My verie honored Lord. The manie good offices I have received at your Lordships handes, which ought to make me backward in asking further favors, onely imbouldeneth me to require more in the same kinde. Your Lordship wilbe warned howe hereafter you graunt anie sute, seeing it draweth on more and greater demaunds. This which now presseth is to request your Lordship, in all you can, to be good to the poore players of the Blacke ffryers, who call themselves by authoritie the Servantes of his Majestie, and aske for the proteccion of their most gracious Maister and Soveraigne in this the tyme of theire troble. They are threatened by the Lord Maior and Aldermen of London, never friendly to their calling, with the distruccion of their meanes of livelihood, by the pulling downe of their plaiehouse, which is a private theatre, and hath never given ocasion of anger by anie disorders. These bearers are two of the chiefe of the companie; one of them by name Richard Burbidge, who humblie sueth for your Lordships kinde helpe, for that he is a man famous as our English Roscius, one who fitteth the action to the worde and the word to the action most admirably. By the exercise of his qualitie, industry, and good behaviour, he hath become possessed of the Blacke ffryers playhouse, which hath bene imployed for playes sithence it was builded by his ffather now nere 50 yeres agone. The other is a man no whitt lesse deserving favor, and my especial friende, till of late an actor of good account in the cumpanie, now a sharer in the same, and writer of some of our best English playes, which, as your Lordship knoweth, were most singulerly liked of Quene Elizabeth, when the cumpanie was called uppon to performe before her Majestie at Court at Christmas and Shrovetide. His most gracious Majestie King James alsoe, since his coming to the crowne, hath extended his royall favour to the companie in divers waies and at sundrie tymes. This other hath to name William Shakespeare, and they are both of one countie, and indeede allmost of one towne: both are right famous in their qualities, though it longeth not of your Lo. gravitie and wisedome to resort unto the places where they are wont to delight the publique care. Their trust and sute nowe is not to bee molested in their waye of life whereby they maintaine themselves and their wives and families (being both maried and of good reputacion) as well as the widowes and orphanes of some of their dead fellows. Your Lo. most bounden at com.

Copia vera.

H. S.

The notice of Shakespeare in this manuscript is extremely interesting, not so much from the information it imparts, which is but trifling, but from its being nearly the only contemporary document in which the poet is thus familiarly introduced. This letter was discovered by Mr. Collier in the valuable collection of manuscripts belonging to the Earl of Ellesmere, and the fac-simile of that portion of it relating

to Shakespeare, which the reader will find at the commencement of this volume, will suffice to convince any one acquainted with such matters that it is a genuine manuscript of the period: No forgery of so long a document could present so perfect a continuity of design; yet it is right to state that grave doubts have been thrown on its authenticity. A portion of the fac-simile will exhibit on examination a peculiarity few supposititious documents would afford, part of the imperfectly formed letter h in the word Shakespeare appearing by a slip of the pen in the letter f immediately beneath it. It is of importance to decide upon the character of this paper, for on the degree of credit we may give to it depends the value of the other MSS. relating to Shakespeare discovered in the same collection; and it would be satisfactory were Mr. Collier to furnish the public with fac-simile copies of all of them.* At the same time,

it must be admitted, in fairness to Mr. Collier, that, when the doubt of their authenticity was raised, he produced the letter of H. S., the one most severely attacked, before a council of the Shakespeare Society, and several competent judges, including Mr. Wright, fully concurred in believing it to be genuine. Mr. Hunter has systematically argued against the authority of all the Shakespearian documents found by Mr. Collier in Lord Ellesmere's collection, but how much reliance is to be placed on his conclusions may be inferred from the fact that the paper of the spuriousness of which he is most positive is preserved, not in that nobleman's library, but in the archives of the city of London, enrolled in books unquestionably authentic.† No reasons

*Mr. Knight seems to think it strange that a copia vera should want date and signature, but there is nothing very remarkable in such a circumstance. In the Library of the Society of Antiquaries, No. 201, art. 3, is preserved a copye of the comyssion of sewers in the countye of Kent," marked as vera copia, and, singularly enough, written apparently by the same hand that copied the letter of H. S.

I refer to the paper relating to Kemp and Armin, 1605.

Halliwell his sle

Candler in the the

15

absolutely fatal to the truth of Mr. Collier's discoveries. have yet been produced. The quotation from Hamlet, on which so much stress has been laid, is not so remarkable as might be supposed, for it occurs as a kind of proverbial phrase in Heywood's Apology for Actors, 1612, and it is by no means impossible that it did not originate with Shakespeare.

The corporation of London failed in their endeavours to expel the king's players from the Blackfriars, but it appears that they were so anxious to accomplish their purpose, that negociations were commenced for the purchase of the interests of the proprietors and sharers of the theatre. To this circumstance we are indebted for a very singular document, detailing the value of these interests very minutely, and informing us of the exact claim made by Shakespeare on the occasion. It is preserved in the same collection in which the last paper was discovered.

For avoiding of the playhouse in the precinct of the Blacke Friers.

Imp. Richard Burbidge oweth the fee, and is alsoe a sharer therein. His interest he rateth at the grosse summe of 1000li. for the fee, and for his foure shares the summe of 933li. 6s. 8d. 1933li. 68. 8d.

Item, Laz. Fletcher owith three shares which he rateth at 700li. that is, at 7 yeares purchase for each share, or 33li. 6s. 8d. one yeare with another 700li.

Item, W. Shakespeare asketh for the wardrobe and properties of the same playhouse 500li. and for his 4 shares the same as his fellowes Burbidge and Fletcher, viz. 933li. 6s. 8d.

Item, Heminges and Condell, eche 2 shares
Item, Joseph Taylor, 1 share and an halfe
Item, Lowing, also one share and an halfe

1433li. 6s. Sd.

933li. 6s. 8d. 350li.

350li.

Item, foure more playeres with one halfe share to eche of them 466li. 13s, 4d.

Summa totalis, 6166. 13. 4.

Moreover, the hired men of the companie demaund some recompense for their great losse, and the widowes and orphanes of playeres, who are paide by the sharers at divers rates and proportions, so as in the whole it will coste the Lo. Mayor and the citizens at the least 7000li.

It is somewhat singular that the wardrobe and properties were included in this estimate, but we may presume that, on such an occasion, the owners would allege their inutility, if deprived of the theatre, and we may perhaps also conclude that the valuation was rather on an extravagant scale. The shares which Shakespeare possessed in the Blackfriars produced him, as it appears from this list, £133 68. 8d. a year, and Mr. Collier adds an annual £50 to this for the loan of the properties, so that supposing his income from the Globe were of the same amount, his theatrical property in 1608 was worth £366 13s. 4d. per annum. This was a large amount for those days, though far below the estimate I have previously quoted from Ward. A very curious passage in a tract called 'Ratseis Ghost, or the Second Part of his madde Prankes and Robberies,' printed about this period, is supposed by Mr. Collier to allude to Shakespeare's acquisition of wealth.*

A manuscript discovered by Mr. Collier at Dulwich College, informs us that "Mr. Shakespeare," in April, 1609, was assessed at sixpence a week towards the relief of the

Ratsey was a highwayman, who had given some strolling players £2 for acting before him, and afterwards overtook them on their road, and robbed them of it. He gives them advice, and thus addresses himself to the principal performer :

"And for you, sirrah, (says he to the chiefest of them,) thou hast a good presence upon a stage, methinks thou darkenst thy merit by playing in the Country: get thee to London, for if one man were dead, they will have much need of such as thou art. There would be none, in my opinion, fitter than thyself to play his parts: my conceit is such of thee, that I durst all the money in my purse on thy head to play Hamlet with him for a wager. There thou shalt learne to be frugal (for players were never so thrifty as they are now about London), and to feed upon all men; to let none feed upon thee; to make thy hand a stranger to thy pocket, thy heart slow to perform thy tongue's promise; and when thou feelest thy purse well lined, buy thee some place of lordship in the country, that, growing weary of playing, thy money may there bring thee to dignity and reputation: then thou needest care for no man; no, not for them that before made thee proud with speaking their words on the stage. Sir, I thank you (quoth the player) for this good council: I promise you I will make use of it, for I have heard, indeed, of some that have gone to London very meanly, and have come in time to be exceeding wealthy."-Collier's Hist. Dram. Poet. i. 333.

poor in Southwark. If this relate to the poet, it was most likely on account of his property in the Globe, not for a dwelling-house, for in the spring of that year Shakespeare was probably at Stratford. The following declarations from the records of the court at Stratford, dated in March and June, 1609, are curious, as showing part of the history of a legal process instituted by Shakespeare against one John Addenbrooke for a small debt due to him. The sergeant at mace returning that Addenbrooke was not to be found within the liberty of the borough, Shakespeare proceeded against a person of the name of Horneby, who had become bail for the defendant.

Stratford Precept. est servientibus ad clavam ibidem quod capiant, seu &c., Burgus. Johannem Addenbrooke, si &c. et eum salvo &c. ita quod habeant corpus ejus coram ballivo burgi prædicti ad prox. cur. de recordo ibidem tenend. ad satisfaciend. Willielmo Shack speare gen. tam de sex libr. debit. quos prædictus Willielmus in eadem curia versus cum recuperavit quam de viginti et quatuor solid. qui ei adjudicat. fuer. et dampnis et custag. suis quos sustinuit occasione detencionis debiti prædicti, et habeant ibi tunc hoc precept. teste ffrancisco Smyth jun. gen. ball. ibidem 15o. die Marcii, annis regni domini nostri Jacobi, Dei gracia regis Angliæ, ffranciæ et Hiberniæ, sexto, et Scotia 42°. Indors. Infrajurat. Johannes non est invent. infra libertat. hujus burgi. ffr. Boyce servicn.

Stratford Precept. est servientibus ad clavam ibidem quod cum quidam Burgus. Willielmus Shackspeare gen. nuper in cur. domini Jacobi, nunc regis Angliæ, burgi prædicti ibidem tent. virtute literarum patent. domini Edwardi, nuper regis Angliæ, sexti, levavit quandam quer. suam versus quendam Johannem Addenbrooke de placito debiti, cumque eciam quidam Thomas Horneby de burgo prædicto in eadem quer. devenit pleg. et manucap. præd. Johannis, scilicet quod si prædictus Johannes in quer. ill. legitimo modo convinceretur, quod idem Johannes satisfaceret præfato Willielmo Shackspeare tam debit. in quer. ill. per præfat. Willielmum versus præd. Johannem in cur. præd. recuperand. quam mis. et custag. quæ eidem Willielmo in quer. ill. per eandem cur. adjudicat. forent versus eundem Johannem, vel idem se redderet prisonæ dicti domini regis Jacobi nunc burg. præd. ad satisfaciendum eidem Willielmo eadem debit. mis. et custag.; et ulterius quod si idem Johannes non satisfaceret eidem Willielmo debit. et mis. et custag. nec se redderet præd. prisonæ dicti domini regis nunc ad satisfaciendum eidem Willielmo in forma præd. quod tunc ipse idem Thomas Horneby debit. sic recuperand. et mis. et custag. sic adjudicat. eidem Willielmo satisfacere vellet. Cumque eciam in quer. ill. taliter process.