Page:The Elizabethan stage (Volume 2).pdf/113

 deputies in Lord Howard of Effingham and Lord Hunsdon during his term of office, but it is probably justifiable to assume that, when the Chamberlain's men are referred to at any time during 1572-83, Sussex's men are meant, and in 1577 and 1581 there is clear evidence that the names are used synonymously. Oddly enough, Howard's men are also referred to in one record of 1577 (cf. p. 134) as the Chamberlain's, but that is probably a slip. The detailed history of the company during this period is as follows. In 1572-3 they were at Bath, in July 1573 at Leicester, on 14 September at Nottingham, in 1573-4 at Coventry, in 1574, on some date before 29 September, at Leicester again, on 13 July at Maldon, and in September at Wollaton (Francis Willoughby's). They rehearsed two Court plays for Christmas on 14 December, Phedrastus and Phigon and Lucia, but in the end did not give a performance. In 1574-5 they were at Gloucester, in 1575 at Maldon, and before 29 September at Leicester. They played at Court on 2 February 1576. Their payee was John Adams, the only actor whose name is recorded in connexion with the company. In 1575-6 they were at Ipswich, on 27 July 1576 at Cambridge, and between 29 July and 5 August at Bristol, where they played The Red Knight. On 2 February 1577 they played The Cynocephali at Court. In 1576-7 they were at Coventry and Bath, on 30 May 1577 at Ipswich, and on 31 August at Nottingham. On 2 February 1578 they played at Court. In 1577-8 they were at Bath, on 15 July 1578 at Maldon, in the same year at Bristol, and in 1578-9 at Bath. Thereafter their activities seem to have been mainly confined to London. They were named by the Privy Council to the Lord Mayor among the Court companies for the Christmas of 1578-9 (App. D, No. xl), and played The Cruelty of a Stepmother on 28 December 1578, ''The Rape of the Second Helen on 6 January, and Murderous Michael'' on 3 March 1579. In the following winter their pieces were The Duke of Milan and the Marquess of Mantua on 26 December, Portio and Demorantes on 2 February, and Sarpedon on 16 February 1580. The names of their Court plays on 27 December 1580 and 2 February 1581 are unfortunately not recorded. On 14 September they recur in the provinces, at Nottingham. They missed the next winter at Court, and made their last appearance there for a decade in Ferrar on 6 January 1583.