Soldan and the Duke of —

Anon. (1580)

Historical Records

In the Revels accounts a 1579-80 entry reads as follows:

The history of the Soldan and the Duke of [blank space] shewen at Whitehall
on Shrovesondaye at nighte enacted by the Earle of Derby his seruanuntes
wholly furnyshed in this offyce whereon was ymployed for two Robes of
blacke sarcenets, head Attyers and scarfes [blank space] ells of Sarcenett
a greate City a wood, A wood A Castell and vj payre of gloves (Feuillerat 321)

After this entry there are charges listed in the Revels accounts for Edmund Tilney for the costs of the rehearsal of

'dyuers plaies and Choise makinge
of x of them to be shown before her Maiestie at
Christmas twelfetide Candelmas and Shrovetide and
their sondry rehearsals afterwardes till to be presented
before her Maiestie (Feuillerat 325-26).

The reference to Shrovetide, 1580, indicates that this play was one of the ten rehearsed at the Revel's complex where Tilney resided.

Theatrical Provenance

Whitehall Palace.

Probable Genre(s)

History.

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

Wiggins suggests that one 'possible' source is the history of Saladin and Thorello in the Second Tome of Painter's Palace of Pleasure. The possible use of Painter's narrative is strengthened by the fact that Painter's translated histories were almost certainly or very possibly used for several other plays in this timeframe.

References to the Play

If this play was a dramatic adaptation of the story of Thorello and Saladine from the second tome of Painter's Palace of Pleasure, then it is possible that this play fell in with the group of other popular adaptations maligned by Stephen Gosson. In Plays Confuted in Five Actions (1582), Gosson lists 'the Palace of pleasure' as one of the books that had been 'ransackt to furnish the Play houses in London' (D6v).

Critical Commentary

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For What It's Worth

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Works Cited

Gosson, Stephen. Plays Confuted in Five Actions. London: Thomas Gossson, 1582.

Painter, William. The Second Tome of the Palace of Pleasure. (London: Nicholas England, 1567). EEBO-TCP (text only). STC (2nd ed.), 19124.

Site created and maintained by Thomas Dabbs, Aoyama Gakuin University; updated 02 March 2017.