but never criticised. It was first printed, I believe, in 1579, and was sold by the same bookseller as Gosson's tract, Tho. Dawson. The edition I have here is of greater rarity, and is "imprinted by H. Bynneman for George Byshop."

ELLIOT. The title states that it is conducted in the form of a dialogue: that may give it spirit and variety.

BOURNE. As the interlocutors are Youth and Age, you will not be induced to form a very lively notion of their discussion. Youth is represented as a very docile, well dispositioned young man, who has got a few wrong notions into his head, which Age endea vours to expel. The author was a preacher at Bristol, from whence he dates his work, and it is unquestionable that he was a man of very considerable attainments. In the prefatory matter he draws the following curious but exaggerated picture of the manners of his time: "What is a man now a dayes, if he know not fashions, and how to weare his apparel after the best fashion? to kepe company and to become Mummers and Diceplayers and to play their twentie, forty or 100 li. at Cards, Dice, &c. Post, Cente, Gleke, or such other games: if he cannot thus do he is called a myser, a wretch, a lobbe, a cloune, and one that knoweth no fellowship, nor fashions, and lesse honestie."

ELLIOT. If that be a fair specimen, he deals as much as his predecessor Gosson in general invectives.

BOURNE. Not quite; he enters more into particulars as he proceeds, after the conversation between Youth and Age has begun. The first part of the pamphlet is principally directed against idleness, and the arguments of Age are supported by many recondite authorities: at length Youth observes, "Seing that we haue somewhat largely talked and reasoned togither of ydle playes and vaine pastimes, let me craue your further patience to knowe your iudgement and opinion as touching Playes and Players which are commonly vsed and much frequented in most places in these dayes, especiallye here in this noble and honourable citie of London." To which Age answers, "You demaunde of me a harde question: if I should vtterly deny all kinde of suche playes, then shoulde I be thought too Stoicall and precise: If I allowe and admit them in generall then I shall giue way to a thousande mischiefes and inconueniences which daily happen by occasion of beholding and haunting such spectacles. Therfore let me vnderstande of what sort and kynde of Playes you speake of?"

MORTON. All these particulars are curious and entertaining, and show that at the time Northbrooke wrote, theatres were much more frequented than is generally supposed.

BOURNE. This author, in terms, mentions one playhouse distinguished by the name of " the theatre," and another called " the Curtaine." Youth requires Age to give his opinion regarding the "playes and

Enterludes" there performed, and Age replies with great warmth, "I am persuaded that Sathan hath not a more speedie way and fitter Schoole to work and teache his desire, to bring men and women into his snare," &c. following it up by an enumeration of the many horrible vices he imagines grow out of frequenting theatres. As to the actors, he insists that "they are not tollerable nor sufferable in any comon weale." This topic is kept up through many tedious pages of reiterated abuse.

ELLIOT. Neither knowledge nor amusement is to be obtained from such senseless ravings,

BOURNE. Unless we can laugh at the author: Age engrosses a great part of the conversation, and after a vast number of coarse, names and epithets applied to unfortunate players, he winds up a detail of measures taken against them by the subsequent sentence, "Also there is a notable Statute made against Vagabondes, Roges, &c. wherein is expressed what they are, that shall bee taken and accounted for Roges. Amongst all the whole rablement, Common players in Enterludes are to be taken for Roges and punishment is appoynted for them to bee burnte through the eare with an hote yron of an ynchę compasse and for the second fault to be hanged as a Felon." MORTON. Alluding to the celebrated statute passed in the year 1572.

ELLIOT. Of course.

The old zealot seems quite to gloat over the account he is giving of the punishment of a wretched actor, "to be burnt through the

ear with a hot iron of an inch compass." He attacks them all, with a perfect conviction that the whole race ought to be exterminated, Parli chi vuole il contrario, Iddio et la Verita per me l'arme prenderanno.

MORTON. In this respect he even goes beyond Gosson, who allows that some kinds of plays may: be beneficial, or, at least, not injurious.

BOURNE. He would not have granted that, in all probability, had not Catiline's Conspiracies, and some other plays, been " pigs of his own sow." I do not think we need go further with Northbrooke: the last part of his tract is directed against the "horrible abuse of dauncing," but this is not to our purpose. We will now inspect one of the most popular, varied, and entertaining of all the books of this class, Philip Stubbes's "Anatomy of Abuses;" but from which so much has been extracted at various times, and in various books, that it will not long occupy us. The title promises a great deal of singular matter, and the body of the work fulfils that promise. It is this: "The Anatomie of Abuses: Containing a Discouerie or briefe Summarie of such Notable Vices and Corruptions, as now raigne in many Christian Countreyes of the Worlde: but (especially) in the Country of AILGNA: Together with most fearefull Examples of Gods Iudgementes executed vpon the wicked for the same, aswell in Ailgna of late as in other places elsewhere. Very godly to be read," &c.

ELLIOT. And among these " notable vices," the vice of stage-plays is, I suppose, included.

BOURNE. The attack upon theatres and actors forms a very considerable and important part of the work. This edition you see bears date in 1585, being "printed at London by Richard Jones;" but it is said, on the title, to be the third, and is the most complete, as it was " reuised, recognized and augmented" by the author, Philip Stubs or Stubbes. I apprehend that this work made it earliest appearance in 1583, and it was so popular, so patronized by the increasing and intolerant sect of the puritans, that, I believe, it went through two editions in the same year, and was printed many times (I cannot now exactly state how many) before 1595.

ELLIOT. Who was Stubbes? Was he a man of

any note before he wrote this book?

BOURNE. No trace of him is to be found: all our biographers are nearly silent regarding him. Anthony Wood, who claims him for his university, states, that he was of genteel parentage, and on the title-page to his "Motive to Good Works," 1593, Stubbes styles himself "Gentleman." His "Anatomy of Abuses" produced a strong sensation when it was first printed, and Thomas Nash, who wrote against the puritans or martinists, did not fail to aim one of his satirical shafts at the work in hand. In his "Almond for a Parrot or Cuthbert Curry-knaues Almes," &c. printed, most likely, soon afterwards, he has this passage regarding Stubbes, though he did not think it prudent to insert his name at length: "I can tell you Phil. Stu. is a tall man also for that