in that department only, from April to September, presents a strange contrast to the economy attempted to be introduced only two years before. Within that period, while the Queen was on progress, revels were held at Westminster, Somerset Place, the Tower of London, Greenwich, Hampton Court, Windsor Castle, New Hall (alias Beaulieu), the Mewes, Havering, Hartford Castle, Hatfield, and Enfield: the document consists of only a single sheet, but it includes items for court amusements at all the places above enumerated, amounting in the whole to no less a sum than 32091. 10s. 8d.* It has been said that the persecutions of preceding governments had left Elizabeth without a theatre, ' without dramas, and without players.' If by the word theatre' be meant a building set apart for dramatic performances, it is to be observed, that her predecessors had none, nor did any exist in the kingdom until many years after she came to the throne: as to dramas, it is true that none are extant which, as far as can be ascertained, were printed during the reign of Mary; but we have already seen with regard to players, that that queen kept up the theatrical and musical establishment of her father at an expense of between two and three * Among the Extracts of memorable circumstances from the account book of the Chamberlain of Feversham,' is the following entry: 1561. Given in rewardes to the Queens Majestys s. d. 068 + Chalmers's Apology, p. 353. thousand pounds a year, in salaries only, independent of board, liveries and incidental charges. The same establishment under Elizabeth, in the fourth year of her reign (for we have no earlier record upon the subject), was upon a much more economical scale, but eight interlude players were not omitted. The Lansdown MSS. in the British Museum* furnish us with the yerely charge of th'offyce of the Treasaurer of the Chamber at the present day, 29th September, Ao 4to regni,' out of which fund the expense was borne, and it contains the following items: £. 6 S. d. 400 10 0 * No. 5. Harl. MS., No. 2078, purports to be a general account of all the offices in England with their fees in her Majesties guifte;' but at what particular date in the reign of Elizabeth it was made out is uncertain. According to this document the salary of the Master of the Revels was not 107. but 1007. a year, which is clearly a mistake: the salary of the Yeoman is correctly given at 97. 2s. 6d. The expense of the 'Musitioners and Players' is there stated as follows: The item of Musicyons,' perhaps, embraced performers on other instruments besides those enumerated, as well as singers. Eight interlude players, at 31. 6s. 8d. each, would cost 261.13s. 4d.; so that the remaining sum, to raise it to 30l., was no doubt an allowance for liveries. The apparel of a musician was provided out of the royal wardrobe, and cost 15l. Os. 8d.* The expense of the Queen's Chapel at the commencement of her reign may be here added; for both the gentlemen and children contributed their shares to the entertainments at court: it is copied from a MS. in the Cottonian Collection† :— 500 'Players on the Virginalls 3, fee to each of them 'Musitions straungers 7. To the foure Brethren Vene tions, amongst them 'Players of Enterludes, to every of them 'Makers of instruments, fee to one to the other *Lansd. MS., No. 86, contains the subsequent 'Allowance of Apparrell for a Musicion owt of the Garderobe,' temp. Elizabeth : Chamlet, 14 yards at 3s. 4d. the yarde Damaske, 8 yards at 8s. the yarde One furre of Budge, pryce Lynen and making + Titus, B. iii. 'Master of the children *, fee 40 0 Largesse to the children at high feasts 'Allowance for their breakfasts 9 13 Gentlemen of the Chapell, fee 19d. a daye apiece.' 10 0 0 These fees were of course independent of board and clothing. In 1575 the twelve children were allowed board-wages at the rate of sixpence per day, amounting in the year to 1097. 10s.† Christmas, 1561-2, was kept with great splendour at the Inner Temple. According to the Chro- A. D. nicle, MSS. Cotton. Vitellius F. V., many of 1562. the Queen's Council were present‡, and the Lord of Misrule rode through London in complete harness, gilt, with a hundred horse, and gentlemen riding gorgeously with chains of gold, and their horses goodly 'trapped.' On the 18th of January, the same curious MS. states, that there was a play in the quens hall at Westmynster by the gentyll men of the Tempull, 6 * This was Richard Bower, who was continued in his office by Queen Elizabeth on the 30th of April, 1559. Rymer's Fœdera, xv. 517, shows that the salary was 407. a year. Harl. MSS. No. 589: an account entitled 'the names of all suche persones as do receaue boardwages dayly throughoute the yeare,' &c. The names of the children are, however, not inserted. In the same paper it is said, that Robert Maye and 2 of his fellowes, musitions,' received board-wages at the rate of 4d. per day. No others are specified. See Dugdale's Origines Juridiciales, 150 et seq., where a long account of the solemnities is inserted, which is also extracted in Nichols's Progresses of Queen Elizabeth, vol. i. p. 131, edit. 1823. after a grett maske, for ther was a grett skaffold in the "hall, with grett tryhumpe as has bene sene, and the morow after the skaffold was taken doune.' This play was no other than Ferrex and Porrex, written by Sackville and Norton, the title-page of the old printed copies stating, that it was shewed before the Queenes most excellent Majestie, in her Highnes ' court of Whitehall, the 18th Jany 1561[2], by the 'gentlemen of the Inner Temple.' On the 1st of February following, another historical play was acted at court, called Julius Cæsar, the name of which is furnished by the old Chronicle above quoted, and it affords, I think, the earliest instance of a subject from the Roman history being brought upon the stage. The notice is in the following terms: 6 The furst day of Feybruary at nyght, was the goodlyst maske cam owt of London that ever was sene, and a hundred & od gorgyously be sene, & a • hundred cheynes of gold; and as for trumpetts & 'drumes, & as for torche lyght a hundered, & so to the cowrt, & dyvers goodly men of armes in gylt harnes, ' & Julyus Sesar played.' The following particulars are in themselves interesting, and will throw new light upon a rather obscure part of the history of the transactions, at this date, between Elizabeth and Mary Queen of Scots. On the 10th May, 1562, a warrant was issued to John Fortescue, esquire, to deliver out of the Great Wardrobe a large quantity of silks, and other articles of the same kind, to Sir Thomas Benger, Master of the |