The Actors remonstrance or complaint for the silencing of their profession and banishment from their severall play-houses in which is fully set downe their grievances for their restraint ... as it was presented in the names and behalfes of all our London comedians ... and published by their command in print by the Typograph Royall of the Castalian Province, 1643.

The Actors remonstrance or complaint for the silencing of their profession and banishment from their severall play-houses in which is fully set downe their grievances for their restraint ... as it was presented in the names and behalfes of all our London comedians ... and published by their command in print by the Typograph Royall of the Castalian Province, 1643.

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Title page

The Actors Remonſtrance or Complaint, for the ſilencing of their Profeſsion, and baniſhment from their ſeverall PLAY-HOUSES.

The Actors Remonſtrance or Complaint, for the ſilencing of their Profeſsion, and baniſhment from their ſeverall PLAY-HOUSES.

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OPpreſſed with many calamities, and languiſhing to death under the burthen of a long and (for ought wee know) an everlaſting reſtraint, we the Comedians, Tragedians and Actors of all ſorts and ſizes belonging to the famous private and publike Houſes within the City of London and the Suburbs thereof, to you great Phoebus, and you ſacred Siſters, the ſole Patroneſſes of our diſtreſſed Calling, doe we in all humility preſent this our humble and lamentable complaint, by whoſe interceſſion to thoſe powers who confined us to ſilence, wee hope to be reſtored to our priſtine honour and imployment.

Firſt, it is not unknowne to all the audience that have frequented the private Houſes of Black-Friers, the Cock-Pit and Salisbury-Court, without auſterity, wee have purged our Stages from all obſcene and ſcurrilous jeſts; ſuch as might either be guilty of corrupting the manners, or defaming the perſons of any men of note in the City or Kingdome; that [Page] we have endevoured, as much as in us lies, to inſtruct one another in the true and genuine Art of acting, to repreſſe bawling and railing, formerly in great requeſt, and for to ſuite our language and action to the more gentile and naturall garbe of the times; that we have left off for our owne parts, and ſo have commanded our ſervants, to forget that ancient cuſtome, which formerly rendred men of our quality infamous, namely, the inveigling in young Gentlemen, Merchants Factors, and Prentizes to ſpend their patrimonies and Maſters eſtates upon us and our Harlots in Tavernes; we have cleane and quite given over the borrowing money at firſt ſight of punie gallants, or praiſing their ſwords, belts and beavers, ſo to invite them to beſtow them upon us; and to our praiſe be it ſpoken, we were for the moſt part very well reformed, few of us keeping, or being rather kept by our Miſtreſſes, betooke our ſelves wholy to our wives; obſerving the matrimoniall vow of chaſtity, yet for all theſe conformities and reformations, wee were by authority (to which wee in all humility ſubmit) reſtrained from the practice of our Profeſſion; that Profeſſion which had before maintained us in comely and convenient Equipage; ſome of us by it meerely being inabled to keepe Horſes (though not Whores) is now condemned to a perpetuall, at leaſt a very long temporary ſilence, and wee left to live upon our ſhifts, or the expence of our former gettings, to the great impoveriſhment and utter undoing of our ſelves, wives, children, and dependants; beſides which, is of all other our extremeſt grievance, that Playes being put downe under the name of publike recreations; other publike recreations of farre more harmfull conſequence permitted, ſtill to ſtand in ſtatu quo prius, namely, that Nurſe of barbariſme and beaſtlineſſe, the Bear [...]-Garden, whereupon their uſuall dayes thoſe Demy-Monſters, are baited by bandogs, the Gentlemen of Stave and Taile, namely, boyſtrous Butchers, cutting Coblers, hard-handed Maſons and the like, rioting companions, reſorting thither with as much freedome as formerly, making [Page] with their ſweat and crowding, a farre worſe ſtinck than the ill formed Beaſts they perſecute with their dogs and whips, Pick-pockets, which in an age are not heard of in any of our Houſes, repairing thither, and other diſturbers of the publike peace, which dare not be ſeen in our civill and well-governed Theatres, where none uſe to come but the beſt of the Nobility and Gentry; and though ſome have taxed our Houſes unjuſtly for being the receptacles of Harlots, the exchanges where they meet and make their bargaines with their franck chapmen of the Country and City, yet we may juſtly excuſe our ſelves of either knowledge or conſent in theſe lewd practices, we having no propheticke ſoules to know womens honeſty by inſtinct, nor commiſſion to examine them; and if we had, worthy were theſe wretches of Bridewell, that out of their owne mouthes would convince themſelves of laſciviouſneſſe: Puppit-plays, which are not ſo much valuable as the very muſique betweene each Act at ours, are ſtill up with uncontrolled allowance, witneſſe the famous motion of Bell and the Dragon, ſo frequently viſited at H [...]lbourne-bridge; theſe paſſed Chriſtmas Holidayes, whither Citizens of all ſorts repaire with far more detriment to themſelves then ever did to Playes, Comedies and Tragedies being the lively repreſentations of mens actions, in which, vice is alwayes ſharply glanced at, and puniſhed, and vertue rewarded and encouraged; the moſt exact and naturall eloquence of our Engliſh language expreſſed and daily amplified; and yet for all this, we ſuffer, and are inforced, our ſelves and our dependants, to tender our complaint in dolefull manner to your great Phoebus, and you inſpired Heliconian Virgins: Firſt our Houſe-keepers, that grew wealthy by our endevours, complaine that they are enforced to pay the grand Land-lords rents during this long Vacation, out of their former gettings; in ſtead of ten, twenty, nay, thirty ſhillings ſhares which uſed nightly to adorne and comfort with their harmonious muſique, their large and Well-ſtuffed pockets, they have ſhares in nothing [Page] with us now but our miſ-fortunes; living meerly out of the ſtock, out of the intereſt and principall of their former gotten moneyes, which daily is exhauſted by the maintenance of themſelves and families.

For our ſelves, ſuch as were ſharers, are ſo impoveriſhed, that were it not for ſome ſlender helps afforded us in this time of calamitie, by our former providence, we might be enforced to act our Tragedies: our Hired-men are diſperſt, ſome turned Souldiers and Trumpetters, others deſtin'd to meaner courſes, or depending upon us, whom in courteſie wee cannot ſee want, for old acquaintance ſakes. Their friends, young Gentlemen, that uſed to feaſt and frolick with them at Tavernes, having either quitted the kin in theſe times of diſtraction, or their money having quitted them, they are aſhamed to look upon their old expenſive friends. Nay, their verie Miſtreſſes, thoſe Buxſome and Bountifull Laſſes, that uſually were enamoured on the perſons of the younger ſort of Actors, for the good cloaths they wore upon the ſtage, beleeving them really to be the perſons they did only repreſent, and quite out of ſorts themſelves, and ſo diſabled for ſupplying their poore friends neceſſities. Our Fooles, who had wont to allure and excite laughter with their very countenances, at their firſt appearance on the ſtage (hard ſhifts are better than none) are enforced, ſome of them at leaſt to maintaine themſelves, by vertue of their bables. Our boyes, ere wee ſhall have libertie to act againe, will be growne out of uſe like crackt organ-pipes, and have faces as old as our flags.

Nay, our very Doore-keepers, men and women, moſt grievouſly complaine, that by this ceſſation they are robbed of the priviledge of ſtealing from us with licence: they cannot now, as in King Agamemnons dayes, ſeeme to ſcratch their heads where they itch not, and drop ſhillings and half Crowne-pieces in at their collars. Our Muſike that was held ſo delectable and precious, that they ſcorned to come to a Taverne under twentie ſhillings ſalary for two houres, now [Page] wander with their Inſtruments under their cloaks, I meant ſuch as have any, into all houſes of good fellowſhip, ſaluting every roome where there is company, with Will you have any muſike Gentlemen? For our Tire-men, and other that belonged formerly to our ward-robe, with the reſt, they are out of ſervice: our ſtock of cloaths, ſuch as are not in tribulation for the generall uſe, being a ſacrifice to moths. The Tobacco-men, that uſed to walk up and downe, ſelling for a penny pipe, that which was not worth twelve-pence an horſe-load; Being now bound under Tapſters in Inns and Tippling houſes. Nay ſuch a terrible diſtreſſe and diſſolution hath befallen us, and all thoſe that had dependance on the ſtage, that it hath quite unmade our hopes of future recoverie. For ſome of our ableſt ordinarie Poets, in ſtead of their annuall ſtipends and beneficiall ſecond-dayes, being for meere neceſſitie compelled to get a living by writing contemptible penny-pamphlets in which they have not ſo much as poetical licence to uſe any attribute of their profeſſion; but that of Quid libet audendi? and faining miraculous ſtories, and relations of unheard of battles. Nay, it is to be feared, that ſhortly ſome of them; (if they have not been enforced to do it already) will be encited to enter themſelves into Martin Parkers ſocietie, and write ballads. And what a ſhame this is, great Phoebus, and you ſacred Siſters; for your owne Prieſts thus to be degarded of their ancient dignities. Be your ſelves righteous Judges, when thoſe who formerly have ſung with ſuch elegance the acts of Kings and Potentates, charming like Orphens the dull and brutiſh multitude, ſcarce a degree above ſtones and forreſts into admiration, though not into underſtanding with their divine raptures, ſhall be by that tyrant Neceſſitie reduced to ſuch abject exigents; wandring like grand children of old Erra Paters, thoſe learned Almanack-makers, without any Maecenas to cheriſh their loftie conceptions, proſtituted by the miſ-fortune of our ſilence, to inexplicable miſeries, having no heavenly Caſtalian Sack to actuate and informe their ſpirits almoſt [Page] confounded with ſtupiditie and coldneſſe, by their frequent drinking (and glad too they gan get it) of fulſome Ale, and hereticall Beere, as their uſuall beverage.

To conclude, this our humble complaint great Phoebus, and you nine ſacred Siſters, the Patroneſſes of Wit, and Protectreſſes of us poore diſrepected Comedians, if for the preſent, by your powerfull interceſſions we may be re-inveſted in our former Houſes, and ſetled in our former Calling, we ſhall for the future promiſe, never to admit into our ſixpenny-roomes thoſe unwholeſome inticing Harlots, that ſit there nieerely to be taken up by Prentizes or Lawyers Clerks; nor any female of what degree ſoever, except they come lawfully with their husbands, or neere allies: the abuſes in Tobacco ſhall be reformed, none vended, not ſo much as in three-penny galleries, unleſſe of the pure Spaniſh leafe. For ribaldry, or any ſuch paltry ſtuffe, as may ſcandall the pious, and provoke the wicked to looſeneſſe, we will utterly expell it with the bawdy and ungracious Poets, the authors to the Antiodes. Finally, we ſhall hereafter ſo demeane our ſelves as none ſhall eſteeme us of the ungodly, or have cauſe to repine at our action or interludes: we will not entertaine any Comedian that ſhall ſpeake his part in a tone, as if hee did it in deriſion of ſome of the pious, but reforme all our diſorders, and amend all our amiſſes, ſo proſper us Phoebus and the nine Muſes, and be propitious to this our complaint.

FINIS.

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§

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[Page] THE ACTORS REMONSTRANCE, OR COMPLAINT: FOR The ſilencing of their profeſſion, and baniſhment from their ſeverall Play houſes.

In which is fully ſet downe their grievances, for their reſtraint; eſpecially ſince Stage-playes, only of all publike recreations are prohibited; the exerciſe at the Beares Colledge, and the motions of Puppets being ſtill in force and vigour.

As it was preſented in the names and behalfes of all our London Comedians to the great God PHOEBUS-APOLLO, and the nine Heliconian Siſters, on the top of PERNASSUS, by one of the Maſters of Requeſts to the MUSES, for this preſent month.

And publiſhed by their command in print by the Typograph Royall of the Caſtalian Province. 1643.

LONDON, Printed for EDW. NICKSON. Ianuar. 24. 1643.

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Title statement

The Actors remonstrance or complaint for the silencing of their profession and banishment from their severall play-houses in which is fully set downe their grievances for their restraint ... as it was presented in the names and behalfes of all our London comedians ... and published by their command in print by the Typograph Royall of the Castalian Province, 1643.

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1643

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Text Creation Partnership,

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2006-02 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A69501

ID [STC]

Wing A453

ID [STC]

ESTC R8368

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

11644210

ID [OCLC]

ocm 11644210

ID [VID]

47971

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A69501)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 47971)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 3:33 or 242:E86, no 8)

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— The Actors remonstrance or complaint for the silencing of their profession and banishment from their severall play-houses in which is fully set downe their grievances for their restraint ... as it was presented in the names and behalfes of all our London comedians ... and published by their command in print by the Typograph Royall of the Castalian Province, 1643.,

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8 p.

Printed for Edw. Nickson,. London :: Ianuar 24, 1643.. (Reproduction of original in Harvard University Libraries and Thomason Collection, British Library.)

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