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Strype, in his edition of Stow's Survey, speaking of the number of companies of players retained as the servants of the nobility, says that it was not unusual for them to be put down,' upon any gentleman's complaint of them for abuses, or indecent reflections ;' and, in proof, he refers to an instance in the year 1589, when the Lord Admiral's and Lord Strange's men were silenced, because one Mr. Tylney had utterly, for some reasons, disliked them.' Strype does not seem to have adverted to the fact that this Mr. Tylney' was the Master of the Revels, whose duty it was to watch over the conduct of the players, and who, it will be evident from what follows, must have made some representations to Lord Burghley against the conduct of the actors in the city. The Lord Treasurer accordingly wrote to the Lord Mayor, requiring him to put a stop to all theatrical exhibitions within his jurisdiction. The city authorities proceeded with alacrity to execute these orders; but, although the anonymous correspondent of Sir F. Walsingham, three years before, had mentioned four companies by name, and had asserted, that in the whole the number of players in the city amounted to two hundred, the

'Six cassocks for torche bearers of damaske; three of yellowe, and 'three of red, garded with red and yellowe damaske counterchaunged. Six paire of hose of damaske; three of yellowe, and three of red, garded ' with red and yellowe damaske counterchaunged. Six hatts of crimson 'clothe of gold, and six fethers to the same. Six vizardes.

'Foure heares of silke, and foure garlandes of flowers, for the attire ' of them that are to utter certeine speeches at the shewing of the same 'maske.' (Lansd. MSS. No. 59.)

Lord Mayor, in Nov. 1589, could only hear of' two companies, and one of those refused to obey his injunctions. The answer of the Lord Mayor to Lord Burghley is extant in the following form :—

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'My very ho: good lord. Where by a lre of your Lordships, directed to Mr. Yonge, it appered unto 'me, that it was your ho: pleasure I sholde geve order 'for the staie of all playes within the cittie, in that 'Mr. Tilney did utterly mislike the same. According ❝ to which your Lordships good pleasure, I presentlye 'sent for suche players as I coulde heare of, so as 'there appered yesterday before me the Lord Ad'miralls, and the Lord Straunges players; to whome I speciallie gave in charge, and required them in her Majesty's name, to forbere playinge untill further order might be geven for theire allowance in that respect: Whereuppon the Lord Admiralls players very dutifullie obeyed; but the others, in very contemptuous manner departing from me, wente to the • Crosse Keys, and played that afternoone to the greate • offence of the better sorte, that knew they were pro'hibited by order from your Lordship. Which as I might not suffer, so I sent for the said comtemptuous persons, who haveing no reason to alleadge for their 'contempte, I could do no less but this evening com' mitt tow of them to one of the Compters, and do meane, according to your Lordships direction, to prohibite 'all playing until your Lordships pleasure therein be 'further knowen. And thus resting further to trouble

'your Lordship, I moste humblie take my leave. At • London the sixte of November 1589.

Yr Lordships most humble

'John Harte, maior *.

By other means we are enabled to arrive at the ground of the objections of the Master of the Revels to the proceedings of the players. They had, in fact, introduced matters of state and religion into their performances. At this date the Marprelate contest was at its height, and Tylney's complaint, and Lord Burgh. ley's interference, may be accounted for by reference to a tract by Thomas Nash, printed in the year when the players in London were silenced by the Lord Treasurer: hence it not only appears, that Martin Marprelate had been brought upon the public stage, but an account is given of the precise manner in which he was exhibited. In Nash's Returne of the renowned Cavaliero Pasquill of England, 1589, occurs the following sentence:- Methought Vetus Comadia began

to pricke him at London in the right vaine, when 'shee brought foorth Divinitie with a scratcht face, " holding of her hart, as if she were sicke, because • Martin would have forced her; but myssing of his 'purpose, he left the print of his nayles upon her

cheekes, and poysoned her with a vomit, which he 'ministred unto her to make her cast uppe her dig⚫nities and promotions.'

Nash calls it Vetus Comedia who brought Martin

* Lansdown MSS. No. 60.

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Marprelate on the stage at London,' because the performance was evidently in the nature of an old Moral, not partaking of the improvements which, in 1589, had been introduced into dramatic poetry. It was this performance which occasioned the temporary inhibition of plays in the City by the authority of the chief Magistrate, and Nash, in the same tract from which I have just quoted, himself informs us of this consequence. I have (he adds, some pages 'I 'afterwards) a tale to tell in her eare of the slye 'practice that was used in restraining of her,' meaning Vetus Comedia, who had ventured to represent upon the stage a matter of state and religion.

John Lyly also, the author of Pap with an Hatchet, a pamphlet written, like that of Nash, against the Martinists, and printed before 1590*, alludes, though not quite so distinctly, to the same incident in theatrical history. Nash only notices the construction of one piece; but, according to Lyly, several upon the same theme had been prepared, although they were not allowed to be performed. Would (says he) 'those comedies might be allowed to be plaid that are 'penned, and then I am sure he [Martin Marprelate] 'would be decyphered, and so, perhaps, discouraged. 'He shall not be brought in, as whilom he was, and ' yet very well, with a cock's combe, an ape's face, a

* It has no date on the title-page, but it is ascertained to have been published before 1590, by the fact that it is mentioned with high praise by Nash, in his First part of Pasquill's Apology, which bears the date of 1590.

'wolfes bellie, cats clawes, &c., but in a cap' de cloake, ' and all the best apparel he ware the highest day in the yeare. A stage-player, though he be but a 'cobler by occupation, yet his chaunce may bee to 'play the king's part. Martin, of what calling so' ever he be, can play nothing but the knave's part. 'Would it not be a fine tragedie, when Mardocheus shall play a Bishoppe in a play, and Martin Ham'man; and that he that seekes to pull downe those that are set in high authoritie above him, should be hoisted upon a tree above all other?'

The marginal note, opposite to the last interrogation, is important: it is this- If he be shewed at • Paules it will cost you four-pence: at the Theatre 'twopence: at Sainct Thomas a Watrings, nothing.' Here we see named the very theatres at which dramatic productions upon the subject of the dispute between the Martinists and the Bishops had been represented-viz., at St. Paul's by the dramatic children, and at the Theatre in Shoreditch. Thomas a Watrings was a place of execution, and it is truly said, that there any body could see Martinhoisted upon a tree' for nothing, although at St. Paul's it would cost four-pence, and at the Theatre two-pence to see him so exhibited.

St.

Chalmers was aware of the consequence, though not of the cause, for he speaks * of the appointment of Commissioners in 1589, to assist Tylney in the reformation of tragedies and comedies; and he quotes

* Apology, p. 483.