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

PAGE

-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

PAGE

...

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

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

...

PAGE

...

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

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105

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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.

1. 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

...

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

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

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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"