Shakespearean Playhouses Part 40

[Footnote 697: Never licensed for England; reprinted in 1657 with _St.

Patrick for Ireland_.]

The theatre came to a sudden end with the outbreak of the rebellion in 1641. In October the Lords Justices prohibited playing there; and shortly after, we are told, the building was "ruined and spoiled, and a cow-house made of the stage."[698]

[Footnote 698: _MS. Aubr. 7_, folio 20 v. Ogilby's second theatre in Dublin, built after the Restoration, does not fall within the scope of the present work.]

IV

THE FRENCH PLAYERS' TEMPORARY THEATRE IN DRURY LANE

In February, 1635, a company of French players, under the leadership of the eminent actor, Josias de Soulas, better known by his stage-name of Floridor,[699] appeared in London, and won such favor at Court that they were ultimately allowed to fit up a house in Drury Lane for a temporary theatre. The history of these players is mainly found in the records of the Master of the Revels and of the Lord Chamberlain. From the former, Malone has preserved the following entries by Herbert:

On Tuesday night the 17 of February, 1634 [i.e., 1635], a French company of players, being approved of by the Queen at her house two nights before, and commended by Her Majesty to the King, were admitted to the c.o.c.kpitt in Whitehall, and there presented the King and Queen with a French comedy called _Melise_,[700] with good approbation: for which play the King gave them ten pounds.

This day being Friday, and the 20 of the same month, the King told me his pleasure, and commanded me to give order that this French company should play the two sermon days in the week during their time of playing in Lent [i.e., Wednesdays and Fridays, on which days during Lent the English companies were not allowed to play], and in the house of Drury Lane [i.e., the c.o.c.kpit Playhouse], where the Queen's Players usually play. The King's pleasure I signified to Mr. Beeston [the manager of the c.o.c.kpit] the same day, who obeyed readily. The housekeepers are to give them by promise the benefit of their interest[701] for the two days of the first week. They had the benefit of playing on the sermon days, and got two hundred pounds at least; besides many rich clothes were given them. They had freely to themselves the whole week before the week before Easter,[702] which I obtained of the King for them.

[Footnote 699: See Frederick Hawkins, _Annals of the French Stage_ (1884), I, 148 ff., for the career of this player on the French stage.

"Every gift required by the actor," says Hawkins, "was possessed by Floridor."]

[Footnote 700: _La Melise, ou Les Princes Reconnus_, by Du Rocher, first acted in Paris in 1633; see _The Athenaeum_, July 11, 1891, p.

73; and cf. _ibid._, p. 139.]

[Footnote 701: "Housekeepers" were owners, who always demanded of the players as rental for the building a certain part of each day's takings. The pa.s.sage quoted means that the housekeepers allowed the French players to receive _all_ money taken on the two sermon days of the _first_ week, and after that exacted their usual share as rental for the building.]

[Footnote 702: That is, Pa.s.sion Week, during which time the English companies were never allowed to give performances.]

The use of the c.o.c.kpit in Drury Lane came to an end at Easter, for the Queen's own troupe, under Beeston's management, regularly occupied that building. But the King summoned the French players to act at Court on several occasions. Thus Herbert records:

The 4 April, on Easter Monday,[703] they played the _Trompeur Puny_[704] with better approbation than the other.

On Wednesday night, the 16 April,[705] 1635, the French played _Alcimedor_[706] with good approbation.[707]

[Footnote 703: This must be an error, for Easter Monday fell on March 30.]

[Footnote 704: _Le Trompeur Puni, ou Histoire Septentrionale_, by Scuderi.]

[Footnote 705: Wednesday was the 15th.]

[Footnote 706: _Alcimedon_, by Duryer.]

[Footnote 707: Malone, _Variorum_, III, 121, note.]

Clearly these actors were in high favor at Court. Sir Henry, who did not as a rule show any hesitancy in accepting fees, notes in the margin of his book: "The French offered me a present of 10; but I refused it, and did them many other courtesies gratis to render the Queen my mistress an acceptable service." In view of this royal favor, it is not surprising to find that, after they were driven from the c.o.c.kpit, they received permission to fit up a temporary playhouse in the manage, or riding-school, of one M. Le Febure, in Drury Lane. The Lord Chamberlain's Office-Book contains the following entry on the subject:

18 April, 1635: His Majesty hath commanded me to signify his royal pleasure that the French comedians (having agreed with Mons. le Febure) may erect a stage, scaffolds, and seats, and all other accommodations which shall be convenient, and act and present interludes and stage plays at his house [and manage[708]] in Drury Lane, during His Majesty's pleasure, without any disturbance, hindrance, or interruption. And this shall be to them, and Mr. le Febure, and to all others, a sufficient discharge, &c.[709]

[Footnote 708: This clause I insert from Mrs. Stopes's notes on the Lord Chamberlain's records, in the Shakespeare _Jahrbuch_, XLVI, 97.]

[Footnote 709: I have chosen to reproduce the record from Chalmers's _Apology_, p. 506, note _s_, rather than from Mrs. Stopes's apparently less accurate notes in the Shakespeare _Jahrbuch_, XLVI, 97.]

Apparently the players lost little time in fitting up the building, for we read in Herbert's Office-Book:

A warrant granted to Josias D'Aunay,[710] Hurfries de Lau, and others, for to act plays at a new house in Drury Lane, during pleasure, the 5 May, 1635.

The King was pleased to command my Lord Chamberlain to direct his warrant to Monsieur Le Fevure, to give him a power to contract with the Frenchmen for to build a playhouse in the manage-house, which was done accordingly by my advice and allowance.[711]

[Footnote 710: Should we place a comma after "Josias"? That "Josias Floridor" was the leader of the troupe we know from two separate entries; cf. Chalmers, _Apology_, pp. 508, 509.]

[Footnote 711: Malone, _Variorum_, III, 122, note.]

In Glapthorne's _The Ladies' Priviledge_ is a good-natured allusion to the French Company and their vivacious style of acting:[712]

_La._ But, Adorni, What think you of the French?

_Ador._ Very airy people, who partic.i.p.ate More fire than earth; yet generally good, And n.o.bly disposition'd, something inclining To over-weening fancy. This lady Tells my remembrance of a comic scene I once saw in their Theatre.

_Bon._ Add it to Your former courtesies, and express it.

[Footnote 712: Act II, Scene i. This pa.s.sage is pointed out by Lawrence, _The Elizabethan Playhouse_, p. 137.]

Whereupon, according to the stage direction, Adorni "acts furiously."

In the margin of his Office-Book Sir Henry Herbert writes complacently: "These Frenchmen were commended unto me by the Queen, and have pa.s.sed through my hands gratis." This was indeed a rare favor from Herbert; but they did not so easily escape his deputy, William Blagrove, who accepted from them the sum of "three pounds for his pains."

How long the French actors occupied their temporary playhouse in Drury Lane is not clear. In the Lord Chamberlain's book we find an entry showing that they presented a play at Court in December, 1635: "Warrant to pay 10 to Josias Floridor for himself and the rest of the French players for a tragedy by them played before His Majesty Dec.

last."[713] The entry is dated January 8, 1636, and, so far as I can discover, this is the last reference to the French players in London.

We may suppose that shortly after this they returned to Paris.

[Footnote 713: Stopes, _op. cit._, p. 98, Chalmers, _Apology_, p.

509.]

V

DAVENANT'S PROJECTED THEATRE IN FLEET STREET

On March 26, 1639, William Davenant, who had succeeded Ben Jonson as Poet Laureate, secured from King Charles a royal patent under the Great Seal of England to erect a playhouse in Fleet Street, to be used not only for regular plays, but also for "musical entertainments" and "scenic representations." Davenant, as we know, was especially interested in "the art of perspective in scenes," and also in the Italian _opera musicale_. The royal patent--unusually verbose even for a patent--is printed in full in Rymer's _Foedera_, XX, 377; I cite below all the essential pa.s.sages:

[_The Building._] Know ye, that we, of our especial grace, certain knowledge, and meere motion, and upon the humble pet.i.tion of our servant William Davenant, gentleman, have given and granted, and by these presents, for us, our heirs, and successors, do give and grant unto the said William Davenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and a.s.signs, full power, license, and authority ... to frame, new-build, and set up ... a Theatre or Playhouse, with necessary tiring and retiring rooms, and other places convenient, containing in the whole forty yards square at the most,[714] wherein plays, musical entertainments, scenes, or other like presentments may be presented ... so as the outwalls of the said Theatre or Playhouse, tiring or retiring rooms, be made or built of brick or stone, according to the tenor of our proclamations in that behalf.

[_Its Location._] Upon a parcel of ground lying near unto or behind the Three Kings Ordinary in Fleet Street, in the parishes of Saint Dunstan's in the West, London, or in Saint Bride's, London, or in either of them; or in any other ground in or about that place, or in the whole street aforesaid, already allotted to him for that use, or in any other place that is or hereafter shall be a.s.signed or allotted out to the said William Davenant by our right trusty and right well-beloved cousin and counsellor Thomas, Earl of Arundel and Surrey, Earl Marshall of England, or any other of our commissioners for building for that time being in that behalf.

[_Its Uses._] And we do hereby, for us, our heirs, and successors, grant to the said William Davenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and a.s.signs, that it shall and may be lawful to and for him, the said William Davenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and a.s.signs, from time to time to gather together, entertain, govern, privilege, and keep, such and so many players and persons, to exercise action, musical presentments, scenes, dancing, and the like, as he, the said William Davenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and a.s.signs shall think fit and approve for the said house; and such persons to permit and continue at and during the pleasure of the said William Davenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and a.s.signs, from time to time to act plays in such house so to be by him or them erected; and exercise music, musical presentments, scenes, dancing, or other the like, at the same, or other, hours, or times, or after plays are ended,[715] peaceably and quietly, without the impeachment or impediment of any person or persons whatsoever, for the honest recreation of such as shall desire to see the same. And that it shall and may be lawful to and for the said William Davenant, his heirs, executors, administrators, and a.s.signs, to take and receive of such our subjects as shall resort to see or hear any such plays, scenes, and entertainments whatsoever, such sum or sums of money as is, are, or hereafter from time to time shall be accustomed to be given or taken in other playhouses and places for the like plays, scenes, presentments, and entertainments.

[Footnote 714: The Fortune was only eighty feet square, but the stage projected to the middle of the yard. Davenant probably wished to provide for an alcove stage of sufficient depth to accommodate his "scenes."]

[Footnote 715: That is, he may give his "musical presentments," etc., either at the hours when he was accustomed to give plays, or after his plays are ended. This does not necessarily imply evening entertainments.]