12 CHILDREN 'OF THE CHAPEL AT BLACKFRIARS 
consequent rise of the private theatre of 1597-1613 through them, 
the differentiation of the private and the public theatres, the na- 
ture of the entertainments in each, and some of the general re- — 
sults and influences. 
Yet a farther introductory word. 
The chief influences of the chi!ldren-companies are less tangible 
and concern the drama proper. Here it is not possible to state 
facts with that gross objectiveness, ease, and precision with 
which boys plump marbles. Nor have I in the following pages 
attempted to study this field exhaustively by citations and inter- 
pretations,—a separate work in itself. 
The period of supreme dramatic achievement of the world’s 
history is practically the same as the period of growth, develop- 
ment, and end of the children-companies in the field of competi- 
tion,—1597-1613. Is this merely a coincidence, or is there some 
relation existing between the two? It would be a view too in- 
judicial to require evidence in disproof to say the children “car- 
ried it away” in this development. They were simply one of the 
factors. The passionless glass and forthright scalpel, however, 
show them as a large factor. 
It strikes us as somewhat astounding when we look over the 
list of extant plays written and acted within this period of dra- 
matic splendor and see that fully one-half were produced for and 
enacted by these children-companies. In the reign of James I 
up to 1613, the ratio is greater than one-half. If we take the 
period from 1604 to 1608, we find the balance even more con- 
siderable on the side of the children. 
This is significant. 
It is further significant that every great dramatist of the period 
except Shakespeare wrote for the children. Jonson, who by 
common agreement stands next to Shakespeare as contemporary 
poet and dramatist, did much more than apprentice work for 
them. He began his career with the children in 1597, and thir- 
teen years later made his highest achievement before their public 
in Epicoene. Chapman ranks at farthest close after Jonson. 
After his apprenticeship for the public theatres under Henslowe. 
ending in 1599, he wrote for no other players than the children, 
so long as their companies existed. Beaumont and Fletcher, who 
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