'Pd 14 of May 1597, to Edw. Jube, upon a notte 'from Nashe, twentye shellinges more for the Iylle of 'Dogges, which he is wrytinge for the companey.

'Pd this 23 of August 1597, to Henerey Porter to cary to T. Nashe, nowe att this tyme in the flete for wrytinge of the Eylle of Dogges, ten shellinges, to 'be payde agen to me wen he cann. I saye ten

shillinges.

Pd to M. Blunsones, the M' of the Revelles man, 'this 27 of August 1597, ten shellinges, for newes of 'the restraynt beyng recaled by the lordes of the Queenes Cownsell.'

Here we see, that in the spring of 1597, Nash was employed upon the play, and, like his brother dramatists of that day, who wrote for Henslowe's company, received money on account. The Isle of Dogs was produced prior to the 10th of August, 1597, because, in another memorandum by Henslowe, (which Malone has quoted, though with various omissions and mistakes *) he refers to the re

* Shakespeare by Boswell, iii., 322. Correctly it runs thus:— 'Mmdum. the 10 of August 1597, Wm. Borne came & ofered 'hime sealfe to come and play with my lord Admiralles men at my 'house, called by the name of the Rosse, sitewate one the Banck, after ' this order folowinge. He hath received of me iijd. upon and asumset 'to forfett unto me a hundreth marckes, of lafull money of England, 'yf he do not performe thes thinges folowing: that is, presentley after 'libertie beinge granted for playinge, to come and to playe with my

' lorde Admiralles men at my howsse aforsayd, and not in

any other

howsse publick abowt London, for the space of three yeares, beginninge imediately after this restraynt is recaled by the lordes of the

straint at that date put upon the Lord Admiral's players. On the 23d of the same month, Nash was confined in the Fleet prison in consequence of his play, when Henry Porter, also a poet, carried him ten shillings from Henslowe, who took care to register that it was not a gift; and on the 27th of August, the restraint was recalled' by the Privy Council. We may conclude also, perhaps, that Nash was about the same time discharged from custody*.

In February, 1597-8, about six months before the death of Lord Burghley, are to be observed the first obvious indications of a disposition on the part of the government of Elizabeth permanently to restrain theatrical representations. At that date, licences had been granted to two companies of players only, those of the Lord Admiral and of the Lord Chamberlain, to use and practise stage playes' in order that they might be the better qualified to appear before the Queen. A third

Counsell, which restraynt is by the meanes of playinge the Teylle of 'Dooges. Yf he do not, then he forfetts this asumpset afore, or els not. Wittnes to this,

'E. Alleyn & Robsone.'

It is with this imprisonment that Gabriel Harvey taunts Nash, in the tract called The Trimming of Thomas Nash, 1597, written in the name of Richard Litchfield, the barber. It contains a rude wood-cut of a man in fetters, and, together with many allusions to dogs, a paragraph beginning with these words: Since that thy Ile of Dogs hath made 'thee thus miserable, I cannot but account thee a dog, and chide and 'rate thee as a dog that hath done a fault,' &c. The Isle of Dogs seems at one time to have been a sort of refuge from creditors, and officers of justice. Nash's play was probably satirical, and therefore offensive.

company, not named, had however played' by way of intrusion,' and the Privy Council, on the 19th February, 1597-8, sent orders to the Master of the Revels, and to the Justices of the Peace of Middlesex and Surrey, for its suppression*. It is very doubtful, however, whether any decisive measures were adopted in the matter, as in July following, a resolution was agreed to by the vestry of the parish of St. Saviour's Southwark, that a petition shall be made to the bodye of the Councell, concerning the play-houses in 'this parish; wherein the enormities shall be showed 'that comes thereby to the parish, and that in respect thereof they may be dismissed, and put down

The following is a copy of the entry in the Registers of the Privy Council, on 19th February, 1597-8:

'A letter to the Mr of the Revells and Justices of Peace of Middlesex and Surrey.-Whereas Licence hath been graunted unto two com'panies of Stage Players, retayned unto us, the Lord Admyrall and 'Lord Chamberlain, to use and practise Stage Playes, whereby they might be the better enhabled, and prepared to shew such plaies before 'her Majestie as they shalbe required at tymes meete and accustomed ; 'to which ende they have bin chieflie licenced and tollerated as afore'said: And whereas there is also a third Company, who of late (as we are informed) have by waie of intrusion used likewise to play, having 'neither prepared any plaie for her Majestic, nor are bound to you, the 'Master of the Revells, for perfourming such orders as have bin 'prescribed, and are enjoined to be observed by the other two Com'panies before mencioned: Wee have therefore thought good to require you, upon receipt hereof, to take order, that the aforesaid third Company may be suppressed, and none suffered heereafter to plaie, but those two formerlie named belonging to us, the Lord Admyral and Lord Chamberlaine, unles you shall receave other directions from us. And 'so,' &c.

from playing and that four, or two, of the Church'wardens, &c. shall present the cause, with a collector

of the Boroughside, and another of the Bankside.' Of course, had there been at this date only two companies of players performing in Middlesex and Surrey, such a proceeding would not have been required. Neither did the presentation of this petition produce the consequence desired; for some time afterwards, the playhouses not having been put down,' the Churchwardens of St. Saviour's endeavoured to obtain tithes, and poor-rates, from the owners and managers of the theatres on the Bankside*. As late as 11th March, 1600-1, plays were represented at St. Paul's, at Blackfriars, and at other places within the city and the liberties,' for on that day an order was sent by the Privy Council to the Lord Mayor, that they might be suppressed during this time of Lent t.'

it was *Chalmers' Apology, p. 404. On the 28th of March, 1600, ordered that the Churchwardens shall talk with the players for tithes ' of their play-houses, and for the rest of the new tanne houses near 'thereabouts within the liberty of the Clinke, and for money for the 'poore, according to the order taken before my Lords of Canterbury ' and London & M, of the Revels.' Parish Register of St. Saviours.

As early as 13th of March, 1578-9, the Privy Council required the Lord Mayor to suffer no plays to be acted within his jurisdiction during Lent, and until after Easter. Entries of the same kind are to be found dispersed over the Registers at various later dates.

311

ANNALS OF THE STAGE,

FROM THE YEAR 1599 TO THE END OF THE
REIGN OF ELIZABETH.

THE building of the Fortune play-house in Goldinglane, which was undertaken in 1599 by the celebrated Edward Alleyn, in conjunction with Philip Henslowe, seems to have given fresh alarm to the enemies of theatrical performances, and fresh vigour to their representations against them. Complaints were exhibited upon the subject to the Privy Council, and the result was an order, which if it had been literally carried into execution, would have operated as a most severe restriction: it is one of the most important documents connected with the stage contained in the Council Registers, from which so many curious particulars have been gleaned. We have before seen, that the number of companies allowed to perform in Feb. 1597-8, were only two, and the order to which I am now referring limits the theatres to two also, viz. the Globe, on the Bankside, Surrey, and the Fortune in Golding-lane, Middlesex, then in a course of construction. The Globe was to be occupied by the players of the Lord Chamberlain, and the Fortune by those of the Lord Admiral, at the head of whom was Edward Alleyn: each was allowed to be open twice in the week, but not at all on Sundays, nor during Lent.