bounds of the authority of the Lord Mayor and Aldermen ; and shortly after Dec., 1575, we meet with

' and Aldermen, suche somes and paymentes, and in suche forme as 'betwen the lord Maior and Aldermen for the tyme beinge, on th'onne 'partie, and suche pson so to be lycensed or pmitted, on thother partie, 'shalbe agreed, apon payne that in waunte of everie suche paymente, or if suche pson shall not firste be bound with good suerties to the Chamberlayne of London for the tyme beinge for the trewe payment ' of such Somes to the poore, that then everye suche lycence or pmission 'shalbe vtterlye voide, and everie doinge by force or cullo' of suche lycence or pmission, shalbe adjudged an offence againste this acte in 'suche manner as if no suche lycence or pmission hadd benne hadd, 'nor made, aine suche lycence or pmission to the contrarye notwth 'standinge. And be yt lykewise enacted, that all somes and forfey'tures to be incurrydd for anie offence against this Acte, and all for'feytures of bondes to be taken by force, meane, or occasyon of this 6 Acte, shalbe ymployed to the reliefe of the poore in the hospitalles of 'this Cittie, or the poore infected or diseased in this Cittie of London, 6 as the Lorde Maior and Courte of Aldermen for the tyme beinge 'shall adjudge meete to be distributed and that the Chamberlayne of 'London shall have and recover the same to the purpozies aforesaid 'by Bill, Plainte, Acion of debt, or ynformacon to be comenced and 'pursewed in his owne name in the Courte of the vtter Chamber of the Guildhall of London, called the Maio Courte, in wch sute no essoine nor wager of law for the Defendaunte shalbe admittyd or allowed. 'Provydid allwaie that this Acte (otherwise then touchinge the pub'lishing of unchaste, sedycious, and vnmete matters) shall not extend 'to anie plaies Enterludes Comodies, Tragidies or shewes to be played ' or shewed in the pryvate hous, dwellinge, or lodginge of anie nobleman, citizen, or gentleman, wch shall or will then have the same thear so played or shewed in his presence, for the festyvitie of anie marriage, 'assemblye of ffrendes, or otherlyke cawse, whowte publique or comen 'collection of money of the auditorie, or behoulders theareof; referringe alwaie to the Lorde Maior and Aldermen for the tyme beinge the 'Judgement, and construction accordinge to equitie, what shalbe counted

6

a set of printed Orders appointed to be executed in 'the Cittie of London,' one of which refers directly to the matter at issue, and looks as if the perseverance of the authorities there, in their hostility to plays and players, had, for a time at least, been successful. One of them is in the following terms :—

For as much as the playing of enterludes, and the resort to the same, are very daungerous for the infec'tion of the plague, wherby infinite burdens and losses 'to the Citty may increase, and are very hurtfull in 'corruption of youth with incontinence and lewdnes, ' and also great wasting both of the time and thrift ' of many poore people, and great provoking of the • wrath of God, the ground of all plagues, great withdrawing of the people from publique prayer, and ⚫ from the service of God, and daily cried out against by the preachers of the word of God; therefore it is ordered, that all such enterludes in publique places, ' and the resort to the same, shall wholy be prohibited as ungodly, and humble sute made to the Lords, that lyke prohibition be in places neere unto the Cittie *.?

This order is in the very spirit of the Act of Common Council,' and almost follows it in some of its terms: it treats the matter, as if the Lords of the Privy

'such a playenge or shewing in a pryvate place, anie thinge in this "Acte to the contrarie notwthstanding.'

From Orders appointed to be executed in the Cittie of London 'for setting roges and idle persons to worke, and for the releefe of the 6 poore.'.'—' At London, printed by Hugh Singleton, dwelling in Smith 'fielde at the signe of the Golden Tunne.' n. d.

Council had no power to interfere with the regulations of the city, and as if the Lord Mayor and Aldermen had a right to call upon their Lordships to second their views by abolishing plays in the suburbs.

The same volume of MSS. which contains the 'Act of Common Council' of 1575* also contains a petition from the Queen's Players to the Privy Council, indorsed with the date of the same year: it was, doubtless, presented in that year, and has immediate reference to the refusal of the Lord Mayor to allow them to perform within the city. It appears on the same authority, that the Justices of Middlesex had also interposed with a similar view, as respected places within their jurisdiction. The petition, which I subjoin, and an extract only from which is given by Strype, makes mention of certain articles' which accompanied it, which are now lost :

To the Right Honorable the Lordes of her

"Maties Privie Counsell.'

In most humble manner beseche yo' Lls yo' dutifull ' and daylie Orators the Queenes Maties poore Players. • Whereas the tyme of our service draweth verie neere, so that of necessitie wee must needes have exercise to enable us the better for the same, and also for our better helpe and relief in our poore lyvinge, the ceason ' of the yere beynge past to playe att anye of the houses wthout the Cittye of London† as in our articles

* Lansdown MSS. No. 20.

Hence we may decide that this petition, which is without date, was sent to the Privy Council on the approach of winter, the Queen's

• annexed to this our Supplicacion maye more att large appeere unto yo' Lls. Our most humble peticion ys, thatt yt maye please yo' Lls. to vouchsaffe the readinge of these few Articles, and in tender considera'cion of the matters therein mentioned, contayninge the verie staye and good state of our lyvinge, to graunt • vnto us the confirmacion of the same, or of as many, or as much of them as shalbe to yo' honors good lykinge. And therwthall yo' Lls. favorable letters 'unto the L. Mayor of London to pmitt us to exercise wthin the Cittye, accordinge to the Articles; and also thatt the said Iřes maye containe some order to the Justices of Middx, as in the same ys mentioned, wherbie as wee shall cease the continewall troublinge of yo' Lls. for yo' often lies in the piñisses, so shall wee daylie be bownden to praye for the prosperous pre'servation of yo' Lls. in honor, helth, and happines long to continew.

It is to be concluded, that the Privy Council, out of

players having contented themselves, during the summer and autumn, with performing in the neighbourhood of London.

It is not easy to determine who were meant in 1575 by 'her Majesties poore Players:' perhaps the Earl of Leicester's servants might so call themselves after the grant of the patent in May, 1574. There was no company known as 'the Queen's Players' until some years afterwards. It is possible, that the persons who signed this petition were the Queen's Players of Interludes,' a company, as we have seen, retained at court from the reign of Henry VII., and augmented by his successor from four to eight performers.

respect, perhaps, to the city authorities, sent them a copy of this petition, and of its accompanying articles; and to the former is subjoined in the Lansdown MS., a paper in which each point advanced is treated and answered seriatim: it is only a matter of inference, founded upon internal evidence, that this reply emanated from the Lord Mayor and Aldermen; and if so, it is not unlikely that it was drawn up by Recorder Fleetwood it very well merits insertion, and it has not been before printed.

'Now touching their Petition and Articles. Where they pretend, that they must have exercise to enable them in their service before her Majestie.

It is to be noted, that it is not convenient, that they

present before her Male such playes as have ben 'before commonly played in open stages before all the basest assemblies in London and Middx; and there'fore sufficient for their exercise, and more comely for the place, that (as it is permitted by the sayd lawes of common counsell) they make their exercise of 'playeng only in private houses.

Also, it lyeth within the dutiefull care for her Majestie's royal persone, that they be not suffred, 'from playeng in the throng of a multitude, and of some infected, to presse so nere to the presence of 'her Matie.

Where they pretend the matter of stay of their ⚫lyving.

It hath not ben vsed, nor thought meete hereto'fore, that players have, or should make their lyving