XIV
INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES
i. ITALIAN PLAYERS IN ENGLAND
[Bibliographical Note.—The wanderings of the Italian companies in Italy
tself and in France are recounted in A. D'Ancona, Origini del Teatro
Italiano (ed. 2, 1891), and A. Baschet, Les Comédiens italiens à la Cour
de France (1882), but without much knowledge of the few English records.
W. Smith, Italian and Elizabethan Comedy (M. P. v. 555) and The Commedia
dell' Arte (1912), deals more fully with these. The literary influence
of Italian comedy is discussed by L. L. Schücking, Die stofflichen Beziehungen
der englischen Komödie zur italienischen bis Lilly (1901), and R. W.
Bond, Early Plays from the Italian (1911).]
The England of Elizabeth and James was a lender rather
than a borrower of players. No records have been disinterred
of French actors in this country between 1495 and 1629;[1]
and although there are a few of Italian actors, their visits
seem to have been confined to a single brief period.[2] The
head-quarters of Italian comedy during the middle of the
sixteenth century was at the Court of Mantua, and when
Lord Buckhurst went as ambassador to congratulate Charles IX
of France on his wedding, it was by Louis Gonzaga, Duke of
Nevers and brother of the Duke of Mantua, that he was
entertained on 4 March 1571 'with a comedie of Italians
that for the good mirth and handling thereof deserved singular
comendacion'.[3] In the following year the Earl of Lincoln
was at Paris from 8 to 22 June in order to conclude a treaty,
and letters relate how he saw at the Louvre 'an Italian
playe, and dyvers vauters and leapers of dyvers sortes verie
excellent', and how later, when he visited the King at the
Chateau de Madrid, 'he had some pastyme showed him by
Italian players, which I was at with hym'.[4] It may perhaps
have been encouragement from one or both of these nobles,
which led an Italian company not long afterwards to make its
way across the Channel. The first notice of it is at Nottingham
- ↑ Lawrence, i. 128 (Early French Players in England). One can hardly, I suppose, assume that the Turkish acrobat of 1589-90 (cf. ch. xviii) was a real Turk.
- ↑ J. A. Lester, Italian Players in Scotland (M. L. N. xxiii. 240), traces histriones, whom he unjustifiably assumes to be actors, and tubicines in 1514-61.
- ↑ S. P. F. (1569-71), 413.
- ↑ Nichols, Eliz. i. 302.
