. William Shakespere : a biography. ce-Chan-cellor. Master of Trinity College, and Bishop of Bath and Wells, writes thus tothe Lords of the Council: Upon Saturday last, being the second of Becember,we received letters from Mr. Vice-Chamberlain by a messenger sent purposely,wherein, by reason that her Majestys own servants in this time of infectionmay not disport her Highness with their wonted and ordinary pastimes, hisHonour hath moved our University (as he writeth that he hath also done theother of Oxford) to prepare a comedy in English, to be acted before her High-ness by some of our student
. William Shakespere : a biography. ce-Chan-cellor. Master of Trinity College, and Bishop of Bath and Wells, writes thus tothe Lords of the Council: Upon Saturday last, being the second of Becember,we received letters from Mr. Vice-Chamberlain by a messenger sent purposely,wherein, by reason that her Majestys own servants in this time of infectionmay not disport her Highness with their wonted and ordinary pastimes, hisHonour hath moved our University (as he writeth that he hath also done theother of Oxford) to prepare a comedy in English, to be acted before her High-ness by some of our students in this time of Christmas. How ready we areto do anything that may tend to her Majestys pleasure, we are very desirousby all means to testify ; but how fit we shall be by this is moved, having nopractice in this English vein,* and being (as we thinki nothing beseeming our * The English vein had gone out of use. lu 1564, Ezekias, a comedy in Kiiglish by I> Udall, was performed before Elizabeth in Kings College Ancient View of Cambridge ] WILLIAM SHAK8PKUE : Students, speciall) out of the University, we much doubt; and do tind our prin-cipal actors (whom we have of purpose called before us) very unwilling to playin Enc^lisli.* If Dr. Still were the author of Gammer Gurtons Needle, ascommonly believed, the joke is somewhat heightened; but at any rate it isdiverting enough, as a picture of manners, to find the University who haveopposed the performances of professional players, being called upon to producea play in the English vein, a species of composition mostly held in contemptby the learned as fitted only for the ignorant multitude. In relation to Shakspere, we learn from these transactions at Cambridge, thatat the Christmas of 1592 there were no revels at Court: her Majestys ownservants in this time of infection may not disport her Highness with theirwonted and ordinary pastimes. Shakspere, we may believe, during the longperiod of the continuance of the
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