ted into the 'yarde,' about
three or four feet high. The people who filled the 'yarde' were called
groundlings. Round the house were three galleries, the lowest of which
contained 'rooms' or private boxes: what we call the upper circle and
the gallery were above. There were no seats in the pit, nor apparently
in the upper circles. On either side of the stage sat or lay gentlemen,
chiefly of the younger kind, who smoked pipes of tobacco and talked
loudly, disturbing the performance. At the back of the stage was a kind
of upper stage, supported on columns, which gave the players a tower,
gallery, wall, a town, or an upper story of a house, or anything of the
kind that they wanted. There was a great sale of apples, nuts, and ale
before the play began and between the acts: boys hawked the newest books
about the 'rooms': the people while they waited smoked pipes, played
cards. Above the stage on one side was the 'music.' Three times the
trumpets sounded. At the first, those who were outside hurried in to get
a place: at the second, the card-players left off their games: at the
third, those who bawled apples and ale and shouted the name of the new
book became silent: the audience settled down: the Play began. Not much
costume was wanted: that of the Elizabethan--noble--courtier--young
knight--clown--fitted any and every age. There was little scenery
required: blue hangings above meant day: black hangings night: the
actors came out upon the advanced stage and played their parts. No doubt
the illusion was as complete as we can contrive with all our scenery,
mounting, and correctness of costume.

[Illustration: THE GLOBE THEATRE.]

The parts of women were taken by boys. No women appeared on the stage
until the reign of Charles II. The Play began with the Prologue, spoken
by an actor dressed in a long black velvet coat bowing very humbly to
the audience. After the Play was over the clowns began to tumble and to
sing. In short, a farce succeeded a tragedy. The time of performance was
one o'clock, and the performance lasted until five.

In the year 1610 the Lord Mayor and Aldermen being alarmed at the
increasing popularity of the Play, ordered that there should be only two
theatres, the Fortune in Golden Lane and the Globe at Bankside. This
order, however, like so many other laws, was only passed to satisfy a
passing scare and does not seem to have been carried into effect. It was
in such a theatre as this and with such scenery t