In 1579, the earl of Darby entertained a company of comedians, which had at its head, in 1599, Robert Brown, to whom William Slye devised, in 1608, his share in the Globe.

In 1565, the queen had certainly a company of players, which is said, without sufficient authority, to have been formed, by the advice of Walsingham, in 1581. The earliest payment which appears to have been made to the queen's company, was issued on the 6th of March 1585-6. And, in March 1589-90, John Dutton, who was one of lord Warwick's company, and John Lanham, who belonged to lord Leicester's, appear to have been at the head of Elizabeth's company, which must be distinguished from the ancient establishment of the household, that received a salary at the exchequer without performing any duty at court.

In 1591, the lord admiral had a company of comedians, who began to act at the Rose, on the 14th of May 1594; and who had at its head, in 1598, Robert Shaw and Thomas Downton. Connected with them, in the management and concerns of the company, were Philip Henslow and Edward Alleyn; two persons, who are better known, and will be longer remembered in the theatrical world. At the accession of king James, the theatrical servants of the lord admiral had the honour to be taken into the service of Henry-Frederick, prince of Wales.

In 1592, the earl of Hertford entertained a company of theatrical servants, who have left few materials for the theatrical remembrancer.

sheltered, in the like manner, under his protection, a company of persons, who equally made a profession of acting, as a mode of livelihood, and who were more desirous of profit than emulous of praise. This company began to play at the Rose, on the 28th of October 1600.

The earl of Worcester had also

a company of theatrical servants, who, at the accession of king James, had the honour to be entertained by queen Anne in the same capacity.

Thus we see, in this slight enumeration, fifteen distinct companies of players; who, during the protected reign of Elizabeth, and in the time of Shakespeare, successively gained a scanty subsistence, by lascivious pleasing. The demise of the queen brought along with it the dissolution of those companies, as retainers to the great: and we shall find, that the accession of king James gave rise to a theatric policy of a different kind. The act of parliament, which took away from private persons the privilege of licensing players, or of protecting strolling actors from the penalties of vagrancy, put an end for ever to the scenic system of prior

times.

don.

don. This is the most complete of our ancient baronial residences now remaining; and though not at present inhabited, nor in very good repair, is extremely interesting to the antiquary, from the many indications it exhibits of the festive manners and hospitality of our ancestors, and of the inconvenient yet social arrangement by which their mode of life was regulated.

The high turrets and embattlements of this mansion, when beheld from a distance, give it the resemblance of a strong fortress; and even on a nearer approach, it apparently confines the idea, but, though thus castellated, and assuming the forms of regular defence, it was never, even in its original construction, furnished with any means of effectual resistance. It consists of numerous apartments and offices, erected at different periods, and surrounding two paved quadrangular courts. The most ancient part is the tower over the gateway, on the east side of the upper quadrangle; this was probably built about the reign of Edward the Third; but there is no evidence by which its precise date can be ascertained. The chapel is of Henry the Sixth's time: and the tower at the northwest corner, on which are the arms of the Vernons, Pipes, &c. is nearly of the same period. The gallery was erected in the reign of queen Elizabeth, after the death of sir George Vernon: some of the offices are more modern; but not any portion of the building is of a date subsequent to the seventeenth century.

The principal entrance at the north-west angle, is under a high tower, through a large arched gate

way, that leads, by a flight of an gular steps, into the great court. Near the middle of the east side of the latter, is a second flight of steps, communicating with the great porch, over the door of which are two shields of arms carved in stone; the one containing those of Vernon, and the other, of Fulco de Pembridge, lord of Tong, in Shrop shire, whose daughter, and heiress, Isabella, married sir Richard Vernon, and considerably increased the family estate by her own possessions. On the right of the passage leading from the porch is the great hall, having a communication with the grand staircase, and state apartments; and on the left, ranging in a line, are four large doorways, with great pointed stone arches, which connect with the kitchen, buttery, wine-cellar, and numerous small upper apartments, that appear to have been used as lodging-rooms, for the guests and their retainers. In the kitchen are two vast fireplaces, with irons for a prodigious number of spits: various stoves, great double ranges of dressers, an enormous chopping block, &c. Adjoining the kitchen are various lesser rooms, for larders and other purposes.

The hall must have been the great public dining-room, for no other apartment is sufficiently spacious for the purpose. At the upper end is a raised floor, where the table for the lord and his principal guests was spread; and on two sides is a gallery, supported on pillars. From the south-east cerner is a passage leading to the great staircase, formed of huge blocks of stone, rudely jointed; at the top of which, on the right, is a large apartment

apartment hung with arras, and be hind it, a little door, opening into the hall gallery.

On the left of the passage, at the head of the great stairs, are five or six very large semicircular steps, framed of solid timber, that lead into the long gallery, which occupies the whole south side of the second court, and is 110 feet in length, and seventeen wide. The flooring is of oak planks, affirmed by tradition to have been cut out of a single tree which grew in the garden. The wainscotting is likewise of oak, and is curiously ornamented on the frieze are carvings of boars heads, thistles, and roses; these, with the arms, &c. prove it, in the opinion of Mr. King, to have been put up after the House came into the possession of sir John Manners, yet before the title of earl of Rutland descended to that branch of the family. In the midst of the gallery is a great square recess, besides several bowwindows, in one of which are the arms of the earl of Rutland impaling Vernon, with its quarterings, and circled with the garter, &c.; and in another, the arms of England, similarly encircled, and surmounted with a crown. Near the end of the gallery is a short passage, that opens into a room having a frieze and cornice of rough plaster, adorned with peacocks and boars heads, in alternate succession: an adjoining apartment is ornamented in the same manner; and over the chimney is a very large bas-relief of Orpheus charming the beasts, of similar composition.

All the principal rooms, except

the gallery, were hung with loose arras, a great part of which still remains; and the doors were concealed every where behind the hangings, so that the tapestry was to be lifted up to pass in and out; only, for convenience, there were great iron hooks, (many of which are still in their places,) by means whereof it might occasionally be held back. The doors being thus concealed, nothing can be conceived more ill-fashioned than their workmanship; few of these fit at all close; and wooden bolts, rude bars, and iron hasps, are in general their best and only fastenings *."

The chapel is in the south-west angle of the great court; from which the entrance leads under a low sharp-pointed arch. It has a body and two aisles, divided from the former by pillars and pointed arches. In the windows are some good remains of painted glass; and the date Millesimo CCCCXXVIL By the side of the altar is a niche and basin for holy water. An ancient stone font is likewise preserved here. Near the entrance into the chapel stands a Roman altar, about three feet high, said to have been dug up near Bakewell. The inscription is nearly obliterated, but was given by bishop Gibson, as follows:

DEO MARTI BRACIACE

OSITTIVS

CECILIAN

PRÆFECT

TRO....
VS.

The park, originally connected

with this mansion, was ploughed up and cultivated about thirty years aga. The gardens consist entirely of terraces, ranged one above another; each having a sort of stone ballustrade. The prospects from one or two situations are extremely fine; and in the vicinity of the house is a sweeping group of luxuriant old

trees.

The manor of Haddon was, soon after the conquest, the property of the Avenells, whose coheirs married to Vernon and Basset, in the reign of Richard the First. The Bassets continued to enjoy half the estate in the time of Edward the Third. The heiress of Vernon married to Franceys, who assumed the surname of Vernon; and the whole of the estate was the entire property of sir Richard Vernon, in Henry the Sixth's time. This gentleman was speaker of the parliament, held at Leicester in the year 1425, and was afterwards constituted governor of Calais, in which office he was succeeded by his son, who was appointed constable of England for life, and was the last person that held that important office. Sir Henry Vernon, his son and successor, was governor to prince Arthur, heir apparent to Henry the Seventh; and is said to have frequently entertained the prince at Haddon. Sir George Vernon, the last male heir of this family, became so distinguished by his hospitality, and magnificent mode of living, that he was locally termed King of the Peak. On his death, in the seventh year of queen Elizabeth, his possessions descended to his two daughters, Margaret and Dorothy the former married sir Thomas Stanley, knight, second son of Edward, the third earl of

:

:

Derby and the latter, sir John Manners, knight, second son of Thomas, first earl of Rutland of that name. By this marriage, Haddon, and the other estates in this county, that had been held by the Vernons, became the property of the Manners', and have regularly descended to the present duke of Rutland.

Haddon Hall continued to be the principal residence of this family till the beginning of the last century, when it was quitted for Belvoir-castle, in Lincolnshire. In the time of the first duke of Rutland, (so created by queen Anne,) seven Score servants were maintained here, and the house was kept open in the true style of old English hospitality, daring twelve days after Christmas. Since that, it has occasionally been the scene of mirth and revelry; and the cheerful welcome of former ages, so far as the despoiled condition of the mansion would admit, has not been wanting to increase the pleasure of the guests. The last time its festive board was spread, was shortly after the conclusion of the late peace, when nearly 200 couple danced in the long gallery.

Description of Jerusalem and the Holy Sepulchre. From Witman's Travels in Egypt, 1801.

THE city of Jerusalem itself

stands on an elevated rocky ground, capable of yielding but little produce: in the vicinity, however, we saw several spots, which the inhabitants had with great industry fertilized, by clearing away the stones, with which they had banked up the soil to pre

vent it from being washed away, and by resorting to every other expedient which could suggest it

self..

This soil, which is a reddish clay, wherever it is of any depth, is essentially of a good quality; consequently their laborious efforts had been rewarded, in these partial and chosen spots, by an abundant produce of fruits, corn, and vegetables. The grapes which were presented to us at our repasts, were uncommonly fine and large: at the season of the vintage the vineyards must have had a pleasing aspect in this land of rocks and mountains.

We were told by the priests of an extraordinary threat made by Bonaparté, namely, that should he ever obtain possession of Jerusalem, he would plant the tree of liberty on the spot on which the cross of Jesus stood; and would bury the first French grenadier who should fall in the attack in the tomb of our Saviour.

From the terrace of the convent in which we were lodged, we had a fine view of the Mount of Olives, of Mount Sion, and indeed of every part of the city, the extent of which has been so much diminished in modern times, that the circumference is reckoned not to exceed four English miles. The walls and habitations are in excellent repair; and the former are provided with several small square towers. Near the entrance gate is a castle denominated David's Tower, the stones in the inferior part of which are very massive, and apparently of great antiquity.

About two o'clock we went to the church, called the Church of the Sepulchre, as being built over the holy sepulchre, in company

with the superior of our convent, with whom, I should observe, we had made an arrangement to visit Bethlem on the following morning. Escorted by several of the reverend fathers, we passed through a solemn and grand entrance, into a lofty and capacious building (somewhat less than an hundred paces long, and not more than sixty wide), supported by several very large marble pillars of the Corinthian order, and the dome of which was built of the cedar of Lebanon. Preparations having been made for our visit to this sanctuary, it was lighted up with more than usual splendour, and had a very striking and awful effect. In the centre of the building is the holy sepulchre, which is now cased over with marble for its better preservation. But for this precaution, indeed, it would ere this have been broken into fragments, which the pilgrims would have carried off as so many precious relics. The sepulchre, we are told, was at first a cave hewn in the rock under ground; but the rock having been since cut away in every direction, it appears now in the form of a grotto above ground. In bestowing on it a close inspection, we met with the stone on which they told us the angel was seated when Mary sought the body of Jesus. This stone had been removed from the entrance. The small building, or chapel, in which the sepulchre is enclosed, was lighted by several large and handsome lamps, a certain number of which are always kept burning. We were next conducted to all the interesting places which respected our Saviour previously to his death; such as the spot where he was confined before his trial and condem

nation;