The First London Theatre a7 
Whitechapel, in which Brayne, Burbage, and Miles were in- 
volved), in the. presence of Allen’s principal witnesses, John 
Goborne, Henry Johnson, and Thomas Nevill, whom Allen had 
summoned for the occasion, in Michaelmas term, 1598. “And 
the Christmas next after,” say both Goborne and Johnson, “the 
faid Theatre was pulled down and Carried away.” — 
Documentary declaration of the plans and purposes of the 
_ Burbages during the weeks that intervened between this final 
conference and the following Christmas is at present lacking. 
Their acts alone furnish us with evidence, and these we can read 
with some understanding from the outcome. 
After the final conference with Allen, the Burbages had good 
reason to fear his purposes. Accordingly they decided to antici- 
pate him, and thus save themselves, by tearing the Theatre down 
and using its materials elsewhere, as they had before warned 
him they would do. By a provision in the original lease of April 
13, 1576, the lessee had the right, upon certain conditions, to 
remove the building at pleasure. This they now purposed to do. 
They could at least save the timbers and use them in setting up 
a new theatre, if a suitable site could be found. They conferred 
with some of their associates, notably William Shakespeare, John 
Heminges, Augustine Phillipps, Thomas Pope, and Will Kempe, 
and arrangements were made whereby definite plans could be 
carried out. The story of that enterprise is related by the writer 
in a separate work presenting the complete history of Shake- 
speare’s theatres, the Globe and the Blackfriars—on the basis of 
new documents, several mentioning Shakespeare in connection 
with the site of the Globe—with some account of the dramas 
acted there, up to 1642. It was agreed that they should unite in 
forming an organization, altogether novel in theatrical affairs, 
whereby they should constitute themselves into a company not 
only to act plays, but to build and own a theatre on the basis of 
what is termed in law a joint-tenancy. The Burbage brothers 
had the materials of the Theatre and their experience to con- 
tribute. They were willing to furnish half the materials, risk 
half the expense of building anew, and share half the profits, 
if these their theatrical associates were willing to undertake the 
27 
