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The only instance with which we are now acquainted, when Queen Mary called on the Master of the Revels to provide for entertainments at court during her reign, was in 1557. On St. Mark's day she commanded for her 'regal disport, recreation and comfort' a 'notorious maske of Almaynes, Pilgrymes, and Irishemen, with their insidents and accomplishes accord'ingly.' A warrant for furnishing Sir Thomas Cawarden with silks, velvets, cloths of silver, &c. for this purpose, was addressed to Sir Edward Waldegrave, Master of the Great Wardrobe, on the 30th of April, 1557*. For these articles Sir Thomas Cawarden gave a receipt at the foot of the warrant. These revels, no doubt, were ordered for the reception of King Philip out of Flanders, and for the amusement of the Russian Ambassador, who had reached England a short time before.

Feats of activity were also exhibited before the A. D. Queen at Christmas 1557-8, as appears by 1558. the following passage in a MS. several times before cited+:

The 20 day of January, at Grenwyche, the quen grace pensyonars dyd mustur, &c. and ther cam a

'The Chapell. Thomas Bird, Thomas Tallis, George £. s. d. Edwards, William Hynnus, Tho. Palfreman, Richard Farrant, John Singer,

* Chalmers's Apology for the Believers, p. 478.
+ Cotton MSS. Vitellius, F. V.

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❝ tumbeler & playd mony prate fetts afor the quen and my lord cardenall, that her grace dyd lyke hartely ' and so her grace dyd thanke them.'

The accounts left us in previous reigns of the representation of miracle-plays in London are comparatively few, but they seem to have been revived, and frequently repeated, while Mary was on the throne: they were calculated to inculcate and enforce the tenets of the Roman Catholic religion, and on this account they were encouraged by the public authorities. In 1556 a goodly stage-play of the passion of Christ was presented at the Grey-friars in London, on Corpus Christi day, before the Lord Mayor, the Privy Council and many great estates of the realm*. In 1557 the exhibition was repeated at the same place, on the proclamation of war against France; and in the same year, on St. Olave's day at night, the miraculous life of that saint was performed as a stage-play in the church dedicated to him in Silver-street +.

The entry of this circumstance is made in the following terms in Cotton MSS. Vitellius F. V.:-'The same day begane a stage-play at the [Grey] frers of the passyon of Cryst.' The word 'Grey' has been obliterated by the fire which so unfortunately damaged this very curious record.

Strype's Eccl. Mem., iii. 379.

168

ANNALS OF THE STAGE,

FROM THE YEAR 1553 TO THE YEAR 1575.

THE first act of Elizabeth connected with the stage was similar to that of her brother, in the third year of A. D. his reign. According to Holinshed, procla1559. mation was made on the 7th of April, 1559, under the Queen's hand in writing, inhibiting, that 'from thenceforth no plaies nor interludes should be 'exercised till Alhallowes tide next insuing.' This document has not survived; but it was followed on the 16th of May by another proclamation, which is extant, and which forbade the performance of plays and interludes, unless they were first licensed by the Mayors of cities or towns corporate, by the Lords Lieutenant of counties, or by two Justices of the Peace of the place where they were to be represented: the same instrument also declared, that no dramatic piece should be so licensed, which touched matters of religion, or governance of the estate of the commonweal*.

*The only collection, I believe, in which this proclamation exists, is in the Bodleian library. It is not to be found in the Privy Council Office, nor in the volumes of the Society of Antiquaries. Malone and Chalmers knew nothing of it. It is in the following form :

'BY THE QUEENE.

'Forasmuche as the tyme wherein common Interludes in the Eng'lishe tongue are wont usually to be played is now past untyll All 'Hallontyde, and that also some that have been of late used, are not

At this period, Sir Robert Dudley, afterwards Earl of Leicester, had a company of theatrical servants; and in June, 1559 (the day of the month is not stated),

'convenient in any good ordred Christian Common Weale to be suffred. 'The Queenes Majestie doth straightly forbyd al maner Interludes to ́be playde, eyther openly or privately, except the same be notified ' before hande, and licenced within any citie or towne corporate by the 'Maior or other chiefe officers of the same, and within any shyre, by such as shalbe Lieuetenaunts for the Queenes Majestie in the same 'shyre, or by two of the Justices of the peax inhabyting within that 'part of the shire where any shalbe played.

'And for instruction to every of the sayde officers, her Majestie doth 'likewise charge every of them as they will aunswere: that they per'myt none to be played, wherein either matters of religion or of the governance of the estate of the common weale shalbe handled, or 'treated; beyng no meete matters to be wrytten or treated upon, but by menne of aucthoritie, learning, and wisedome, nor to be handled 'before any audience but of grave and discreete persons. All which 'partes of this proclamation her Majestie chargeth to be inviolably 'kepte. And if any shal attempte to the contrary, her Majestie giveth 'all maner of officers, that have aucthoritie to see common peax kept, ' in commandement to arrest and enprison the parties so offending for 'the space of fourteene dayes or more, as cause shall nede: And 'further also untill good assuraunce may be founde and gyven, that " they shalbe of good behaviour, and no more offende in the like.

'And further her Majestie gyveth speciall charge to her nobilitie ' and gentilmen, as they professe to obey and regarde her Majestie, to 'take good order in thys behalfe wyth their servauntes being players, 'that this her Majesties commaundement may be dulye kepte and ' obeyed.

• Yeven at our Palayce at Westminster, the xvj daye of Maye, the 'first yeare of oure Raygue.

"Imprinted at London in Powles Churchyarde by Richard Jugge ' and John Cawood, Printers to the Quenes Majestie. Cum privilegio 6 Regiæ Majestatis.”

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he wrote a letter in their behalf to the Earl of Shrewsbury, Lord President of the North, which will serve as a sort of commentary on the Queen's proclamation*. It ran thus:

My good Lorde,

Where my servants, bringers hereof unto 'you, be such as ar plaiers of interludes; and for the 'same have the licence of diverse of my Lordes here, ' undre ther seales and handis, to play in diverse shieres within the realme undre there aucthorities, as maie

amplie appere unto your L. by the same licence. I 'have thought among the rest by my Letters to

beseech your good L. conformitie to them likewise, 'that they maie have your hand and seale to ther licence for the like libertye in Yorkeshier; being 'honest men, and suche as shall plaie none other matters, I trust, but tollerable and convenient, 'wherof some of them have bene herde here alredie 'before diverse of my Lordis. For whome I shall ' have good cause to thanke your L. and to remaine 'your L. to the best that shall lie in my litle power. ' And thus I take my leave of your good L. From 'Westm., the of June, 1559.

"Your good L. assured,

R. DUDLEY.'

• To the right honourable & my very good

'Lorde th' Erle of Shrewesburie.'

Lodge's Ill. Brit. Hist., i., 307.