession of an Actor appears to have been rather lucrative; this might be inferred from the passage quoted in page 140. (Not. d.) to which may be added the following extract from "GREENE'S Groatsworth of Wit, 1625." 4to. (See Roberto's Tale, Sign. D. 3. b.) "WHAT is your “ profession ?”—“Truly, Sir, I am a PLAYER." "A player! ....I took you rather for a Gentleman of great living; for if by outward Habit men should be "censured, I tell you, you would be taken for a sub"stantial man.' ." "So I am where I dwell. .... What "though the world once went hard with me, when I "was fayne to carry my playing-fardle a foot backe: "Tempora mutantur .... for my very share in playing

....

apparell will not be sold for TWO HUNDRED pounds, ".... Nay more, I can serve to make a pretty speech, "for I was a country Author, passing at a MORAL, * &c."

Lastly, with regard to the Decorations of the Stage, mean as they then were, Coryate thought them splendid compared to what he saw abroad; Speaking of the Theatre for Comedies at Venice, he says, "The “house is very beggarly and base in comparison of our "stately PLAY-HOUSES in England: neyther can "their actors compare with ours for apparell, shews, “and musicke. Here I observed certaine things that "I never saw before: For I saw WOMEN ACT, a "thing that I never saw before, though I have heard that it hath been sometimes used in London; and

"they performed it with as good a grace, action, "gesture, and whatsoever convenient for a Player, "as ever I saw any masculine Actor." Coryate's Crudities, 4to. 1611. p. 247.

It ought however to be observed, that amid such a multitude of PLAY-HOUSES as subsisted in the Metropolis before the Civil Wars, there must have been a great difference between their several Accommodations, Ornaments, and Prices; and that some would be much more shewy than others, though probably all were much inferior in splendour to the two great Theatres after the Restoration.

The