expressed as being 'to bye a boocke of' a play; that is to say, for the purchase outright of an old or even a new manuscript. But a new play was generally commissioned, upon the strength of a sample or of an outline of the plot, and in such cases payment was made by instalments, of which the earlier ones were 'lent upon' or 'in earneste of' or 'in parte paymente of', and the last 'in full paymente of' the book. Portions of the manuscript were handed over as security for the earlier payments. Production was very rapid, and a play put together in two or three weeks often represented the collaboration of as many as four or even five or six authors. The procedure, which prevailed during the whole of the period covered by the diary, is illustrated by a small group of letters preserved amongst the miscellaneous papers found at Dulwich. Thus on 8 November 1599 Shaw writes with regard to 2 Henry Richmond, 'Mr. Henshlowe, we haue heard their booke and lyke yt. Their pryce is eight poundes, which I pray pay now to Mr. Wilson, according to our promysse'; and accordingly Henslowe includes in his account, by an entry written and signed by Wilson, a sum of £8 'by a note vnder the hand of Mr. Rob: Shaw'.[1] On 14 June 1600 Shaw writes again, 'I pray you, Mr. Henshlowe, deliuer vnto the bringer hereof the some of fyue & fifty shillinges to make the 3^{ll} fyue shillinges which they receaued before full six poundes in full payment of their booke called the fayre Constance of Roome, whereof I pray you reserue for me Mr. Willsons whole share which is xj^s. which I to supply his neede deliuered him yesternight.' The diary duly records the payment to Drayton, Hathway, Munday, and Dekker 'at the a poyntment of Roberte Shawe' of 44s.[2] Similarly Samuel Rowley writes on 4 April 1601, 'Mr. Hinchloe, I haue harde fyue shetes of a playe of the Conqueste of the Indes & I dow not doute but it wyll be a verye good playe; tharefore I praye ye delyuer them fortye shyllynges in earneste of it & take the papers into your one hands & on Easter eue thaye promyse to make an ende of all the reste'. The earnest and several supplementary earnests were paid to Day, Haughton, and Smith, but the completion of the play lagged until the following September.[3] An undated letter of Rowley's relates to the withdrawal of a play, 'Mr. Hynchlo, I praye ye let Mr. Hathwaye haue his papars agayne of the playe of John a Gante & for the repayement of the monye back agayne he is contente to gyue ye a byll of his hande to be payde at some
