King's bears and apes were known before the reign of Richard III., I am aware of no earlier record of his existence as a licensed court officer. At subsequent periods he is constantly mentioned.

It perhaps deserves remark, that in a proclamation issued on the 7th of May, 1485, for the encouragement of shooting with the long bow, enumerating various ' inhibited disports,' theatrical amusements are not referred to the games forbidden by name are,' carding, dising, boling, playeng at tenys, coyting, and 'pikking.' A similar proclamation had been issued by Edward III., in 1349, and by Richard II., in 1389: but, at that early date, any notice of dramatic performances could hardly be expected *.

In the reign of Henry VII., dramatic performances A. D. must have been frequent in all parts of Eng1485. land. The King had two distinct sets of players; his 'players of interludes,' and the Gentlemen of the Chapel, who appear to have performed always during the festivities of Christmas, and perhaps at other seasons. In the Chapter-house, Westminster, is an unbound MS. book of payments out of the Exchequer, beginning at Michaelmas, 9 Henry VII., in

* Henry VIII., on 5th of May, 1526, and December 4th, 1528, issued orders of the same tenor. The games forbidden by him were ' bowling, closshe, coyting, loggetting, playing at tenys, dice, cards and tables. On the 18th of June, 34 Henry VIII., William Griffith obtained a licence under the privy seal to keep a tennys play' for the amusement of foreigners; but the King's natural born subjects are expressly forbidden, in the instrument, to frequent this tennis-court. The original document is in the Chapter-house, Westminster.

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the hand-writing of a person of the name of Stokes, who was one of the Tellers under Lord Dynham, the Lord Treasurer: it contains an entry of the precise sum paid half-yearly to John English, Edward Maye, Richard Gibson and John Hammond, who are styled the players of the King's interludes; and they signed with their own hands the receipt for the money. This remarkable and novel record is in the following form, under the date of Easter Term, 1494.

'xvij Die Maij. John Englissh, Edwardo Maye, Rico Gibbeson & John Hammond, Lusoribus Regis, ⚫ alias, in lingua Anglicana, les pleyars of the kyngs enterluds, de feodis suis V mrc p Ann: le home, Ire Regis de privato Sigillo dormant de termino Michaelis alt: pte rec: denar: separatim p manus ⚫ proprias

per

x mrc.

Bachand abson.

John engly he
John Gammond
Donny Days

These four persons were, in fact, the King's players,'

of whom Malone thought himself fortunate to discover a mere notice, under that appellation, in a book in the Remembrancer's office *: by what is given above, we not only learn their names, but the precise amount of their salaries and the mode in which it was paid; and in order that the matter should be clearly understood, the words Lusoribus Regis being liable to misinterpretation, it is added, that they were called in English the 'players of the King's interludes.' Entries to the same persons are found in the same book every half year: each man [homme] was allowed five marks or 31. 6s. 8d. per annum; and at Michaelmas and Easter, the four players received half the sum of twenty marks, to which they were entitled for the whole year. Richard Gibson, whose name will hereafter frequently occur, was probably at the head of the company, and although he is not introduced first in the entry, his name stands first among the signatures. In the Lansdown Collection of MSS.† is one with the following title, A Declaration of monies ' paid into and disbursed out of the Exchequer, from 'Easter the 20 Henry VII. to Easter 21 Henry VIII.' which contains the following entry, where Gibson only is named.

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To Richard Gibson, and other the Kings plaiers, for their annuity for one year 131. 6s. 8d.'

John English, however, was doubtless a performer of eminence, and when Margaret, the eldest daughter of Henry VII., was sent into Scotland on her marriage † No. 156.

* Shakespeare by Boswell, iii. 43.

with James IV., he was the principal member of a company of players forming part of the retinue of the Princess*. He continued to receive his salary of five marks, or 31. 6s. 8d. after Henry VIII. came to the crown, and in documents of that reign he is individually mentioned. Some time after the birth of Prince Arthur, in 1486, there was a company of performers under the name of the Princes Players,' who were required in their turn to contribute to the amusement of the Court.

Before we leave the book of Exchequer payments deposited in the Chapter-house, it may be fit to state that it contains items of half-yearly payments to the King's and Queen's minstrels. A musician of the name of Alexander Mason, under the title of Marescallus Ministrallorum, was at the head of the King's minstrels at Easter 1494+; but at Easter 1495, he seems to have been superseded by Henry Glasebury, who received 91. 18. 10d. in part payment of 17. 11s. 6d. allowed to him and his three associates for the whole year. The entry regarding the Queen's minstrels specifies their names, viz. John Fawkes, Marcus Lory

*Warton's Hist. Eng. Poet. iii. 90.

The names of the other minstrels are found in another volume of payments from the Exchequer, in the 1st, 2d, 7th and 8th years of Henry VII.: it is also preserved in the Chapter-house, and is bound. They were Robert Greene, John Hawkyns, Thomas May, William Greene, Henry Swayn, Thomas Spence, and William Davy. Two other minstrels, named Marcus Jaket and William Elder, were separately paid, and do not seem to have belonged to the company under Mason, the Marescallus Ministrallorum.

don and Jenyn Markassen. They were allowed 107. a year for their salaries. In the same book is a charge of 21. to a person called Hugo Standish, Notary,' for assisting the preparations ad certos revelliones, at Whitehall, on the 30th June, 1496. Disbursements at various dates are also entered for silks, velvets, cloth of gold, &c. which were probably used for the 'disguisings' at Court; but the items are not sufficiently explicit, to enable us to decide that they were actually employed for such a purpose: they never amount in any one sum to more than 251.

This valuable account-book is deficient in information regarding the officers and ministers of the Royal Chapel, although it mentions nearly all the other persons of the household. It is ascertained, however, from other sources, that, during the twelve days of Christmas, some of the Gentlemen of the Chapel played before the King and his Court, and received rewards under the name of the players of the Chapel,' as distinguished from the King's and Princes companies of players of interludes.' The master of the children of the Chapel was a distinguished musician, of the name of William Cornyshe, who, if not a poet, wrote some rhymes, which he called " a Treatise between Trowth and Enformation*,' and who signed

* In 1504, in consequence, as he asserts, of false information given by an enemy, Cornyshe was confined in the Fleet Prison; and he wrote the Treatise' noticed in the text, in order to restore himself to favour with 'King Harry,' as he familiarly calls the sovereign. It was, no doubt, attended by the desired result, for, not very long afterwards, his