1

no pofitive proof of the existence of a ftage amongst the early Irish.

We will then proceed to that period in which Irish history first introduces the dramatic mufe, mingling the waters of Jordan and Helicon

That the Irish clergy, as well as their brethren in England, occasionally exhibited myfteries and moralities previous to the reign of Henry VIII, may be

NOTE S.

& Perhaps I should have commenced the hiftory of the Irish ftage with the rife of the mummers in Ireland. "The mummers (fays DODSLEY) as bad as they were, feem to be the true original comedians of England." Collect. of Old Plays, vol. i. pref. But the ftage rather fprang from, than commenced with the mummers. Here I will take leave to obferve, that, at this day, the dialogue of the Irish mummers in general (for I have collected it in different parts of the kingdom) bears a strict resemblance, in point of matter, with a specimen of the dialogue of the English mummers in the reign of Edward III. which Mr. RITSON has happily refcued from oblivion. See Rem. on the text, and last edit. of Shakespear. It is alfo deferving of obfervation, that our mummers are always accompaied by a buffoon, whofe drefs and antic nianners arfwer the defcription of the Vice of the old English comedies, the precursor of the modern Punch. This character likewife appears in the pageant with which the Irish ruftics cclebrate the first of May.

fafely inferred from the following record preferved amongst the MSS. of Robert Ware.

"Thomas Fitz-Gerald, earl of Kildare, and lord lieutenant of Ireland in the year 1528, was invited to a new play every day in christmafs, Arland Usher being then mayor, and Francis Herbert and John Squire, bailiffs, wherein the taylors acted the part of Adam and Eve; the fhoemakers reprefented the story of Crifpin and Crifpianus; the vintners act ed Bacchus and his ftory; the carpenters that of Jofeph and Mary; Vulcan, and what related to him, was acted by the fmiths; and the comedy of Ceres, the goddefs of corn, by the bakers. Their ftage was erected on Hoggin-green (now called College green) and on it the priors of St. John of Jerufalem, of the bleffed Trinity, and of All-hallows, caufed two plays to be acted, the one representing the paffion of our Saviour, and the other the feveral deaths which the apostles fuffered." From this record (which is the firft express mention that has occurred to me of the reprefentation of mysteries and moralities in Ireland) it should seem, that it was customary with the chief magiftrates of Dublin to invite the lord lieutenant to a new play every day in christmasf; and therefore, as I have already obferved, it may be inferred, that dramatic entertainments were exhibited in Ireland before this period. But it was not only to amufe the chief governor that myfteries and moralities were performed in Dublin: they were got up (to speak in the language of the modern theatre) on · every joyful occafion. In a MS. in the library of Trinity College, Dublin, it is related, "that in an expedition made

against James Mac-Connel, by the lord deputy Suffex in 1557, he was attended by John Ufher, captain, and Patrick Bulkely, petty-captain, with fixty of the city trained bands; and upon their return THE SIX WORTHIES was played by the city, and the mayor gave the public a goodly entertainment upon the occafion, found four trumpeters horfes for the folemnity, and gave them twenty fhillings in money."

Although it may be prefumed, that thefe exhibitions, as well as thofe in England at the fame period, were conducted by the church, yet we find, not only from the paffages above quoted, but from the following entries in the CHAINBook of Dublin, that the corporations ufually fupplied performers: it also appears from those entries, that the dreffes, fcenery, and machinery, were likewife fupplied by the city.

"It was ordered, in maintenance of the pageant of St. George, that the mayor of the foregoing year thould find the emperor and emprefs with their train and followers, well apparelled and accoutered; that is to fay, the emperor attended with two doctors, and the emprefs with two knights, and two maidens richly apparelled to bear up the train of her gown."

"Item, 2dly. The mayor for the time being was to find St. George a horfe, and the wardens to pay 3s. 4d. for his wages that day: the bailiffs for the time being were to find four horfes, with men mounted on them well apparelled, to bear the pole-axe, the standard, and the feveral fwords of the emperor and St. George."

"Item, 3dly. The elder mafter of the guild was to find a maiden well attired to lead the dragon, and the clerk of the market was to find a golden line for the dragon."

"Item, 4thly. The elder warden was to find for St. George four trumpets; but St. George himself was to pay their wages.

"Item, 5thly. The younger warden was obliged to find the king of Dele and the queen of Dele, as alfo two knights VOL. IV. Dec. 1794.

The glovers were to reprefent Adam and Eve, with an angel bearing a fword before them.”

"The corrifees (perhaps curriers} were to represent Cain and Abel, with an altar, and their offering."

"Mariners and vinters, Noah, and the perfons in his ark, apparelled in the habits of carpenters and falmontakers."

"The weavers perfonated Abraham and Ifaac, with their offering and altar."

"The fmiths reprefented Pharaoh, with his hoft."

"The fkinners, the camel with the children of Ifrael."

"The goldfmiths were to find the king of Cullen."

"The hoopers were to find the fhepherds with an angel finging, Gloria in excelfis Deo."

66

Corpus Chrifti guild was to find Chrift in his paffion, with the Marys and Angels.

"The taylors were to find Pilate with his fellowship, and his wife cloathed accordingly."

"The barbers, Annas and Cai

that were rode triennially in Dublin till the year 1772, when they were abolished by the lord mayor's proclamation.

This chapel flood in St. George'slane (now St. George's-ftreet, fouth) whence it derived its name. Not a trace of the building remains. Stannihurft fuppofes it had been founded by fome worthy knight of the garter, and thus laments its fate : "This chappell hath beene of late razed, and the stones thereof, by confent of the assemblie, turned to a common oven, converting the ancient monument of a doutie, adventurous and holy knight, to the colerake fweeping of a pufloafe baker." Defc. of Irel. in Holinfhed's Chron. page 23.

He

vǝl. iii.

fullied. To effect this, inftead of employing his favourite inftrument of invective, he wrote fome dramatic pieces, inculcating níorality, and breathing the fpirit of the gcfpel. Two of thofe pieces-namely God's Promifes, and John Baptift-were acted by young men at the market-crofs in Kilkenny, on a Sunday, in the year 1552k.

In order to convey an idea of the tendency of thofe pieces, and of the rude ftate of the drama at this time, I fhall here tranfcribe the argument of God's Promifes,' as fuppofed to be delivered by the author in perfon.

Regardlefs, however, of the bishop's ftrenuous oppofition to the fufferance of profaneness on the ftage, it should feem from an act paffed in the fecond year of the reign of Elizabeth, that the comic mufe ftill prefumed to sport with the holy word, directing her wit againft the liturgy of the newly-established church. By this act (which is intituled, an Act for the uniformity of Common Prayer and Service in the Church, and the adminiftration of the Sacraments) "it is ordeyned and enacted, that if any perfon or perfons m whatfoever, after the feaft of St John Baptift, fhall in any enterludes, playes, fongs, rimes, or by other open words, declare or fpeake any thing in derogation, depraving or defpifing of the fame booke, or of any thing therein conteyned, or any part thereof, shall forfeit to the queene our foveraigne lady, her heyres and fucceffors, for the first of-fence an hundred markes; and if any perfon or perfons being once convict of any fuch offence, eftfoones offend against any of the faid recited offences, and fhall in forme aforefaid be thereof lawfully convict, that then the fame perfon fo offending and convict, fhall for the fecond. offence forfeit to the queene our foveraigne lady, her heyres and fucceffors. ́ foure hundred marks; and if any perfon after he in forme aforefaid, fhall have been twife convict of any offence, concerning any of the laft recited offences, fhall offend the third time, and be thereof in forme aforefaid lawfully convict, that then every perfon fo offending and convict, fhall for his third offence forfeit to our foveraigne lady the queene, all his

goods and cattels, and fhall fuffer imprifonment during his life."

From the reign of Elizabeth to that of Charles I. a dark cloud obfcures the history of the Irish ftage. Yet dramatic exhibitions had not ceafed; for in the tenth and eleventh years of the reign of Charles I. an act was paffed for the erecting of houfes of correction, and for the punishment of rogues, vagabonds, furdy beggars, and other lewd and idle perfons, in which all juftices of the peace of the different counties wherein they might be found, are directed to fend to the houfes of correction all fencers, bear-wardens, common players of interludes, and minftrels wandering abroad. So that we may hence conclude, the flage had not only continued its amufements, but, unawed by the puritanical fpirit of the times, had become licentious. However, though coercive measures were thus taken by parliament to filence the ftage, it was countenanced by the court. About this time, a master of the revels" was placed on the establishment, and under his direction a theatre was erected (1635) in Werburgh ftreet, Dublin, whither were invited all the itinerant players of diftinguished merit, who had formerly been neceffitated to ftroll from booth to booth in the principal towns and cities, and to wander from hall to hall amongst the rural mansions of the gentry and nobility. It is very probable that previous to the period now under confideration, dramatic entertainments were not numbered with the elegant amufements of the court; though Mr. Chetwood afferts, on the

NOTE.

authority of a wax chandler's bill, that Gorbuduc, and feveral other plays, had been performed in the caftle of Dublin, during the administration of Blount, lord Mountjoy, in the reign of Elizabeth.o Now, had there really been fuch exhibitions, the expenfes would certainly have been defrayed by an order of the lord deputy or privy council, on the deputy vice treasurer; yet no fuch order appears either in the treafury office, or in the archives of the office of the auditor general-at least, if fuch an order does exift, it has escaped my researches.

The theatre in Werburgh-street continued to be opened, occasionally, under the fanction of government, till the year 1641, when it closed for ever. P

From Werburgh-freet the fcene of the drama was fhifted to Orange-street (now Smock-alley) in 1661. But during the civil wars that foon after broke out, the whole company were difperfed; fo that when the people of Dublin, on the defeat of king James's army, at the battle of the Boyne, amongst other expreffions of joy, fays Cibber, had a mind to have a play, they could find no actor to affift, and some private perfons agreed to give one, at their own expenfe, to the public at the theatre.9

From this time every event of the Irish ftage has been fo faithfully and fo minutely recorded, that nothing is left for me to add to its history Here, therefore, I fhall dismiss the subject.

JOSEPH C. WALKER."

NOTE S.

• Gen. Hift. of the Stage, page 51.

P The laft play performed at this theatre was Landgartha, a tragi-comedy, written by Henry Burnel, Efq. of whom I have only been able to learn, that he was born in Ireland, and flourished about the clofe of the reign of Charles I.

Apology, page 136.

See Cibber's Apology; Chetwood's Gen. Hift. of the Stage; Victor's Hift. of the Stage; Davis' Life of Garrick; and Hitchcock's View of the Irish Stage.

For