"Within one land one single rule is best: Divided reigns do make divided hearts; But peace preserves the country and the prince."
It recalled the horrors of the civil wars, and forbade the like again:—
"What princes slain before their timely hour! What waste of towns and people in the land! What treasons heap'd on murders and on spoils! Whose just revenge e'en yet is scarcely ceas'd: Ruthful remembrance is yet raw in mind. The gods forbid the like to chance again."
A good description of the play, with copious extracts, is published in Morley's "English Plays," from which it also appears that "Queen Mary's expenditure on players and musicians had been between two and three thousand pounds a year in salaries. Elizabeth reduced this establishment, but still paid salaries to interlude players and musicians, to a keeper of bears and mastiffs, as well as to the gentlemen and children of the chapel. The Master of the Children had a salary of forty pounds a year; the children had largesse at high feasts, and when additional use was made of their services; and each Gentleman of the Chapel had nineteenpence a day, with board and clothing. The Master of the Chapel who at this time had the training of the children was Richard Edwards, who had written lighter pieces for them to act before her Majesty, and now applied his skill to the writing of English comedies, and teaching his boys to act them for the pleasure of the Queen. The new form of entertainment made its way at Court and through the country."
the fool of the old play
(From a print by Bruegel.)
At this period
The Christmas Revels at the Inns of Court
were observed with much zest and jollity. Sandys (writing in 1833 of Elizabeth's time) says:—
"The order of the usual Christmas amusements at the Inns of Court at this period would cause some curious scenes if carried into effect in the present day. Barristers singing and dancing before the judges, serjeants and benchers, would 'draw a house' if spectators were admitted. Of so serious import was this dancing considered, that by an order in Lincoln's Inn of February, 7th James I., the under barristers were by decimation put out of commons because the whole bar offended by not dancing on Candlemas Day preceding, according to the ancient order of the society, when the judges were present; with a threat that if the fault were repeated, they should be fined or disbarred."