or near London, this may be a definite and familiar spot—Cheapside, Lombard Street, Paul's Churchyard, Westminster.[1] Often the action is self-sufficient and the background merely suggestive or decorative. A procession passes; a watch is set; friends meet and converse; a stranger asks his way. But sometimes a structure comes into use. There is a scaffold for an execution.[2] Lists are set, and there must be at least a raised place for the judge, and probably a barrier.[3] One street scene in Soliman and Perseda is outside a tiltyard; another close to an accessible tower.[4] Bills may be set up.[5] In Lord Cromwell this is apparently done on a bridge, and twice in this play it is difficult to resist the conclusion, already
- ↑ Famous Victories, sc. ii, 5, 'we will watch here at Billingsgate ward'; Jack Straw, iii (Smithfield); W. for Fair Women, II. 115, 'here at a friends of mine in Lumberd Street'; IV. 1511, 'Enter two Carpenters vnder Newgate'; Shoemaker's Holiday, sc. xi (Tower Street, vide infra); Cromwell, V. ii, iii (Westminster and Lambeth, vide infra); Arden of F. II. ii (Paul's Churchyard, vide infra); 2 Hen. VI, IV. vi, 'Enter Iacke Cade and the rest, and strikes his staffe on London stone'; &c.
- ↑ Span. Tragedy, III. vi. 104, 'He turnes him off' (s.d.); Sir T. More, sc. xvii. More is brought in by the Lieutenant of the Tower and delivered to the sheriff. He says (1911), 'Oh, is this the place? I promise ye it is a goodly scaffolde', and 'your stayre is somewhat weake'. Lords enter 'As he is going vp the stayres' (s.d.), and he jests with 'this straunge woodden horsse' and 'Truely heers a moste sweet Gallerie' (where the marginal s.d. is 'walking'). Apparently the block is not visible; he is told it is 'to the Easte side' and 'exit' in that direction.
- ↑ Rich. II, I. iii, 'The trumpets sound and the King enters with his nobles; when they are set, enter the Duke of Norfolke in armes defendent'. No one is 'to touch the listes' (43), and when the duel is stopped the combatants' returne backe to their chaires againe' (120).
- ↑ S. and P. I. iii. There is an open place in Rhodes which a mule and
ass can enter. Knights and ladies are welcomed and go 'forwards to
the tilt' with an 'Exeunt' (126). Action continues in the same place.
Piston bids Basilisco 'stay with me and looke vpon the tilters', and
'Will you vp the ladder, sir, and see the tilting?' The s.d. follows (180),
'Then they go vp the ladders and they sound within to the first course'.
Piston and Basilisco then describe the courses as these proceed, evidently
out of sight of the audience. The tiltyard may be supposed to run like
that at Westminster, parallel to the public road and divided from it by
a wall, up which ladders can be placed for the commoner spectators. In
V. ii Erastus is arrested in public and tried on the spot before the Marshal.
He is bound to 'that post' (83) and strangled. The witnesses are to be
killed. Soliman says (118),
Lord Marshall, hale them to the towers top.
And throw them headlong downe into the valley;and we get the s.ds. 'Then the Marshall beares them to the tower top' (122), and 'Then they are both tumbled downe' (130). Presumably they disappear behind.
- ↑ James IV, I. ii. 1, 'Enter Slipper, Nano, and Andrew, with their billes, readie written, in their hands'. They dispute as to whose bill shall stand highest, and then post the bills.
