THE HE hiftory of the ftage as far as it relates to Shakfpeare, naturally divides itself into three periods: the period which preceded his appearance as an actor or dramatick writer; that during which he flourished; and the time which has elapfed fince his death. Having now gone through the two former of these periods, I fhall take a tranfient view of the ftage from the death of our great poet to the year 1741, ftill with a view to Shakipeare, and his works. Soon after his death, four of the principal companies then fubfifting, made a union, and were afterwards called the United Companies; but I know not precisely in what this union confifted. I fufpect it arofe from a penury of actors, and that the managers contracted to permit the performers in each houfe occafionally to affift their brethren in the other theatres in the reprefentation of plays. We have already feen that John Heminge in 1618 pay'd Sir George Buck, "in the name of the four companys, for a lenten difpenfation in the holydaies, 44 s.;" and Sir Henry Herbert obferves that the play called Come fee a Wonder," written by John Daye for a company of strangers," and reprefented Sept. 18, 1623, was acted at the Red Bull, and licensed without his hand to it, because they [i. e. this company of ftrangers] were none of the four companys." The old comedy entitled Amends for Ladies, as appears from its title-page, was acted at Blackfriars before the year 1618, by the Prince's fervants and Lady Elizabeth's," though "both other way entitled to a benefit from it. Alleyn's own play-house, the Fortune, was then open, but I imagine, he had fold of his property in it to a kinfman, one Thomas Allen, an actor likewife. In his Diary he frequently mentions his going from Dulwich to London after dinner, and fupping with him and fome of the Fortune's men." From this Mf. I expected to have learned feveral particulars relative to our ancient stage; but unluckily the Diary does not commence till the year 1617, (at which time he had retired to his College at Dulwich,) and contains no theatrical intelligence whatsoever, except the article already quoted. the 義 the theatre at Blackfriars then belonged to the king's fervants. After the death of Shakspeare, the plays of Fletcher appear for feveral years to have been more admired, or at leaft to have been more frequently acted, than those of our poet. During the latter part of the reign of James the First, Fletcher's pieces had the advantage of novelty to recommend them. I believe, between the time of Beaumont's death in 1615 and his own in 1625, this poet produced at least twenty-five plays. Sir Afton Cokain has informed us, in his poems, that of the thirtyfive pieces improperly afcribed to Beaumont and Fletcher in the folio edition of 1647, much the greater part were written after Beaumont's death; and his account is partly confirmed by Sir Henry Herbert's Manufcript, from which it appears that Fletcher produced eleven new plays in the last four years of his life. If we were poffeffed of the Regifter kept by Sir George Buck, we hould there, I make no doubt, find near twenty dramas written by the fame author in the interval between 1615 and 1622. As, to ascertain the share which each of these writers had in the works which have erroneously gone under their joint names, has long been a defideratum in dramatick hiftory, I fhall here fet down as perfect a lift as I have been able to form of the pieces produced by Fletcher in his latter years. 9 For what a foul "And inexcufable fault it is, (that whole "After the death of Beaumont writ,) that none "Would certifie them fo much?" Verfes addreffed by Sir Afton Cokain to Mr. See alfo his verfes addreffed to Mr. Humphry Mofeley and Mr. Hum phry Robinson: "In the large book of playes you late did print "In Beaumont and in Fletcher's name, why in't The The Honeft Man's Fortune, though it appeared firft in the folio 1647, was one of the few pieces in that collection, which was the joint production of Beaumont and Fletcher. It was first performed at the Globe theatre in the year 1613, two years before the death of Beaumont *. The Loyal Subject was the fole production of Fletcher, and was first reprefented in the year 1618. It appears from Sir Henry Herbert's Manufcript that the new plays which Fletcher had brought out in the course of the year, were generally prefented at court at Christmas. As therefore The Island Princefs, The Pilgrim, and The Wild Goofe Chafe are found among the court exhibitions of the year 1621, we need not hesitate to afcribe these pieces alfo to the fame poet. The WildGoofe Chafe, though abfurdly printed under the joint names of Beaumont and Fletcher, is exprefsly ascribed to the latter by Lowin and Taylor, the actors who publifhed it in 1652. The Beggar's Bufh, being alfo acted at court in 1622, was probably written by Fletcher. Tamer tamed is exprefsly call'd his by Sir Henry Herbert, as is the Mad Lover by Sir Afton Cokain: and it appears from the manufcript fo often quoted that The Night-Walker and Love's Pilgrimage, having been left imperfect by Fletcher, were corrected and finished by Shirley. The I have now given an account of nine of the pieces in which Beaumont appears to have had no fhare; and subjoin a lift of eleven other plays written by Fletcher, (with the affiftance of Rowley in one only,) precifely in the order in which they were licensed by the Mafter of the Revels. 1622. May 14, he produced a new play called The Prophetess. June 22, The Sea Voyage. This piece was October 24, The Spanish Curate. A&ted at * A Manuscript copy of this play is now before me, marked 1613. 224 HISTORICAL ACCOUNT 1623. Auguft 29, The Maid of the Mill, written by Fletcher and Rowley; acted at the Globe. October 17, The Devill of Dowgate, or Ufury Decemb. 6. The Wandering Lovers; acted at 1624. May 27, A Wife for a Month. Acted by the Octob. 19. Rule a Wife and have a Wife. 1625-6. January 22. The Fair Maid of the Inn. Acted at Blackfriars. Feb. 3. The Noble Gentleman. A&ted at the fame theatre. In a former page an account has been given of the court-exhibitions in 1622. In Sir Henry Herbert's Office-book I find the following "Note of fuch playes as were acted at court in 1623 and 1624," which confirms what I have fuggefted, that the plays of Shakspeare were then not fo much admired as thofe of the poets of the day. Upon Michelmas night att Hampton court, The Mayd of the Mill by the K. Company. Upon Allhollows night at St. James, the prince being there only, The Mayd of the Mill againe, with reformations. "Upon the fifth of November att Whitehall, the prince being there only, The Gipfye, by the Cockpitt company. "Upon St. Stevens daye, the king and prince being there, The Mayd of the Mill by the K. company. Att Whitehall. Upon St. Johns night, the prince only being there, The Bondman by the queene [of Bohemia's] company. Att Whitehall. "Upon Innocents night, falling out upon a Sonday, The Buck is a theif, the king and prince being there. By the kings company. Att Whitehall. Upon New-years night, by the K. company, The The Wandering Lovers, the prince only being there. Att Whitehall. "Upon the Sonday after, beinge the 4 of January. 1623, by the Queene of Bohemias company, The Changelinge; the prince only being there. Att Whitehall. 66 Upon Twelfe night, the mafke being putt of, More diffemblers befides Women, by the kings company, the prince only being there. Att Whitehall. "To the Duchefs of Richmond, in the kings abfence, was given The Winters Tale, by the K. company, the 18 Janu. 1623. Att Whitehall. Upon All-hollows night, 1624, the king beinge at Roifton, no play. "The night after, my Lord Chamberlin had Rule a wife and have a wife for the ladys, by the king's com pany. Upon St. Steevens night, the prince only being there, [was acted] Rule a wife and have a wife, by the king's company. Att Whitehall. "Upon St.Johns night, [the prince] and the duke of Brunfwick being there, The Fox, by the Att Whitehall. Upon Innocents night, the [prince] and the duke of Brunfwyck being there, Cupids Revenge, by the Queen of Bohemias Servants. Att Whitehall, 1624. Upon New-years night, the prince only being there, The first part of Sir John Falstaff, by the king's company. Att Whitehall, 1624. Upon Twelve night, the Mafque being putt of, and the prince only there, Tu Quoque, by the Queene of Bohemias fervants. Att Whitehall, 1624. Upon the Sonday night following, being the ninthe of January, 1624, the Mafque was performd. On Candlemas night the 2 February, no play, the king being att Newmarket." From the time when Sir Henry Herbert came into the office of the Revels to 1642, when the theatres were shut up, his Manufcript does not furnish us with a regular "The worst play that ere I faw," fays the writer, in a marginal note. VOL. I. PART II. account |