Зображення сторінки
PDF
ePub

plied by the simple expedient of writing the names of the Vol. I. different places where the fcene was laid in the progrefs of

NOTES.

PROLEGO

the MENA.

mentioned by Ben Jonfon in the induction to his Cynthia's
Revels, might be properly introduced to cover old tapestry;
for to hang pictures over faded arras, was then and is still fuflici-
ently common in antiquated manfions, fuch as thofe in which
the fcenes of dramatic writers are often laid. That Shakspeare
himself was no ftranger to the magic of theatrical ornaments,
may be inferred from a paffage in which he alludes to the scenery
of pageants, the fashionable fhews of his time:

"Sometimes we fee a cloud that's dragonish,
"A vapour fometimes like a lion, a bear,
"A towred citadel, a pendent rock,

"A forked mountain, or blue promontory
', With trees upon't, that nod unto the world,
"And mock our eyes with air :-these thou hast seen,
"They are black Vefper's pageants*"

Antony and Cleopatra.
"To conclude, the richest and most expenfive fcenes had
been introduced to drefs up thofe fpurious children of the mufe
called Mafques; nor have we fufficient reafon for believing that
Tragedy, her legitimate offspring, continued to be expofed in
rags, while appendages more fuitable to her dignity were known
to be within the reach of our ancient managers. Shakspeare,
Burbage, and Condell, muft have had frequent opportunities of
being acquainted with the mode in which both mafques, trage-
dies, and comedies, were reprefented in the inns of court, the
halls of noblemen, and in the palace itself. STEEVENS."

"Sir Crack, I am none of your fresh pictures that use to beautify the decayed old arras, in a publick theatre." Induction to Cynthia's Revels, by Ben Jonfon, 1601.

In the induction to an old tragedy called A Warning for fair Women, 1599, three perfonages are introduced under the names

"Lic. Have you no news o' the stage?

"Tho. O yes;

"There is a legacy left to the king's players,

"Both for their various shifting of their scenes,

"And dextrous change of their perfons to all shapes
“And all disguises, &c."

• After a pageant had paffed through the streets, the characters that compofed it were aflembled in fome hall or other spacious apartment, where they delivered their respective fpeeches, and were finally fet out to view with the advantages of proper scenery and decoration.

i

VOL. I. the play, which were difpofed in fuch a manner as to be PROLEGO- vifible to the audience f.

MENA.

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, Ail for Money, we find a marginal direction, which implies that they were very early

in ufe 5.

It appears from Heywood's Apology for Attors", that the covering, or internal roof of the ftage, was anciently termed the heavens. It was probably painted of a sky-blue colour; or perhaps pieces of drapery tinged with blue were fufpended across the ftage, to reprefent the heavens.

NOTE S.

of Tragedy, Comedy, and Hiftory. After fome conteft for fuperiority, Tragedy prevails; and Hiflory and Comedy retire with these words:

1

Hift." Look, Comedie, I mark'd it not till now,
"The ftage is hung with blacke, and I perceive
"The auditors prepar'd for tragedie.

Com. "Nay then, I fee the shall be entertain'd.
"These ornaments befeem not thee and me;
"Then, Tragedie, kill them to-day with forrow,
"We'll make them laugh with mirthful jefts to-morrow."
So, in Marston's Infatiate Countess, 1603:

"The age of heaven is hung with folemn black,
"A time beft fitting to act tragedies."

Again, in our author's K. Henry VI. P. I.

66

Hung be the heavens with black, &c."

Again, more appofitely, in his Rape of Lucrece, 1594:
"Black fiage for tragedies, and murthers fell."

"What child is there that coming to a play and feeing Thebes written upon an old door, doth believe that it is Thebes?" Defence of Poefic, by Sir Philip Sidney. Sig. G. 1595.

g "Here- with fome fine conveyance, Pleasure shall appeare from beneathe." All for Money, 1578.

So, in Marston's Antonio's Revenge, 16cz:

"Enter Balurdo from under the stage."

In the fourth act of Macbeth, feveral apparitions arife from beneath the ftage and again defcend.-The cauldron likewife finks:-"Why finks that cauldron, and what noife is this?"

In the Roaring Girl, a comedy by Middleton, 1611, there is a character called Trap-door.

h Apol. for Actors, 1612. Sig. D 3.

From

From a plate prefixed to Kirkman's Drolls, printed in VoL. L 1672, in which there is a view of a theatrical booth, it should PROLEGOfeem that the ftage was formerly lighted by two large MENA. branches, of a form fimilar to thofe now hung in churches. They being. I fuppofe, found incommodious, as they obfructed the fight of the fpectators, gave place in a fubfequent period to fmall circular wooden frames, furnished with candles, eight of which were hung on the ftage, four at either fide: and thefe within a few years were wholly removed by Mr. Garrick, who, on his return from France, firft introduced the prefent commodious method of illuminating the ftage by lights not vifible to the audience.

If all the players whofe names are enumerated in the first 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 in the fame houfe *. Many of the companies, certainly were fo thin, that one perfon played two or three parts'; and

NOTES.

Fleckno, in 1664, complains of the bad lighting of the ftage, even at that time: "Of this curious art [fcenery] the Italians (this latter age) are the greatest masters; 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 how to place our lights, for the more advantage and illuminating of the Scenes." Short Difcourfe of the English fiage.

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 several different companies. It appears from the MS. Register of lord Stanhope, treasurer of the chambers to king James I. that Jofeph Taylor, in 1613, was at the head of a diftinct company from that of Hemminge, called the lady Elizabeth's fervants, who acted at the Hope on the Bankfide. Some of the players too, whofe names are prefixed to the firft folio edition of our author, were dead in the year 1600, or foon after; and others there enumerated, might have appeared in a fubfequent period, to fupply their lofs. See the Ca talogue of Actors, poft.

In the induction to Marston's Antonio and Mellida, 1602, Piero afks Alberto, what part he acts. He replies, "the necef

VOL. I. and a battle on which the fate of an empire was fuppofed to PROLEGO- depend, was decided by half a dozen combatants. It ap

MENA.

pears to have been a common practice in their mock engagements, to discharge fmall pieces of ordnance on the ftage". Before the exhibition began, three flourishes or pieces of mufick were played, or, in the ancient language, there were three foundings. Mufick was likewife played between the acts P. The inftruments chiefly used were trumpets, cornets, and hautboys. The band, which did not confift of more than five or fix performers, fat (as I have been told by a very ancient ftage veteran, who had his information

NOTES.

fity of the play forceth me to act two parts." See alfo the Dra-
matis Perfona of many of our ancient plays; and poit. p. 28.
(Note ').

And fo our scene muft to the battle fly,
"Where, O for pity! we shall much disgrace
"With four or five moft vile and ragged foils,
"Right ill difpos'd in brawl ridiculous,

"The name of Agincourt." K. Henry V. a&t IV.

"Much like to fome of the players that come to the fcaffold 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 Abuse, by Stephen Goffon, 1579

So, in The True Tragedie of Richard Duke of Yorke, and the "Alarmes to the Death of good King Henrie the Sixt, 1600: battaile.-York flies-then the chambers be discharged—then enter the king, &c."

• Come let's but think ourselves what may be found "To deceive time with till the fecond found."

Notes from Black-fryars, by H. Fitz-Jeoffery, 1617. See alfo Decker's Gul's Horn-booke, 1609: "Throw the cardes about the stage just upon the third found, as though you had loft."

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 clearly 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 style and hand Play muficke."

[ocr errors]

from

from Bowman, the contemporary of Betterton) in an upper VOL. I. balcony, over what is now called the stage-box.

PROLEGO

The perfon who fpoke the prologue, was ushered in by MENA. trumpets 1, and ufually wore a long black velvet cloak, which, I fuppofe, was confidered as beft fuited to a fupplicatory addrefs. Of this cuftom, whatever might have been its origin, fome traces remained till very lately; a black coat having been, if I miftake not, within thefe few years, the conftant ftage-habiliment of our modern prologuefpeakers. The dress of the ancient prologue-speaker is still retained in the play that is exhibited in Hamlet, before the king" and court of Denmark.

An epilogue does not appear to have been a regular appendage to a play in Shakspeare's time; for many of his dramas had none; at leaft, they have not been preserved. In All's Well that Ends Well, the Midfummer Night's Dream, As you like It, Troilus and Creffida, and The Tempest, the epilogue is fpoken by one of the perfons of the drama, and adapted to the character of the speaker; a circumftance that I have not observed in the epilogues of any other author of

NOTES.

4 See Decker's Gul's Horn-book, 1609. "Prefent not your felfe on the stage (especially at a new play) untill the quaking prologue hath by rubbing got cullor into his cheeks, and is ready to give the trumpets their cue, that he's upon the point to

enter."

See the Induction to Cynthia's Revels, 1601:

1 Child." Pray you, away; why children what do you mean? 2 Child. Marry, that you should not fpeak the prologue. 1 Child." Sir, I plead poffeffion of the cloak. Gentlemen, your fuffrages, for God's fake."

So, in the prologue to The Coronation, by Shirley, 1640: "Since 'tis become the title of our play,

"A woman once in a coronation may

"With pardon fpeak the prologue, give as free
"A welcome to the theatre, as he

"That with a little beard, a long black cloak,
"With a starch'd face and fupple leg, hath spoke
"Before the plays this twelvemonth, let me then
"Prefent a welcome to these gentlemen."

Again, in the prologue to The Woman-Hater, by B, and Fletcher: "Gentlemen, inductions are out of date, and a prologue in verfe is as ftale as a black velvet cloak, and a bay garland."

that

« НазадПродовжити »