our own? Further, Tarleton,
the comedian, celebrated for his "Extemporal wit," was the writer or
inventor of one of these "Platts." Stow records of one of our actors
that "he had a quick, delicate, refined _Extemporal wit_." And Howes,
the continuator of Stow's Chronicles of another, that "he had a
wondrous, plentiful, pleasant, _Extemporal_ wit."

Praiseworthy reference is also made of Tarleton in "Kinde-Hart's
Dream," 4to., published in 1592. In 1611 a book was published entitled
"Tarleton's Jeasts." Tarleton was so celebrated in his time that his
portrait was hung out as a sign for alehouses. "To sit with Tarleton on
an ale-post's signe," observes Bishop Hall in his satires. Oldys, in his
M.S. notes, mentions that "There is an alehouse sign of a tabor and pipe
man, with the name of Tarleton under it, in the borough of Southwark,
and it was taken from the print before the old 4to. book of 'Tarleton's
Jeasts;' and Lord Oxford had a portrait of him with his tabor and pipe,
which was probably taken from the pamphlet called 'Tarleton's Jeasts,'
on the title page of which there is a wooden plate of Tarleton, at full
length in his Clown's dress, playing on his pipe with one hand, and
beating his drum with the other."

These actors then (continues Mr. Disraeli), who were in the habit of
exercising their impromptus, resembled those who performed in the
unwritten comedies of the Italians. Gabriel Harvey, the Aristarchus of
the day, compliments Tarleton for having brought forward a _new species
of dramatic exhibition_. If this compliment paid to Tarleton merely
alludes to his dexterity at _extemporaneous wit_ in the character of the
_Clown_, as my friend Mr. Douce thinks, this would be sufficient to show
that he was attempting to introduce on our stage the Extemporal Comedy
of the Italians, which Gabriel Harvey distinguishes as "a new species."
As for these "Platts," which I shall not venture to call "Scenarios,"
they surprise by their bareness, conveying no notion of the piece
itself, though quite sufficient for the actors. They consist of mere
exits and entrances of the actors, and often the real names of the
actors are familiarly mixed with those of the _dramatis personae_.
Steevens has justly observed, however, on these skeletons, that although
"The drift of these dramatic pieces cannot be collected from the mere
outlines before us, yet we must not charge them with absurdity. Even the
scenes of Shakespeare would have worn