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in tracing the outlines of the vanished hall of Whitehall, places the stage at the lower or screen end of the building, and suggests that the pantry was utilized as a tiring-room.[1] He may have evidence as to this in reserve; but the Christ Church analogy, for what it is worth, points to a stage at the upper or daïs end. The Revels Accounts contain many items bearing upon the scenic decoration of the plays; but, as they were compiled, unfortunately, to satisfy the financial appetite of contemporary auditors, rather than to elucidate the archaeological problems of posterity, they not unnaturally take for granted a familiarity with the general system of that decoration which we do not happen to possess. The discussion of the problems, which cannot be dissociated from those presented by the public theatres, must be left for treatment, with the aid of the evidences furnished by plays themselves, in a later chapter.[2] But the actual information furnished by the accounts may conveniently be summarized at this point. The outstanding features were evidently certain 'houses', appropriate to the action of the plays, and specially prepared, with considerable trouble and expense, for each production, although no doubt the Revels officers, as in the case of masking garments, exercised their economical ingenuity where possible in the 'translation' of old material.[3] These houses appear to have been structures in relief, presumably practicable for entrances and exits, and perhaps also on occasion for interior action. Wooden frame-*works, fitted with hooped tops, were covered with painted cloths of canvas, which was strained on with nails or pins, and was sometimes fringed.[4] From the amount of canvas*

  1. ↑ L. T. R. vii. 41. In The Times for 3 Dec. 1917 Mr. Law has a similar reconstruction of the arrangements at Hampton Court, wherein he assigns the stage to a point before the screens, with the gallery over the screens for 'upper chamber scenes', rooms behind the screens for tiring-houses, and a players' supper room, and the Watching Chamber for rehearsals. But again he produces no evidence.
  2. ↑ Cf. ch. xix.
  3. ↑ The expenses of 1578-9 (vide infra) included the 'mending' of houses. But I agree, broadly, with the argument of Graves, 53, that scenery for a Court performance had to be either new or renewed.
  4. ↑ In 1563-5, 'canvas to couer diuers townes and howsses and other devisses and clowds' (Feuillerat, Eliz. 116); in 1571-2, 'sundry Tragedies Playes Maskes and sportes with their apte howses of paynted canvas' (129); in 1572-3, 'sparres to make frames for the players howses' (175); in 1573-4, 'hoopes for tharbour and topp of an howse' . . . 'pynnes styf and great for paynted clothes' . . . 'nayles to strayne the canvas' . . . 'canvas to paynte for howses for the players and for other properties as monsters, greate hollow trees and suche other' . . . 'cariage for the fframes for the howses that served in the playes' . . . 'iij elme boordes and vij ledges for the frames for the players' . . . 'cariage of fframes and painted clothes for the players howses' (197, 201, 203, 204, 218); in 1574-5, 'canvas to make frenge for the players howse' (244); in
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