followinge; that is to faie, at fuche tyme and when as the tymber woork of the faide frame fhall be rayfed and fett upp by the faide Peter Streete, his executors or affignes, or within feaven daies then next. followinge, two oe hundred and twentie poundes; and att fuche time and when as the faid framework fhall be fullie effected and finished as is aforefaid, or within feaven daies then next followinge, thother twooe hundred and twentie poundes, withoute fraude or coven. Provided allwaies, and it is agreed betwene the faid parties, that whatfoever fome or fomes of money the faid Phillip Henflowe, or Edward Allen, or either of them, or the executors or affigns of them or either of them, fhall lend or deliver unto the faide Peter Streete, his executors or affignes, or any other by his appoyntment or confent, for or concerninge the faide woork or anie parte thereof, or any ftuff thereto belonginge, before the raifeing and fetting upp of the faide frame, fhall be reputed,, accepted, taken and accoumpted in parte of the firft payment aforefaid of the faid fome of fower hundred and fortie poundes and all fuch fome and fomes of money as they or anie of them fhall as aforefaid lend or deliver betwene the razeing of the faid frame and finishing thereof, and of all the reft of the faid works, fhall be reputed, accepted, taken and accoumpted in parte of the lafte payment aforefaid of the fame fome of fower hundred and fortie poundes; anie thinge above faid to the contrary notwithftandinge. In witness whereof the parties above faid to theis prefent indentures interchangeably have fett their handes and feales. Yeoven the daie and yeare firft above-written. " AS the following article in Mr. Malone's Supplement, &c. 1780. is omitted in his prefent Hiftorical Account of the English Stage, it is here reprinted. The defcription of a moft fingular species of dramatick entertainment, cannot well be confidered as an unnatural adjunct to the preceding valuable mass of theatrical information. STEEVENS. A tranfcript of a very curious paper now in my poffeffion, entitled, The Platt of the Secound Parte of the Seven Deadlie Sinns, ferves in some measure to mark the various degrees of confequence of feveral of thefe [our ancient] performers. The piece entitled The Seven Deadly Sins, in two parts, (of one of which the annexed paper contains the outlines) was written by Tarleton the comedian. From the manner in which it is mentioned 2 See Four Letters and certain Sonnets, [ by Gabriel Harvey] 1592. p. 29. 66 ; doubtlefs it will prove fome dainty devife, queintly contrived by way of humble fupplication to the high and mightie Prince of darkneffe; not dunfically botched up, hut right formally conveyed, according to the file and tenour of Tarleton's prefident, his famous play of the Seaven Deadly Sinnes; which moft dealy [f. deadly] but lively playe I might have feen in London, and was verie gently invited thereunto at Oxford by Tarleton himselfe of whom I merrily demaunding, which of the feaven was his own deadlie finne, he bluntly answered, after this manner; By Gthe finne of other gentlemen, lechery." Tarleton's Repentance and his Farewell to his Frendes in his Sickness, a little before his death," was entered on the Stationers' books in October, 1589. fo that the play of The Seven Deadly Sins muft have been produced in or before that year. The Seven Deadly Sins had been very early personified, and introduced by Dunbar, a Scottish writer, (who flourished about 1470) in a poem entitled The Daunce. In this piece they are defcribed as prefenting a mask or mummery, with the neweft gambols juft imported from France. In an anonymous poem called The Kalender of Shepherds, printed by Wynkyn de Worde, 1497. are also described the Seven Vifions, or the punishments in hell of The Vol. III. To face p. UND PARTE OF SINNS. dgat fpeake. 408. ter Nicanor with other Captaines R. Pall. J. er. Kitt. J. Holland. R. Cowly, to them &tus Mr. Pope. to him Will Foole + J. Duke. to Rodopeie Ned. to her Sardanapalus like a an with Afpatia Rodope Pompeia Will. Foole. em Arbactus & 3 mufitions Mr. Pope J... er. Vincent. R. Cowley. to them Nicanor and SR. P. Kitt. ter Sardanapa. with the Ladies. to them a nger Tho. Goodale. to him Will Foole ng. Alarum. ter Arbacus purfuing Sardanapalus, and Ladies fly. After euter Sarda. with as many Is robes and gold as he can cary. m I fuppofe him to have reprefented, was, AS the following article in Mr. Malone's Supplement, &c. 1780. is omitted in his prefent Hiftorical Account of the English Stage, it is here reprinted. — The defcription of a most fingular species of drama, tick entertainment, cannot well be considered as an unnatural adjunct to the preceding valuable mass of theatrical information. STEEVENS. "A tranfcript of a very curious paper now in my poffeffion, entitled, The Platt of the Secound Parte of the Seven Deadlie Sinns, ferves in fome measure to mark the various degrees of confequence of feveral of thefe [our ancient] performers. The piece entitled The Seven Deadly Sins, in two parts, (of one of which the annexed paper contains the outlines,) was written by Tarleton the comedian.2 From the manner in which it is mentioned 2 See Four Letters and certain Sonnets, [by Gabriel Harvey] 1592. P. 29. doublefs it will prove fome dainty devife, queintly contrived by way of humble fupplication to the high and mightie Prince of darkneffe; not dunfically botched up, hut right formally conveyed, according to the file and tenour of Tarleton's prefident, his famous play of the Seaven Deadly Sinnes; which moft dealy [f. deadly] but lively playe I might have feen in London, and was verie gently invited thereunto at Oxford by Tarleton himselfe ; of whom I merrily demaunding, which of the feaven was his own deadlie finne, he bluntly anfwered, after this manner; By Gthe finne of other gentlemen, lechery." Tarleton's Repentance and his Farewell to his Frendes in his Sickness, a little before his death," was entered on the Stationers' books in October, 1589. fo that the play of The Seven Deadly Sins muft have been produced in or before that year. The Seven Deadly Sins had been very early perfonified, and introduced by Dunbar, a Scottish writer, (who flourished about 1470) in a poem entitled The Daunce. In this piece they are defcribed as prefenting a mask or mummery, with the neweft gambols juft imported from France. In an anonymous poem called The Kalender of Shepherds, printed by Wyukyn de Worde, 1497. are alfo defcribed the Seven Vifions, or the punishments in hell of The Vol. III. To face p. 408. UND PARTE OF SINNS. dgat fpeake. ter Nicanor with other Captaines R. Pall. J. er. Kitt. J. Holland. R. Cowly, to them tus Mr. Pope. to him Will Foole + J. Duke. to Rodopeie Ned. to her Sardanapalus like a an with Afpatia Rodope Pompeia Will. Foole. cm Arbactus & 3 mufitions Mr. Pope J.. er. Vincent. R. Cowley. to them Nicanor and s R. P. Kitt. ter Sardanapa. with the Ladies. to them a enger Tho. Goodale. to him Will Foole ng. Alarum. . ter Arba&tus purfuing Sardanapalus, and adies fly. After euter Sarda. with as many Is robes and gold as he can cary. m I fuppofe him to have reprefented, was, to the fable, but twelve years old, when he red by his mother. In the prefent exhibition might not think it neceffary to follow the cal flory fo exactly. If Itys was reprefented by n, it was probably thought fufficient. AccordRowe, Shakspeare's acquaintance with the flage w years after he was married, perhaps about 35. Suppofing that he continued in the theatre or two, in obfcurity, in 1587. (being then ee years old) he might with fufficient propriety fented the character of Itys, with whofe fupit is probable, few of the audience were cquainted. Shakspeare, being once in poffefpart, might have continued to act it, to the en the above plat is fuppofed to have been t. MALONE. |