The arte of English poesie Contriued into three bookes: the first of poets and poesie, the second of proportion, the third of ornament.

CHAP. XVII.

Of the places where their enterludes or poemes dramma∣ticke vvere represented to the people.

AS it hath bene declared, the Satyres were first vttered in their hallowed places within the woods where they honoured their

gods vnder the open heauen, because they had no other housing fit for great assemblies. The old comedies were plaid in the broad streets vpon wagons or carts vncouered, which carts were floored with bords & made for remouable stages to passe from one streete of their townes to another, where all the people might stand at their ease to gaze vpō the sights. Their new comedies or ciuill en∣terludes were played in open pauilions or tents of linnen cloth or lether, halfe displayed that the people might see. Afterward when Tragidies came vp they deuised to present them vpon scaf∣foldes or stages of timber, shadowed with linen or lether as the o∣ther, and these stages were made in the forme of a Semicircle, wher∣of the bow serued for the beholders to sit in, and the string or fore∣part was appointed for the floore or place where the players vt∣tered, & had in it sundry little diuisions by curteins as trauerses to serue for seueral roomes where they might repaire vnto & change their garmēts & come in againe, as their speaches & parts were to be renewed. Also there was place appointed for the musiciens to sing or to play vpon their instrumentes at the end of euery scene, to the intent the people might be refreshed, and kept occupied. This maner of stage in halfe circle, the Greekes called theatrum, as much to say as a beholding place, which was also in such sort contriued by benches and greeces to stand or sit vpon, as no man should empeach anothers sight. But as ciuilitie and withall wealth encreased, so did the minde of man growe dayly more haultie and superfluous in all his deuises, so as for their theaters in halfe cir∣cle, they came to be by the great magnificence of the Romain princes and people somptuously built with marble & square stone in forme all round, & were called Amphitheaters, wherof as yet ap∣pears one amōg the anciēt ruines of Rome, built by Pompeius Mag∣nus, for capasitie able to receiue at ease fourscore thousand persons as it is left written, & so curiously contriued as euery man might depart at his pleasure, without any annoyance to other. It is also to be knowne that in those great Amphitheaters, were exhibited all maner of other shewes & disports for the people, as their fence playes, or digladiations of naked men, their wrastlings, runnings, leapings and other practises of actiuitie and strength, also their baitings of wild beasts, as Elephants, Rhinocerōs, Tigers, Leopards

and others, which sights much delighted the common people, and therefore the places required to be large and of great content.