Note 17 — THE LIFE OF THE AUTHOR.
Reading edition
Martis, 27 Aug. 1605. “The comedy began between nine and ten, and ended at one; the name of it was Alba, whereof I never saw reason; it was a pastoral, much like one which I have seen in King’s College in Cambridge. In the acting thereof they brought in five or six men almost naked, which were much disliked by the queen and ladies, and also many rustical songes and dances, which made it very tedious, insomuch that if the chancellors of bothe the Universities had not intreated his majesty earnestly, he would have been gone before half the comedy had been ended.” Leyland’s Collectanea, vol. ii. p. 637. edit. 1770.
Mercurii, 28 Aug. 1605. “After supper, about nine of the clock, they began to act the tragedy of Ajax Flagellifer, wherein the stage varied three times; they had all goodly antique apparell; but, for all that, it was not so well acted by many degrees as I have seen it in Cambridge. The king was very weary before he came thither, but much more wearied by it, and spoke many words of dislike.” Ibid. p. 639.