OLD ENGLISH STAGE.-No II. floor of the Chapel Pier;" but that attention was not paid to their preservation which a due respect for the memory of the venerable architect demanded. The late Mr. William Knight, the principal acting engineer of the New Bridge, told the writer of this article, that the bones in question were not preserved, MEN WHO PLAYED FEMALE PARTS ON THE STAGE but thrown into the barge, alongside the pier, which received the rubbish.* * For additional particulars of the Old Bridge, see Brayley's “Londiniana,” vol. ii. and Thomson's interesting "Chronicles of London Bridge." RAMPTON, NOTTINGHAMSHIRE. THE descent of the above estate, of which some particulars have been given in a former article (vide p. 149.) will be best understood by referring to the following pedigree, with which we have been favoured by a correspondent. Sir Richard Stanhope, knt. viv. H. III. and Ed. I. viv. 24 Ed. III. Sir Richard S. knt.Alice, daughter and heiress of Hought, Sir John de Stanhope, knt. John, twice married, s. p. Richard Elizabeth Markham, East of Markham, Notts: Richard, viv. Sir Richard, K.B.--Joan, daughter of Thomas. James. 2nd wife. Elizabeth. Agnes. John S. Elizabeth, daughter of Nicholas. William. Henry. Ralph. CURIOSITY might naturally lead to the enquiry of,- It has been supposed that these gentlemen ladies were effeminate in appearance, and that their voices were naturally pitched in a high key, but there is no authority for these suppositions. It is not unreasonable, however, to imagine that they might by practice have obtained the faculty of speaking in falsetto. Dick Kynaston was a dissolute spark; perhaps he was behind his time, or the barber might be in his Michael, ancestor of the cups, which caused the delay in the scene; however these circumstances may or may not have occurred, it is plain that Kynaston had a beard. Sir Edward Stanhope, knt. Avelina, daughter of Sir Gervaise Richard S.: ob. 1528. obiit 1511. From whom are directly descended the Eyres of Rampton and Grove. closed by order of the parliament, the nobility and gentry used Stafford, Richard Godwin, John Wright, Richard the boards of the public theatres. The substance Fouch, Arthur Savill, and Samuel Mannery. The of the clause is as follows:latter six were part of the dramatic corps sanctioned by Prince Charles, afterwards Charles I. These performed Marmyon's 'Hollands Leaguer' at the Whitefriars theatre. Some of these worthies, whatever they might have appeared in petticoats, as "mimic players," acted noble and manly parts in that real tragedy, the "Civil Wars" of King Charles I., the friend and patron of the stage, for whom they loyally took up arms. Hart had a troop of horse in prince Rupert's regiment. It was known that this was a fighting corps. Burt was a cornet in the same gallant troop, and exhibited uncommon bravery in the field. "That whereas the women's parts have hitherto been acted by men in the habits of women, at which some have taken offence, we do permit and give leave, for the time to come, that all women's parts be acted by women." Those who had hitherto played the women's parts in the drama, having played the heroes in the field of battle, might well give place to the fair. Kynaston was not one of the martial corps, being at the period of the civil wars too young to take up arms. He became a celebrated actor of men's parts, personating some of the first-rate characters in the most esteemed plays, with great applause. The advantage derived to the drama by this admission in favour of the ladies was great indeed, as might have been foreseen. An interest was thrown into scenes of tenderness which was pure and ge Shattersell, another player, served two or three campaigns in the capacity of quarter-master. Mohun, a celebrated performer, had a majority in one of the king's regiments, and fought gallantly. D'Avenant the play-wright, player, and subsequently ma-nuine, exciting in the audience feelings very different nager of the Duke of York's theatre, entered the service for his royal master, and was knighted for his bravery upon the field. Allen, an actor also, and of high repute, was a major in the king's army, and quarter-master general. Many others of the dramatic corps were known to have borne arms for their sovereign, whose names have eluded modern research, some of whom fell in the royal cause: indeed it was generally asserted, that such was their reverence for the King, as a patron and protector of the arts, that not one of the players, high or low, were known to have joined the Parliamentarians. Amongst those who fell in the civil war, the fate of no one was more lamented than that of Robinson the comedian, who being surrounded by a strong party of the republicans, after surrendering his arms, was basely put to death by Colonel Harrison, who justified his perfidy by a text from holy-scripture, exclaiming-" cursed is he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently!" It is from a patent granted to Sir William D'Avenant, soon after the Restoration, that we are to date the introduction of females as performers on occasionally to have plays privately performed at their houses in the neighbourhood of the metropolis. Holland House, near Kensington, encouraged these secret dramatics, when the auditors to remunerate the actors, most of whom were destitute of means to obtain a living, each contributed a broad piece. Alexander Gough, the late woman-actor at Blackfriars, (" who had made himself known to persons of quality,") used to be jackall, to give them notice of time and place, to what had been experienced before; for in some passages, the more the actor displayed his skill in the discrimination of the female character, the less was sometimes the applause, and nothing short of the allowance of custom, nor even that at all times, could prevent the manly feelings and encreasing good taste of an audience from occasionally revolting at the representation of scenes even of the purest sentiment and of the strictest moral tendency. There can be no reason for doubting, but that the aforesaid actors must have felt relieved from this odious department of their profession devolving upon the sex; and it may further be supposed, in respect to their memory, that they were the first to hail the ladies upon the stage in propriæ persona. Who, amongst the play-goers in this age, can fully conceive the delight of the first audience, at the exhibition of a dramatic piece graced by the genuine attractions of delicacy and female beauty. It is a curious coincidence, that the two greatest tragedians should happen to unite in husband and wife. Betterton, and his fair lady, who was one of the two female performers who first appeared on the stage, were acknowledged the greatest to the end of their days; this lady, whose maiden name was Saunders, and Mrs. Davenport. These were succeeded by other ladies of celebrity in the histrionic art, of the names of Davies, Long, Gibbs, Norris, Holden, and Jennings. The celebrated Eleanor Gwyn, too, was one of the early female performers, whose reputation was injurious to the profession of her compeers ;-many of them no less beautiful than she, though estimable for those virtues without which wit loseth its charm, and beauty is nought but shame. It is a circumstance not generally known, that about this period'some plays were performed entirely by women, one in particular which is said to have drawn large audiences,-The Parson's Wedding. It is universally known that Queen Henrietta, the wife of Charles I., and the young ladies of the court performed characters, and danced in the masques exhibited in the royal palaces; which gave great offence to the puritans, insomuch that William Prynne, a barrister, wrote a violent philippic against the Queen and her ladies, for what he considered in them a gross violation of female decorum, and abused them in such scandalous terms that he was tried in the star-chamber for the offence, and punished with the utmost rigour of that obnoxious court. That this upright but querulous barrister was unsparing in his abuse, on every occasion which offended the majesty of his opinion, as to moral conduct, is proved by the attack which he made upon some French actresses, who performed for a short season in certain of our metropolitan theatres. This occurred in the year 1629, when French dramatic pieces were played at the Black-friars theatre, and, according to the custom on the continent, the female parts were played by the sex. This is considered to have been the first attempt which had been made to introduce female actors on our public stage. Prynne's animadversions thereon are given in a note to his Histriomastix, in these words. "Some French-women, or monsters rather, on Michaelmas Terme, 1629, attempted to act a French Play, at the Play-house in Black-friers : an impudent, shamefull, unwomanish, gracelesse, if not more than whorish attempt." Prynne, however, was not the only self-elected moral reformer who felt the age scandalized by such heathenish doings, for a Thomas Brande took up his pen, in "ink-pot malice," against these actresses, and thus stigmatized them in an address, as is supposed, to Bishop Laud. "Furthermore you should know, that last daye (November 8) certaine vagrant French players, who had beene expelled from their own contrey, and those women did attempt, thereby giving just offence to all vertuous and well-disposed persons in this town, to act a certayn lascivious and unchaste comedye, in the French tongue, at the Black-fryers." It is amusing to observe how the THIS Cross is interesting from the event which it is said to commemorate. It was erected in the year 783, in consequence of the victory of Charlemagne over the German Saxons, when he compelled them to renounce idolatry and become Christians. Great numbers were baptized near the spot in the Weser, and the village which subsequently was formed close to it, was then called Dorf Weibeke; or, the village of the Sanctifying stream. It is somewhat curious, however, that the river no longer runs in this place, but has altogether changed its bed, as is singularly attested by the bridge at Oldendorf, under which it no longer passes. The height of the Cross above ground is about five feet, and the breadth about three. It is formed of hard sand-stone, similarly sculptured on both sides, and covered with white moss. Its date is fully corroborated from the strong resemblance it bears to crosses of the same character in Wales, in the north of England, and in Scotland. S. R. M. his labour was ever found, except some iron cramps, and part of an iron chain. Mr. Smeaton conceived, after examining the spot, that the Lighthouse had been "overset altogether," and had "torn up a portion of the rock itself along with it." BETWEEN the Eddystone and the Bell-rock Light- | have upon his structure. Unhappily, his confihouses, there is a considerable degree of similarity; dence proved most misplaced; for not a vestige of it is acknowledged, indeed, that the idea of the latter was derived from the EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE, which had been erected by the celebrated Civil Engineer, John Smeaton, esq. in the latter part of George the Second's reign. Upon the Eddystone rocks, which are situated in the English The next Lighthouse on this spot, was erected Channel, at about fourteen miles S.S.W. from Ply-between the years 1706 and 1709, by Mr. John mouth, and directly fronting the entrance of Plymouth Rudyerd, a silk-mercer, on Ludgate-hill; who Sound;---there had been two Lighthouses built was a Cornishman, of very humble parentage. In prior to that which now breasts the waves on the scientific abilities, however, he appears to have same reef. The first was designed by Mr. Henry been exceedingly well qualified for this undertaking. Winstanley, a gentleman of Littlebury, in Essex; His building was altogether unlike the preceding whose genius for mechanism had been displayed one, both in form and material; for its shape was by various ingenious inventions. His was a poly- the frustrum of a cone, and it was entirely congonal building of stone, about 100 feet high, which structed of strong planks, and other timbers, caulked was commenced in the year 1696, and finished in with oakum, and bolted and clamped with iron. 1700. That edifice was entirely swept away by the Its height was ninety-two feet; the work being waves, during the tremendous storm which desolated terminated by an octagonal balcony and light-room, the shores of Great Britain, on the night of the surmounted by a cupola. But this, like its pre26th of November, 1703, together with its ill-fated decessor, after enduring several severe tempests, architect, who was then within it superintending was finally doomed to suffer, though by a different some repairs. He had been heard to say, when agent; for on the morning of the 2nd of December, going off with his workmen, but a short time before, 1755, it was totally destroyed by fire,-which by that he was so well assured of the strength of his some unknown means had kindled in the cupola, building, he should only wish to be there in the greatest storm that ever blew under the face of the Heavens, that he might see what effect it would 66 Vide Smeaton's "Narrative," &c. of the building of the "Eddystone Lighthouse," fol. p. 17. and in the course of five days burnt downward to | foam: at these times, the building is wholly envethe very foundations, and nothing remained except loped by the water. the iron cramps and branches which had been fixed into the rock. After a considerable time passed in arrangements and preparations, the first stone of the present Eddystone Lighthouse was laid on June 12th, 1757; it was completed in October, 1759, and on the 16th of that month, its beacon-light was seen streaming over the waves, Originally, the light was shewn by means of chandeliers; but in the year 1807, when the lease of the duties and the property of the Lighthouse reverted to the Trinity-House Board, of London, the chandeliers were removed, and their place supplied by a frame-work, fitted up with Argand burners and parabolic reflectors of silvered copper, to the great and essential improvement of the light. In order to expedite the erection of this Lighthouse, the stones were hewn, and dove-tailed, and fitted to each other on shore, at Mill-bay, adjoining the Hoo, at Plymouth, and thence conveyed to the rock by yawls and other vessels. Every practicable effort to attain duration, was sedulously made, as the work was carried on. All the lower courses of stone are joggled and morticed into the rock itself, stone are joggled and morticed into the rock itself, which was hewed for that purpose, into a series of six steps; and every surmounting course of masonry is likewise so ingeniously dove-tailed together, as well as into each other, and strengthened with oaktrenails, iron cramps, and chain-work (the latter embedded in lead), that the whole may be regarded as constituting one solid mass. The basement and exterior are entirely of Cornish Moorstone, or granite, (from the quarries at Constantine, near Falmouth), but most of the interior work is of Portland stone. The light-room is an octagonal frame-wards lost upon the rock with his ship and crew. work, of cast and wrought iron, with copper windowsashes, strongly glazed with plate glass; the whole is surmounted by a cupola (weighing about 11 cwt.) and a gilt-ball. Below the light-room, there are two store-rooms, a kitchen, and a bed-room. On the course of granite under the ceiling in the upper store-room, is the following verse from the 127th Psalm, wrought in by a pick. THE BELL-ROCK LIGHTHOUSE is situated on the Inchcape rock, (in the German ocean) about eleven miles south-west from the promontory, called the Red-head, in Forfarshire, NorthBritain. The Scape rock, to use the name by which it is distinguished in the olden charts, lies in the track of all vessels making for the estuaries of the being a sunken rock, is consequently extremely Friths of Forth and Tay, from a foreign voyage, and dangerous.* Tradition states, that the Abbots of the ancient monastery of Aberbrothock, or Arbroath, caused a bell to be so fixed upon the rock by machinery, that it was rung by the motion of the waves, and thus warned the mariner of impending danger; it also adds, that a Dutch captain carried away the bell, and, as in retribution for his offence, was after EXCEPT THE LORD BUILD THE HOUSE, The necessity of erecting a Lighthouse upon this rock was powerfully shewn in the year 1799, when about seventy vessels were wrecked on the coast of sensation occasioned by that calamity, the attention Scotland in a dreadful storm. From the strong sensation occasioned by that calamity, the attention of" the Commissioners of the Northern Lighthouses,” was immediately directed to the above object, and after many important preliminary arrangements, Mr. Stevenson, the scientific engineer of the Lighthouse Board, erected the present edifice from his own designs, but on the principles of the Eddystone There are in all fifty-two courses of stone-work to Lighthouse, between the years 1807 and 1811. The the top of the masonry; of these forty-six courses are work was commenced upon the rock on the 17th of contained in the main column, the height of which, August, in the former year, and on the 1st of to the floor of the balcony, is seventy feet. The February, 1811, the light was first seen to extend its height of the light-room to the top of the ball, is auspicious beams from the summit of this majestic twenty-four feet; the entire height from the founda-column. All the stones were shaped and prepared tion of the lower course of stone is ninety-four feet. Notwithstanding this elevation, such is the force of the sea in great storms, that the rolling waves sweep up the sides of the Lighthouse in one immense column, which rises to more than double its height, and then breaks over it in an arch-like cataract of spray and in the work-yard at Arbroath; and the several courses having been dove-tailed, and connected together by joggles of stone and oaken trenails, the breadth at the ordinary height of spring tides it is about * This rock is about 430 feet in length, and 230 feet in twelve feet under water. |