The Dupuyer acantha. [volume] (Dupuyer, Mont.) 1894-1904, 1897-02-04
IN sHAKEsPEARE's TOWNS.
The Burgesses Refuse n License Il
the Lord High Admfral's Players.

Master Skylark." by John Bennett,
is the leading serial of the coming year
in st. Nicholas, beginning in the No
vember number. 1t is a story of the
time of Shakespeare, and the poet fig
ules in it. This is n scene from the
first instalment:
ooh, Nick. such goings on!' called
Robin Getley, whose father was n bur-
CESS, as Nick Atwood came slowly up
the street, saying his sentences fol- the
day over and over to himself, lii hope
less desperation, having had no time to
learn them at home. ''Stratford coun-
Gil has had a quarrel. and there's to be
NO stage play, after ALL"
"What?' cried Nick, in amazement.
\ stage play? And why not?"
"Why," said Robin, sit was Just this
way: My father told me of it. Sir
Thomas Lucy, high sheriff of Worces-
ter, y'now, rode in from Charlotte yes
terDoon, and with him Sir Edward Gre
vile of Milcote. So the burgesses made
a feast for them at the Swan Inn. Sir
Thomas fetched a fine, fat buck and
the town stood for %ninepence wine and
twopence bread and bfoached d keg Of
sturgeon. And When they were all
mel together there, eating and drink
Ing and making. merry-what? Why.
it came out that my Lord Admir4l's
players from London town, ruff1ing it
like high dukes, and not caring two
pops for Sir. Edward or for Stratford
burgcsses all in a heap; but sat them
down at the table straightway, and
called for ale as if they owned the
place, and, not being served as soon as
they desired, they laid hands upon Sir
Thomas serv as he came in from the
buttery with his tray full, and took
both meat and drink"
'What?" cried Nick.
GAS SURF as shooting, they did,! said
Robin; land when Sir Thomas gentry
yeomanry would have seen to it@what!
Why. my Lord AdmIrafs master play
er clapped his hand On his poniard-
hilt, and dared them come and take it
if they could"
"To Sir Thomas Lucy's men?" ex-
claimed Nick, aghast,
"Ay, to their teeth! Sit Edward
sprang up then and said it was a
Shame for players to behave so out
ragcously in viii S~hakespeare's own
HUlilt toNu. AHI al tlidt 81 upltidS,
whom, We know, has always misliked
VIII, fiared up like a bull at a red rag,
and swore that all stage players be
runagate rogllcs, anyway, and VIII
Shakespeare nither more nor less than
a Devastating scHre-gallows."'.. ,
surely, he did ma say that in STRAIT
ford council?" protested Nick.
CAY. but he did-that very thing"
said Robin, land when this was out,
tile mastcr-player sprang upon the
table. oyerturning half the ale, and
cried out that Will Shakespeare was
his very W true friend. and the
sweetest fellow in all IIngland: and
that whatsoever gaihsnid It was a hemp
cracking rascal, and that he would
prove ii upon his back with a quarter
staff whenever and wherever he chose,
be it Sir Thomas Lucy. st. George and
the Dragon. Guy of Warwick. and the
great dun COW, all rolled in up one!w
'Hoiert Getlcy, is this the very
truth. or art thou cOZening mC2"
Upon my word. 1t is the TRUTH said
Robin. "And that's. .np, all. Sir Ed.
ward cried out, 'Fie! upon the player
for a sancy varlet; but the fellow only
laughed and bowed quite lo'7 and said
he took no offense from Sir Edward fol
saying that, since it could not honestly
0e denied, but that Sir Thomas did not
know the truth from a trucklc-hcd IL
broad daylight, and was but the rein
nant of a gentleman to boot"
"rhe bold-faced rogue!'
GAY. that he is" nodded robin: 'ant
for his bcldncSs. Sir Thomas st,aight
way demanded that the high sheriff re
fuse the company license to play L
Stratford."
"RefuSe the Lord High Adj niral't
playerS?"
Marry. no one else, And then Mas
ter John Sha kespeare, wroth at wha'
Sir Thomas had said of his own son
viii. vowed that he would SEND a let
ter down to London town, and lay thu
whole coil before the Lord High AID
miral himself. For eve since that hi
was high hailiff. the best companies o
England had always been hidden Il
play in Stratford, and it would he al
i'll thing now to refuse the Lord Higl
Admirars company, after granting il
cense to both my Lord Ppmbroke's ant
the High Chamberlain's,"
"And so it would" spoke up Waite
Roche, "for there are our own towns
men. Richard and Cuthhert Rurbage
who are cousins of mine. and JONI
Hemynge and Thomas Green, Deside
win Shakespeare and his brother ED
mun1. all playing in the Lord Cham
ebrlain's company in London ,)efor
the queen, it would be a black scor,
against them all with the High Ad
miral--I doubt not lie would pay then
out"
THAT he would, said Robin; and s.
said my father and Alderman lIenr,
Walker. who, y'know. is Will Shakes
peare's own friend. And some of tn
burgesses who cared not a rap 70
that, were afeared of offending tn
Lord High Admiral. But Sir Thoma
vowed that my Lord Howard was a
Cadiz with Walter Raleigh and til
young Earl of Sussex and would b.
no means hear of it, So, Master Ba.
lift Stubbes, who, it's said, doth ow
Sir Thomas forty pounds, and is, Their.
fore, under his thumb, forthwith re
fused the company license to play i
Stratford guild-hall, inn-yard or con
mon. And at that the mastcr-playe
threw his glove into Master Stubbes
face. and called Sir Thomas a stupi
old bell-wether, and StratfOrd burgess
es silly sheep for following whereve
he chose to jump.
When the maSter-player threw hi
glove into Master Stubbes' face, tn
chief constable seized him for contemT
of Stratford council, and held him fo
: trial. At that some cried 'Shame!' an
GONE 'Hurrah!-but the rest of tn