APRIL

1600

"It is said that Mr. Secretary affects the peace because he likes not the profession of war which keeps the Queen poor, and also because he will keep up his father's reputation who, long before his death, sang no other song than peace. Divers of the Council are doubtful lest the common people grow weary of impositions and fall into disorder, because the best sort murmur underhand that a good peace might be got, if the Queen were well advised. Some say that many journeys have been made in vain and that they would be glad to have peace or open war; besides this noise of the Flemings' prosperity in the Indies has set our nations so in a flame as rather than be barred from going to sea for spoil (to which the youth of this country is given) they would care not what subsidies they gave or promised. If peace may be had upon good conditions, all will be glad of it; if not the Queen will make this benefit of it that her people will see that she is not obstinate and will now provide for the contrary; which pretext shall save the Council at the next Parliament which will be about Michaelmas."

[State Papers, Domestic ]

1599

"Shakespeare hath written a play of The Life of King Henry the Fifth, which the Lord Chamberlain's men play at the Curtain, showing the siege of Harfleur and the battle of Agincourt, together with King Harry's wooing of Katharine of France; but Sir John Falstaffe is seen no more for he is sick and dieth of a broken heart because that the Kind had rejected him. Yet Ancient Pistol liveth, to be well cudgelled in France, where one Captain Fluellen enforceth him to consume a Welsh leek."

[A Short Title Catalogue of Books printed in England]

1598

"Mr. George Chapman hath entered for the press Seven Books of the Iliades of Homer, Prince of Poets, translated according to the Greek, and dedicated 'To the most Honoured now living instance of the Achilleian virtues, eternized by divine Homer, the Earl of Essex, Earl Marshal, etc.'

[A Transcript of the Registers of the Company of Stationers of London 1554-1640 AD]

1597

"Her Majesty hath an intention to banish the seminary priests that are in divers prisons in the realm, and to this end the Attorney and Solicitor General and Mr. Francis Bacon are required to inform themsleves what priests are in the prisons within and about the city of London and how far they are to be charged with any matter against the Queen or the State."

[Acts of the Privy Council]

1596

"Calais Taken. My Lord of Essex and the Lord Admiral were very passionate at the delays in setting forth, but yesterday the whole afternoon was spent in embarking the army troop by troop with all their necessaries. In the evening as my Lord and the other noblemen were at supper on board the Rainbow with Captain Monson news was brought that the citadel of Calais was fallen."

[State Papers, Domestic]

1594

"The Queen's men and the Earl of Sussex's men have begun to play together at the Rose Theatre and during this week play Friar Bacon, The Ranger's Comedy, The Jew of Malta, The Fair Maid of Italy, Friar Bacon and King Leir."

[Henslowe's Diary Vol. 1]

1593

"Venus and Adonis, a poem written by William Shakespeare is entered, being dedicated to Henry Wriothesley. Earl of Southampton. In this poem is described the hot love of Venus for the youth Adonis who scorneth her love, and leaving her to pursue the boar is by it slain."

[A Transcript of the Registers of the Company of Stationers of London 1554-1640 AD]

 

1592

"Sir John Perrot, who hath lain a prisoner in theTower for more than a year past, was brought to his trial before the King's Bench Bar, before the commissioners being the Lord Chamberlain, the Lord Buckhurst, Sir Robert Cecil, the Lord Chief Justice and other judges. He was charged on two indictments; the first that in 1587 he went about to depose and raise rebellion against the Queen that he had promised help to the King of Spain, and that he had procured and moved Sir Brian O' Rourke to rebellion. To these indictments he pleaded not guilty very vehemently."

[Cobbet's State Trials, Vol. 1]

 

"The plays at the Rose this past week were Muly Mullocco, The Jew of Malta, The Looking Glass for London, Titus and Vespasian, Harry the Sixth, The Comedy of Jeronimo"

[Henslowe's Diary]