This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1912 edition. Excerpt: ... showing the interplay of life, there were increased demands for drama and more need of the poet or dramatist, even in embryo. Masques and pageants, the joy of her father's courtt though not at once discarded, rapidly diminished. During the first two years, masques were predominant.1 Thereafter, interludes and plays were requisitioned in increasing number. Herein, too, consonant with her love for dialogue, her well-known parsimony figured not a little, tending to eliminate expensive shows and to cultivate instead the less expensive and more delectable entertainment of dramatic performances. Her passion for drama was supplied at first by laureating Edwards, Farrant, and Hunnis with special privileges of presenting plays before her by the Court children, and by drawing upon the dramatic resources of Sebastian Westcott with the children of Paul's. Year by year these companies appeared before her. Still not even their increased numbers fully supplied the demands. Occasionally, even in her early years, she invited a company of men actors under patronage of some favorite lord. In 1564 were added the children of Westminster who appeared 1 See Table, infra, 199--200. occasionally thereafter, then in 1572--73 the Merchant Taylor's and the boys of Eton.1 The children of the Court were still the centre of dramatic activity and set the fashion on the basis of Court taste which all the other companies consequently followed. During the first fifteen years, up to 1573, the plays at Court were almost wholly by them and the other children companies who bent their old school drama out of recognition in deference to the demands of the royal audience for mere entertainment. Only eight times in that period did companies of men appear.2 Then, simultaneously...