driving the theatres out. 
model of the time. 
_ tempted to suppress the less worthy of the public theatres, and 
inte eee ee 48 ee << = Bs a y { 
/ 
: THE QUEEN’S PURPOSES 151 
The Queen attempted reformation by 
fostering meritorious exclusiveness.1 Her declared purpose was 
¥ to reform abuses and increase the usefulness of the stage.” 
In carrying out her notion the Queen established a restrictive 
law on strolling players. She established the Blackfriars, which, 
whether so intended or not, became at once the envy and the 
She fostered the privacy of Paul’s. She at- 
to put the Globe and Fortune on the basis of exclusiveness their 
- companies merited. 
Had Elizabeth’s notions met with full support from even those 
who most pretended to want reform, the inferior theatres would 
have been suppressed, and the necessarily high prices would have 
shut out the troublesome rabble from the Globe and Fortune as 
completely as from the Blackfriars. This would at once have 
corrected the evils complained of by the City, and at the same 
time thereby have disarmed the City of the pretentions it was 
using merely as a cover for a very different contention.® 
How the City authorities and the public theatres felt about it 
we shall see. 
them hath bin and is dayly occa- 
sion of the ydle, ryotous and dis- 
solute living of great nombers of 
people, that, leavinge all such hon- 
est and painefull course of life as 
they should followe, doe meete and 
assemble there, and of many par- 
ticular abuses and disorders that doe 
thereupon ensue; 
*[This is shown by her acts next 
noticed, and by her declaration in 
the words next following the quo- 
tation supracit.:| “and yet, never- 
theless, it is considered that the use 
and exercise of such playes, not be- 
inge evill in ytself, may with a good 
order and moderacion be suffered 
in a well-governed state, and that 
her Majestie, beinge pleased at som- 
tymes to take delight and recrea- 
tion in the sight and hearinge of 
them, some order is fitt to be taken 
for the allowance and mayntenaunce 
of such persons as are thought meet- 
est in that kinde to yealde her Maj- 
estie recreation and delighte, and 
consequently of the houses that 
must serve for publike playinge to 
keepe them in exercise. 
*[This is best shown by her acts. 
But the declaration is in the con- 
cluding next words of the preamble 
quoted above in notes 1 et supra:] 
“To the ende, therefore, that both 
the greate abuses of playes and 
playinge-houses may be redressed, 
and yet the aforesaide use and mod- 
eration of them retayned, the Lordes 
and the reste of her Majesties Priv- 
ie Counsell, with one and full con- 
sent, have ordered” &c—Preamble 
to the order of the Lords of the 
Privy Council for the restrainte of 
the imoderate use and Companye of 
Playehowses and Players, in Reg- 
isters of the Privy Council, White- 
hall, 22 June, 1600. .In J. O. Halli- 
well-Phillips, op. cit., I, 307-8, and 
George Chalmers, Farther Account 
&c., in op. cit., III, 453. 
5Infra, 161°. 
265 
