STAR CHAMBER PROCEEDINGS 79 
 Fortescue’s peremptory order, the boy was released within twenty- 
- four hours after seizure. 
Nothing further seems to have been done in the case of these 
violent proceedings until about a year later.t Mr. Clifton, nurs- 
ing his hurt and collecting evidences of seven other seizures? to- 
gether with important information as to how the Commission to 
Gyles was being interpreted in practice, then laid before her Maj- 
esty a Bill of Complaint. He recites in detail all the circum- 
stances and conditions of the seizure of his son, along with facts, 
implications, and erroneous statements touching the history of 
the organization under “Gyles, Evans, Robinson and others.” It 
is later made even more baldly evident than here appears that he 
wanted not merely to punish the offenders for the injury that still 
rankled, but mainly to suppress the Blackfriars theatre.* The Bill 
shows not a little animus, and very strong puritanical opposition 
to plays and playhouses. Hence its statements, though touching 
vital facts, must be considered with caution. Some of them are 
substantiated by evidences in later pages, while others prove ut- 
terly false. 
Clifton aims chiefly to show in his Complaint that the Commis- 
sion to Gyles was procured simply as a blind to secure apparent 
royal endorsement of a base and wicked practice; that in fact 
“the said Nathaniell Gyles, confederating himself with one James 
Robinson, Henry Evans and others* by cullour of your 
mates said letters patents & the trust by your highnes thereby to 
him the said Nathaniell Gyles committed ... they the said 
confederates devysed, conspired & concluded, for theire owne 
corrupte gayne and lucre, to errecte, sett vpp, furnish and mayn- 
teyne a play house or place in the Blackfryers.”® 
To substantiate this charge of abuse of authority and trust, 
Papers of 1600-1601, passim; also, 
Acts of the Privy Council, 1600- 
I6or (ed. Dasent, 1906). 
*Clifton dates the impressment of 
his son as Dec. 13, 1600, “about one 
yere last past, & since your mat!** 
last free & generall pardon.”—G.-F., 
129a. 
* Infra, 80°. 
®Infra, 159. 
“This general word 
ic 
others” we 
find later (98-101) includes prima- 
rily the Yeoman of the Revels, Ed. 
Kirkham, who as official of the 
Queen furnished the stage-apparel 
for the Children, and made large 
weekly “disbursements” for their 
maintenance at Blackfriars. It is 
possibly intended to include other 
officials. But this remains yet to 
be worked out. 
5G.-F.,.127; infra, 101’. 
193 
