MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
BILLS.
BEATRICE.
He set up his bills here in Messina and challenged Cupid at the flight.
I, 1, 39.
In Shakespeare’s day the only means of advertising were by posting bills all over the town. As early as 1579 we are told the players used to set up their bills upon posts certain days before the performances, to admonish the people to make resort unto their theatres, and that the players, by sticking up their bills in London, defile the streets with their infectious filthiness. These bills were mostly set up around St. Paul’s Cathedral. The monopoly of this trade was for many years held by Charlwood, a London printer. By marrying Charlwood’s widow James Roberts, the notorious piratical publisher of Shakespeare’s plays, succeeded to this business, and at his death, Jaggard, the chief promoter in publishing the First Folio, obtained this lucrative post. Roberts’ connexion with printing the bills for the players may in some way account for the fact that he managed to secure the manuscripts of the plays from the playhouse proprietors, and then print and publish them, either by bribing the players or some official connected with the theatre.
The first authentic quarto of “Hamlet” was published by Roberts in 1604, without doubt from a manuscript copy, whatever modern critics may say to the contrary. The idea that it was taken down in shorthand or longhand from the actors’ lips is preposterous; the copy could only have been obtained from genuine sources. The mutilated edition of 1603 is quite another story, and only confirms my theory. Many of the quarto editions of Shakespeare’s plays, although they may have been published without the sanction of the author or the owners of the manuscript, were nevertheless derived from authentic copies of the original manuscripts.
An excellent story, illustrating the nature of setting up bills for the play will be found in an early English jest book, entitled “Mery Tales, Wittie Questions, and Quicke Answeres, Very pleasant to be Readde.”
Imprinted
at London
in Fleete Strete by
H. Wykes. 1567.
Another book of this kind is more famous, having been mentioned by Shakespeare in this very play. The quotation will be found in Act 2, Scene 1, where Beatrice mentions Benedick as having said: “That I was disdainful, and that I had my good wit out of the Hundred Merry Tales.”
Well, this was Signor Benedick that said so.
A. C. Mery
Tales.
Thus endeth the booke of a C mery talys. Empryntyd at London at the sygne of the Merymayd at Powlys gate next to Chepe side. The yere of our Lord M.D.C.XXVI.
The XXII day of November.
How a merry man divised to call people to a play
C XXX III.
“A mery man, called Qualitees, in a time set up bills upon posts about London, that whosoever would come to Northumberland place should hear such an antic play, that both for the matter and handling the like was never heard before. For all that they should play therein were gentlemen. Those bills moved the people when the day came to come thither thick and threefold. Now he had hired two men to stand at the gate with a box as the fashion is, who took of every person that came in a penny or an halfpenny at the least. So when he thought the market was at the best he came to the gate and took from the man the box with money, and giving them their duty, bad them go into the hall, and see the room kept, for he should go and fetch in the players. They went in, and he went out and lockt the gate fast and took the key with him, and got him on his gelding, which stood ready saddled without Aldersgate, at an Inn, and toward Barnet he rode apace. The people tarried from two o’clock till three, from three to four, still asking and crying ‘When shall the play begin? How long shall we tarry?’ When the clock struck four all the people murmured and said, ‘Wherefore tarry we any longer? Here shall be no play. Where is the knave that hath beguiled us hither?’ ‘It were alms to thrust a dagger through his cheeks,’ sayeth one. ‘It were well done to cut off his ears,’ sayeth another. ‘Have him to Newgate,’ sayeth one; ‘Nay, have him to Tyburn,’ sayeth another. ‘Shall we lose our money?’ thus sayeth he. ‘Shall we be thus beguiled,’ sayeth this man. ‘Should this be suffered?’ sayeth that man. And so muttering and chiding, they came to the gate to go out, but they could not, for it was fast locked and Qualitees had the key away with him. Now began they afresh to fret and fume, now they swear and stare, now they stamp and threaten. For the locking in grieved them more than all the loss and mockery before; but all avail not. For there must they abide till ways be found to open the gate that they may go out. The maidens that should have dressed their masters’ suppers, they weep and cry, boys and ’prentices sorrow and lament, they wot not what to say when they come home, for all this foul array, for all this great fray, Qualitees is merry riding on his way.”
Another well known story, illustrating the custom of setting up bills, occurs in Tales and Quick Answers, a book printed by Thomas Berthelet, in Fleet Street, about 1533:
“Of him that lost his purse in London.”
“A certain man of the country, the which for business came up to London, lost his purse, as he went late in the evening. And by cause the sum therein was great, he set up bills in divers places, that if any man of the city had found the purse and could bring it again to him, he should have well for his labour. A gentleman of the Temple wrote under one of the bills how the man should come to his chamber, and told where. So when he was come, the gentleman asked him, first what was in the purse; secondly, what countryman he was; and thirdly, what was his name. ‘Sir,’ quoth he, ‘twenty nobles was in the purse. I am half a Welshman, and my name is John ap Janken.’ ‘John ap Janken,’ said the gentleman, ‘I am glad I know thy name, for now so long as I live thou nor none of thy name shall have my purse to keep. And now farewell, gentle John ap Janken.’ Thus he was mocked to scorn and went his way.”
CUE.
Speak, Count, ’tis your cue.
II, 1, 316.
DUMB SHOW. SCENE
That’s the scene that I would see, which will be merely a dumb show.
II, 3, 226.
PLAYED.
My Lord, I have played the part of Lady Fame.
II, 1, 225.
Hero and Margaret have by this played their parts with Beatrice.
III, 2, 79.
PART. DIALOGUE.
Fear you not my part of the dialogue.
III, 1, 30.