8 light. On the roof of this and the other publick theatres a pole was erected, to which a flag was` affixed." Thefe flags were probably difplayed only during the hours of exhibition; and it fhould feem from one of the old comedies that they were taken down in Lent, in which time, during the early part of King James's reign, plays were not allowed to be reprefented, though at a subsequent period this prohibition was difpenfed with.3 2 was nearly of the fame fize as the Fortune, which has been already defcribed. 8 Hiftoria Hiftrionica, 8vo. 1699. p. 7. So, in The Curtain-Drawer of the World, 1612. “Each playhoufe advanceth his flagge in the aire, whither quickly at the waving thereof are fummoned whole troops of men, women, and children."-Again, in A Mad World," my Masters, a comedy by Middleton, 1608. "the hair about the hat is as good as a flag upon the pole, at a common playhoufe, to waft company." See a South View of the City of London as it appeared in 1599. in which are reprefentations of the Globe and Swan theatres. From the words, common play-houfe," in the paffage laft quoted, we may be led to fuppofe that flags were not difplayed on the roof of Blackfriars, and the other private playhouses. เ a This cuftom perhaps took its rife from a mifconception of a line in Ovid: Tunc neque marmoreo pendebant vela theatro, which Heywood, in a tract published in 1612. thus tranflates: In thofe days from the marble house did waive No fail, no filken flag, or enfign brave." "From the roof (fays the fame author, defcribing a Roman amphitheatre,) grew a loover or turret, of exceeding altitude, from which an ensign of filk waved continually; pendebant vela theatro." The misinterpretation might, however, have arifen from the English cuftom. 2 'Tis Lent in cheeks; your the flag is down." World, my Mafers, a comedy by Middleton, 1608. A mad Again, in Earle's Characters, 7th edit. 1638. "Shrove I formerly conjectured that The Globe, though hexagonal at the outfide, was perhaps a rotunda tuefday hee [a player] feares as much as the bawdes, and Lent is more dangerous to him than the butchers.' [Received] of the King's players for a lenten difpenfation, the other companys promifing to doe as muche, 445. March 23. 1616. Of John Hemminges, in the name of the four companys, for toleration in the holydayes, 44s. January 29. 1618." Extracts from the office-book of Sir George Buc. MSS. Herbert. Thefe difpenfations did not extend to the fermon-days, as they were then called; that is, Wednesday and Friday in each .week. After Sir Henry Herbert became poffeffed of the office of Mafter of the Revels, fees for permiffion to perform in Lent appear to have been conftantly paid by each of the theatres. The managers however did not always perform plays during that feafon. Some of the theatres, particularly the RedBull and the Fortune, were then let to prize-fighters, tumblers, and rope-dancers, who fometimes added a Mafque to the other exhibitions. Thefe facts are ascertained by the following entries : "1622. 21 Martii. For a prife at the Red-Bull, for the howfe; the fencers would give nothing. 10s." MSS. Afley. "From Mr. Gunnel, [Manager of the Fortune,] in the name of the dancers of the ropes for Lent, this 15 March, 1624. 1.0.0. "From Mr. Gunnel, to allowe of a Mafque for the dancers of the ropes, this 19 March, 1624. £2. 0. 0." We fee here, by the way, that Microcofmus, which was exhibited in 1637. (was not as Dr. Burney fuppofes in his ingenious Hiftory of Mufick, Vol. III. p. 385.) the first masque exhibited on the publick flage. "From Mr. Blagrave, in the name of the Cockpit company, for this Lent, this 30th March, 1624. £2. 0. 0." March 20. 1626. From Mr. Hemminges, for this Lent allowanfe, £2. 0. 6.” MSS. Herbert. Prynne takes notice of this relaxation in his Hiftriomaflix, 4to. 1633. "There are none fo addicted to ftage-playes, but when they go unto places where they cannot have them, or when as they are fuppreffed by publike authority, (as in within, and that it might have derived its name. from its circular form. But, though the part appropriated to the audience was probably circular, I now believe that the houfe was denominated only from its fign; which was a figure of Hercules fupporting the Globe, under which was written, Totus mundus agit hiftrionem.' This theatre was burnt, down on the 29th of June, 1613. but it was times of peftilence, and in Lent, till now of late,) can well fubfift without them." P. 784. 66 4"After thefe" (fays Heywood, fpeaking of the buildings at Rome, appropriated to fcenick exhibitions,) they compofed others, but differing in form from the theatre or amphitheatre, and every fuch was called circus; the frame globe-like, and merely round." Apology for Actors, 1612. See alfo our authors prologue to King Henry V : 66 or may we cram Within this wooden O," &c. But as we find in the prologue to Marton's Antonio's Revenge, which was acted by the Children of Paul's in 1602. If any fpirit breathes within this round, -- no inference refpecting the denomination of the Globe can be drawn from this expreffion. Stowe informs us, that "the allowed Stewhoufes [antecedent to the year 1545] had fignes on their frontes towards the Thames, not hanged out, but painted on the walles; as a Boares head, The Crofs Keyes, The Gunne, The Castle, The Crane, The Cardinals Hat, The Bell, The Swanne," &c. Survey of London, 4to. 1603. p. 409. The houfes which continued to carry on the fame trade after the ancient and privileged edifices had been put down, probably were diftinguished by the old figns; and the fign of the Globe, which theatre was in their neighbourhood, was perhaps, in imitation of them, painted on its wall. 6 The following account of this accident is given by Sir Henry Wotton, in a letter dated July 2. 1613. Reliq. Wotton. p. 425. edit. 1685. "Now to let matters of ftate fleep, I will entertain you at the prefent with what hath happened this week at the Banks fide. The Kings Players had a new play rebuilt in the following year, and decorated with more ornament than had been originally beftowed upon it. * called All is true, reprefenting fome principal pieces of the reign of Henry the Eighth, which was fet forth with many extraordinary circumftances of pomp and majefty, even to the matting of the ftage; the knights of the order with their Georges and Garter, the guards with their embroidered coats, and the like: fufficient in truth within a while to make greatnefs very very familiar, if not ridiculous. Now King Henry making a Mafque at the Cardinal Wolfeys house, and certain cannons being shot off at his entry, fome of the paper or other stuff, wherwith one of them was flopped, did light on the thatch, where being thought at firft but an idle fmoak, and their eyes more attentive to the fhow, it kindled inwardly, and ran round like a train, confuming within lefs than an hour the whole houfe to the very ground. This was the fatal period of that virtuous fabrick, wherein yet nothing did perifh but wood and straw, and a few forfaken cloaks." From a letter of Mr. John Chamberlaine's to Sir Ralph Winwood, dated July 8. 1613. in which this accident is likewife mentioned, we learn that this theatre had only two doors. "The burning of the Globe or playhouse on the Bankfide on St. Peter's day cannot efcape you; which fell out by a peal of chambers, (that I know not upon what occafion were to be used in the play,) the tampin or ftopple of one of them lighting in the thatch that covered the houfe, burn'd it down to the ground in lefs than two hours, with a dwelling-houfe adjoyning; and it was a great marvaile and fair grace of God that the people had fo little harm, having but two narrow doors to get out." Winwood's Memorials, Vol. III. p. 469. Not a fingle life was loft. In 1613 was entered on the Stationers' books A doleful ballad of the general conflagration of the famous theatre on the Bankfide, called the Globe. I have never met with it. * See Taylor's Skuller, p. 31. Ep. 22. As gold is better that's in fier try'd, So is the Bank-fide Globe, that late was burn'd; Now to a flately theator 'tis turn'd." See alfo Stowe's Chronicle, p. 1003. The exhibitions at the Globe feem to have been calculated chiefly for the lower clafs of people ;7 thofe at Blackfriars, for a more felect and judicious 7 The Globe theatre, being contiguous to the Bear-Garden, when the fports of the latter were over, the fame fpectators probably reforted to the former. The audiences at the Bull and the Fortune were, it may be prefumed, of a clafs ftill inferior to that of the Globe. The latter, being the theatre of his majesty's fervants, muft neceffarily have had a fuperior degree of reputation. At all of them, however, it appears, that noise and fhew were what chiefly attracted an audience. Our author fpeaks in Hamlet of "berattling the common [i. e. the publick] theatres. See alfo A Prologue fpoken by a company of players who had feceded from the Fortune, p. 188. n. 4. from which we learn that the performers at that theatre, "to split the ears of groundlings," ufed "to tear a passion to tatters." In fome verfes addreffed by Thomas Carew to Mr. [afterwards Sir William] D'Avenant, "Upon his excellent Play, The Juft Italian," 1630. I find a fimilar character of the Bull theatre: 66 Now noife prevails; and he is tax'd for drowth Of wit, that with the cry fpends not his mouth.. thy frong fancies, raptures of the brain Drefs'd in poetick flames, they entertain As a bold impious reach; for they'll ftill flight All that exceeds RED BULL and Cockpit flight. These are the men in crowded heaps that throng To that adulterate ftage, where not a tongue Of the untun'd kennel can a line repeat Offerious fenfe; but like lips meet like meat : “Whilst the true brood of actors, that alone Keep natural uuftrain'd action in her throne, Behold their benches bare, though they rehearse The terfer Beaumont's or great Jonfon's verse." The true brood of actors were the performers at Blackfriars, where The Juft Italian was acted. See alfo The Careless Shepherdess, represented at Salisburycourt; 4to. 1656. And I will haften to the money-box, |