Jhree London Theatres of Shakespeare's Time 35 



WORTH, CUMBER, ANI^ PERKINS'S ANSWER 



xviij die Novembris 



Anno R Regis Jacobi Angl 



ffranc et hibnie xvij° et Scotie liij°./ 



The ioynt and seurrall answers of Ellis Worth, 

 Richard Perkins, and John Cumber defend tes to 

 the Bill of Comp. u of John Smith Compl. 1 



The advantage of exception to the incertentie insufficiency wants 

 faults and ymperfecc/ons of the Bill of Comp. u vnto these 

 Defend. tes and every of them nowe and att all tymes hereafter 

 saved for full answer and perfect Declaradon of the truth for 

 such matters wherewith they and every of them stand chardged 

 in and by the said Bill they and every of them saye in manner & 

 forme followinge And first theis Defend. tes saie That the said 

 Christopher Beeston in the Bill of Compl. 1 named and theis De- 

 fend. tes haue for Divers yeeres past beene the Actors & servants 

 of the late Queene Anne of famous memorie & haue Dureinge 

 theis yeeres beene a companie & sett forth Divers plaies & come- 

 dies att the Redd bull neare S l Jones in London for the better 

 orderinge and setting forth of w ch said plaies & comedies there 

 required Divers officers and that every one of the said Actors 

 should take vpon them some place & charge & for that the 

 prouision of the furniture & apparrell was a place of greatest 

 chardge & trust and must of necessitie fall vpon a thriueing man 

 & one that was of abilitie & meanes itt was agreed by and be- 

 tweene the said Companie of Actors in manner and forme fol- 

 lowing That is to saye that the said Christopher Beeston in the 

 bill of Comp. u named should Defaulke outt of the collecc/ons 

 and gatheringes w ch were made continually whensoeuer any playe 

 was acted a certen some of money as a comon stock towardes the 

 buyeing & Defraying of the charges of the furniture & apparrell 

 aforesaid And that the said Christopher Beeston should buy 

 all the furniture apparrell & other necessaries w ch should be 

 requisite for there condic/on & qualitie And that the said Chris- 

 topher Beeston should w th the said comon stock soe collected 

 paye for the said comodities by him hereafter to be bought or 

 other wise that the said comodities should stand vpon the sole 



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