Lastly, with regard to the playhouse Furniture and Ornaments, a writer of King Charles IId's time,' who well remembered the preceding age, assures us, that in general they had no other scenes nor decorations of the stage, but only old tapestry, and the stage strewed with rushes, with habits accordingly. 12 Yet Coryate thought our theatrical exhibitions, &c. splendid, when compared with what he saw abroad: Speaking of the Theatre for Comedies at Venice, he says, 'The house is very beggarly and base in comparison of our stately Playhouses in England: neyther can their actors compare with ours for Apparrell, Shewes, and Musicke. Here I observed certaine things that I never saw before: For, I saw Women act, a thing that I never saw before, though I have heard that it hath been sometimes used in London; and they performed it with as good a grace, action, gesture, and whatsoever convenient for a Player, as ever I saw any masculine Actor.'3 It ought however to be observed, that, amid such a multitude of Playhouses as subsisted in the Metropolis before the Civil Wars, there must have been a great difference between their several accommodations, ornaments, and prices; and that some would be much more shewy than others, though probably all were much inferior in splendor to the two great Theatres after the Restoration. The preceding Essay, although some of the materials are new arranged, hath received no alteration deserving notice, from what it was in the 2d Edition, 1767, except in Section IV. which in the present impression hath been much enlarged. This is mentioned, because, since it was first published, the History of the English Stage hath been copiously handled by Mr Tho. Warton in his ' History of English Poetry, 1775, &c.' 3 vols. 4to. (wherein is inserted whatever in these Volumes fell in with his subject): and by Edmond Malone, Esq. who, in his 'Historical Account of the English Stage,' (Shakesp. Vol. I. Part II. 1790,) hath added greatly to our knowledge of the Oeconomy and Usages of our ancient Theatres. since personated in Blackfriars Playhouse.' This was in 1629, vid. p. 215. And tho' female parts were performed by men or boys on the public stage, yet in Masques at Court, the Queen and her ladies made no scruple to perform the principal parts, especially in the reigns of James I. and Charles I. Sir William Davenant, after the restoration, introduced Women, Scenery, and higher Prices. See Cibber's Apology for his own Life. 1 See a short Discourse on the English Stage, subjoined to Flecknor's 'Love's Kingdom,' 1674, 12mo.-2 It appears from an Epigram of Taylor the Water-poet, that one of the principal Theatres in his time, viz. The Globe on the Bankside, Southwark, (which Ben Jonson calls the Glory of the Bank, and Fort of the whole parish,) had been covered with Thatch till it was burnt down in 1613.-(See Taylor's Sculler, Epig. 22, p. 31. Jonson's Execration on Vulcan.) Puttenham tells us they used Vizards in his time, 'partly to supply the want of players, when there were more parts than there were persons, or that it was not thought meet to trouble . . . princes chambers with too many folkes.' [Art of Eng. Poes. 1589, p. 26.] From the last clause, it should seem that they were chiefly used in the Masques at Court. Coryate's Crudities, 4to. 1611, p. 247 THE END OF THE ESSAY. I. ADAM BELL, CLYM OF THE CLOUGH, AND WILLIAM OF CLOUDESLY, -were three noted outlaws, whose skill in archery rendered them formerly as famous in the North of England, as Robin Hood and his fellows were in the midland counties. Their place of residence was in the forest of Englewood, not far from Carlisle, (called corruptly in the ballad English-wood, whereas Engle, or Ingle-wood, signifies Wood for firing.) At what time they lived does not appear. The author of the common ballad on 'The pedigree, education, and marriage, of Robin Hood,' makes them contemporary with Robin Hood's father, in order to give him the honour of beating them: viz. The father of Robin a Forester was, And he shot in a lusty long-bow Two north-country miles and an inch at a shot, As the Pindar of Wakefield does know: For he brought Adam Bell, and Clim of the Clough, To shoot with our Forester for forty mark; Collect. of Old Ballads, 1727, 1 vol. p. 67. This seems to prove that they were commonly thought to have lived before the popular Hero of Sherwood. Our northern archers were not unknown to their southern countrymen: their excellence at the long-bow is often alluded to by our ancient poets. Shakespeare, in his comedy of 'Much ado about nothing,' Act I. makes Benedicke confirm his resolves of not yielding to love, by this protestation, ‘If I do, hang me in a bottle like a cat,1 and shoot at me, and he that hits me, let him be clapt on the shoulder, and called Adam:' meaning Adam Bell, as Theobald rightly observes, who refers to one or two other passages in our old poets wherein he is mentioned. The Oxford editor has also well conjectured, that 'Abraham Cupid' in Romeo and Juliet, A. 2. sc. 1. should be 'Adam Cupid,' in allusion to our archer. Ben Jonson has mentioned Clym o' the Clough in his Alchemist, Act 1. sc. 2. And Sir William Davenant, in a mock poem of his, called, 'The long vacation in London,' describes the Attorneys and Proctors, as making matches to meet in Finsbury fields. 'With loynes in canvas bow-case tyde: 2 I have only to add further concerning the principal Hero of this Ballad, that 1 Bottles formerly were of leather; though perhaps a wooden bottle might be here meant. It is still a diversion in Scotland to hang up a cat in a small cask or firkin, half filled with soot; and then a parcel of clowns on horseback try to beat out the ends of it, in order to shew their dexterity in escaping before the contents fall upon them.-2 i.e. Each with a canvas bow case tied round his loins. the Bells were noted rogues in the North so late as the time of Q. Elizabeth. See in Rymer's Fœdera, a letter from lord William Howard to some of the officers of state, wherein he mentions them. As for the following stanzas, which will be judged from the style, orthography and numbers, to be of considerable antiquity, they were here given (corrected in some places by a MS. copy in the Editor's old folio) from a black letter 4to. Imprinted at London in Lothburpe hp Wỵllpam Copland (no date). That old quarto edition seems to be exactly followed in 'Pieces of Ancient Popular Poetry, &c. Lond. 1791,' 8vo. the variations from which, that occur in the following copy, are selected from many others in the folio MS. above-mentioned, and when distinguished by the usual brackets [] have been assisted by conjecture. In the same MS. this Ballad is followed by another, intitled Younge Cloudeslee, being a continuation of the present story, and reciting the adventures of William of Cloudesly's son: but greatly inferior to this both in merit and antiquity. PART THE FIRST. MERY it was in the grene forest To raise the dere out of theyr denne; As by thre yemen of the north countrèy, The one of them hight Adam Bel, The other Clym of the Clough,1 The thyrd was William of Cloudesly, They were outlawed for venyson, These yemen everychone; They swore them brethren upon a day, To Englyshe wood for to gone. 5 10 15 1 Clym of the Clough, means Clem. [Clement] of the Cliffe: for so Clough signifies in the North. Now lith and lysten, gentylmen, The third had a wedded fere. Wyllyam was the wedded man, Muche more then was hys care: For to speke with fayre Alyce his wife, For if ye go to Carlile, brother, And from thys wylde wode wende, If that the justice may you take, Your lyfe were at an ende.' If that I come not to-morowe, brother, By pryme to you agayne, Truste you then that I am [taken,] Or else that I am slayne.' He toke hys leave of hys brethren two, And to Carlile he is gon: There he knocked at his owne windowe Shortlye and anone. 'Wher be you, fayre Alyce,' he sayd, 'My wife and chyldren three? Lyghtly let in thyne owne husbànde, Wyllyam of Cloudeslee.' Ver. 24, Caerlel, in PC. passim.-Ver. 35, take, PC. tane, MS. 35 40 'Alas!' then sayde fayre Alyce, 45 And syghed wonderous sore, Thys place hath ben besette for Thys halfe a yere and more.' you 'Now am I here,' sayde Cloudeslee, 'I would that in I were. Now fetche us meate and drynke ynoughe, And let us make good chere.' She fetched hym meate and drynke plentye, Lyke a true wedded wyfe; And pleased hym with that she had, Whome she loved as her lyfe. There lay an old wyfe in that place, A lytle besyde the fyre, Whych Wyllyam had found of charytyè More than seven yere. Up she rose, and forth shee goes, Evill mote shee speede therfore; For shee had sett no foote on ground In seven yere before. She went unto the justice hall, As fast as she could hye: Thys night,' shee sayd, 'is come to town Wyllyam of Cloudeslyè.' Thereof the justice was full fayne, And so was the shirife also: Thou shalt not trauaile hither, dame, for nought, Thy meed thou shalt have ere thou go.' 50 55 60 65 70 |