Frontispiece to James Howell’s Londinopolis, 1657, showing the position of four London theatres, circa 1600. From left to right are the Swan, the Hope, the Rose, and the Globe. This engraving is taken from an original copy in the possession of the Author.
We know for certain that the management was under a company of actors, who occupied the theatre during the whole period until destroyed by fire; this company was known under different names at various periods, but chiefly as The Lord Chamberlain’s Servants. Contemporary documents prove that Shakespeare was a member of this company, besides being an important shareholder. How he disposed of his investments is nowhere mentioned: they may have been sold on retiring from the stage in 1609; his will is silent respecting these shares, a sure sign that he had already parted with them.
For a period of fourteen years thousands of Londoners, drawn from all classes of society, enjoyed the dramatic production offered by the company playing at the Globe on the Bankside, yet we search in vain for any detailed notice of even one performance. What must we think of the critics and scribblers who had a giant in their midst and knew him not; long notices of bull and bear fights abound, but the first performance of “Hamlet” found no chronicler; perhaps on that day a big fight in the bear pit was advertised, which was considered a greater attraction. Even in our days a sensational and exciting performance would rather engage the attention of the critics of the daily papers than, in their eyes, the lesser attraction of a Shakesperean performance even if acted by celebrated players.
For instance, Miss Lily Elsie, in a new musical comedy of the vulgarest type, would appear of greater importance from a press point of view than Forbes Robertson in the character of Hamlet.
The only evidence we obtain of plays being acted at this theatre is from entries made in the books of the Stationers’ Register: “A book called the Revenge of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke, as it was lately acted by the Lord Chamberlain’s servants.” The name of the Lord Chamberlain indicating where the play was produced. Similar evidence is likewise derived from the title pages of the early quartos issued during the lifetime of the poet. In the whole range of Elizabethan literature not a single page can be discovered criticising those wonderful scenes enacted almost daily before their eyes at the Globe or in previous years at other theatres, before that building was erected, although a vast amount of printed matter, more than the present generation can conceive, was constantly being issued from the press.
London alone possessed nearly a thousand publishers, booksellers and printers, and the number of books on all subjects was enormous. The great part of this large output has been thoroughly ransacked with the object of discovering Shakesperean references, unfortunately with rather meagre results. The general public of the day reads nothing of this mass of literature, with the exception of Shakespeare’s works, although many of the books are really worth perusal. Even Plutarch’s Lives, the most popular book of the last three centuries, is entirely neglected.
The lengthy description which is given in relating the history of the Swan Theatre applies in a more or less degree to all the other Shakesperean theatres, and now the mournful duty remains of chronicling the total destruction of the first Globe Theatre by fire.
This great catastrophe befell it on St. Peter’s Day, June 29th, 1613. Oh, what a conflagration! In the space of two hours the building was a heap of smouldering ruins, no doubt containing many of the previous manuscripts of Shakespeare’s plays; this statement is quite gratuitous. Shakespeare may have preserved his original MSS. at Stratford, or they may have been destroyed, after the prompter’s copy had been transcribed from the original, as being of no further use. We know the Bodleian Library parted with their First Folio when the third appeared, as being in the eyes of the then librarian of no account when a later edition appeared.
When the fire broke out a performance was taking place of a play called “Henry VIII, or All is True.” Whether this was Shakespeare’s play of “Henry VIII” is a debatable point. The secondary title, “All is True,” is never associated with Shakespeare’s “Henry VIII.” The higher criticism rejects this play of “Henry VIII” as not forming part of the Shakesperean canon, although included in the First Folio. Wolsey’s farewell speech is such a favourite of mine that I am willing in ascribing the whole play as Shakespeare’s.