657 
PLAYHOUSE. 
fo many perfons (fome having died of their wounds), 
and there is hardly any can pafs theftreets for him, though 
he be faft tied; (for he breaks his halter to run after them 
though loaden with eight barrels of beer ;) either biting or 
treading them down, monftroufly tearing their flelh, and 
eating it, the like whereof hath hardly been feen. And 
’tis certain the horfe will anfwer the expedition of all 
fpedlators. It is intended for the divertifement of his ex¬ 
cellency the embalTadour from the emperour of Fez and 
Morocco; many of the nobility and gentry that knew 
the horfe, and feveral mifchiefs done by him, defigning to 
be prefent.” 
“ April 15. This day, the great horfe mentioned in our 
laft being brought to the bear-garden, feveral dogs were 
fet upon him, all which he overcame, to the great l'atisfac- 
tion of all the fpedfators. But, after a little time, a per- 
fon refolvingto fave his life, and preferve him for another 
time, led him away; and, being come aimoft as far as 
London bridge, the mobile then in the houfe cryed out 
it was a cheat, and thereupon began to untyle the houfe, 
and threatened to pull it quite down, if the horfe were 
not brought again and baited to death. Whereupon the 
horfe was again brought to the place, and the dogs 
once more fet upon him ; but, they not being able to 
overcome him, he was run through with a fword and 
dyed. It was defigned principally for the entertainment 
of his excellency the embaffadour from the emperour of 
Fez and Morocco; but, by reafon of bad weather, he was 
not there.” In the preceding month, the ambaffador, 
accompanied by the duke of Albemarle and other per¬ 
fons of diftinftion, had vifited the bear-garden; and that 
probably occafioned his name to be ufed as a lure in the 
fecond inftance. 
At what period this place fell into difufe as a bear-gar¬ 
den is not precifely known; but it may be conjedlured 
about 1686-7, at which time Henry Bayly was the keeper. 
The following advertifement appears to announce fome 
portion of the land converted into an eftabliffiment of 
more utility thanconteffs of animals and gladiatorial bat¬ 
tles : “ There is now made at the bear-garden glafs-houfe, 
on the Bank-fide, crown window-glafs much exceeding 
French glafs in all its qualifications, which may be fquared 
into all fizes of fafhes for windows and other ufes, and 
may be had at moft glaziers in London.” Gazette, June 
18, 1691. 
The Fortune theatre flood between Golden-lane and 
Whitecrofs-flreet. By a contradf, dated Jan. 8, 1599, 
which Mr. Malone has printed at length in the Hiitory of 
the Stage, Henflowe and Alleyn, the adlors, agreed with 
Peter Street, a carpenter, for the “ eredlinge, buildinge, 
and fetting-up, of a new houfe and flage for a play- 
houfe” at this place; and, as the intended building was 
not fpecified by any name in the contrafl, it becomes 
probable this mull have been the firft theatre built on that 
fpot. The coft of erefling was 520!. By the contradl, 
it was to confifl of three flories in height, containing 
“ fower convenient divifions for gentlemen’s roomes, and 
other fufficient and convenient divifions for twopennie 
roomes, with necefl'arie feates to be placed and fett as well 
in thofe roomes as throughoute all the reft of the galleries 
of the faid howfe,” and to have “divifions without and 
within.” The “gentlemen’s roomes” were the boxes, 
and by that title they were repeatedly mentioned as early 
as 1609. Twopenny rooms might be the part which was, 
until lately, called flips ; and the area or yard, now form¬ 
ing the pit, feems to have been entirely open, and filled 
promifcuoufly by the crowd. 
The Fortune was opened by Allen, with the Lord Ad¬ 
miral’s fervants, who had previoufly performed at the 
Rofe, and who, in 1603, changed their patron for the 
gallant Henry Frederic prince of Wales. It has been 
defcribed as a “ vaft theatre,” and certainly continued a 
favourite with the public for feveral years. 
This theatre took fire at twelve at night on December 
9, 1621, and was entirely deftroyed. However, being 
Vol. XX. No. 1399. 
popular, and the concern neitheroverburthened with the 
incumbrances attached to modern theatres, or the under¬ 
taking enfeebled by a divided proprietorfhip, it w’asfpeed- 
ily rebuilt, on an extended fcale, forming “a large, 
round, brick building,” with the figure of Fortune in 
the front. The new theatre was opened by the Palf- 
grave’s fervants, who appear to have continued perform¬ 
ing there until 1640, when they removed to the Red Bulk 
That company wasfucceeded by the Prince’s, which con¬ 
trived to ad occafionally, notwithftanding the order made 
by parliament, in July 1647, for the fupprefling of plays 
and playhoufes; nor did they finally defift until the pe¬ 
remptory ordinance of Feb. 13, 1647-8, for the difmant- 
ling of playhoufes, was iffued. Amidft thefe contending 
difficulties, the rent of the theatre falling in arrear, the 
truftees of Dulwich College (to which charity the play- 
houfe had been devifed by the will of Allen) took pof- 
feflion on the aift of November, 1649 ; and upon the 
archbifhop’s vifitation in 1667, it was Hated that the Col¬ 
lege “ had been brought in debt confiderably by th e fall 
of the Fortune playhoufe.” Lyfons, vol. i. 
This theatre is mentioned on feveral occafions in the 
public journals under the title of the “Old Piay-Houfe 
in Redcrofs-ftreet;” and, being ufed for a fecret conven¬ 
ticle, was vifited by the officers of jullice, in the attempt 
to fupprefs thofe meetings, as late as November 1682. It 
then had avenues to both Redcrofs-ftreet and Whitecrofs- 
flreet ; a circumftance that, in feveral inllances, enabled 
the preachers to efcape from their purfuers. 
The Hope was built on the Bank-lide ; and where the 
Servants of Lady Elizabeth exhibited in 1613. At this 
theatre was firfl produced the “ Bartholomew Fair” of 
Ben Jonfon, which imprefles us with a favourable opinion 
of the dramatic performances, though a prevailing faffi- 
ion for ruder exhibitions afterwards ferved to convert the 
premifes into a bear-garden; for which purpofe they were 
in ufe in 1632. 
The Swan was anotherof the Bank-fide theatres. It is 
fpoken of as fhut in 1613, but afterwards ferved for exhi¬ 
bitions of prize-fighting until 1632, when it had fallen 
into a general decay, as appears by a trail printed in that 
year, called Holland’s Leaguer. The Hope and the Swan 
are defcribed as Handing very near the Globe, and form¬ 
ing three famous amphitheatres. That “ one (fays the 
writer) was the Continent of the world , becaufe half the 
year a world of beauties and brave fpirits reforted unto 
it; the other was a building of excellent Hope; and, 
though wild beads and gladiators did mod pofiefs it, yet 
the gallants that came to behold thofe combats, though 
they were of a mixed fociety, yet were many noble wor¬ 
thies amongft them; the laft which Hood, being in times 
paft as famous as any of the other, was now fallen to de¬ 
cay, and like a dying Swan, hanging down her head, 
feeined to fing her own dirge.” 
The Salisbury-court theatre, in Dorfet-court, was 
built in 1629. It was ufually called a private houfe ; but 
the meaning of that diftinStion has not hitherto been ex¬ 
plained. The term might be applied to thofe houfes only 
that were roofed completely over, and which, by difcon- 
tinuing the inconvenience of an open pit, or yard, ferved 
to render the audience more feledt and refpeftable. The 
Blackfriars and the Cock-pit in Drury-lane, were alfo 
called private houfes ; and we are told, the three were all 
“ built aimoft exadlly alike, for form and bignefs,” had 
“ the pits enclofed for the gentry, and afted by candle¬ 
light.” 
During the memorable period of the Commonwealth, 
this houfe fliared the general fate, and remained doled 
until the Reftoration. In June 1660, it was opened by a 
newly-gathered company, under the management of Wil¬ 
liam Beellon ; and in the month of November following, 
was taken pofleffion of by Davenant, whofe company 
probably played there alternately with the Cock-pit, until 
the removal in 1662 to the new theatre in Portugal-row. 
We have thus enumerated and defcribed moft of the 
S E playhoufes 
