Royal Widow of England, A

NB. This play, entered by Harbage under this title and listed as lost, has subsequently been identified with Sir Giles Goosecap (Chapman?), printed in 1606.

Anon. (1602)

Historical Records

Diary of Frederic Gerschow

On the 18th of September 1602, Frederic Gerschow, tutor to Philip Julius, Duke of Stettin-Pomerania, recorded the following in his travel diary:

Von dannen sind wir auf die Kindercomœdiam gangen, welche im Argument judiciret eine castam viduam, war eine historia einer königlichen Wittwe Engellandt.

Es hat aber mit dieser Kinder-comœdia Gelegenheit: die Königin hält viel junger Knaben, die der Singekunst mit Ernst befleissigen müssen und auf Instrumenten lernen, auch dabenebenst studieren. Diese Knaben haben ihre besondere praeceptores in allen Künsten, insonderheit sehr gute musicos.

Damit sie nun höfliche Sitten anwenden, ist ihnen aufgelegt, wöchentlich eine comoedia zu agiren, wozu ihnen denn die Königin ein sonderlich theatrum erbauet und köstlichen Kleidern zum Ueberfluss versorget hat. Wer solcher Action zusehen will, muss so gut als unserer Munze acht sundische Schillinge geben, und findet sich doch stets viel Volks auch viele ehrbare Frauens, weil nutze argumenta und viele schöne Lehren, als von andern berichtet, sollen tractiret werden; alle bey Lichte agiret, welches ein gross Ansehen macht. Eine ganze Stunde vorher höret man eine köstliche musicam instrumentalem von Orgeln, Lauten, Pandoren, Mandoren, Geigen und Pfeiffen, wie denn damahlen ein Knabe cum voce tremula in einer Basgeigen so lieblich gesungen, dass wo es die Nonnen zu Mailand ihnen nicht vorgethan, wir seines Gleichen auf der Reise nicht gehöret hatten.



Thence we went to The Children's Comcediam, the argument treated of a castam viduam, and was the story of a royal widow of England.

The origin of this Children's Comcediam is this: the Queen keeps a number of young boys who have to apply themselves zealously to the art of singing and to learn all the various musical instruments, and to pursue their studies at the same time. These boys have special praeceptores in all the different arts, especially very good musicos.

And in order that they may acquire courteous manners, they are required to act a play once a week, for which purpose the Queen has erected for them a special theatrum with an abundance of costly garments. Those who wish to see one of their performances must give as much as eight shillings of our [Stralsund] money,' but there are always a good many people present, many respectable women as well, because useful argumenta, and many good doctrines, as we were told, are brought forward there. They do all their plays by [artificial] light, which produces a great effect. For a whole hour before [the beginning of the play] a delightful performance of musicam instrumentalem is given on organs, lutes, pandores, mandolines, violins, and flutes; and a boy's singing

cum voce tremula in [!] a double-bass so tunefully, that we have not heard the like of it on the whole journey, except perhaps the nuns in Milan did it better. (Bülow 26-29)

Theatrical Provenance

Children of the Chapel.

Probable Genre(s)

History (?) (Harbage)

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

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References to the Play

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Critical Commentary

See Wiggins #1340.

For What It's Worth

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Works Cited

von Bülow, Gottfried. "Diary of the Journey of Philip Julius, Duke of Stettin-Pomerania, through England in the Year 1602." Transactions of the Royal Historical Society n.s. 6 (1892): 1-67. (Internet Archive)

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