The First London Theatre 7 
of the lease. This bond was sealed and delivered by Burbage, 
and was in 1590-92 introduced as evidence in court. Neverthe- 
less, Burbage never did make the assignment. The lease re- 
mained in his name to its termination, nearly twenty years later. 
Within a month or so after the above bond for assignment, the 
brothers-in-law fell out over the receipts, Brayne charging Bur- 
bage with indirect dealing. Robert Myles even says that Bur- 
bage had had a false key to the cash-box made by a smith whom 
he names as one Braye, of Shoreditch, and that he stole money 
thus from Brayne and from his .fellow-actors, also sometimes 
put money in his bosom, and even confessed his peculations, dur- 
ing these first two years. All of which we may properly discount 
upon full acquaintance with Myles. The dissension was serious 
enough to require an arbitration of their interests, which they 
referred by agreement to two friends, John Hill and Richard 
Turner. While the arbitrators were considering their claims, 
Burbage and Brayne went to the office of the scrivener Nicoll to 
have him draw up papers. There Brayne accused Burbage of 
wronging him, saying among other things that he had spent three 
times as much as Burbage on the Theatre. In the midst of their 
altercation, Burbage struck Brayne with his fist, “and fo they 
went together by the ears,” says Nicoll, “In fomuch that this 
deponent could hardly part them.” 
On July 12, 1578, just following the quarrel, Hill and Turner 
signed and sealed the articles of arbitrament, and Burbage and 
Brayne each gave the other a bond of 200/. to perform the con- 
ditions imposed. By the terms of the arbitrament, concerning 
which the direct testimony of John Allen and Ralph Myles in 
1592 is particularly valuable, Burbage and Brayne were to be 
considered as equal partners in the lease, buildings, and profits. 
The lease could be mortgaged only by both joining in the mort- 
gage. Then the rents and profits were to go to paying off such 
mortgage. Next, out of the weekly plays, the debts of both 
parties for the Theatre were to be paid, and meanwhile out of 
the Sunday plays Brayne was to have 10s. a week and Burbage 
8s. a week. Next, all profits of weekly plays, after payment of 
the above theatre debts, were to go wholly to Brayne, until he 
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