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 XIV

INTERNATIONAL COMPANIES

i. ITALIAN PLAYERS IN ENGLAND

[Bibliographical Note.—The wanderings of the Italian companies in Italy tself and in France are recounted in A. D'Ancona, ''Origini del Teatro Italiano (ed. 2, 1891), and A. Baschet, Les Comédiens italiens à la Cour de France'' (1882), but without much knowledge of the few English records. W. Smith, Italian and Elizabethan Comedy (M. P. v. 555) and ''The Commedia dell' Arte'' (1912), deals more fully with these. The literary influence of Italian comedy is discussed by L. L. Schücking, ''Die stofflichen Beziehungen der englischen Komödie zur italienischen bis Lilly (1901), and R. W. Bond, Early Plays from the Italian'' (1911).]

The England of Elizabeth and James was a lender rather than a borrower of players. No records have been disinterred of French actors in this country between 1495 and 1629; and although there are a few of Italian actors, their visits seem to have been confined to a single brief period. The head-quarters of Italian comedy during the middle of the sixteenth century was at the Court of Mantua, and when Lord Buckhurst went as ambassador to congratulate Charles IX of France on his wedding, it was by Louis Gonzaga, Duke of Nevers and brother of the Duke of Mantua, that he was entertained on 4 March 1571 'with a comedie of Italians that for the good mirth and handling thereof deserved singular comendacion'. In the following year the Earl of Lincoln was at Paris from 8 to 22 June in order to conclude a treaty, and letters relate how he saw at the Louvre 'an Italian playe, and dyvers vauters and leapers of dyvers sortes verie excellent', and how later, when he visited the King at the Chateau de Madrid, 'he had some pastyme showed him by Italian players, which I was at with hym'. It may perhaps have been encouragement from one or both of these nobles, which led an Italian company not long afterwards to make its way across the Channel. The first notice of it is at Nottingham