according as I have herein before in this will directed and appointed the fame to be, without any leffening, diminishing, or undervaluing thereof, contrary to my true intent and meaning herein declared. And for the better performance thereof, my will, mind, and defire is, that my faid parts in the faid play-honfes fhould be employed in playing, the better to raise profit thereby, as formerly the fame have been, and have yielded good yearly profit, as by my books will in that behalf appear. And my will and mind is, and I do hereby ordain, limit, and appoint, that after my debts, funerals, and legacies fhall be paid and fatisfied out of my eftate, that then the refidue and remainder of my goods, chattels, and credits whatsoever fhall be equally parted and divided to and amongst fuch of my children as at the time of my decease fhall be unmaried or unadvanced, and shall not have received from me any portion in mariage or otherwise, further than only for their education and breeding, part and part like; and I do hereby ordain and make my fon William Heminge to be the executor of this my laft will and teftament, requiring him to fee the fame performed in and by all things, according to my true meaning herein declared. And I do defire and appoint my loving friends Mr. Burbage* and Mr. Rice to be the overseers of this my laft will and teftament, praying them to be aiding and affifting to my faid executor with their best advice and council in the execution thereof: and I do hereby utterly revoke all former wills by me heretofore made, and do pronounce, publish, and declare this to be my last will and teftament. In witness whereof I have hereunto put my hand and feal the day and year firft above written. Probatum fuit teftamentum fuprafcriptum apud London coram venerabili viro, magiftro Willielmo James, legum doctore, Surrogato, undecimo die menfis Octobris, Anno Domini, 1630, juramento Willielmi Heminge filii naturalis et legitim. dicti defuncti, et executoris, cui, &c. de bene, &c. jurat. • Cathbert Burbadge, brother to the actor. Q 2 AUGUS AUGUSTINE PHILIPS. This performer is likewife named in the licence granted by king James in 1603. It appears from Heywood's Apology for Actors, printed in 1612, that he was then dead. In an extraordinary exhibition, entitled The Seven Deadly Sins, written by Tarleton, of which the Mf. plot or scheme is in my poffeffion, he reprefented Sardanapalus. I have not been able to learn what parts he performed in our author's plays; but believe that he was in the fame clafs as Kempe, and Armine; for he appears, like the former of these players, to have published a ludicrous metrical piece, which was entered on the Stationers' books in 1595. Philips's production was entitled The Jigg of the Slippers. WILLIAM KEMPE was the fucceffor of Tarleton. "Here I muft needs remember Tarleton, (fays Heywood, in his Apology for Actors,) in his time gracious with the queen his foveraigne, and in the people's general applaufe; whom fucceeded Will. Kemp, as well in the favour of her majeftie, as in the opinion and good thoughts of the general audience." From the quarto editions of fome of our author's plays, we learn that he was the original performer of Dogberry in Much Ado about Nothing, and of Peter in Romeo and Juliet. From an old comedy called The Returne from Parnaffus, we may collect, that he was the original Justice Shallow; and the contemporary writers inform us that he ufually acted the part of a Clown; in which character, like Tarleton, he was celebrated for his extemporal wit+. Launcelot in the Merchant of Venice, Touchftone in As you like it, Launce in The Two Gentlemen of Verona, and the Grave-digger in Hamlet, were probably alfo performed by this 4 See p. 112, n. I. comedian. comedian. He was an author as well as an actor3. So early as in the year 1589 Kempe's comick talents appear to have been highly eftimated, for an old pamphlet called An Almond for a Parrot, written, I think, by Thomas Nafhe, and publifhed about that time, is dedicated" to that most comicall and conceited Cavaleire Monfieur du Kempe, Jeftmonger, and vice-gerent generall to the Ghoft of Dicke Tarleton." From a paffage in one of Decker's tracts it may be prefumed that this comedian was dead in the year 16096. In Braithwaite's Remains, 1618, he is thus commemorated: 5 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 Jigg of the Kitchen-fluff Woman was entered on the books of the Stationers' company in 1595; and in the fame year was licensed to Thomas Goffon, "Kempes New Jigge betwixt a fouldier and a mifer and Sym the clown." Sept. 7, 1593, was entered on the Stationers' Books, by R. Jones, "A comedie entitled A knack bow to know a knave, newly fet forth, as it hath been fundrye times plaied by Ned Allen and his company, with Kempes applauded merryment of the Men of Gotham." In the Bodleian Library, among the books given to it by Robert Burton, is the following tract, bound up with a few others of the fame fize, in a quarto volume marked L, 62d. art. "Kemps nine daies wonder performed in a daunce from London to "Norwich. Containing the pleasure, paines and kind entertainment "of William Kemp between London and that city, in his late mor"rice. Wherein is fomewhat fet downe worth note; to reprooue the "Naunders fpred of him: many things merry, nothing hurtfull. "Written by himfelfe, to fatis e his friends." (Lond. E. A. for Nicholas Ling. 1600. b. l.-With a wooden cut of Kempe as a morrisdancer, preceded by a fellow with a pipe and drum, whom he (in the book) calls Thomas Slye, his taberer,) It is dedicated to "The true "ennobled lady, and his moft bountifull miftris, miftris Anne "Fitton, mayde of honour to the most facred mayde royall queene "Elizabeth." 6" Tush, tush, Tarleton, Kempe, nor Singer, nor all the litter of fooles that now come drawling behind them, never played the slownes part more naturally than the arranteft fot of you all." Guls Hornebooke, 1609. "UPON KEMPE AND HIS MORICE, WITH HIS EPITAPH. "Welcome from Norwich, Kempe: all joy to fee Thy safe return moriscoed lustily. "But out alas! how foone's thy morice done, "When pipe and tabor, all thy friends be gone; "And leave thee now to dance the fecond part "With feeble nature, not with nimble art! "Then all thy triumphs fraught with ftrains of mirth, "Shall be cag'd up within a chest of earth: "Shall be they are; thou haft danc'd thee out of breath; "And now must make thy parting dance with death." THOMAS POPE. This actor likewife performed the part of a Clown?. He died before the year 16003. I have not been able to gather any intelligence concerning this performer, except that in the exhibition of The Seven Deadly Sins he reprefented the earl of Warwick. He was, I believe, on the stage before the year 1588. HENRY CUNDALL is faid by Roberts the player to have been a comedian, but he does not mention any other authority for this affertion but ftage-tradition. In Webster's Dutchess of 7 what meanes Singer then, "And Pope, the clowne, to fpeak fo borish, when "They counterfaite the clownes upon the ftage ?" Humours Ordinarie, where a man may be verie merie and exceeding well used for bis fixpence. (No date.) Heywood's Apology for Actors." Malfy Malfy he originally acted the part of the Cardinal; and as, when that play was printed in 1623, another performer had fucceeded him in that part, he had certainly before that time retired from the ftage. He ftill, however, continued to have an intereft in the theatre, being mentioned with the other players to whom a licence was granted by King Charles the Firft in 1625. He had probably a confiderable portion of the shares or property of the Globe and Blackfriars theatres. This actor as well as Heminge lived in Aldermanbury, in which parish he ferved the office of Sideman in the year 1606. I have not been able to afcertain his age; but he ap pears to have married about the year 1598, and had eight children, the eldest of whom was born in Feb. 1598-99, and died an infant. Three only of his children appear to have furvived him; Henry, born in 1600; Elizabeth in 1606; and William, baptized May 26, 1611. Before his death he refided for fome time at Fulham, but he died in London, and was buried in his parish church in Aldermanbury, Dec. 29, 1627. On the 13th of that month he made his will, of which I fubjoin a copy, extracted from the regiftry of the Prerogative Court. "In the name of God, Amen, I Henry Cundall of London, gentleman, being fick in body, but of perfect mind and memory, laud and praise be therefore given to Almighty God, calling to my remembrance that there is nothing in this world more fure and certain to mankind than death, and nothing more uncertain than the hour thereof, do therefore make and declare this my last will and teftament in manner and form following; that is to fay, first I commend my foul into the hands of Almighty God, trufting and affuredly believing that only by the merits of the precious death and paffion of my Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift I fhall obtain full and free pardon and remiffion of all my fins, and shall enjoy everlasting life in the kingdom of heaven, amongst the elect children of God, My body I commit to the earth 04 |