Charles I. Sir William Davenant, after the Restoration, introduced women, scenery, and higher prices. See Cibber's Apology for his own Life. See a short Discourse on the English Stage, subjoined to Flecknor's "Love's Kingdom," 1674, 12mo. ? It appears from an Epigram of Taylor, the Waterpoet, that one of the principal Theatres in his time, viz. The Globe on the Bankside, Southwark (which Ben Jonson calls the Glory of the Bank, and Fort of the whole parish), had been covered with thatch till it was burnt down in 1813. See Taylor's Sculler, Epig. 22, p. 31. Jonson's Exe cration on Vulcan. Puttenham tell us they used Vizards in his time, "partly to supply the want of players, when there were more parts than there were persons, or that it was not thought meet to trouble princes chambers with too many folkes." Art of Eng. Poes. 1589, p. 26. From the last clause, it should seem that they were chiefly used in the Masques at Court. "The house is comedies at Venice, he says, very beggarly and base, in comparison of our stately playhouses in England: neyther can their actors compare with ours for apparrell, shewes, and musicke. Here I observed certaine things that I never saw before: for I saw women act, a thing that I never saw before, though I have heard that it hath been sometimes used in London: and they performed it with as good a grace, action, gesture, and whatsoever convenient for a player, as ever I saw any masculine actor."* It ought, however, to be observed, that, amid such a multitude of playhouses as subsisted in the Metropolis before the Civil Wars, there must have been a great difference between their several accommodations, ornaments, and prices; and that some would be much more showy than others, though probably all were much inferior in splendour to the two great theatres after the Restoration. **The preceding Essay, although some of the materials are new arranged, hath received no alteration deserving notice, from what it was in the Second edition, 1767, except in Section iv., which in the present impression hath been much enlarged. This is mentioned because since it was first published, the History of the English Staġe hath been copiously handled by Mr. Thomas Warton in his "History of English Poetry, 1774, &c." 3 vols. 4to. (wherein is inserted whatever in these volumes fell in with his subject); and by Edmond Malone, Esq., who in his " Historical Account of the English Stage," (Shaksp. vol. i. pt. ii., 1790), hath added greatly to our knowledge of the economy and usages of our ancient theatres. * Coryate's Crudities, 4to., 1611, p. 247. 14 I. Adam Bell, Clym of the Clough, and William of Cloudesly, - were three noted outlaws, whose skill to one or two other passages in our old poets in archery rendered them formerly as famous wherein he is mentioned. The Oxford editor in the North of England, as Robin Hood and has also well conjectured, that "Abraham his fellows were in the midland counties. Cupid," in Romeo and Juliet, act ii. sc. 1, Their place of residence was in the forest of should be "Adam Cupid," in allusion to our Englewood, not far from Carlisle, (called cor- archer. Ben Jonson has mentioned Clym o' ruptly in the ballad English-wood, whereas the Clough in his Alchemist, act i. sc. 2. Engle- or Ingle-wood signifies wood for firing.) | And Sir William Davenant, in a mock poem At what time they lived does not appear. of his, called The Long Vacation in LonThe author of the common ballad on "The don," describes the attorneys and proctors, pedigree, education, and marriage, of Robin as making matches to meet in Finsbury fields. Hood," makes them contemporary with Robin Hood's father, in order to give him the honour of beating them: viz. The father of Robin a forrester was, As the Pindar of Wakefield does know: "With loynes in canvass bow-case tyde:* Works, 1673, fol. p. 291. I have only to add further concerning the principal hero of this ballad, that the Bells were noted rogues in the north so late as the. For he brought Adam Bell, and Clim of the time of Queen Elizabeth. See in Rymer's Clough, Our northern archers were not unknown to their southern countrymen: their excellence at the long-bow is often alluded to by our ancient poets. Shakspeare, in his comedy of "Much adoe about nothing," act 1, makes Benedicke confirm his resolves of not yielding to love by this protestation, "If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat,* and shoot at me, and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the shoulder, and called Adam :" meaning Adam Bell, as Theobald rightly observes, who refers Bottles formerly were of leather; though perhaps a wooden bottle might be here meant. It is still a diversion in Scotland to hang up a cat in a small cask, or firkin, half filled with soot; and then a parcel of clowns on horseback try to beat out the ends of it, in order to show their dexterity in escaping before the contents fall upon them. Foedera, a letter from Lord William Howard to some of the officers of state, wherein 'he mentions them. As for the following stanzas, which will be judged from the style, orthography, and numbers, to be of considerable antiquity, they were here given (corrected in some places by a MS. copy in the Editor's old folio) from a black-letter 4to. Imprinted at London in Lothburge by Wm. Copland (no date). That old quarto edition seems to be exactly followed in Pieces of Ancient Popular Poetry, &c. Lond. 1791," 8vo., the variations from which, that occur in the following copy, are selected from many others in the folio MS. above mentioned, and when distinguished by the usual inverted 'comma' have been assisted by conjecture. In the same MS. this ballad is followed by another, entitled Younge Cloudeslee, being a continuation of the present story, and reciting the adventures of William of Cloudesly's son: but greatly inferior to this both in merit and antiquity. i. e. Each with a canvass bow-case tied round his loins. 'A' curse on his harte, saide William, 105 There they hym bounde both hand and fote, Thys day thy cote dyd on! If it had ben no better then myne, It had gone nere thy bone. Yelde the Cloudeslè, sayd the justise, And thy bowe and thy arrowes the fro. And in a deepe dungeon hym cast: Now, Cloudesle, sayd the justice, Thou shalt be hanged in hast. 150 'A payre of new gallowes, sayd the sherife, Now shal I for thee make; 'A' curse on hys hart, sayd fair Alyce, 111 And the gates of Carleil shal be shutte: 155 No man shal come in therat. That lytle boye was the towne swyne-heard, | Then bespake hym Clym of the Clough, Wyth a wyle we wyl us in bryng; Streyght come nowe from our king. Adam said, I have a letter written, Now let us wysely werke, 10 We have a letter, sayd Adam Bel, That we were agayne to the kyng. 200 PART THE SECOND. And when they came to mery Carleile, They founde the gates shut them untyll About on every syde. Alas! then sayd good Adam Bell, That ever we were made men! These gates be shut so wonderous fast, We may not come therein. Welcome is my lordes seale, he saide He opened the gate full shortlye: Now are we in, sayde Adam Bell, Wherof we are full faine; 5 V. 179, yonge men, P. C. V. 190, sic MS. shadowes sheene, P C. V. 197, jolly yeomen, MS. wight yong men, P. C. * See Gloss. But Christ he knowes, that harowed hell, V. 38, Lordeyne, P. C 45 * i. e. weened, thought, (which last is the reading of the folio MS.)-Calais, or Rouen, was taken from the English by showing the governor, who could not read, a letter with the king's seal, which was all he looked at. |