106 CHILDREN OF THE CHAPEL AT BLACKFRIARS 
The original record runs as follows :* 
“18. [Sept., Samstag, 
1602 | 
... Von dannen [t. @., von 
einer Kunstkammer] sind wir auf die Kinder-comoediam gangen, 
welche im Argument iudiciret eine castam viduam, war eine his- 
toria einer koniglichen Wittwe aus Engellandt. Es hat aber mit 
dieser Kinder-comoedia die Gelegenheit: die Konigin halt viel 
junger Knaben, die sich der Singekunst mit Ernst befleissigen 
miissen und auf allen Instrumenten lernen, auch dabenebenst 
studieren. Diese Knaben haben ihre besondere praeceptores in 
allen Kiinsten, insonderheit sehr gute musicos. 
Damit sie nun hofliche Sitten anwenden, ‘ist ihnen aufgelegt, 
wochentlich eine comoedia zu agiren, wozu ihnen denn die Konig- 
in ein sonderlich theatrum erbauet und mit kostlichen Kleidern 
zum Ueberfluss versorget hat. 
From this portion of the Diary 
we learn that the Duke and retinue 
landed at Dover Friday, Sept. 10, 
1602, and reached London on the 
12th’ where they remained eight 
days. They spent the next two 
weeks in the country, including ,sis- 
its to Cambridge and Oxford, and 
finally sailed from Dover for Calais 
Oct. 3 on a Man of War specially 
provided by Queen Elizabeth. 
During this three-weeks visit in 
England, they met the leading of- 
ficials, statesmen, and scholars, and 
had every facility for learning facts 
recorded. Friday, Sept. 17, they 
dined with the Lord Mayor of Lon- 
don. On the same day in the after- 
noon they were entertained at the 
Royal Palace, Whitehall, though the 
Queen was absent, and were shown 
into the privacies of her Majesty,— 
her library, bedroom, prayer-book 
written in her own hand, &c., &c. 
Those who entertained them, though 
not named, must have been officials 
close to the Queen. 
On the following day, Saturday, 
Sept. 18, they went to the Chil- 
dren’s theatre at Blackfriars, and 
Gerschow wrote down the two par- 
agraphs concerning it. 
*From Transactions of the Royal 
Historical Society (New Series, 
Wer solcher Action zusehen will, 
1892), VI, 26, 28. 
The editors publish an English 
translation on parallel pages. But 
as they certainly missed the mean- 
ing in places, I offer the follow- 
ing :— 
18 [Sept., Saturday, 1602] 
From there [2. e., from an Art-mu- 
seum] we went to the play at the 
Children’s Theatre, which in its 
plot deals with a chaste widow. It 
was the story of a royal widow of 
England. 
—But with reference to this Chil- 
dren’s Theatre this is the state of 
affairs: The Queen maintains a 
number of young boys who are re- 
quired to devote themselves ear- 
nestly to the art of singing, and 
to learn to perform on various sorts 
of musical instruments, also at the 
same time to carry on their studies. 
These boys have their special pre- 
ceptors in all the various arts, and 
in particular excellent instructors 
in music. 
Now, in order that they may 
practice courtly manners, it is re- 
quired of them to act a play every 
week, for which purpose indeed the 
Queen has established for them a 
special theatre and has provided 
them with a superabundance of rich 
apparel. 
220 
: 
4 
