tiring-house and the decorative enrichment of the stage.[1] The fabric, both of the stage and of the seating for spectators, was a matter for the Works.[2] The 'apparelling' of the room was under the supervision of the Gentleman Usher of the Chamber, and in the marshalling of the audience the Lord Chamberlain could count on the assistance of the 'white staves' of the Household, and of the few officers who still survived from the once important office of the Hall.[3] No picture or detailed description of the auditorium survives.[4] A brief notice of 1594 shows us Elizabeth conspicuous 'in a high throne, richly adorned', and next to her chair the Earl of Essex, 'with whom she often devised in sweet and favourable manner'.[5] This high throne was no doubt the 'state', which was brought into the action of The Arraignment of Paris. Something more may be gleaned from the narratives of royal visits to the universities. That to Cambridge in 1564, indeed, affords no very close analogy, for the structure of the stage was of quite an abnormal type.[6] It was not in a hall, but in the chapel of King's College, and
- ↑ Cunningham, 214 (1611-12), 'For a musik house dore in the hall and a doore for the musik house in the Bancketing house with lockes'; possibly that in the hall was used for plays rather than masks.
- ↑ Cf. App. B and the Works Account of 'Chardges done for the revells in the hall' at Shrovetide 1568 in Feuillerat, Eliz. 120. But the Revels themselves had 'to enlardge the scaffolde in the hall' in 1579-80 (327).
- ↑ Cf. ch. ii, p. 34.
- ↑ On the woodcut in Three Lords and Three Ladies of London (1590), cf. Bibl. Note to ch. xviii.
- ↑ Cf. App. A.
- ↑ Peck, Desiderata uriosa, ii. 267 (from account of Matthew Stokys in Harl. MS. 7037 (Baker MS. 10)); 'For the hearing and playing whereof was made, by her highness surveyor and at her own cost, in the body of the church, a great stage containing the breadth of the church from the one side to the other, that the chapels might serve for houses. In the length it ran two of the lower chapels full, with the pillars on a side. Upon the south wall was hanged a cloth of state, with the appurtenances and half path, for her majesty. In the rood loft, another stage for ladies and gentlewomen to stand on. And the two lower tables, under the said rood loft, were greatly enlarged and railed for the choice officers of the court. There was, before her majesty's coming, made in the King's College hall, a great stage. But, because it was judged by divers to be too little, and too close for her highness and her company, and also far from her lodging, it was taken down. When all things were ready for the plays, the Lord Chamberlain with Mr. Secretary came in, bringing a multitude of the guard with them, having every man in his hand a torch-staff for the lights of the play (for no other lights were occupied) and would not suffer any to stand upon the stage, save a very few upon the north side. And the guard stood upon the ground by the stage side, holding their lights. From the quire door unto the stage was made as 'twere a bridge, railed on both sides, for the queen's grace to go to the stage; which was straitly kept.' This account is also in Nichols, Eliz. i. 151. In his first edition Nichols (iii. 27) also gave an account by Nicholas Robinson, which adds the detail that the stage was 'structura quaedam ex crassioribus asseribus altitudine pedum quinque'; cf. also Boas, 91.
