l houres to play in the house of the said Philip, and in no
other." It may be noted that Shakespeare's first connection with the
Globe Theatre is shown upon fair evidence to have been originally
that of a "servitor." In that case the poet must often have been
required to appear in very subordinate characters--perhaps even
characters not entrusted with speech. Will it inflame too violently
the ambition of our modern "supers" to suggest to them that very
possibly Shakespeare himself may have preceded them in the performance
of their somewhat inglorious duties? The hired men or servitors were
under the control and in the pay of the proprietor or manager of the
theatre, and their salaries constituted no charge upon the shares of
the chief actors. Still these were entitled to complain, apparently,
if the hired men were too few in number to give due effect to the
representations. In 1614 a dispute arose between Henslowe and his
sharing actors, by reason of his having suddenly reduced his expenses
by dismissing "four hired men." He had previously sought to charge
their stipends upon the shares, although bound by agreement to defray
these expenses out of the money derived from the galleries--at this
time, perhaps, a managerial perquisite. But in addition to the
servitors, as the representatives of minor and mute characters, there
were also available the journeymen or apprentices of the more eminent
performers. If they paid no premium upon being articled, novices were
at any rate bound in return for the education they received to hand
their earnings, or a large part of them, to their masters. And this is
precisely the case at the present time in regard to the pupils of
musical professors and the teachers of singing, dancing, and feats of
the circus. The services of the apprentices were transferable, and
could be bought and sold. There is quite a slave-trade aspect about
the following entry in Henslowe's "Diary." "Bowght my boye Jeames
Brystow, of William Augusten, player, the 8th of December, 1597, for
eight pounds." Augustine Phillips, the actor, one of Shakespeare's
partners, who died in 1605, and who by his will bequeathed to
Shakespeare "a thirty shillings peece in gould," also gave to "Samuell
Gilborne, my late apprentice, the some of fortye shillings, and my
mouse-coloured velvit hose, and a white taffety dublet, a blacke
taffety sute, my purple cloke, sword and dagger, and my base viall."
He also gave to "James Sands, my a