all these, and some others, for the characters in the comedy are numerous, figured in "The Shoemakers' Holiday;" and we shall see also, by the parts they sustained, the sort of persons for the representation of whom it was thought their talents peculiarly adapted them. It should here be mentioned that the piece is one of great bustle and variety, and that serious as well as comic actors were required for it, although the latter are more prominent and attractive than the former. I have extracted the names of the characters, and I have placed after them, in the intelligible fashion of a modern play-bill, the names of the different actors, showing precisely the parts they filled.

There are other characters in the comedy, but these are

undoubtedly the principal; and in some parts of the performance the stage must have been occupied by recruits pressed for the wars in France, by shoemakers, morris-dancers, and apprentices, probably as many as the company could afford in the way of supernumeraries. It is to be remarked that, in the preceding cast (as we now call it) of "The Shoemakers' Holiday," we meet with two or three names (they are all here spelt exactly as they stand in my friend's ancient copy) not heard of before, at least in connexion with the company of Lord Nottingham's players. We may reasonably suppose that these were only hired men, or "hirelings," whose aid might be occasionally required, and who were not paid in proportion to the amount taken from persons entering the theatre, which was the mode in which the regular sharers were remunerated. Flower is not mentioned anywhere as an actor, that I recollect; and I do not trace his name in Mr. Collier's "History of the Stage," unless he were the same Francis Flower who was concerned in writing and getting up "The Misfortunes of Arthur," a tragedy, represented before Queen Elizabeth, in 1587. This I do not think likely, for reasons I may assign in a subsequent paper, when I have put together some materials I have procured for a separate account of this very noticeable performance, in which, as Mr. Collier proved, some twenty years ago, no less a man than Lord Chancellor Bacon was engaged, although the fact has not since attracted the attention it deserves. Day might be either John Day, the dramatist, or his son; and Price was doubtless the same actor who is afterwards found mentioned in the Household-book of Prince Henry, as one of his theatrical retainers.-(Hist. Engl. Dram. Poetry, i., 351.)

Wilson merits more particular notice. There is nothing in "Henslowe's Diary" to establish that he was an actor as well as an author: on p. 163 he is introduced as a partner with Drayton and Hathway, in the composition of a play called "Owen Tudor;" and in two other places (pp. 158,

178) he is stated to have been aided by the old manager with the loan of sums of money. Nevertheless, we know, on unquestionable evidence, that he was an actor of considerable standing, as well as an author: he was selected as one of the Queen's Players in 1583, on account of his "quick, delicate, refined, extemporal wit;" and Francis Meres celebrated him for the same qualities in 1598, two years before "The Shoemakers' Holiday" was published. In this play, we may presume that he contributed much of the broad fun; and we see that he acted the part of Firke, one of the merry jovial journeymen shoemakers of old Eyre, the hero. Therefore, although nothing is said by Henslowe to establish that Wilson was one of the actors in, as well as a writer for, his company, there can be no dispute as to the fact. At the same time, we cannot satisfactorily explain why his name does not appear in the list of sharers, before extracted, under the date of 10th July, 1600: the celebrated Edward Alleyne, the founder of Dulwich College, is also not found there, but he was a partner with Henslowe in the theatrical undertaking, and it is just possible (though we are without proof of it) that Wilson was in the same condition. The "Alleine," who sustained the female part of Sibill, must have been Richard Alleyne, who had joined Henslowe's company in March, 1598 ("Diary," p. 259).

I have already observed, that in the list of dramatis personce I have spelt all the names just as they appear in the old manuscript in the margin of my friend's copy of "The Shoemakers' Holiday, or the Gentle Craft." Dowton, who had the most important part in the performance, usually spelt his own name Downton; but by Henslowe it is as often written Dowton: and a famous comedian, of the same name, whom many can yet remember, used to say, that his family had been connected with the stage as long as it could be traced back. The coincidence may deserve notice, even though the Dowton of twenty years ago did not pretend to

be able to name his dramatic ancestors beyond his great grandfather. Without going over ground I have already trodden, I will just touch upon the names of each of the players in succession, as they stand in the list I have made out.

Jones I take to be the "Dicke Jones" so often spoken of in "Henslowe's Diary:" he had to double his part; for he not only played the King, but Dodger, the Earl of Lincoln's spy. The same appears to have been the case with Humphrey Jeffes, to whom are assigned the characters of the attendant Nobleman, and Jane, the wife of Raphe: he was therefore a valuable performer, who, as occasion required, could sustain either male or female parts; and he was one of the sharers who acknowledged their debt to Henslowe on 10th July, 1600. Samuel Rowley, the dramatist and actor, comes next: he was the Earl of Lincoln of the play, and was also a sharer. Shawe (or Shaa, as he spelt his own name) stood in the same relation, and seems on many occasions to have been put forward as one of the leaders of the association: nevertheless, he is not found in the Household-book of Prince Henry. Charles Massy, who appears to have been an actor of ability, (his part of Rowland Lacy is by no means an easy one) either then made a fresh agreement with Henslowe, or came into the company at the same time as Samuel Rowley; viz., 16th November, 1599, (“Diary," 260) and subsequently obtained a good deal of distinction.

Dowton, or Downton, was an actor under Henslowe in 1594, ("Diary," 7) and must have been a very eminent comedian, to sustain adequately the broad drollery and humorous jollity of Simon Eyre, the shoemaker, who, during the play, by his own industry and a freak of fortune, becomes first Sheriff and afterwards Lord Mayor. John Singer was a famous actor of Clowns, (mentioned with applause by several contemporaries) to whose talents the character of Hodge seems hardly equal; but he perhaps took it in order to make the cast and the attraction of the play complete.

Wilson had a very merry, rattling character, in Firke; and we need entertain little doubt that he wrote it himself, and for himself, with abundant latitude for his extemporizing powers. Edward Jewby, or Juby, was the last who subscribed the acknowledgment of debt to Henslowe on 10th July, 1600; and having been with the old manager in 1594, he continued one of the Prince's Players after James I. came to the throne. He must have been a useful actor; but the part of Ralphe, the lame soldier, would not much tax or test such powers as he possessed.

Towne we may suppose to have been an experienced actor in 1600, and he died, by no means young, in the beginning of the reign of James I. He is mentioned by Henslowe in 1593, concluding that John Towne, on p. 5 of the "Diary," was miswritten for Thomas Towne: if not, we first hear of him on 14th December, 1594. Of Flower I have nothing more to say; and of Price I have only to add, that Mr. Collier, in his "Hist. Engl. Dram. Poetry," i., 351, has misprinted his name Pryore, in enumerating the Players of Prince Henry. Anthony Jeffes was most likely an inferior actor to Humphrey Jeffes, and did not occupy the rank of a sharer in 1600: his part in "The Shoemakers' Holiday" was rather insignificant. Jones and Day I have already noticed.

The character of Dame Eyre, given to William Birde, (or Borne, as he is frequently called by Henslowe) is far from an easy one; and her affected airs of consequence and rank, after she becomes the wife of the Sheriff and Lady Mayoress, so admirably contrasted with the continued good humour and good fellowship of her husband, would afford much scope to a well qualified actor. What is given to Jane is very prettily written, and may be assigned to the pen of Dekker; and if Humphrey Jeffes gave due effect to it, in point of feeling and delicacy, it could only be the poverty of the company that made him also the Nobleman, who is little