[428] Nichols, ii. 673; V. P. xiii. 36; Hist. MSS. i. 107.
[429] There are four narratives: (a) MS. by Matthew Stokys, the University Registrary, printed by Nichols, Eliz. i. 151, and from a transcript in Harl. MS. 7037 (Baker MS. 10) and with a wrong ascription to N. Robinson, by Peck, Desiderata Curiosa, ii. 259; (b) Anon. in Camb. Univ. Library MS., Ff. v. 14, f. 87, printed by Nichols, i. 183; (c) Abraham Hartwell (of King's), Regina Literata (1565), reprinted by Nichols, Eliz.¹ (1788), i; (d) Nicholas Robinson (of Queen's), Commentarii Hexaemeri Rerum Cantabrigiae actarum, printed by Nichols, Eliz.¹ iii. 27. The ascription of Dido to Halliwell is due to Hatcher's biographies of King's men in Bodl. Rawl. MS. B. 274. Hartwell gives some analysis both of Dido and of Ezechias.
[430] I borrow from Boas, 383, De Silva's description to the Duchess of Parma as given in Froude's transcript (Addl. MS. 26056 A, f. 237) of the original in the Simanças archives. There is a translation in Sp. Papers, i. 375. Froude, vii. 205, paraphrases the story. After premising that during the Queen's visit 'they wished to give her another representation, which she refused in order to be no longer delayed', and that, 'those who were so anxious for her to hear it followed her to her first stopping-place, and so importuned her that at last she consented', De Silva continues, 'Entráron los representantes en habitos de algunos de los Obispos que estan presos; fué el primo el de Londres [Bonner] llevando en las manos un cordero como que le iba comiendo, y otros con otras devisas, y uno en figura de perro con una hostia en la boca. La Reyna se enojó tanto segun escriben que se entró á priesa en su camara diciendo malas palabras, y los que tenian las hachas, que era de noche, los dexáron á escuras, y assí cesó la inconsiderada y desvergonçada representaçion.' Of course, there is nothing about this in the academic narratives. It was an indecent proceeding, but in view of the character of the farsa or mummery which enlivened Elizabeth's first Christmas (cf. ch. v), the misunderstanding of her taste is perhaps explicable.
[431] There are five narratives: (a) Twyne MS. xvii, f. 160, in the University archives, by Thomas Neale, Professor of Hebrew, used by A. Wood, Hist. of Oxford, ii. 154, and Boas, 98; (b) Richard Stephens, A Brief Rehearsall, a summary of (a), printed by Nichols, Eliz.¹ i. 95, and C. Plummer, Elizabethan Oxford, 193; (c) Twyne MS. xxi. 792, by Miles Windsor of Corpus; (d) Nicholas Robinson (of Queens', Cambridge), Of the Actes done at Oxford, printed from Harl. MS. 7033, f. 142, by Nichols, i. 229, and Plummer, 173; (e) John Bereblock (of Exeter), Commentarii de Rebus Gestis Oxoniae, printed by T. Hearne (1729) and Nichols, Eliz.¹ i. 35, and from Bodl. Addl. MS. A. 63, by Plummer, 113, and translated by W. Y. Durand in M. L. A. xx. 502. Bereblock gives full analyses of the plays. Boas, 106, adds extracts from a Christ Church account of the expenditure.
[432] Bereblock (Plummer, 128) says, 'Hoc malum quamvis potuit communem laetitiam contaminare, nihilominus tamen eandem commaculare non potuit. Ad spectacula itaque omnes, alieno iam periculo cautiores, revertuntur'.
[433] Cf. Boas, 106, 390.
[434] Sp. Papers, i. 578; cf. Boas, 385.
[435] Sometimes the Chancellor brought distinguished foreign visitors, who were entertained with plays. In May 1569 Thomas Cooper, Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Christ Church, wrote to Leicester (Pepys MSS. 155), proposing 'a playe or shew of the destruction of Thebes, and the contention between Eteocles and Polynices for the governement therof', for a projected visit on 15 May by Odet de Coligny, Cardinal de Châtillon, and asking help 'for provision for some apparaile' (not 'apparaiti', as the Hist. MSS. report on the Pepys MSS. has it). It is not certain that the visit actually took place (Boas, 158). But in 1583 Leicester brought Albertus Alasco, Prince Palatine of Siradia in Poland, who saw the Rivales and Dido of William Gager (q.v.) on 11 and 12 June. The plays were given at Christ Church by men of that and other colleges, with the assistance of George Peele (Boas, 179, from Holinshed and academic archives). In Jan. 1585 Leicester came again, with Pembroke and Philip Sidney, and saw Gager's Meleager at Christ Church, and possibly also a comedy at Magdalen. Apparel was borrowed from John Lyly, who was then connected with the Blackfriars theatre (Boas, 192, from academic archives).
[436] There is only one narrative, by Philip Stringer (of St. John's, Cambridge), printed by Nichols, Eliz.¹, and Plummer, 245. Wood, Hist. of Oxford, ii. 248, follows an independent source. Boas, 252, makes some additions from academic archives, and cites from Twyne MS. xvii, f. 174, an order that 'the schollers which cannot be admitted to see the playes, doo not make any outcries or undecent noyses about the hall stayres or within the quadrangle of Christchurch, as usually they were wont to doo'. This was repeated at the visit of 1605. John Sanford's Apollinis et Musarum Eidyllia, reprinted by Plummer, 275, contains verses laudatory of the various guests.
[437] M. S. C. i. 198, from Lansd. MS. 71, f. 204.