Ca comedies, tragedies, histories, enterludes, moralls, pastoralls, stage plaies, and such other like, as thei have already studied, or hereafter shall use or studie, as well for the recreation of our loving subjects, as for our solace and pleasure, when we shall thinke good to see them, during our pleasure; and the said comedies, tragedies, histories, enterludes, moralls, pastoralls, stage plaies, and such like, to shew and exercise publiquely to their best commoditie, when the infection of the plague shall decrease, as well within theire now usuall howse called the Globe, within our county of Surrey, as also within anie towne halls, or mout halls, or other convenient places within the liberties and freedome of any other citie, universitie, towne or borough whatsoever within our said realmes and dominions. Willing and commaunding you, and every of you, as you tender our pleasure, not only to permit and suffer them heerin, without any your letts, hinderances, or molestations, during our said pleasure, but also to be ayding or assisting to them yf any wrong be to them offered; and to allowe them such former courtesies, as hathe bene given to men of their place and qualitie, and also what further favour you shall shew to these our servants for our sake we shall take kindly at your hands, and these our letters shall be your sufficient warrant and discharge in this behalfe. Given under our signet at our mannor of Greenewiche the seavententh day of May in the first yeere of our raigne of England, France, and Ireland, and of Scotland the six and thirtieth. We here find Shakespeare's name second in the list of the company, and there can be no doubt of his having been at that time one of the principal sharers in the Globe and Blackfriar's theatres. A letter from Daniel to Sir Thomas Egerton, found by Mr. Collier in Lord Ellesmere's collection of manuscripts, written about this period, for Daniel's appointment was made early in 1604, alludes to Shakespeare as having attempted to procure the office of Master of the Queen's Revels, or overlooker of the plays performed by the Children of the Revels. Shakespeare is not mentioned by name, but the description is sufficiently minute to enable us to conclude with tolerable certainty that he is alluded to, for it could apply to no other member of the company. The letter is printed in Mr. Collier's New Facts, 1835, p. 48, but the following passage is the only portion of it relating to this subject: But a little time is past since I was called upon to thanke your honor for my brothers advancement, and now I thanke you for myne owne; which double kindnes will alwaies receive double gratefulnes at both our handes. I cannot but knowe that I am lesse deserving then some that sued by other of the nobility unto her Majestie for this roome: if M. Draiton, my good friend, had bene chosen, I should not have murmured, for sure I ame he wold have filled it most excellentlie; but it seemeth to myne humble judgement that one who is the authour of playes now daylie presented on the public stages of London, and the possessor of no small gaines, and moreover himselfe an actor in the King's Companie of comedians, could not with reason pretend to be Mr. of the Queenes Majesties Revells, for as much as he wold sometimes be asked to approve and allow of his owne writings. Therefore he, and more of like quality, cannot justlie be disappointed, because, through your Honors gracious interposition, the chance was haply myne. The reason here given by Daniel for Shakespeare's unfitness for the office shows that he was writing for the stage, and the curious accounts discovered by Mr. Cunningham in the Audit Office exhibit the popularity of Shakespeare's plays about this period. These accounts were printed by Mr. Cunningham in his Extracts from the Accounts of the Revels at Court,' 1842, but they are of so much curiosity and importance, that I here give a copy of those entries which relate to Shakespeare's plays. The Plaiers. By the Kings By his Matis plaiers. By his Matis plaiers. By his Matis plaiers. By his Matis plaiers. By his Matis plaiers. * "A probable computation of the thousands of people of both sexes whom Shakespeare's plays have maintained to this day would appear incredible to any one who did not maturely consider it."-Oldys MS. See 6 From these notices it appears that the Merchant of Venice pleased James sufficiently to call from that monarch a special command for its representation only two days after it had been performed on March 24th, 1605. This circumstance almost extinguishes a conjecture I should otherwise have mentioned with more confidence, that Shakespeare may have represented the sovereign in the play of the Gowry Conspiracy, which occasioned great displeasure at court in 1604,* and that to such a circumstance the remarkable lines quoted from Davies (at p. 149) refer. The verses of Davies may, however, possibly allude to a later circumstance, for, in 1606, James was again brought on the stage by the players, who "made him curse and swear because he had been robbed of a bird, and beat a gentleman, because he had called off the hounds from the scent; they represent him as drunk at least once a day;" but "The tragedy of Gowry, with all action and actors, hath been twice represented by the king's players with exceeding concourse of all sorts of people; but whether the matter or manner be not well handled, or that it be thought unfit that princes should be played on the stage in their lifetime, I hear that some great counsellors are much displeased with it, and so it is thought it shall be forbidden."-Letter, dated Dec. 18th, 1604, Collier's Annals of the Stage, i. 358. although Shakespeare may have aided in an historical play on the former subject, yet it is unlikely he would have been so imprudent as to indulge in a burlesque of so broad a character as the second narrative implies, and I am not sure that this latter relates to the king's players. Mr. Collier, who furnishes this information, also prints some verses entitled 'Shakespeare on the King' from a manuscript in his possession. These lines are contained in several early collections generally attributed to Shakespeare, and Mr. Collier unhesitatingly assigns them to the poet; but I much doubt whether the compliment is sufficiently elegant to be classed with his other essays of the same kind.* Crowns have their compass, length of days their date, Of nought but earth can earth make us partaker, It should be recollected that the manuscript miscellanies of Shakespeare's time, although generally very good authorities for biographical information, cannot always be depended upon for accuracy in the names of authors to whom short poems are assigned. One of these contains the poem beginning "From the rich Lavinian shore," entitled 'Shakespeare's rime which he made at the Mytre in Fleete Streete;' and in the same MS. one of Ben Jonson's epigrams is slightly altered and attributed to Shakespeare. We must be cautious in adding to the works of Shakespeare from such sources;† for these being erroneously attributed to his pen merely * Since writing the above I have met with a confirmation of this opinion, for a copy of these lines in a MS. in the Ashmolean Museum, No. 38, is entitled Certayne verses wrighten by Mr. Robert Barker, his Majestis printer, under his Majestis picture." † A curious volume of short poems, attributed to Shakespeare, printed about 1660, is preserved in the Bodleian Library. It is entitled 'Cupids Cabinet Unlock't, or the New Accademy of Complements, Odes, Epigrams, Songs, and Sonnets, Poesies, Presentations, Congratulations, Ejaculations, Rhapsodies, &c., with other various fancies. Created partly for the delight, but chiefly for the use of all Ladies, Gentlemen, and Strangers, who affect to speak Elegantly, or write Queintly. By W. Shakespeare.' prove his popularity, and are not any evidences in favour of his having had a share in their composition. This practice was not solely confined to manuscript literature, for we learn from Heywood that Shakespeare was "much offended" with Jaggard for publishing pieces under his name which he had not written; and, although very unwilling to hazard an opinion against the genuineness of a poem that has invariably been ascribed to Shakespeare without hesitation, I confess it would be more satisfactory were some other evidence to be produced of the authenticity of the singular lines published in Chester's 'Love's Martyr,' 1601, commencing Let the bird of loudest lay, On the sole Arabian tree, To whose sound chaste wings obey. Returning to the consideration of Shakespeare's personal history, and calling the reader's attention to the purchases made by him at Stratford in 1602, the following document will be found to be highly interesting, exhibiting the poet engaged in commercial transactions in his native town. Mr. Knight conjectures that he farmed the land he purIchased of the Combes. In 1604 he brought an action against Phillip Rogers for £1 158. 10d., for malt sold and delivered to him at several times. The declaration was filed in the Stratford Court of Record, and is one of the most curious documents connected with Shakespeare's personal history known to exist. It has never yet been printed. Stratford Burgus withus Shore power pole fuo Willind Phillipus Rogers summonitus fuit per servient. ad clavem ibidem ad respond. Willielmo Shexpere de placito quod reddat ei triginta et quinque solid. decem denar. quos ei debet et injuste detinet, et sunt pleg. de prosequend. Johannes |