An order sett downe by the lordes and others of hir Maiesties pruiye Councell the 22 of Iune 1600 to restrain the excessiue number of Plaie howses & the imoderate vse of Stage plaies in & about the Cittye. abuses and disorders that haue growen and doe Continew by occasion of many howses erected & emploied in and aboute the Cittie of London for common Stage Plaies. And nowe verie latelie, by reason of some Complainte exhibited by sondrie persons against the buildinge of the like house in or nere Goldinge Lane by one Edward Allen, a seruant of the right honorable the Lo: Admirall, the matter, aswell in generalitie touchinge all the said houses for Stage Plaies and the vse of playenge, as in particuler concerninge the said house now in hand to be builte in or neere Goldinge Lane, hath bin brought into question & Consultacion amonge theire LL. Forasmuch as yt is manifestlie knowne and graunted that the multitude of the said houses and the misgouerment of them hath bin made and is dailie occasion of the idle riotous and dissolute livinge of great numbers of people, that leavinge all such honest and painefull Course of life, as they should followe, doe meete and assemble there, and of maine particuler abuses and disorders that doe there vppon ensue. And yet neuerthelesse yt is Considered that the vse and exercise of suche plaies, not beinge euill in yt self, may with a good order and moderacion be suffered in a well gouerned estate, and that, hir Maiestie beinge pleased at some times to take delighte and recreacion in the sight and hearinge of them, some order is fitt to bee taken for the allowance and mainteinance of suche persons, as are thoughte meetest in that kinde to yeald hir Maiestie recreacion and delight, & consequentlie of the howses that must serue for publique playenge to keepe them in exercise. To the end therefore, that bothe the greatest abuses of the plaies and plaienge houses maye be redressed, and the vse and moderacon of them retained, The Lordes and the rest of hir Maiesties privie Councell, withe one and full Consent, haue ordered in manner and forme as followeth.
First, that there shall bee about the Cittie two howses and noe more allowed to serue for the vse of the Common Stage plaies, of the which howses one shalbe in Surrey in that place which is Commonlie called the banckside or there aboutes, and the other in Midlesex. And foras muche as there Lordshippes haue bin enformed by Edmond Tylney Esquire, hir Maiesties seruant and Master of the Reuells, that the howse now in hand to be builte by the said Edward Allen is not intended to encrease the number of the Plaiehowses, but to be in steed of an other, namelie the Curtaine, Which is either to be ruined and plucked downe or to be putt to some other good vse, as also that the scituacion thereof is meete and Conuenient for that purpose. Yt is likewise ordered that the said howse of Allen shall be allowed to be one of the two howses, and namelie for the house to be alowed in Middlesex, [for the Companie of Plaiers belonging to the L: Admirall], soe as the house Called the Curtaine be (as yt is pretended) either ruinated or applied to some other good vse. And for the other allowed to be on Surrey side, whereas [there Lordshipps are pleased to permitt]
