and Touchftone in As you like It, were probably performed VOL. I. by this comedian. He was an author as well as an actor'. THOMAS POPE. This actor likewife performed the part of a Clown ". He died before 1610". GEORGE BRYAN. I have not been able to gain any intelligence concerning this performer, except, that in the exhibition of The Seven Deadly Sins, he reprefented the Earl of Warwick. HENRY CONDELL is faid by Roberts the player to have been a comedian; but he does not mention any other authority but stage-tradition. From his having, in conjunction with Heminge, published Shakspeare's plays, and from the notice taken of him in our author's Will, it is reasonable to suppose that he was one of the proprietors of the Globe and Black-fryars theatres. In Webster's Dutchefs of Malfy, he acted the part of the Cardinal. WILLIAM SLY was joined with Shakspeare, &c. in the licence granted in 1603.-He is introduced, perfonally, in the induction to Marlton's Malecontent, 1604, and from his there ufing an affected phrafe of Ofrick's in Hamlet, we may collect that he performed that part. He died before the year 1610°. NOTES. That is a way, my lord, has been allow'd "On elder stages, to move mirth and laughter." -Yes in the days of Tarlton and of Kempe, "Before the stage was purg'd from barbarism." The character of the Clown as performed by Kempe, seems to have resembled the Harlequin of the prefent Italian comedy. See The Returne from Parnaffus, a comedy, 1606: "Indeed, M. Kempe, you are very famous, but that is as well for workes in print as your part in cue." Kempe's New Jigge of the Kitchen-fluff Woman was entered on the books of the Stationers' Company, in 1595; 66 what meanes Singer then, "And Pope, the clowne, to fpeak fo boorish, when "They counterfaite the clownes upon the stage?" Humour's Ordinarie, where a man may be verie merie and exceeding well used for his fixpence. (No date.) Heywood's Apol. for Actors. • Abol. for Actors, PROLEGO VOL. I. RICHARD COWLEY PROLEGO appears to have been an actor of a low clafs, having performed the part of Verges in Much Ado about Nothing. ΜΕΝΑ, JOHN LOWIN was a principal performer in thefe plays. If tradition may be credited, he was the original Falftaff P. He is faid by Roberts the player to have alfo performed king Henry VIII, and Hamlet; but with refpect to the latter, he feems to have miftaken; for it appears from more ancient writers, that Joseph Taylor was the original performer of that character 9. Lowin is introduced, in perfon, in the induction to Marfton's Malecontent, printed in 1604; and he and Taylor are mentioned in a copy of verfes, written about the year 1629, foon after the appearance of Jonfon's Magnetick Lady, as the two most celebrated actors of that time: "Let Lowin ceafe, and Taylor fcorn to touch "The loathed ftage, for thou haft made it fuch." Befides the parts already mentioned, this actor reprefented the following characters-Morofe, in The Silent WomanVolpone in The Fox-Mammon in The Alchymift-Melantius in The Maid's Tragedy - Aubrey in The Bloody Brother -Bofola in The Dutchefs of Mulfy-Jacomo in The Deferving Favourite-Eubulus in Maflinger's Picture-Domitian in The Roman Actor-and Belleur in The Wild Goofe Chace. After the fuppreffion of the theatres, he became very poor. In 1653, in conjunction with Jofeph Taylor, he published Fletcher's comedy called The Wild Goofe Chace, for bread; and in his latter years, he kept an inn (The Three Pidgeons) at Brentford, where he died fome time before the Reftoration, very old. There is a picture of him, either in the Afhmole Museum, or in the Picture-Gallery, at Oxford. SAMUEL CROSS. This actor was probably dead before the year 1600; for Heywood, who had himfelf written for the stage before that time, fays he had never seen him. ALEXANDER COOKE. From The Platt of the Seven Deadly Sinns, it appears that See Wright's Hift. Hiftrion. 1699: Hi. Hifirion. may may prefume, performed all the principal female characters Vol. I. in our author's plays. SAMUEL GILBURNE. Unknown. was alive in 1611, fome verfes having been addreffed to him He was author of a comedy called The Two Maides of More-clacke, 1609.-A book likewife, called A Neft of Nin nies fimply of themselves, with compound, by Robert Armin, was published in 1608. And at Stationers' Hall was entered in the fame year, "a book called Phantafm the Italian Taylor and his Boy, made by Mr. Armin, fervant to his majefty." Mr. Oldys, in his Mf. notes on Langbaine, fays, that "Armin was an apprentice at first to a goldfmith in LombardStreet." He adds, that "the means of his becoming a player is recorded in Tarleton's jefts printed in 1611, where it appears, this 'prentice going often to a tavern in Gracechurch-Street, to dun the keeper thereof, who was a debtor to his mafter, Tarleton, who of the mafter of that tavern was now only a lodger in it, faw fome verfes written by Armin on the wainscot, upon his mafter's faid debtor, whose name was Charles Tarleton, and liked them fo well, that he wrote others under them, prophecying, that as he was, fo Armin fhould be: therefore, calls him his adopted fon, to wear the Clown's fuit after him. And fo it fell out, for the boy was so pleased with what Tarleton had written of him, fo refpected his perfon, fo frequented his plays, and fo learned his humour and manners, that from his private prac tice he came to publick playing his parts; that he was in great repute for the fame at the Globe at the Bank-fide, &c. all the former part of king James's reign," NOTES. • See The Scourge of Folly, printed about 1611; "To honeft gamesome Robert Armine, "Who tickles the spleene like a harmless vermin." E 4 WILLIAM PROLEGO- VOL. I. MENA. WILLIAM OSTLER. PROLEGO- had been one of the children of the Chapel; and is faid to have performed womens' parts. In Davies's Scourge of Folly, there are some verfes addreffed to him with this title: "To the Rofcius of these times, William Oftler." He acted Antonio in Webster's Dutchefs of Malfy. NATHAN. FIELD. JOHN UNDERWOOD. } Both thefe actors had been children of the chapel*, and probably performed female parts. Field, when he became too manly to represent the characters of women, played the 'part of Buffy d'Ambois in Chapman's play of that name. From the preface prefixed to it, it appears that he was dead in 1641. He was the author of two comedies, called A Woman is a Weather-cock, and Amends for Ladies; and he affifted Maffinger in writing The Fatal Dowry. Underwood acted Delio in The Dutchess of Malfy. NICHOLAS TOOLEY acted Forobofco in The Dutchefs of Malfy. From the Platt of the Seven Deadly Sinns, it appears, that he fometimes reprefented female characters. WILLIAM ECCLESTONE. No ancient piece (that I have feen) contains any memorial of this actor. JOSEPH TAYLOR appears from fome verfes already cited, to have been a celebrated actor. According to Downes the prompter, he was inftructed by Shakspeare to play Hamlet; and Wright in his Hiftoria Histrionica, fays, "He performed that part incomparably well." From the remembrance of his performance of Hamlet, Sir William D'Avenant is faid to have conveyed his inftructions to Mr. Betterton. Taylor likewife played Iago. He alfo performed True-wit in The Silent Woman, and Face in The Alchymift. He reprefented Ferdinand in The Dutchess of Malfy, after the death of Burbage. He acted Matthias in The Picture, by Maffinger; Paris in The Roman Actor; the Duke in Carlell's Deferving Favourite; Rollo in The Bloody Brother; and, Mirabel in The Wild Geofe Chafe. He died at Richmond in Surry, fome time after the year 1653, and was buried there. NOTES. *See Cynthia's Revels, 1600, in which they both acted, Hift. Hiftrion, He He is faid by fome to have painted the only original pic- VOL. I, ture of Shakspeare now extant, in the poffeffion of the duke PROLEGOof Chandos. By others, Burbage is reported to have been MENA. the painter. ROBERT BENFIELD appears to have been a fecond-rate actor. He performed He was alive in 1647, being one of the players who figned the dedication to the folio edition of Fletcher's plays, published in that year. ROBERT GOUGHE. This actor probably performed female characters. In The RICHARD ROBINSON is faid by Wright to have been a comedian. He acted in Jonfon's Catiline in 1611; and, it fhould feem from a paffage in The Devil is an Ass, [a&t II. sc. viii.] 1616, that at that time he ufually reprefented female characters. I have not learned what parts in our author's plays were performed by this actor. In The Deferving Favourite, he played Orfinio; and in The Wild Goofe Chafe La Caftre. In Maffinger's Roman Altor, he performed Efopus; and in The Dutchess of Malfy, after the death of Condell, he played the Cardinal. Hart, the celebrated actor, was originally his boy or apprentice. Robinson was alive in 1647, his name being figned, with feveral others, to the dedication prefixed to the first folio edition of Fletcher's plays. In the civil wars he ferved. in the king's army, and was killed in an engagement, by Harrifon, who was afterwards hanged at Charing-Crofs. Harrison refused him quarter, after he had laid down his arms, and shot him in the head, faying at the fame time, "Curfed is he that doth the work of the Lord negligently "." JOHN SHANKE was, according to Wright, a comedian. He was but in a low clafs, having performed the part of the Curate in Fletcher's Scornful Lady, and that of Hillario (a fervant) in The Wild Goofe Chafe. Hift. Hiftrion, NOTE. Јони |