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NOTES

INTRODUCTION
1 C. W. Wallace, The First London Theatre (Lincoln, Neb., 1913), p. 24.
2 Gerald E. Bentley, "Shakespeare and the Blackfriars Theatre", Shakespeare
Survey, I ( 1948), p. 47.
3 Peter Streete agreed, in this contract dated January 8, 1600, to complete his
construction by July 25, 1600 ( E. K. Chambers, The Elizabethan Stage ( Oxford,
1923), II, p. 438), a period of about twenty-eight weeks. However, it was cove-
nanted that "the saide Peeter Streete shall not be chardged with anie manner of
pay[ntin]ge in or aboute the saide fframe howse or Stadge or anie parte thereof,
nor rendringe the walls within"( Chambers, II, p. 437). Consequently, we must
add to the twenty-eight weeks an indeterminate period during which the play-
house was painted, thus bringing the estimated completion of the Fortune to
some time in August at least. It is probable that in computing the schedule for
the Fortune, Streete utilized his experience at the Globe, particularly since the
new stage was to be so much like the Globe's. Streete would find such computa-
tion easy after allowing for differences in building conditions. On the one hand
the fact that the timber from the Theatre was to be used for the Globe suggests
that the frame for the Globe took less time to erect. On the other hand, the fact
that the Globe had to be built on piles might reasonably suggest that laying
its foundations required more time. If Henslowe's notation of payment "to the
laberers at the eand of the fowndations the 8 of maye 1600" ( Philip Henslowe,
Papers, ed. W. W. Greg, p. 10), correctly reflects the time consumed in erecting
these of the Fortune, a matter of about sixteen weeks, then we must assume that
the base of the Globe was not ready to take a frame until the middle of June.
As Henslowe Diary and Papers indicate, Streete probably consummated his por-
tion of the contract somewhat later than he had estimated, that is, about the
first week in August ( Henslowe, p. 11). But even if there were some delay, as
Greg believes, Streete had erred merely by a matter of two weeks. I believe that
his initial estimate, fundamentally reliable, reflected his experience at the Globe.
4 Among others Heminges testified that he shared in profits from the presenta-
tion of plays at Blackfriars for four years previous to 1612( Kirkham vs. Painton,
as reprinted in F. G. Fleay, A Chronicle History of the London Stage ( London,
1890), pp. 225, 235, 238, 244, 249). The only time when the plague bills declined
sufficiently to permit the possibility of performances was in March, 1609. The
weekly count of plague deaths was thirty-two as of March 2, forty-three as of
March 9, and thirty-three as of March 16. Thereafter, the plague increased in
severity and the weekly number of deaths fell below forty only once again before
December, 1609. (Statistics from John Bell, London's Remembrancer ( London,
1665) as reprinted in J. T. Murray, English Dramatic Companies ( London, 1910),
II, pp. 186-187.)

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Publication Information: Book Title: Shakespeare at the Globe, 1599-1609. Contributors: Bernard Beckerman - author. Publisher: Macmillan. Place of Publication: New York. Publication Year: 1962. Page Number: 232.
    
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