my dealinges toward your seruant in such part, as I perceaue by your
letters yow are informed. Albeit the lawe in case of fensers haue some
hard exposition in some mens iugement, yet the truthe is that I did
not expulse your seruant from playeng his prise, but for your sake I
did geue him licence. Onely I did restraine him from playeng in an
Inne which was somewhat to close for infection, and appointed him to
playe in an open place of the leaden hall more fre from danger and
more for his Comoditie, which licence I gaue him in open Courte, and
he might well haue vsed it before increace of peril by heate of the
yere. But about xiiijtene daies afterward, when I thought he had taken
the benefitt and effecte of my graunte, the infection growing, whereof
your Lp. knoweth what earnest care I ought to haue, and how seriously
bothe her maiestie and your Lp. with the rest of the most honorable
haue often charged me, and for some other reasonable respectes touching
my dutie, I was indede inforced to restraine him from gathering publik
assemblie of people to his play within the Citie, and neuerthelesse
did allowe him in the open feildes where the peril might not be so
great: But verely my good Lord, whoesoeuer hath Informed yow that I
haue forbidden your man and licenced other to your seruantes disgrace
he doth me great wrong, for I neither haue nor intende so to doe. For
bothe your Lp. and my Lord of Leycester your brother haue euer ben my
honorable good Lordes, and so I haue and doe esteeme yow, and wold
doe asmuche to gratefie yow or any of yours as any that hath ben in
my place; and so I beseche yow to accoumpte of me. I haue herein yet
further done for your seruante what I may, that is that if he obteine
lawefully to playe at the Theater or other open place out of the Citie,
he hath and shall haue my permition with his companie, drumes, and
shewe to passe openly throughe the Citie, being not vpon the Sondaye,
which is asmuche as I maye iustefie in this season, and for that cause
I haue with his owne consent apointed him Monday next. And so I humblie
comitt your Lp. to the tuition of the Almightie. At London the xxiiijth
of Iuly 1582.
Your Lps. humble.
To the right honorable my singular good L. my Lorde the Erle of
Warwicke.
lxiii.
[1582 (?). Extract from _Orders Appointed to be Executed in the
Cittie of London for Setting Rogues and Idle Persons to Worke,
and for Releefe of the Poore_, printed by Hugh Singleton (N.D.).
The B.M. copy (796 E. 37) is catalogued, with the date 1587, as
an Act of the Court of Aldermen. C. Welch, _The City Printers_
(_Bibl. Soc. Trans._ xiv. 191), also gives the date as 1587,
and says that Singleton became City Printer on 4 Aug. 1584.
Whatever the date of the print, it seems clear from No. lxxv (2)
(_a_) that the order itself, or at any rate Art. 62 of it, is
later than the crying of the preachers against plays and earlier
than the Paris Garden accident of 13 Jan. 1583. The autumn of
1582 seems to me the most likely date. Possibly Art. 62 was
alone new. Aydelotte, 70, says that the Orders which were to
enforce 18 Eliz. c. 3 were originally printed in 1579 or 1580,
and refers to _Journal_, xx, pt. ii, f. 325. Art. 61, and also
Art. 25, which directs an inquest for ‘suspect persons which ...
spend their times at bowling allies, playes, and other places
unthriftily’, may belong to the earlier version.]
Art. 61. For helpe of the hospitals & Parishes in this charge all
churchwardens & collectors for the poore be strayghtly charged to
execute the lawe against such as come not to church, against al persons
without exception, and specially against such as while they ought to
be at diuine seruice, doo spend their time and their money lewdly in
haunting of plaies, and other idle and wycked pastimes and exercises.
Art. 62. For as much as the playing of Enterludes, & the resort to
the same are very daungerous for the infection of the plague, whereby
infinite burdens and losses to the Citty may increase, and are very
hurtfull in corruption of youth with incontinence & lewdnes, and also
great wasting both of the time and thrift of many poore people and
great prouoking of the wrath of God the ground of all plagues, great
withdrawing of the people from publique prayer & from the seruice of
God: and daily cryed out against by the graue and earnest admonitions
of the preachers of the word of God: Therefore be it ordered that all
such Enterludes in publique places, and the resort to the same shall
wholy be prohibited as ungodly, and humble sute be made to the Lords
that lyke prohibition be in places neere unto the Cittie.
lxiv.
[1583, Jan. 14. Extract from letter of Lord Mayor to Lord
Burghley, printed _M. S. C._ i. 158, from _Lansd. MS._ 37, f. 8,
and _M. S. C._ i. 58, from letter-book copy misdated Jan. 18 in
_Remembrancia_, i. 456; also in Wright, ii. 184, and quoted by
Collier, i. 243, with inaccurate reference to _Lansd. MS._ 73.]
It maye please your Lp. to be further advertised (which I thinke you
haue alredie hard) of a greate mysshappe at Parise gardeine, where by
ruyn of all the scaffoldes at once yesterdaie a greate nombre of people
are some presentlie slayne, and some maymed and greavouslie hurte.
It giveth greate occasion to acknowledge the hande of god for suche
abuse of the sabboth daie, and moveth me in Consciens to beseche your
Lp. to give order for redresse of suche contempt of gods service. I
haue to that ende treated with some Iustices of peace of that Countie,
who signifie them selfes to haue verye good zeale, but alledge want
of Comyssion, which we humblie referre to the Consideracion of your
honorable wisedome. And so I leve to trowble your Lp. At London the
xiiijth of Ianuarye 1582.
Your Lps. humble,
Thomas Blank Maior.
To the right honorable my singler good lorde my lorde highe Tresurer of
Englande.
lxv.
[1583, Jan. 15. Extract from letter of Lord Burghley to Lord
Mayor, printed _M. S. C._ i. 60, from _Remembrancia_, i. 458.]
I am also hartely sorry for the mischance, whereof I haue vnderstanding
bothe by your Lps. lettres and otherwise at my being now at
Westminster, mishappened at Parrise Garden on Sonday last, and
althoughe I thinke your learning derely bought by the losse of so many
bodies, to haue the Saboth daie so prophaned to see wilde beastes
bayted, yet I think it very conuenient to haue both that and other like
prophane assemblies prohibited on the Saboth daie, and if it shalbe
requisite to haue such like worldly pastimes, I think some other daie
within the weke meeter for those purposes, and to that ende I minde
to treate with my LLs. of the Counsell, that some good order may be
taken for that purpose; wishing neuerthelesse that your Lp. in the
meane time, hauing rule of the whole Citie, might thinke it conuenient
to make a generall prohibition within euerie warde of that Citie and
liberties, that no person vnder your comaundement shold on the Saboth
daie resort to any such prophane assemblies or pastimes, which I leaue
to your Lps. discretion to be considered by the aduise of the Aldermen
your bretheren. From Richmond the xvth of Ianuary 1582.
Your Lps. assured louing frend,
William: Burghley.
To my very good Lord the Lord maiour of the Citie of London.
lxvi.
[1583, Jan. 14–Feb. 6. Notes of credentials of Worcester’s men,
shown at Leicester in March 1584; for text of entries in _Hall
Papers_, cf. ch. xiii, s.v. Worcester’s.]
(_a_) [Jan. 14]
Abstract of warrant of licence and recommendation from William Earl of
Worcester.
(_b_) [Feb. 6]
Abstract of article in indenture of licence from Edmund Tilney, Master
of the Revels.
lxvii.
[1583, April 19. Proclamation against Retainers (_Procl._ 768).]
This is substantially similar to _Procl._ 663 of 3 Jan. 1572 (v. No.
xix).
lxviii.
[1583, April 27. The Lord Mayor to Mr. Young, a Justice
of Middlesex, printed _M. S. C._ i. 62, from
_Remembrancia_, i. 498. The letter referred to in the first
sentence was one from the Privy Council on April 21, intimating
the Queen’s surprise that no plague hospital had been built
outside the City (_Remembrancia_, i. 497; _Index_,
336). ‘Ill May daie’ was that of 1517, on which a riot took
place against the aliens resident in London.]
Mr. Yong. I and my brethren haue lately receiued lettres from the
LLs. of the most honorable counsell for auoiding of all perills of
infection, in which lettres we haue also a most ernest significaton
of maiesties pleasure to that end with verie greuous charging vs with
negligence and defalt. Ther ar certain fencers that haue set vp billes
and meane to play a prise at the Theatre on Tuesday next, which is
May eue. How manie waies the same maie be inconuenient and dangerous,
specially in that they desire to passe with pomp through the citie,
yowe can consider, namelie the statute against men of that facultie,
the perill of infection, the danger of disorders at such assemblies,
the memorie of ill May daie begon vpon a lesse occasion of like sort,
the weakenesse of the place for ruine, wherof we had a late lamentable
example at Paris garden. For these causes, in good discretion we haue
not only not geuen them licence, but also declared to them the dangers,
willing them at their perill to forbeare their passing both thorough
the citie, and their whole plaieng of such prise. Now bicause yowe know
how much this mater importeth the whole citie, and how from time to
time the LLs. of the counsell haue willed the iustices of the cowntie
geue assistance for auoideng of such perills, we pray yowe hartely,
in confidence of your good diligence in her maiesties seruice and the
safetye of this citie, that yowe will both looke vnto it your self, and
so deale with the rest of the iustices, that no such prise be suffred,
or assemblie had, specially in this time of infection and those daies
of speciall danger, considering also the like danger in plaies at
that place. And so praieng yowe to remember that, if we be blamed for
suffering, we must say that we admonished yowe of it in time, I bid
yowe hartelie ffarewell. At the Guildhall this xxvijth of Aprill 1583.
Your louing freind.
lxix.
[1583, May 3. The Lord Mayor to Sir Francis Walsingham,
Secretary, printed _M. S. C._ i. 63, from _Remembrancia_, i.
538.]
It may please your honor. According to oure dutie, I and my bretheren
haue had care for staye of infection of the plage and published
orders in that behalfe, which we intend god willing to execute
with dilligence. Among other we finde one very great and dangerous
inconuenience, the assemblie of people to playes, beare bayting,
fencers, and prophane spectacles at the Theatre and Curtaine and other
like places, to which doe resorte great multitudes of the basist sort
of people; and many enfected with sores runing on them, being out of
our iurisdiction, and some whome we cannot discerne by any dilligence;
and which be otherwise perilous for contagion, biside the withdrawing
from Gods service, the peril of ruines of so weake byldinges, and
the auancement of incontinencie and most vngodly confederacies, the
terrible occasion of gods wrathe and heauye striking with plages. It
auaileth not to restraine them in London, vnlesse the like orderes
be in those places adioyning to the liberties, for amendment whereof
I beseche your honor to be meane to the most honorable Counsel, and
the rather I ame to make that humble sute, for that I wold be lothe
to susteine hir maiesties heauie displeasure, when such forren and
extraordinarie occasions shalbe aboue all our habilities by any
dilligence or foresight to redresse it. And so I leaue to troble your
honor. At London this 3 of May 1583.
Your honours to comaund.
To the right honorable Sir Frances Walsingham knight, principal
Secretarle to the Quenes most excellent Maiestie.
lxx.
[1583, July 3. The Lord Mayor to the Privy Council, printed _M.
S. C._ i. 64, from _Remembrancia_, i. 520. In reply to a letter
of June 30, calling attention to the neglect of the statutes and
orders for the maintenance of archery (_Remembrancia_, i. 519;
_Index_, 16).]
My dutie humbly done to your LLps. I and my brethren haue receiued
your honourable letters, for execution of the lawes for maintenance of
archerie and restraineng of vnlawfull games. We must acknowledge your
honourable and godly consideracion and for our partes do accordingly
intend to call the wardens of those pore companies, at whose suite
your lettres were obteined, and both to vse their aduise and diligence
and to adde our owne good meanes and indeuours that your LLps. good
meaninges maie take effect, and the lawes be executed with such good
circumspection and reasonable orders, as haue ben founde requisite for
the good gouernance of the youth in this citie. Vpon the occasion of
your LLps. said lettres reciting the vse of vnlawfull games to be to
the hinderance of the vse of archerie and of the maintenance of those
honest artificors, We ar humbly to pray [your] LLps. to haue in your
honorable remembrance how much not only the said vse of archerie and
maintenance of good artes ar decaied by the assemblers to vnlawfull
spectacles, as barebaiting, vnchast enterludes and other like, but
also infection therby increased, affraies, actes and bargaines of
incontinencie and thefte, stolen contractes and spoiling of honest
mens children, the withdrawing of people from seruice of God, and the
drawing of godes wrath and plages vpon vs, whereof god hath in his
iudgement shewed a late terrible example at Paris garden, in which
place in great contempt of god the scaffoldes ar new builded, and
the multitudes on the Saboath daie called together in most excessiue
number. These thinges ar obiected to vs, both in open sermons at
Poules crosse and elsewhere in the hearing of such as repaire from
all partes of to our shame and greif, when we cannot remedie it. The
reproch also to vs as the sufferers and mainteiners of such disorders
is published to the whole world in bokes. We herewith moued, as
becomieth vs in conscience and in regard of our honestie and credites
not to be accompted senselesse of the feare of God and of our duties
to her maiestie and the preseruacion of her subiectes in our charge,
haue endeuoured, and your good fauours concurring will more endeuour,
our selues for redresse of such enormities within our iurisdiction,
specially on the Sabbat and daies appointed for comon praier. Which our
trauailes shall yet be vaine and to no effect without your honourable
help and assistance. It may therfore please your good Lps. both to
geue your allowance of our proceding in such reformacion within our
liberties, and to send your Lps. lettres of request and comandement to
the Iustices of the cownties and gouernours of precinctes adioining to
this citie to execute like orders as we shall do for the honour of god
and seruice of her maiestie. And so beseching your Lps. that I may haue
your resolucion herein I leaue to troble your honours. At London this
iijd of Iulie 1583.
Your LLps. humble.
To the right honourable the Lordes and other of the Quenes maiesties
most honorable Counsell.
lxxi.
[1583, Nov. 26. The Privy Council to the Lord Mayor, printed
_M. S. C._ i. 66, from _Remembrancia_, i. 554.]
After our hartie comendacons to your good Lp. Forasmuch as (God
be thanked) there is no suche infection within that citie at this
presente, but that hir maiesties playeres may be suffered to playe
within the liberties as heretofore they haue done, especially seeing
they are shortly to present some of their doeinges before hir maiestie,
we haue thought good at this present to pray your Lp. to geue order,
that the said players may be licenced so to doe within the Citie and
liberties betwene this and shroftyde next; so as the same be not done
vpon sondaies, but vpon some other weke daies, at conuenient times.
And so prayeng yowe that thereof there be no defaulte, We bid yowe
right hartely farewell. From St Iames the xxvjth of Nouember 1583.
Your very louing frendes,
Tho: Bromeley: cancellarius:
Fra: Bedford:
Chr. Hatton:
He: Hunsdon
William Burghley
Fra: Knollys:
Fra: Walsingham:
To our verie louing frende the L. Maiour of the Citie of London.
lxxii.
[1583, Nov. 28. Abstract of City licence, given by C. W. Wallace
in _Nebraska University Studies_, xiii. 11.]
I shall later publish in extenso a licence granted by the City to the
Queen’s men, dated 28 Nov. 1583, wherein we learn for the first time
that the twelve chosen actors were ‘Robert Wilson, John Dutton, Rychard
Tarleton, John Laneham, John Bentley, Thobye Mylles, John Towne, John
Synger, Leonell Cooke, John Garland, John Adams, and Wyllyam Johnson’,
and that their playing places were to be ‘at the sygnes of the Bull in
Bushoppesgate streete, and the sygne of the Bell in Gratioustreete and
nowheare els within this Cyttye’ for the time being.
lxxiii.
[1583, Dec. 1. Sir Francis Walsingham, Secretary, to the Lord
Mayor, printed _M. S. C._ i. 67, from _Remembrancia_,
i. 553.]
My very good L. Vnderstanding that vpon the receipte of my Ls. letters
written lately vnto yow in the behalf of hir maiesties players, your
Lp. interpreteth the licence geuen them therin to extend onely to holy
daies and not to other weke daies, I haue therefore thought good, being
partlie priuie to their LLps. meaning signified in their letters,
to explane more plainely their pleasures herein to your Lp., whoe,
considering in their graue wisdomes that without frequent exercise of
such plaies as are to be presented before hir maiestie, her seruantes
cannot conueniently satisfie hir recreation and their owne duties,
were therefore pleased to directe their letters vnto yowe, that vpon
the weke daies and worke daies at conuenient times your Lp. wold geue
order that they might be licenced betwene this and Shrouetide to
exercise their playes and enterludes (sondaies onely excepted and such
other daies wherein sermons and lectures are comonly vsed). I pray
your Lp. therefore that from hence fourthe yow will suffer them to
haue the benefite of this libertie accordinglie, as without the which
they shall not be able to doe that which is expected at their handes
for hir maiesties seruice and contentacion, whereunto I know your Lp.
will rather yelde your best ayde and furtherance, than any the least
impediment or interruption, which I wishe may be effectually manifested
by your especiall licence to be graunted to this ende to those hir
maiesties seruantes with all fauorable regard and expedition. And so I
comitt your Lp. to the grace of God. From the Courte at St. Iames the
first of December 1583.
Your Lps. very assured louing frende,
Fra: Walsingham.
To my very good Lord the Lord maiour of the Citie of London.
lxxiv.
[1584, June 18. Extracts from letter of William Fleetwood to
Lord Burghley, printed _M. S. C._ i. 163, from _Lansd.
MS._ 41, f. 31; also in Wright, ii. 226.]
Right honorable and my very good Lo. Vpon Whit Sondaye there was a very
good Sermond preached at the New churche yard nere bethelem, wherat my
Lo. Maiour was with his bretherne, and by reason no playes were the
same daye all the citie was quiet....
Vpon Mondaye night I retorned to London and found all the wardes full
of watchers. The cause thereof was for that very nere the Theatre or
Curten at the tyme of the Playes there laye a prentice sleping vpon
the Grasse, and one Challes _al._ Grostock dyd turne vpon the Too
vpon the belly of the same prentice, whervpon the apprentice start vp
and after wordes they fell to playne bloues; the companie encressed of
bothe sides to the nosmber of v^c at the least. This Challes exclaimed
and said that he was a gentelman and that the apprentise was but a
Rascall; and some there were litell better then rooges that tooke vpon
theym the name of gentilmen and said the prentizes were but the skomme
of the worlde. Vpon these trobles the prentizes began the next daye,
being Twesdaye, to make mutines and assembles, and dyd conspire to have
broken the presones & to have taken furthe the prentizes that were
imprisoned; but my Lo. and I having intelligens thereof apprensed .iiij.
or.v. of the chieff conspirators, who are in Newgate and stand Indicted
of theire lewd demeanors.
Vpon Weddensdaye one Browne, a serving man in a blew coat, a shifting
fellowe having a perrelous witt of his owne, entending a spoile if
he cold have browght it to passe, did at Theatre doore querell with
certen poore boyes, handicraft prentises, and strook some of theym, and
lastlie he with his sword wondend and maymed one of the boyes vpon the
left hand; where vpon there assembled nere a ml. people. This Browne
dyd very cuninglie convey hym selff awaye, but by chaunse he was taken
after and browght to mr. Humfrey Smithe, and because no man was able to
charge hym he dismissed hym, and after this Browne was browght before
mr. Yonge, where he vsed hym selff so connynglie and subtillie, no man
being there to charge hym, that there also he was demised. And after
I sent a warraunt for hym, and the Constables with the deputie at the
Bell in Holbourne found hym in a parlor fast locked in, and he wold not
obeye the warraunt, but by the meane of the hoost he was conveyed a
waye, and then I sent for the hoost and caused hym to appere at Newgat
at the Sessions of Oier and determiner, where he was committed vntill
he browght furth his gest. The next daye after he browght hym forthe,
and so we Indicted hym for his misdemeanour. This Browne is a commen
Cossiner, a thieff, & a horse stealer, and colloreth all his doynges
here abowt this towne with a sute that he haithe in the lawe agaynst a
brother of his in Staffordshire. He resteth now in Newgate....
Vpon Weddensdaye, Thursdaye, Frydaye and Satterdaye we dyd nothing els
but sitt in commission and examine these misdemeanors; we had good
helpe of my lord Anderson and mr. Sackforthe.
Vpon Sonndaye my Lo. sent ij Aldermen to the Court for the suppressing
and pulling downe of the Theatre and Curten. All the LL. agreed
therevnto, saving my Lord Chamberlen and mr. Viz-chamberlen, but we
obteyned a lettre to suppresse theym all. Vpon the same night I sent
for the quenes players and my Lo. of Arundel his players, and they
all willinglie obeyed the LL. lettres. The chiefestes of her highnes
players advised me to send for the owner of the Theater, who was a
stubburne fellow, and to bynd hym. I dyd so; he sent me word that he
was my Lo. of Hunsdons man, and that he wold not come at me, but he
wold in the mornyng ride to my lord; then I sent the vndershereff for
hym and he browght hym to me; and at his commyng he stowtted me owt
very hastie; and in the end I shewed hym my Lo. his mrs. hand and then
he was more quiet; but to die for it he wold not be bound. And then I
mynding to send hym to prison, he made sute that he might be bound to
appere at the Oier & determiner, the which is to morrowe; where he said
that he was suer the Court wold not bynd hym being a Counselers man.
And so I have graunted his request, where he shalbe sure to be bound or
els ys lyke to do worse.
lxxv.