MENA. VOL. I. in former times as at prefent, our ancient theatres do not PROLEGO- appear to have laboured under any disadvantage in this refpect; for the players printed and expofed accounts of the pieces that they intended to exhibit, which, however, did not contain a complete lift of the characters, or the names of the actors by whom they were reprefented". The long and whimsical titles that are prefixed to the quarto copies of our author's plays, I fuppofe to have been tranfcribed from the play-bills of the time. They were equally calculated to attract the notice of the idle gazer in 2 NOTES. "They ufe to fet up their billes upon pofts fome certaine dayes before, to admonish the people to make reforte to their theatres, that they may thereby be the better furnished, and the people prepared to fill their purfes with their treafures." Treatife againft Idleness, vaine Playes and Interludes, bl. let. (no date). The antiquity of this cuftom likewife appears from a story recorded by Taylor the water-poet, under the head of Wit and Mirth. 30. Master Field, the player, riding up Fleet-Street a great pace, a gentleman called him, and afked him what play was played that day. He being angry to be staied on fo frivolous a demand, answered that he might fee what play was to be plaied upon every pofte. I cry you mercy, faid the gentleman, Î took you for a pofte, you rode fo faft." Taylor's Works, p. 183. Ames, in his Hiflory of Printing, p. 342, fays, that James Roberts [who published fome of our author's dramas] printed bills for the players. It appears from the following entry on the Stationers' books, that even the right of printing play-bills was at one time made a fubject of monopoly: "Oct. 1587. John Charlewoode.] Lycenfed to him by the whole confent of the affiftants, the onlye ymprinting of all manner of billes for players. Provided that if any trouble arife herebye, then Charleswoode to beare the charges.' " This practice did not commence till the beginning of the prefent century. I have feen a play-bill printed in the year 1697, which expreffed only the titles of the two pieces that were to be exhibited, and the time when they were to be represented. Notices of plays to be performed on a future day, fimilar to those now daily published, are found in the original edition of the Spectators in 1711. In thefe early theatrical advertisements, our author is always ftyled the immortal Shakspeare. Hence Pope: Shakespeare, whom you and every play-boufe bill Style the divine, the matchlefs, what you will" the the walks at St. Paul's, or to draw a crowd about fome vo- VOL. I. с NOTES. The titles of the following plays may serve to justify what is here advanced; The most excellent Hiftorie of the Merchant With the extreame crueltie of Shylocke the Jewe : cafkets. As it hath been diverse Times acted by the Lord M. William Shak-speare : True Chronicle Hiftorie of the Life and With the unfortunate life of Edgar, Sonne As it was played before the King's Majestie at Whitehall upon VOL. I. ferved fomething like a play-bill of thofe days, which PROLEGO. feems to corroborate this observation; for if it were di ΜΕΝΑ. vefted NOTES. Entermixed With fundrie variable and pleafing Humors of Sir and his wife Coufin Mr. Slender. Swaggering Vaine.of ancient Pistoll, As it hath been divers Times acted Both before her Majestie and elfe where, Containing his treacherous Plots, against his brother Clarence: The pittifull Murther of his inno cent Nephews: his tiranous ufurpation: with the whole course of his detested Life, and most deferved Death As it hath been lately acted by the King's Majefties Servants. By William, Shakespeare. 1598. ΤΗΣ refted of rime, it would bear no very diftant refem- Vol. I. biance to the title pages that ftand before fome of our au- PROLEGO thor's dramas: -Prithee, what's the play? "(The first I visited this twelvemonth day) "They fay" A new invented boy of Purle, "That jeoparded his necke to fteale a girl "Of twelve; and lying faft impounded for't, "Has hither fent his bearde to act his part; "Against all thofe in open malice bent, "That would not freely to the theft confent: "Faines all to's wifh, and in the epilogue "Goes out applauded for a famous-rogue." "Now hang me if I did not look at first "For fome fuch ftuff, by the fond people's thruft." It is uncertain at what time the ufage of giving authors a benefit on the third day of the exhibition of their piece, commenced. Mr. Oldys, in one of his manufcripts, intimates that dramatick poets had anciently their benefit on the first day that a new play was reprefented; a regulation which would have been very favourable to fome of the ephemeral productions of modern times. But for this there is not, I believe, any fulficient authority. From D'Avenant, indeed, we learn, that in the latter part of the reign of queen Elizabeth, the poet NOTES. THE LATE And much-admired Play, With the true Relation of the whole Hiftorie, As alfo, The no less strange and worthy accidents, As it hath been divers and fundry times acted by By William Shake-fpeare. 1609. • Notes from Black-fryars, 1617. MENA. had ΜΕΝΑ. VOL. I. had his benefit on the fecond day. As it was a general PROLEGO- practice, in the time of Shakspeare, to fell the copy of the play to the theatre, I imagine, in such cases, an author derived no other advantage from his piece, than what arofe from the fale of it. Sometimes, however, he found it more beneficial to retain the copy-right in his own hands; and when he did fo, I fuppofe he had a benefit. It is certain that the giving authors the profits of the third exhibition of their play, which feems to have been the ufual mode during almoft the whole of the last century, was an established cuftom in the year 1612; for Decker, in the prologue to one of his comedies, printed in that year, fpeaks of the poet's third day. The unfortunate Otway had no more than one NOTES. See The Play-Houfe to be Let: 66 Player. -There is an old tradition, "Of conjuring Fauftus and the Beauchamps bold, "This fhall be ours, Sir, and to-morrow yours. f "It is not praife is fought for now, but pence, With fuch foul hands, and with fquint eyes doth gaze "On Pallas' fhield, not caring, fo he gains "A cram'd third day, what filth drops from his brains!" Prologue to If this be not a good Play the Devil's in't, 1612. Yet the following paffages intimate, that the poet at a fubfequent period had fome intereft in the fecond day's exhibition : Whether their fold fcenes be diflik'd or hit, "Are cares for them who eat by the stage and wit; Prologue to The City Match, a comedy, by J. Mayne, 1639. So, in the prologue to The Sophy, by Sir John Denham, acted at Blackfryars in 1642: 66 -Gentlemen, if you dislike the play, "Or third be paft; for we would have you know it, In other cafes, then, it may be prefumed, the lofs, either the fecond or third day, did affect the author. benefit |