'Warrant from the Queenes Majestie of her Players. Anna Regina. Anne by the grace of God Queene of England, Scottland, Fraunce, and Ireland. To all Justices of the Peace, Maiors, Sheriffs, Bayliffes, and all other his Majestes Officers and loving subiectes to whom yt shall or may appertaine greetinge, Know yee that of our speciall grace and favour, Wee are well pleased to authorize under our hand and signett the bearers hereof our sworne servauntes Robert Lee, Martin Statier and Roger Barfield with theyr fellowes and associates being our Commedians vppon theyr humble Suite unto us for theyr better mainetenaunce, Yf att annie time they should have occasion to travell into anie parte of his Majestes Dominions to playe Tragedyes, historyes, commedies and pastoralls as well in anie about the Cittye of London, and in all other cittyes vniversities and townes at all time anie times (the time of divine seruice onlye excepted) Theise are therefore to will and requier you uppon the sight hereofe quiettlye and favourably with your best favours, to permitt and suffer them, to use theyr sayd qualitye within your Jurisdiccions without anie of your molestacions or troubles, and also to affourd them your Townehalls and all other such places as att anie time have been used by men of theyr qualitye, That they maye be in the better readiness for our seruise when they shalbe thereunto commaunded, Nott doubtinge butt that our sayd servauntes shall find the more favour for our sake in your best assistaunce, Wherein you shall doe unto us acceptable pleasure. Given att the Court of Whitehall, the seaventh daye of Marche 1605.'
Of these three men, Lee, and Lee alone, appears in the London
lists of 1603, 1604, and 1609. Of Barfield's career nothing
more is known. Martin Slater, whose name can be divined
under that of Statier, had left the Admiral's in 1597. He was
probably in Scotland during 1599, and if so his patronage
by Anne may be analogous to the patronage by James, which
brought Laurence Fletcher's name into the King's men's
patent. In 1603 he was payee for Hertford's men. Presumably
the enterprise of 1606 did not last long, for in the spring
of 1608 Slater became manager for the King's Revels. His
place in the provinces may have been taken by Thomas
Swinnerton, who was leading a company of Queen's men
at Coventry in 1608-9, and whose departure from the London
company is perhaps indicated by the fact that at about the
same time he sold a share, which he had held in the house of
the Red Bull. Swinnerton was travelling again in 1614-16
and using an exemplification of the patent of 1609. In 1616
he was accompanied by Robert Lee, who for two years before
had been acting as payee for the London company. Lee
came again with the exemplification to Norwich on 31 May
1617, and it was then noted to have been taken out on
7 January 1612. A few days later, on 4 June 1617, a copy
was entered in the Norwich court-books of a warrant by the
