656 
PLAYHOUSE. 
It was built of wood ; and a turret on the roof ferved to 
difplay a filken flag, then a common diftindtion ufed at 
every place when occupied for public diverflon. What 
the name was originally derived from is uncertain; but 
there was an illullration of it exhibited in the front of 
the building by a painting of Hercules fupporting the 
Globe, under which was written, Totusmundus agit liijlri- 
onem. Here Shakefpeare probably attempted the few or¬ 
dinary characters he is fuppofed to have performed; and 
many of his pieces were the foundation, and conti¬ 
nued the popularity, of this theatre. King James, within 
a few days after his firlt arrival in the capital, bellowed 
his patronage on the company at the Globe ; and “ the 
King’s Servants” continued acting here at Hated periods 
until the burning of the theatre on St. Peter’s day, the 
29th of June, 1613. 
The views of this theatre, as it is fuppofed to have ex- 
ifted in the time of Shakefpeare, appear, by a diilimilarity 
in the exterior, to reprefent either an hexagonal or an oc¬ 
tagonal building. Mr. Malone fays, “ It was an hexago¬ 
nal wooden building, partly open to the weather and 
partly thatched.” The view on the annexed Plate is 
copied from the map, entitled “ Londinium Florentilfima 
Brittaniae urbs Emporiumque toto orbe celeberrimum.” 
In the following year, (upon the authority of Hollar’s 
large View of London, publiflied at Amfterdam,) it was 
rebuilt of an oval dupe, and very much enlarged. The 
exaCt fpot updn which this theatre flood is laid to be 
“ what is now called Maid-lane; the north fide and build¬ 
ing adjoining, extending from the weft fide of Counter¬ 
alley, to the north fide of the paflage leading to Mr. 
Brook’s cooperage ; on the eaft fide beyond the end of 
Globe-alley, including the ground on which flood the 
late parilh workhoufe, and from thence continuing to the 
fouth end of Mr. Brook’s paflage.” Hill, and Antiq. of 
St. Saviour’s, Southwark, 1795. 
The proximity of the building called the Bear-gar¬ 
den has obtained it a fituation on the fame Engraving. 
It was a building of a fhape fimilar to that of the Globe, 
and open at top. The rude and lavage diverfion of bear- 
baiting was, undoubtedly, for above two centuries, con- 
fidered in England a lit appendage to royalty. Its ori¬ 
gin in this country cannot be traced. In the Northum¬ 
berland Houfehold-Book it is mentioned as a Chriftmas 
diverfion with the nobility, temp. Henry VII. and in the 
following reign, among the flireds of London collected 
by Pennant, there is a curious extract from a Poem by 
one Crowley, upon the fubjedl; and front this it appears, 
that the price of admiflion was only a half-penny, and to 
the bell feats a penny. 
However barbarous this amufement now appears, it 
was fandtioned, if not promoted, by queen Elizabeth. It 
formed one of the princely pleafurcs when Ihe vilited Ke¬ 
nilworth Caftle; and on another occafion was exhibited 
at her palace at Greenwich to amufe the Daniflt ambaffa- 
dor. The animals were commonly fupplied for fuch de¬ 
mands front this inllitution. 
Stowe relates that upon Sunday, Jan. x 3, 1582-3, about 
four in the afternoon, “ the olde and vnderpropped fcaf- 
foldesrounde about the Beare-garden,” being overcharged 
with people, fell fuddenly down, and eight perfons were 
killed, and many others hurt. “ A friendly warning 
(adds the honeft chronicler) to fuch as more delight 
themfelues in the crueltie of beaftes than in the workes 
of mercy, the fruites of true profefled faith, which ought 
to be the fabboth-dayes exercife.” 
It was quickly rebuilt; and towards the clofe of the 
reign of Queen Elizabeth, belonged to Edward Alleyn, 
who built the Fortune playhoufe. The principal emolu¬ 
ment was derived from the exhibition upon Sundays ; and, 
that being prohibited by king James foon after his accef- 
flon, a petition was prefented to the king by Henflowe and 
Alleyn, wherein they ttate: “In refpeft of the great 
charge that the keeping the faid game continually re¬ 
quires, and alfo the lmallnefs of the fee in the late queen’s 
time, free liberty was permitted without reftraint to bayt 
them, which is now taken away from us, efpecially on the 
Sundays in the afternoon, after divine fervice, which was 
the chiefell means and benefit to the place; and in the 
time of licknefs we have been reltrained many times on 
the working days ; thefe hindrances in general, with the 
lofs of divers of the beaftes, as before the king of Den¬ 
mark we loft a goodly beare of the name of George 
Stone; and at another bayting, being before your majef- 
tie, were killed foure of our bell bears, which in your 
kingdom are not the like to be had, and which were in 
value 30I. and alfo our ordinary charges amount nearly to 
200I. and better ; thefe lofl'es and charges are fo heavy 
upon your petitioners, that, whereas formerly we could 
have letten it forth for iool. a year, now none will take it 
gratis to bear the charges.” 
Bear-baiting was reckoned among the ufual fights of 
London for ltrangers. It is mentioned where a party 
went “abroad with the hoftefle to fee fights ; Cheapfide, 
the Exchange, Weftminfter, and London-bridge, trode 
the top of Powles vnder their feet, beene at Beare-garden, 
feene a play, and had atauern banquet,” &c. The author 
of a tradl in manufcript in the Mufeum, written about 
this period, having cenfured the players for the indirect 
attacks made by them upon the nobility, under borrowed 
names of foreign dukes and feigned perfons, defends this 
diverfion as needful for the common people, and that it 
fhouid be exhibited upon feftivals, &c. “ I cannot (he 
lays) fee howe that jiueet and comfortable recreation of 
bere-bayting (beinge to our rude and inferiour vulgar 
that which Circenfis Venatio was among the Romans) 
maye wel be forborne, feinge like will to like, as it is in. 
the black proverbe, and therfore conclude that our adlive 
fpirritts and fine pregnant witts with plefant and ingeni¬ 
ous playes would be intertayned, and the fcumme of the 
people (evene vpon the feftivall daies) to the Bancke-fide 
drayned. Nowe, becawfe the rude multitude dothe not 
knawe well howe to vfe libertye, (and fome they multe 
and will have,) therfore, that they themfelves maye de- 
vife none madder, (whereof mifchief maye aryfe to the 
weale publique of the poppvlar cittyes,) let them vfe the 
fweete paftimeof beare-boyteinge, and other fuche pub¬ 
lique exercifes, (thoughe on the feftivall dayes,) a God’s 
name, that w ; e may knowe what they doe, and wheare to 
fynd them if neede be.” 
However, when the puritans ruled, they confidered 
“ all people that on earth did dwell,” from llatefmen to 
fcum, mull to the conventicle ; bear-baiting ceafed under 
the general prohibition ; and, as the land belonged to the 
crown, it was fold in Jan. 1647, fori783l. 15s. The pu¬ 
ritans left no other amufement for general participation 
than the diverfions of the field, which, probably, they had 
not a fufficient length of reign to devife the means of 
flopping. 
The diverfion of bear-baiting was commonly fucceeded 
by fome novelty befitting fuch an exhibition. Alleyn 
concluded an advertifernent with telling the public, “ for 
their better content [they] (hall have plealant fport with 
the horfe and ape, and whipping of the blind bear.” 
After the Reiteration, thefe lavage diverfions were re¬ 
fumed for a time, and occalionally other animals were 
fubflituted for the bears. About Feb. 1675, there was a 
lion baited; and the following account of a horfe being 
worried, is too lingular to omit. “ London , Apt it 7. At 
theliouieon the Bankfide, being his majefties bear-gar¬ 
den, on Wednefday the 12th day of this inllant April, at 
one of the clock in the afternoon, will be a horfe baited 
to death, of a moll vail ftrength and greatnefs, being be¬ 
tween 18 and 19 hands.high, formerly belonging to the 
earl of Rocheller, and for his prodigious qualities in kil¬ 
ling and dellroying feveral horfes, and other cattel, he 
was tranfinitted to the marquifs of Dorchefter; where 
doing the like mifchiefs, and alfo hurting his keeper, he 
was lcld to a brewer; but is now grown fo headltrong 
they dare not work him ; for he hath bitten and Wounded 
