A Literary History of the English People from the Origins to the Civil War

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

FRONTISPIECE.—"The Southwark entrance to London in Shakespeare's
time," a part reproduction of the large plate by the Dutchman
Claes Jan Visscher: "Londinum florentissima Britanniæ urbs."
The portion selected shows the Bridge Gate, with the traitors'
heads on poles, and gives an idea of the animation of the main
street in the merry suburb. Note the number of inns with their
overhanging signs, the tables spread in the middle of the street,
with provisions for travellers to purchase, the groups of men
conferring together in front of their hostelry, the arrival of a
coach, etc. The Bear Garden, near which Shakespeare was living
in 1596, and the Globe, are to be seen in Visscher's engraving
somewhat to the left of what is here shown. The plate is ac-
companied with a Latin description, the colophon reading:
"Amstelodami, ex officina Judoci Hondii, sub signo canis vigilis,
1616."

BOOK V. (continued).

CHAPTER V.

THE PREDECESSORS OF SHAKESPEARE.

I. THE ENGLISH Drama at the RenaissancE.-England at first

has the same dramatic literature as all other countries-Sur-

vival of mysteries and pious dramas-Moralities—They lead

in France to the comedy of characters-Progress in England

of the comedy of manners and observation-Religious and

political moralities-John Bale-Repressive measures

Pageants, masques, and ballets-May games, St. George

and Robin Hood-" Pleasures at Kenilworth," Norwich
entertainment-Gascoigne and Churchyard-Masques at court

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-Court dramas and drawing-room fairy plays-Lyly's
dramatic works-"The Araygnement of Paris" by Peele-
Scenery, machinery, and scene-shifting at court-Progress
under James I.; Inigo Jones
Farces and comedies-John Heywood-"Gammer Gurton's
Needle "-Imitation of Plautus-"Ralph Roister"
Classical tragedies-Translations and imitations of Seneca
-Latin plays of Buchanan, Grimald and others-Gascoigne's
"Jocasta "-Sackville and Norton's "Gorboduc"-"The
Misfortunes of Arthur"; "Tancred and Gismund "-Transla-
tions or imitations of the French classics: Daniel, the
Countess of Pembroke, Brandon-Classical dramas: Fulke
Greville, Sir William Alexander ...

...

Classical teaching and its different effects in France and in
England-Thinkers, authorised critics, learned poets favour
in England classical art-Their failure-Success of those
theories in France and failure of the independents: Ogier and
Schélandre-Cause of this difference: natural tendencies
and tastes, otherwise said nature of the two peoples ...

II. THEATRES AND PERFORMances under Elizabeth.-Theatrical
troupes before the permanent theatres-Performances in the
inn-yards; itinerant players and their poet-Hostility of the
municipal authorities and its consequences: construction of
theatres outside of the Lord Mayor's jurisdiction—The Shore-
ditch theatres: The Theatre, the Curtain, later the Fortune-
The Southwark theatres: Newington Butts, the Rose, the
Globe, the Hope-The Bear Garden; bull and bear baiting-
Philip Henslowe and Alleyn-Theatres in the intermediary
space the Blackfriars; the "private theatres "-Difference
with Paris and Italy-The Hotel de Bourgogne; theatres of
Vicenza and Sabbioneta-Surprise of travellers on seeing the
number and success of the London theatres

...

Interior and exterior of the English theatres-Prices for the
pit, the galleries, and the stools on the stage-The "Lords'
room"-Roofless pit and covered stage-Ornamentation and
painting
Scenery and properties-Arras and hangings-Scant
scenery, abundant properties and practicables-"Nuncu-
pative" properties-Ropes and pulleys for goddesses, thrones,
dangling corpses, etc.-Important rôle of the carpenter and
painter-What the crowd demands: before all else, clearness
-"Thebes" upon a door-Richness of the costumes; rôle of
"our tyerman"-Difference with the continent

The actors-Principal troupes-Contracts and profits of the
sharers, the ordinary players, and “hirelings "-Women's

3306

parts performed by boys-Children players-Composition of
the troupes; they include clowns or jesters, musicians,
dancers, fencers, acrobats, etc., Kemp, Tarleton, Armin-
"Trials of Wit"; John Taylor-Importance of dancers and
acrobats in the tours on the continent-The great tragedians:
Burbage, Field, Alleyn, etc.—Excellence of their acting and
importance of the histrionic art-Serious preparation of actors
-Their wealth and success
Less brilliant fate of authors-The traffic in plays-Hens-
lowe and his authors-Daborne-The fear of printers-
Enormous destruction of plays of that period

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Going to the play—The dinner at the ordinary; the cross-
ing of the river; the play-bills-The public of the pit, of the
galleries, and of the stage-Fruit, tobacco, and drinks;
"stinkards" and "strumpets" - The gallants — Puritan
protests; replies from theatre-lovers-The Prologue-
Attentive spectators and noisy ones-Critics and their note-
books-Evenings at the tavern: authors, actors and spectators
meet there-Literary discussions and wit combats

...

III. THE IMMEDIATE PREDECESSORS OF SHAKESPEARE. - Play

factories-The demands, the tastes to be satisfied: those

of the crowd, not of the court-The tastes of the crowd

and the nature of the people - List of infallible means

of pleasing; genius itself, if it discards them, fails-Sights

violent, moving, surprising, patriotic, contemporary, coarse ;

a mixture of the tragic and the comic-Frequent staging

of the same subjects and recourse to the same effects-Same

kings, same ghosts, same puns-Success proportioned to the

use made of the infallible means of pleasing-Jonson protests

but compromises-Shakespeare admits in his plays defects

at which he laughs—Increasing difference with France—

Tendency in one country to simplify, in the other to com-

plicate

The plays of Kyd, Peele, Greene, Lodge, Nash, and their

anonymous contemporaries-Romantic dramas in Italian

fashion--Pseudo-biblical dramas-Murders and battles: the

"Spanish Tragedy"-The "Battell of Alcazar "-"The

Wounds of Civil War "-Domestic tragedies: "Arden of

Feversham," etc.-Fantastic dramas-Historical dramas:

their number and their success; they teach the people its

national history

...

IV. MARLOWE.-The greatest of Shakespeare's predecessors-His
life, his translations of classical poets-Morals, temperament,
miserable end-He understands and shares the tastes of his

public-"Tamburlaine;" causes of its success-Blank verse
"Doctor Faustus "; incoherences, puerilities, lyrical

beauties-The "Jew of Malta"; atrocities and "machiavelic"

plottings" The Massacre at Paris," the blackening of

black deeds-" Edward II.": first well-constructed play, with

a logical development of the plot and of the characters, in

the history of the English drama ...

SHAKESPEARE-PERSONAL AND LITERARY BIOGRAPHY.

I. EARLY YEARS.-Stratford-on-Avon in the sixteenth century-

Shakespeare's family-His birth-His father's house-The

"Grammar School "-Sir Thomas Lucy- Marriage and

paternity--Money troubles-Beginnings in London-Taste

for the stage and for music-Apprentice-actor and apprentice-

author-First successes-"

-"Johannes Factotum "-Greene's

jealousy and Chettle's favourable judgment-London and

Stratford

...

149

II. FOR WHOM AND FOR WHAT SHAKESPEARE WRITES.—

Literary activity and readiness of pen - Contemporary

opinions and modern incense-Shakespeare writes for the

crowd, for his livelihood-His great rule: to please the

crowd-His plays make known the tastes of his public rather

than his own-Repeated use of the devices which have

proved successful-The books read by Shakespeare-The

question of his learning-Sully Prudhomme's opinion on poets'

originality-Shakespeare's success with the many-With the

refined, he counts especially as an amourist and a lyrical

poet-He himself cares little about his plays and publishes

none of them...

...

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III. FIRST DRAMAS.-Shakespeare as an adapter and imitator-
Massacres and gruesome inventions-Wit combats; appeals
to patriotism; first historical dramas-" Henry VI.," "Richard
II.," "Richard III.," "King John "-First romantic plays:
"Love's Labour's Lost," "Two Gentlemen of Verona," "Mid-
summer Night's Dream "-Wooden puppets and characters
alive with an immortal life-"Romeo and Juliet"

IV. INCREASING FAME; THE POEMS.-Shakespeare's profitable-

ness appreciated in his troupe-His dramas pay-His quiet

tastes; he lives apart from quarrels-He takes rank as a poet

184

by publishing his "Venus" and "Lucrece "-Lyrical charm,
grace, indecency, and conceits-Performances before Eliza-
beth and at the Inns of Court-His name on title-pages-His
wealth and how he got it-Purchase of a coat of arms for his
father-Jonson's sneers-Purchase of "New Place"