Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1889-04-18
A DRAMATIC RELIC.
Representation of a London Theater in
Shalespeare's Time.

Representation of n London Theater in
Shakespeare's Time.
An interesting dramatic relic has Just
been sent to the British Museum on a loan
by the University of Utrecht, says the Lon
don Times. 1t is a representation and
description of the Swan Theater in South
wark, in 1896. The picture was discovered
in a manuscript work in the Utrecht library,
The author was one Van Buchell, who filed
this commonplace book with notes on vari-
GUS subjects. Among others is the picture
of the Swan, with letter-press on the op-
posite page. The former is described as
drawn ex Observable nibus Londonensibus
Johannes De Witt, and a point of doubt in
connection with it is whether the picture
was actually copied from one drawn by De
Witt, or. whether it was drawn by Van
Buchell from oral descriptions by De Witt
The latter was Dutch scholar and preb-
ondary Of the sixteenth century, who
Travelled widely in foreign countries (proba-
bly, because he was Roman Catholic, for
whom Holland would not be comfortable
Just them, and noted what he saw. The
theater is represented as containing three
galleries, one above the other, with tiled
roof above the top one, but open to the sky
in the center. The stage is supported on
wooden posts, painted like marble, $50
that" remarks De Witt, cit might deceive
the most sagacious." 1t is believed to have
been removable, so that the amphitheater
might be free whenever it was wanted
for bull or bear batting. The green
room is represented as an erection in
the space behind the stage and apparent
ly open to the public view. De Witt de-
scribed it to Van Buchell as built solidlv of
hints and possessing accommodation for
1900 persons. 1t is possible that large
number could stand in the amphItheater on
a level with the stage, in no other way can
we account for this surprising statement.
He says there were four theaters in Lon
don which derived their names from vari-
GUS signs and each had performances every
day. The two principal ones were on the
south side of the river and were called the
Rose and the Shakespeare Globe
did not then exist and there were two in
the north in Blshopsgate street. A fifth
was used for bull and bear batting, and ac-
cording to De Witt ''pres ents a most de-
lightful spectacle" The BEST he says, was
the Swan, of which he gives a picture, be-
cause of its accommodation and its archl-
lecture, which seemed to him to be a sur
vival of the Roman amphitheater, and it is
because of this latter circumstance that
Van Buchell preserved the picture. In the
play in progress on the stage two ladies are
in conversation, and some one enters to
them, probably a messenger; but it is prob
Lble that this is a fancy scene and comes
from no Elizabethan drama. The drawing
&nd letter-press were brought to light by
DR.. Carl Gaedertz, who has published with |
of Bremen, a fac-simile of both, |
with discussion on the subject in a pam
phlet entitled "Zur Kentniss der Alien
glischen Buhne," which is intended as
contribution to Shakespearean literature.
1t has been generously lent by the Utrecht
authorities to the British Museum
for the inspection of students of the Eliza
bethan Theater.