names of the different places where the scene was laid in the progrefs of the play, which were difpofed in fuch a manner as to be visible to the audience". Though the apparatus for theatrick exhibitions was thus fcanty, and the machinery of the fimpleft kind, the invention of trap-doors appears not to be modern; for in an old Morality, entitled, All for Money, we find a marginal direction, which implies that they were very early in use7. We learn from Heywood's Apology for Actors, that the covering, or internal roof, of the stage, was ancient. ly termed the heavens. It was probably painted of a fky-blue colour; or perhaps pieces of drapery tinged with blue were fufpended acrofs the ftage, to reprefent the heavens. It appears from the ftage-directions given in The Spanish Tragedy, that when a play was exhibited within a play, "What child is there, that coming to a play and seeing Thebes written upon an old door, doth believe that it is Thebes ?" Defence of Poefie, by Sir Philip Sidney. Signat. G. 1595. When D'Avenant introduced fcenes on the publick stage, this ancient practice was ftill followed. See his Introduction to his Siege of Rhodes, 1656: "In the middle of the freefe was a compartement, wherein was written-RHODES." 7«Herewith fome fine conveyance, Pleasure shall appeare from beneathe." All for Money, 1578. So, in Marston's Antonio's Revenge, 1602: "Enter Balurdo from under the frage." In the fourth act of Macbeth, several apparitions arife from beneath the fage, and again defcend.-The cauldron likewise finks: Why Jinks that cauldron, and what noife is this?" In the Roaring Girl, a comedy by Middleton and Decker, 1611, there is a character called Trap-door. 8 Apol. for Actors, 1612. Signat. D. 9 Spanish Tragedy, 1610, Act IV. Signat. L. Enter Hieronimo. He knocks up the curtain. "Caft. How now Hieronimo, where's your fellows, "Hiero. O, fir, it is for the author's credit "To look that all things may go well. a play, (if I may fo exprefs myself,) as is the cafe in that piece and in Hamlet, the court or audience before whom the interlude was performed fat in the balcony, or upper ftage, already defcribed; and a curtain or traverse being hung across the stage for the nonce, the performers entered between that curtain and the general audience, and on its being drawn, began their piece, addreffing themselves to the balcony, and regardless of the spectators in the theatre, to whom their backs must have been turned during the whole of the performance. From a plate prefixed to Kirkman's Drolls, printed in 1672, in which there is a view of a theatrical booth, it fhould feem that the flage was formerly lighted by two large branches, of a form fimilar to thofe now hung in churches; and from Beaumont's Verfes prefixed to Fletcher's Faithful Shepherdefs, which was acted before the year 1611, we find that wax lights were used. Thefe branches having been found incommodious, as they obftructed the fight of the fpectators, gave "But, good my lord, let me entreat your grace, "This is the argument of what we fhew. "Caft. I will, Hieronimo. "Hiero. Let me entreat your grace, that when "The train are paft into the gallery, "You would vouchfafe to throw me down the key. "Enter Balthazar, with a chair. "Hiero. Well done, Balthazar; hang up the tilt: "Our scene is Rhodes. What, is your beard on?" Afterwards the tragedy of Solyman and Perfeda is exhibited before the king of Spain, the duke of Caftile, &c. "Some like, if the wax lights be new that day." 2 Fleckno in 1664, complains of the bad lighting of the stage, even at that time: Of this curious art [fcenery] the Italians (this latter age) are the greatest matters; the French good proficients; and we in England only scholars and learners yet, having proceeded no farther than to bare painting, and not arrived to the ftupendous wonders of your great ingeniers; efpecially not knowing yet bow to place our lights, for the more advantage and illuminating of the scenes." Short Difcourfe of the English flage. place 1 place at a fubfequent period to fmall circular wooden frames, furnished with candles, eight of which were hung on the stage, four at either fide: and thefe within a few years were wholly removed by Mr. Garrick, who, on his return from France in 1765, first introduced the present commodious method of illuminating the ftage by lights not visible to the audience. The body of the house was illuminated by creffets3, or large open lanterns of nearly the fame fize with those which are fixed in the poop of a fhip. If all the players whofe names are enumerated in the firft folio edition of our author's works, belonged to the fame theatre, they compofed a numerous company; but it is doubtful whether they all performed at the fame period, or always continued in the fame houfe. Many of the companies, in the infancy of the ftage, certainly were fo thin, that the fame perfon played two or three parts; and a battle on which the fate of an empire was fuppofed to depend, was decided by half a dozen com 3 See Cotgrave's French Dictionary, 1611, in v. Falot: "A creffet light, (fuch as they ufe in playboufes,) made of ropes wreathed, pitched, and put into fmall and open cages of iron." The Watchmen of London carried creffets fixed on poles till 1539 (and perhaps later). Stowe's Survey, p. 160, edit. 1618. 4 An actor, who wrote a pamphlet against Mr. Pope, foon after the publication of his edition of Shakspeare, fays, he could prove that they belonged to feveral different companies. It appears from the MS. Regifter of lord Stanhope, treasurer of the chamber to king James I. that Jofeph Taylor, in 1613, was at the head of a diftinct company from that of Heminge, called the lady Elizabeth's fervants, who then acted at the Hope on the Bankfide. He was probably however, before that period, of the king's company, of which afterwards he was a principal ornament. Some of the players too, whofe names are prefixed to the first folio edition of our author, were dead in the year 1600, or soon after; and others there enumerated, might have appeared at a fubfequent period, to supply their lofs. See the Catalogue of Alors, poft. 5 In the Induction to Marston's Antonio and Mellida, 1602, Piers afks Alberto, what part he acts. He replies, " the neceffity of the play forceth me to act two parts." See also the Dramatis Perfonæ of many of our ancient plays; and below, p. 98, n. 2. batants. batants. It appears to have been a common practice in their mock engagements, to discharge fmall pieces of ordnance on or behind the ftage 7. Before the exhibition began, three flourishes were played, or, in the ancient language, there were three foundings. Mufick was likewife played between the acts. The inftruments chiefly ufed, were trumpets, · "And fo our feene muft to the battle fly, "The name of Agincourt." K. Henry V. A& IV. 7" Much like to fome of the players that come to the scaffold with drumme and trumpet, to proffer fkirmishe, and when they have founded alarme, off go the pieces, to encounter a fhadow, or conquer a paper-monster." Schoole of Abufe, by Stephen Gotion, 1579. So, in The True Tragedie of Richarde Duke of of Yorke, and the Death of good King Henrie the Sixt, 1600: "Alarmes to the battaile.-York flies; then the chambers be discharged; then enter the king," &c. "Come, let's bethink ourselves, what may be found "To deceive time with, till the fecond found." 8 Notes from Black-fryars, by H. Fitz-Jeoffery, 1617. See alfo the Addrefs to the readers, prefixed to Decker's Satiromaftix, a comedy, 1602: "Instead of the trumpets founding thrice be fore the play begin," &c. 9 See the Prologue to Hannibal and Scipio, a tragedy, 1637: "The places fometimes chang'd too for the scene, "Which is tranflated, as the mufick plays "Betwixt the acts." The practice appears to have prevailed in the infancy of our stage. See the concluding lines of the fecond act of Gammer Gurton's Needle, 1575: "In the towne will I, my frendes to vyfit there, "And hether ftraight again, to fee the end of this gere: "In the mean time, felowes, pipe upp your fiddles, I say take them, "And let your freyndes here fuch mirth as ye can make them." It has been thought by fome that our author's dramas were exhibited without any paufes, in an unbroken continuity of fcenes. But this appears to be a mistake. In a copy of Romeo and Juliet, 1599, now before me, which certainly belonged to the play-houfe, the endings of the acts are marked in the margin; and directions are given for mufick to be played between each act. The marginal directions in this copy appear to be of a very old date, one of them being in the ancient ftyle and hand- Play muficke," cornets, cornets, hautboys, lutes, recorders, viols, and organs". The band, which, I believe, did not confist of more than eight or ten performers, fat (as I have been told by a tery ancient ftage-veteran, who had his information from Boman, the contemporary of Betterton,) in an upper balcony, over what is now called the stage-box 2. From Sir Henry Herbert's Manufcript I learn, that the musicians belonging to Shakspeare's company were obliged to pay the Mafter of the Revels an annual fee for a licence to play in the theatre 3. Not very long after our poet's death the Blackfriars' band was more numerous; and their reputation was fo high as to be noticed by Sir Bulitrode Whitelocke, in an account which he has left of the fplendid Masque given by the four Inns of Court on the fecond of Febru ary, 1633-4, entitled The Triumph of Peace, and intended, as he himfelf informs us," to manifeft the difference of their opinion from Mr. Prynne's new learning, and to confute his Hiftriomaftix against interludes." See the ftage-directions in Marston's Sophonisba, acted at the Blackfriars theatre, in 1606: "The ladies draw the curtains about Sophonisba;-the cornets and crgans playing loud full muficke for the act. Signat. B 4. "Organ mixt with recorders for this act. Signat. D 2. "Organs, viols, and voices, play for this act. Signat. E z. "A bafe lute and a treble viol play for this act." Signat. F 2. 2 In the last scene of Maflinger's City Madam, which was first acted at Blackfriars, May 25, 1632, Orpheus is introduced chanting thofe ravishing ftrains with which he moved Charon and Cerberus, to give him way "To fetch from hell his loft Eurydice." The following stage-direction, which is found in the preceding scene, fupports what has been suggested above, concerning the station of the musicians in our ancient theatres: "Muficians come down, [i. c. are to come down,] to make ready for the fong at Arras." This fong was to be fung behind the arras. 3For a warrant to the Mufitions of the king's company, this 9th of Aprill, 1627,-£. 1. o. o." Mf. Herbert. In a warrant of protection now before me, figned by Sir Henry Herbert, and dated from the Office of the Revels, Dec. 27, 1624, Nicholas Underhill, Robert Pallant, John Rhodes, and feventeen others, are mentioned as being "all imployed by the kings Maties fervants in theire quallity of playinge as mufitions, and other neceflary attendants." |