De concessione licentie Thome Greene et aliis.
Iames by the grace of God &c. To all Iustices,
Mayors, Sheriffes, Baylieffes, Constables, head-*borrowes
and other our Officers and lovinge
Subiectes Greetinge. Knowe yee that wee of
our especiall grace certayne knowledge and meere mocion have lycenced
and aucthorised and by these presentes doe lycence and aucthorize
Thomas Greene, Christofer Beeston, Thomas Haywood, Richard
Pirkyns, Richard Pallant, Thomas Swinnerton, Iohn Duke, Robert
Lee, Iames Haulte, and Roberte Beeston, Servantes to our moste
deerely beloved wiefe Queene Anne, and the reste of theire Associates,
to vse and exercise the arte and faculty of playinge Comedies, Tragedies,
historyes, Enterludes, Moralles, Pastoralles, Stageplayes and
suche other like, as they have already studied or heareafter shall vse
or studye, aswell for the recreacion of our loving Subiectes as for our
solace and pleasure when wee shall thinke good to see them, during our
pleasure. And the said Comedies, Tragedies, histories, Enterludes,
Moralles, Pastoralles, Stageplayes and suche like to shewe and exercise
publiquely and openly to theire beste commoditye, aswell within
theire nowe vsuall houses called the Redd Bull in Clarkenwell and the
Curtayne in Hallowell, as alsoe within anye Towne halles, Mouthalles
and other convenient places within the libertye and freedome of any
other Citty, vniuersitye, Towne or Boroughe whatsoever within our
Realmes and Domynions. Willing and Commaundinge you and every
of you, as you tender our pleasure, not only to permitt and suffer them
herein without any your lettes hinderances or molestacions during our
said pleasure, but alsoe to be aydinge [and] assistinge vnto them, yf
anye wronge be to them offered, and to allowe them suche former
curtesies as hath byn given to men of theire place and qualitye, and
alsoe what favoure you shall shewe to them for our sake wee shall
take kyndly at your handes. Prouided alwaies and our will and
pleasure is that all aucthoritye, power, priuiledges, and profyttes
whatsoeuer belonginge and properly appertayninge to Master of
Revelles in respecte of his Office and everye Cause, Article or graunte
contayned within the lettres Patentes or Commission, which have byn
heretofore graunted or directed by the late Queene Elizabeth our deere
Sister or by our selues to our welbeloued Servant Edmond Tylney
Master of the Office of our said Revelles or to Sir George Bucke knighte
or to eyther of them in possession or revercion, shalbe remayne and
abyde entyer and full in effecte, force, estate and vertue as ample sorte
as if this our Commission had never byn made. In witnes wherof &c.
Witnes our selfe at Westminster the fifteenth daye of Aprill.
per breve de priuato sigillo &c.
It will be observed that the documents quoted disclose no
change in the composition of the Queen's official servants
- [Footnote: P. R., but misdescribed as a Privy Seal, by T. E. Tomlins in Sh. Soc.
Papers, iv. 45. The Signet Bill is indexed under April 1609 in Phillimore, 104.]
