the queene had no players. Among these twelve players were two rare men, viz. Thomas Wilson, for a quicke, delicate, refined, extemporall witt, and Richard Tarleton, for a wondrous plentifull pleasant extemporall wit, he was the wonder of his time. He lieth buried in Shoreditch church. [In a note] He was so beloved that men use his picture for their signs.'[1]
Howes is not altogether accurate. 'Thomas' is obviously
a mistake for 'Robert' Wilson. Elizabeth had maintained
players before, the Interluders, although they had cut little
figure in the dramatic history of the reign, and the last of
them had died in 1580. Dr. Greg thinks that the players
were not appointed as grooms of the Chamber, on the ground
that their names do not appear in a list of these officers
appended to a warrant of 8 November 1586.[2] But Tarlton
is described as 'ordenary grome off her majestes chamber'
in the record of his graduation as a master of fence in 1587,
and both he and his 'fellow', William Johnson, are described
as 'grooms of her majesties chamber' in his will of 1588.
Their absence from Dr. Greg's list is probably due to their
treatment as a special class of grooms of the chamber in
ordinary without fee, who were not called upon to perform
the ordinary duties of the office, such as helping to watch
the palace.[3] That they had liveries, which were red coats,
is borne out by the particular mention of the fact that they
were not wearing them, in the depositions concerning a very
untoward event which took place in the first few months
of their service. On the afternoon of 15 June 1583 they were
playing at the Red Lion in Norwich. A dispute as to payment
arose between a servant of one Mr. Wynsdon and Singer,
who, in a black doublet and with a player's beard on, was
acting as gatekeeper. Tarlton and Bentley, who was playing
the duke, came off the stage, and Bentley broke the offender's
head with the hilt of his sword. The man fled, pursued by
Singer with an arming-sword which he took off the stage,
and by Henry Browne, a servant of Sir William Paston. Both
of them struck him, and one of the blows, but it was not
certain whose, proved mortal.[4]
Several other places, besides Norwich, received a visit from the Queen's men during the first summer of their existence. In April they were at Bristol, on 9 July at Cambridge, and between 24 July and 29 September at Leicester.
