It is not, however, quite clear, that by the term 'players,' the author is to be understood to mean players in interludes. The same word occurs in the title of a work printed by Pynson, probably very shortly afterwards, called The churche of yvell men ' and women wherof Lucyfere is heed, and the membres is all the players dissolute and synners reproved.' Here the players' would seem to point at the particular class of persons then engaged in the performance of theatrical representations; but the tract is an invective against the use of cards and dice, the players' meaning only gamesters. It represents the Devil establishing a Church of his own in opposition to the Church of Christ, and the author makes a parallel between the offices, habits, books and furniture of the two: the Devil's cardinals are 'the great lordes, the officers and all the prelates,' who do not suppress unlawful games: his bishops are gentlemen burgesses and merchants who encourage them; and his canons and curates, hostelers and taverners,' who keep bordelles, taverns, sellers, & hote houses dissolute*."

This tract is of extreme rarity, and it is clear that neither Herbert nor Dr. Dibdin (Typogr. Ant. ii. 446) ever saw it: the latter quotes the catalogue of the Bodleian Library, where indeed it is to be found, and where I had the good fortune to meet with it. Until I had it in my hand, I took it for granted that it was an attack upon stage-players. It has no date, and the colophon is in these words-Thus endeth this 'lytell treatyse of the churche of yvell men and women. Imprinted ' at London, in Fletestrete, by Rycharde Pynson, printer to the kynges ' noble grace.' It is a translation from St. Bernardyne, and not St. Augustine, as Dr. Dibdin erroneously states, and in an address to the

In the year 1511, Dean Colet was called upon to deliver an Oratio at Clerum before the convocation at St. Paul's, and his testimony may be adduced in proof, that the clergy not only frequented, but acted plays: although this Oratio was not delivered until two years after Henry VIII. had ascended the throne, it refers to a period anterior to the demise of his predecessor. Dean Colet complains that the clergy Conviviis et epulationibus se dedunt, in vanas confabulationes se

reader, at the back of the title, we are told the which treatise was 'drawen out of his booke in laten, intytuled Christen relygyon. And translated out of Frenche in to Englishe, at the instaunce of Charles, erle of Worcester and chamberlayne to our soveraygne lorde the kyng.' At the end of the book (which is small 8vo. or 12mo.) is Pynson's device. As no notice of this production has ever been published, a short extract may be acceptable, in which the writer describes a pack of cards, and their suits, in his time.

'And ryght so as in the portuous of our adversary ther is dyvers 'hystories: as the hystory of the nativyte, of the resurrectyon, of 'kynges and dyvers other. In lykewyse wyll I that there be pompous 'hystories in ours: as kynges, quenes and varlettes. I wyll moreover 'that my stories have great singnificacons, al so well as they of Christe. They that are paynted within, signifyeth the avaryce and cupidite of 'the cursed players. And those of the kynges signifyeth pride, inobe'dyence, and arrogance. They of the quenes, lechery and lubricyte. 'Those of the foles, the great follye of ye players that weneth to wynne a thyng transytorie, and leseth the rychesse eternalles. And those of 'the varlettes signifyeth that the players are servauntes of me Lucifer The cardes with paynted hertes, sygnifieth that they which play have gyven their hertes unto the play, and unto the devyll. And 'those there as is the trayfles, signifyeth the folisshe ioye yt, they take in servynge Lucyfer. They of pykes sygnifyeth the noyses & debates 'that procedeth, & those of dyamondes signifyeth that the churche 'infernall shalbe paved with their soules.' Sign, B.

'effundunt, se ludis et jocis tradunt, se aucupiis et 'venationibus accommodant.' Farther on we meet with this passage- Recitentur leges et sanctæ regulæ 'traditæ a patribus de vita et honestate clericorum; 'quæ prohibent ne clericus sit mercator, ne sit fœne'rator, ne sit venator, ne sit publicus lusor, ne sit arma gerens,' &c. A translation of this Sermon' was published without date, but very soon after it was delivered, by Berthelet, and there we find the word ludis in the first quotation rendered 'playes;' and the words publicus lusor in the second quotation rendered 'common player.' If the clergy had not at that period sometimes exhibited as 'common players,' it would have been needless for Dean Colet to have told them to repeat the laws and holy rules' of the fathers.

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60

ANNALS OF THE STAGE,

DURING THE REIGN OF HENRY VIII.

HENRY VIII. had no sooner ascended the throne than the court amusements were placed upon a much more costly and extensive footing *; and perhaps the extravagance of this king in the pursuit of his pleasures has led, in some degree, to an unjust accusation of parsimony against his predecessor, who seems to have given liberal encouragement to the art of printing, as well as to poetry, music and the stage. During the reign of Henry VII. we meet with comparatively small charges A. D. for revels, but the disguisings, in the first Christmas after his son came to the crown, cost no less than 584l. 19s. 7d. for gold plate, silks and apparel, alonet. In the next year no similar items

1510.

The Act of Apparel,' 3 and 4 Edw. IV., exempting' pleyers in their enterludes,' has been already referred to, and in similar legislative regulations in the 6th and 7th Henry VIII., to fix the particular dress to be worn by different classes, it is provided expressly that none of the clauses shall extend to minstrells and players in interludes:' when these laws were revived in 24 Henry VIII. the exception was applied to' minstrells, players in interludes, sights, and revells.'

According to Hall (Chron. An. 2, Henry VIII.) the King was a proficient in arms and arts: he shot with the bow, wrestled, played on instruments, sang and composed music, besides writing ballads.

'From thence the whole Courte removed to Wyndesore, then begyn'ning his progresse, exercising hym selfe daily in shotyng, singing,

occur among the King's expenses, and perhaps the money was paid out of some other fund, and carried to a different account; for we learn from Hall's Chronicle, that the exhibitions at Richmond, where the King kept his Christmas, were of a magnificent description: his words are these ::

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'Against the 12 daye or the daie of the Epiphane at nyghte, before the banket in the hall at Rychemound, was a pageaunt devised like a mountayne, glisteryng by nyght, as though it had bene all of golde and set with stones; on the top of the whiche 'mountayne was a tree of golde the braunches and bowes frysed with gold, spreding on every side over 'the mountayne with roses and pomegranetts: the which mountayn was with vices brought up towards 'the kyng, and out of the same came a ladye appa'reiled in clothe of golde, and the children of honour, 'called the Henchemen, which were freshly disguysed ' and daunced a Morice before the kyng; and that 'done reentred the mountayne, and then it was drawen • backe, and then was the Wassail or banket brought in, and so brake up Christmas.'

On the 13th of February solemn jousts were held; and after describing the tournament at length, Hall adds what is more to our purpose:—'After supper his ' grace with the Quene, Lordes and Ladies, came into

'daunsyng, wrastelyng, casting of the barre, plaiyng at the recorders, 'flute, virginals, and in settyng of songes, makyng of ballettes, and 'did set ii goodly masses, every of them fyve partes, whiche were song ' oftentimes in hys chapel, and afterwardes in diverse other places.'