amongst the earlier records of Henry VII himself.[1] But from 1493 onwards Exchequer documents testify to the continuous existence of a body of men under the style of Lusores Regis, or in the vulgar tongue, Players of the King's Interludes. In 1494 there were four of them, John English, Edward May, Richard Gibson, and John Hammond, and each had an annual fee, payable out of the Exchequer, of £3 6s. 8d. In 1503 there were five, William Rutter and John Scott taking the place of Hammond, but the total Exchequer payment to the company of £13 6s. 8d. a year, seems to have remained unaltered to the end of the reign.[2] They received, however, additional sums from time to time, as 'rewards' for performances, which were charged to the separate account of the Chamber.[3] In 1503, under the leadership of John English, they attended the Princess Margaret to Edinburgh, for her wedding with James IV of Scotland. Here they 'did their devoir', both on the day of the wedding, 8 August, and on the following days. On 11 August they played after supper, and on 13 August they played 'a Moralite' after dinner.[4]John Englissh, Edwardo Maye, Rico Gibbeson, & John Hammond, Lusoribus Regis, alias, in lingua Anglicana, les pleyars of the kyngs enterluds, de feodis suis V mrc. p Ann: le home, per lre Regis de privato Sigillo dormant de termino Michaelis alt: pte rec: denar: separatim p manus proprias, x mrc.'. The payment was continued half-yearly. Collier adds that Mr. Ouvry owned an original receipt signed by May and English for the salaries of the same four men. It is now Egerton MS. 2623 (3), f. 1, and appears to be a slip cut from some Exchequer record. F. Devon, Issues of the Exchequer, 516, gives similar payments for Michaelmas 1494 and Michaelmas 1503; it is in the latter that the names of William Rutter and John Scott appear. An Exchequer declaration of 1505-6 in Lansd. MS. 156, f. 135, has 'To Richard Gibson, and other the kings plaiers, for their annuity for one yere, £13 6s. 8d.'. Henry, History of Britain, xii. 456, gives from an Exchequer annuity list of 1507-8, 'Ricardo Gybson et aliis lusoribus dom. reg. £13 6s. 8d.'.], Itm to John Englishe for his pagent, £6 13s. 4d.. . . Jan. 1 [1502] Itm, to the Kinges players, over 40^s paid by Thomas Trollop, 20^s'; (b) Household Book of Henry VII (1492-1505, more correctly from Addl. MS. 7099 in Bentley, Excerpta Historica, 85), 'Jan. 6 [1494] To the Kings Pleyers for a rewarde, £2 13s. 4d.. . . Jan. 7 [1502] To John Englishe the Pleyer, 10s.'; (c) The Kings Boke of Payments (1506-9, apparently Misc. Books of the Treasury of the Receipt of the Exchequer, 214), 'Jan. 7 [1509] To the kings players in rewarde, £2'. Both (b) and (c) are Chamber Accounts.]
- ↑ The documents in W. Campbell, Materials for a History of the Reign of Henry VII, are full for the period 1485-90. There is nothing of King's players, but certain 'stuffures' paid for by a warrant of 25 Nov. 1485 (Campbell, i. 178) included goods delivered to John English, apparently a royal tailor or valet, 'servant unto my said sovereign'.
- ↑ Collier, i. 44, from a book of Exchequer payments, beginning Michaelmas 1493, in the Chapter-house (probably Misc. Books of the Treasury of the Receipt of the Exchequer, 131), 'xvij Die Maij [1494
- ↑ Collier, i. 49, quotes: (a) Account of Robert Fowler (1501-2), 'Oct. 26 [1501
- ↑ Leland, Collectanea (ed. Hearne), iv. 265.
