is assigned one of three doors and, as in Common Conditions of old, entry by a particular door signifies that a scene is to take place at the locality to which it belongs.[1] One is at liberty to conjecture that the doors were nominated by labels, but Percy does not precisely say so, although he certainly provides for a title label. Journeys from one locality to another are foreshortened into a crossing of the stage.[2] For The Aphrodysial there were at least two houses, the palace of Oceanus 'in the middle and alofte', and Proteus Hall, where interior action takes place.[3] For The Faery Pastoral there is an elaborate note:
'The Properties
'Highest, aloft, and on the Top of the Musick Tree the Title The Faery Pastorall, Beneath him pind on Post of the Tree The Scene Elvida Forrest. Lowest of all over the Canopie [Greek: NAPAITBODAION] or Faery Chappell. A kiln of Brick. A Fowen Cott. A Hollowe Oake with vice of wood to shutt to. A Lowe well with Roape and Pullye. A Fourme of Turves. A greene Bank being Pillowe to the Hed but. Lastly A Hole to creepe in and out.'
Having written so far, Percy is smitten with a doubt. The
stage of Paul's was a small one, and spectators sat on it. If
he clutters it up like this with properties, will there be room
to act at all? He has a happy thought and continues:
'Now if so be that the Properties of any These, that be outward, will
not serve the turne by reason of concourse of the People on the Stage,
Then you may omitt the sayd Properties which be outward and supplye
their Places with their Nuncupations onely in Text Letters. Thus for
some.'
Whether the master of Paul's was prepared to avail himself
of this ingenious device, I do not know. There is no other
reference to it, and I do not think it would be safe to assume
that it was in ordinary use upon either the public or the
private stage. There is no change of locality in The Faery
Pastoral, which is tout en pastoralle, but besides the title
label, there was a general scenic label and a special one for
- ↑ C. and C. Errant, I. i, 'They entered from Maldon'; I. iv, 'They entered from Harwich all'.
- ↑ C. and C. Errant, I. ii, 'They met from Maldon and from Harwich', for a scene in Colchester; III. i, 'They crossd: Denham to Harwich, Lacy to Maldon'.
- ↑ Reynolds (M. P. xii. 248) gives the note as 'In the middle and alofte Oceanus Pallace The Scene being. Next Proteus-Hall'. This seems barely grammatical and I am not sure that it is complete. A limitation of Paul's is suggested by the s.d. (ibid. 258) 'Chambers (noise supposd for Powles) For actors', but apparently 'a showre of Rose-water and confits' was feasible.
