The First London Theatre 25 
Brayne. Besides, Brayne’s estate still owed Burbage 135/. IS. 
received by Brayne out of the Theatre, as acknowledged by a 
note in Brayne’s own hand. 
Burbage’s profits were variously estimated. Robert Miles, in 
his usual exaggerating fashion, estimated in 1592 that Burbage’s 
half-interest in the Theatre had produced him 2000/1. in the pre- 
ceding eight or nine years. The estimate of Gyles Allen eight 
years later, in his Court of Requests Answer in 1600, that Bur- 
bage had made a profit of 2000/. on the Theatre, is based upon 
this earlier estimate by Miles, with whom he was bound in a 
common enmity toward Burbage, and is therefore of no value. 
Ralph Miles put it at about 100/. a year, and John Alleyn esti- 
mated it at 100/. to 200 marks a year. Henry Laneman’s state- 
ment should be most nearly correct. He was proprietor of the 
Curtain, and from 1585 to 1592 had half the profits of the Theatre 
and Curtain, and Burbage, or he and Brayne, had the other half. 
Laneman says that in that period Burbage had received profits 
of 100 marks to 80/. a year. And there we may leave it. Even 
at the most extravagant estimate the profit was modest. Eighty 
pounds a year then would have purchased about the same neces- 
sities of life as 300/. today. For money then, as I find from an 
extensive search among original records of prices of the time, 
contrary to the usual exaggerated supposition, would purchase 
from 3% to 4 times the same value of necessities as now. 
No attempt can be made here to disentangle the complicated 
relations of the various companies and playhouses to each other. 
Companies shifted greatly. As already observed, the Admiral’s 
men, headed by John and Edward Alleyn, appear to have with- 
drawn from the Theatre soon after the events above related. 
Thereafter, the Burbages and the Alleyns belonged to rival com- 
panies. The Alleyns united with Henslowe at the Rose and New- 
ington Butts, where the Admiral’s company, Lord Strange’s com- 
pany (called in 1593-94 Lord Derby’s), Lord Pembroke’s, and 
Lord Sussex’s men are heard of in the course of the next few 
years. 
It was by these companies of the Henslowe-Alleyn régime that 
some of Shakespeare’s early plays were acted. Nor is it yet 
21 
