Another, imperfect, without name, date, &c. in Trinity College Library. The following plays we are able to arrange chronologically, and affix the names of the Colleges where they were represented, and those of the authors by whom they were written. The Returne from Parnassus, or Scourge of Simony,* was acted by the students of St. John's, in 1606: of its author we know nothing more than that he was certainly a poet, and that he has written a very pleasing comedy. He censures with great ease and severity the poets and actors of his time; and upon the hints thrown out against the clergy, Dr. Wilde laid the foundation of his play called Benefice. In the prologue we are told, as the fact really is, "that what is presented, is but a slubbered invention; and if our wisdom obscure the circumstance, our kindness will pardon the substance." The plot will be best given in the author's own words; We only show a scholar's discontent. In scholar's fortunes, twice forlorn and dead, beyond these there is nothing to excite interest: though the comedy, for the light it throws upon English manners and feelings at the period it was written, and for the occasional strains of poetry and humour it contains, is well worth a perusal. In 1612, Prince Charles and the Count Palatine of the Rhine, (who, early in the ensuing year, married the Princess Elizabeth his sister,) visited Cambridge. The University received them with the same kind of entertainment as that with which they had received Queen Elizabeth,-scholastic disputa tions in the morning, and Latin plays at night. They remained in the University two days, and took up their abode at Trinity College Lodge.-Upon the first night, the comedy of Adelphe was performed: it still exists in manuscript in Trinity College Library, without the author's name, bearing upon it the date of 1662, which will authorise the assertion, that it was again acted in that year. It commenced at seven o'clock aut circiter, and continued until one in the morning; we have, therefore, no reason to be surprised when the unpublished record consulted* tells us that the Count Palatine slept the greater part of it. Prince Charles was very attentive, and " notwithstanding it was so long, seemed to listen with very good patience and great contentment." However, both of them, upon their return to Newmarket, complained of its immoderate length and stupidity. The next night the Pastoral of Scyros was represented; this exists in manuscript in the same library; there is also a copy in the University Library which gives the actors' names: amongst them are those of Hackett, afterwards bishop of Litchfield and Coventry, and author of Loiola; and of Stubbe, author of Fraus Honesta.-The scene of Scyros is laid in the island of that name in the Egean Sea, in the valley of Alcander, and the time is twelve hours. It was written by Brookes, a fellow of Trinity, who wrote another pastoral, Melanthe.-A third copy of Scyros is in Emmanuel College Library, having the 30th instead of the 3d of March 1612, for Prince Charles's visit. In 1614, Cambridge received another royal visit; it was this time visited by King James. It appears rather surprising that he had not curiosity to come to it earlier, as his winter hunting excursions from Royston brought him within so short a distance. He was entertained in a manner befitting his character, and, indeed, upon this occasion the University seems to have outdone the hospitality, magnificence, and scenical exhibitions, displayed towards his predecessor. The learned antiquary, Mr. Pegge, has given, in the twenty-sixth volume of the Gentleman's Magazine, a minute of what passed during his stay: this paper affords another proof of the accuracy with which Rapin wrote the history of our nation. "The king made his entry upon the seventh of March, attended with as much solemnity and concourse of gallants and great men, as the hard weather and extreme foul ways would permit. The prince came along with him, but not the queen, by reason as it Apud Coll. Caii Cantab. + See Winwood's Memorials, v. iii. p. 240. Extracted from a MS. in the possession of Sir Edward Derring, Gent. Mag. sub anno 1756. : was said that she was not invited; which error is rather imputed to their chancellour than to the scholars, that understand not these courses."* We choose to express ourselves in the words of the writers we consult, rather than in our own, because the simplicity of their language is better suited to the circumstances they narrate. The Earl of Suffolk, lord treasurer, is said to have kept his table at St. John's at the expense of a thousand pounds a day; whether this account is correct, even his contemporaries doubt, but the expense may be estimated by the proportion of wine that was drunk, no less a quantity than twenty-six tuns in five days. The king and prince lay at Trinity, where the plays were represented the hall was so ordered for room, that above two thousand people were conveniently placed as spectators. Upon the first night was performed by St. John's men, Emilia, a comedy written by Mr. Cecill, a member of the College. It is uncertain whether a copy can now be found in its absence we must be satisfied with what scanty information the following sentence contains. "The chief part consisted of a counterfeit Sir Edward Ratcliffe, a foolish tutor of physic, which proved but a lean argument; and though it were larded with pretty shows at the beginning and end, and with somewhat too broad speech for such a presence, yet it was still dry." Upon the second night was performed the admirable and well-known comedy of Ignoramus. We pass over this performance with reluctance; but as it is intended to form the subject of another article, to speak more concerning it now would only be anticipating our future purpose. Upon the third night an English comedy called Albumazar, written by Mr. Tomkis of Trinity, was performed: this has been printed in 1615, 1634, and in a more attainable shape in Dodsley's Collection of old Plays. It holds a very exalted situation among the English plays, and has occasioned some controversy whether or not it formed the model of Ben Jonson's Alchemist. : Upon the fourth night was acted Melanthe, a Latin pastoral, written by Dr. Brookes of Trinity. A fifth play was prepared by Phineas Fletcher of King's, entituled Sicelides, a Piscatory: the king departed in the morning, but this play was acted at the author's college in the evening. The serious parts of it are mostly written in rhyme, with chorusses between the acts. Perindus's telling Armillus the story of Glaucus, Scylla, and Circe, in the first act, is taken from Ovid's Metamorphoses, 1. xii., and Atyches's fighting with and killing the ork that was to *See Miscellaneous State Papers, from 1501 to 1726, 4to. Lond. 1778, vol. i. p. 394. + See Miscellaneous State Papers, v. i. p. 394. See vol. vii. p. 125. 1 have devoured Olinda, is an imitation of the story of Perseus and Andromeda in Ovid's Metamorphoses, 1. ii., or the deliverance of Angelica from the monster by Ruggiero, in the Orlando Furioso, c. x. The scene lies in Sicily; the time two hours.* The king was so highly pleased with the comedy of Ignoramus, that upon the thirteenth of May in this year he visited Cambridge again, to hear it a second time. The play now received some few alterations and additions: it began at eight o'clock, and ended about one: the king laughed exceedingly, and oftentimes with his hands, and by words, applauded it. Trinity College Hall was again fitted up for its representation; at the lower end of the stage the doctors were placed; next to the stage, the regents and non-regents in gowns; in the body of the hall other strangers according to their qualities; the upper end of the hall, beyond the stage, was wholly reserved for the king and prince's followers, and for the courtiers. The Earl of Suffolk at the former visit is said to have expended, in five days, the sum of five thousand pounds; the king, probably wishing to cause the University little trouble or expense, remained in it at this time but two days, during which period only one comedy was performed. The Returne from Parnassus was called by its author a Show. In 1615 another was performed, entitled Worke for Cutlers; or, a Merry Dialogue between Sword, Rapier, and Dagger: its author is unknown, and the interlude itself almost equally so; it may be classed among the very scarcest of the early English dramas. Between the years 1616 and 1620, the comedy of Lingua was acted at Trinity College. The play itself has been reviewed in a former number of the Retrospective, vol. ii., 270. An extraordinary anecdote concerning it has been preserved by Winstanley, the authenticity of which there is little probability of knowing. He says that, when this play was acted at Cambridge, Oliver Cromwell performed in it: in consequence of this part of his information, we have assigned it to the above period. But he further states, that his acting the character of Tactus gave him his first ambitious ideas: having obtained the contested coronet, he makes this spirited declaration : Roses, and bays, pack hence! this crown and robe, * See Biographia Dramatica, v. iii. p. 368. VOL. XII. PART I. D |