indeed, a dry pungency in the way he dismisses a conjecture that “the company at Aberdeen [in 1603] was the Chamberlain’s men … that Shakespeare was with them, and that he picked up local colour, to the extent of ‘a blasted heath’ for Macbeth.” There is, perhaps, a spice of malice in the remark: “I am glad to have an opportunity for once of defending Collier, even if it is only against Fleay”; and I may add that since the appearance of these volumes Mr. W. J. Lawrence has for once successfully defended Collier against Dr. Chambers also. But these are rare coruscations on the severe architectonic style of the work. The great qualities that stand out in it are the grasp of all relevant evidence, the orderly planning, the almost unfailing lucidity of exposition, and last but not least a caution which may be described as monumental.
The four volumes of Dr. Chambers’ work are divided into five books and twenty-four chapters; there are thirteen appendices and four indexes. The First Book is entitled “The Court,” and Chapter I. on “Elizabeth and James” gives a most entertaining account of the routine of court life through the seasons as affecting the dramatic and other entertainments of the sovereign. To this belongs Appendix A., “A Court Calendar,” giving in astonishing detail the movements and engagements of the court from 17 November, 1558, to 23 April, 1616. Chapter II, “The Royal Household,” is introductory to III., “The Revels Office,” the records of which are summarised in Appendix B. Further chapters trace the development of (IV.) “Pageantry,” (V.–VI.) “The Mask,” as Dr. Chambers decides that it is to be spelt, and (VII.) “The Court Play.”
The Second Book is called “The Control of the Stage.” It opens with a chapter (VIII.) on “Humanism and Puritanism,” tracing the struggle on its intellectual side, to which is appended a copious body of “Documents of Criticism ” extracted from contemporary writings. The political and social aspect of the controversy informs (IX.) “The Struggle of Court and City,” a chapter of quite peculiar excellence, in which the interplay of forces is followed in great detail. To it belongs the invaluable collection of “Documents of Control” in Appendix D. The remaining chapters (X–XI.) of the book deal with the rather more discursive topics of “The Actor’s Quality,” that is his profession, and “The Actor’s Economics,” namely the financial organisation of the same. In the former one rather misses any attempt to appraise the histrionic
