Frederick and Basilea

Anon. (1597)


Historical Records

Plot (British Library Add. MS.10449, f.2)

Frederick and Basilea, BL MS Add 10449 fol2 thumb.jpg

(British Library Add. MS.10449, f.2, reproduced with permission)


The following transcription is reproduced from Greg, Papers, 136-37.


The plott of ffrederick & Basilea
Enter Prologue : Richard Alleine
Enter Frederick Kinge : Mr Jubie R Allenn To them
Basilea seruant Black Dick, Dick.
Enter Gouernor Athanasia Moore : Mr Dunstann. Griffen
Charles, To them Heraclius Seruants. Tho : hunt black Dick
Enter Leonora, Sebastian, Theodore, Pedro, Philippo Andreo
Mr Allen, well, Mr Martyn. Ed. Dutton. ledbeter, Pigg :
To them King frederick Basilea Guarde. Mr Juby. R Allen
Dick Tho. Hunt, black Dick.
Enter Myron=hamec, lords. Tho : Towne. Tho Hunt ledbeter
To them Heraclius, Thamar, Sam Charles.
Enter Gouernor Mr Dunstann, To hym Messenger Th : Hunt
To them Heraclius Sam, To them Myranhamec Goliors.
Enter ffrederick, Basilea, R Allen Dick, To them Kinge
Mr Jubie To them Messenger Black Dick, To them
Sebastian, Heraclius, Theodore, Pedro, Philippo Andreo
Thamar. Mr Allen, Sam : Mr Martyn. leadb : Dutton Pigg.
To them Leonora, Will,
Enter ffrederick Basilea, R Allen : Dick. To them
Philippo, Duttonn, To her King ffrederick, Mr Jubie
R Allenn :
Enter, Myron=hamec Sebastian, Pedroe lords
Tho : Towne. Mr Allenn, ledbeter. Attendaunts
Enter King Theodore ffrederick, Mr Jubie, Mr Martyn
R Allenn. To them Philipo Basilea E Dutton his boye Guard
Tho : Hunt. [Black Dick] Gatherers. To them messenger
Black Dick. To them Sebastian Myron=hamec
leonora Pedroe Andreo. Mr Allen : Tho Towne
will : leadbeter Pigg guards gatherers.
Enter ffrederick Basilea To them Pedro confederates
Robt ; leadb : Black Dick Gatherers.
Enter ffrederick Guard. Mr Juby R Allen
Th : [Tow] Hunt &c. To them Sebastian [leonora]
Theodore Myranhamec Guard Mr Allen. Martyn
To them Pedro Basilea vpon the walls. come downe
Pedro Basilea. ledb : Dick.
Enter Theodore Andreo. Mr Martyn Pigg To hym
Thamar Heraclius Sam charles.
Enter ffrederick Basilea, ffryer, R Allen : Dick
Mr Dunstann.
Enter Heraclius, Thamar, Andreo, Sam. Charles
Pigg. To them ffryer. Mr Dunstann, To them
Theodore Martynn
Enter ffrederick Basilea R Allen. Dick, To them
ffryer Mr Dunstann, To them Heraclius Sam
Enter Leonora Myronhamec, Sebastian Goliors
Will : Mr Towne, Mr Allen. Tho Hunt black Dick
To the queen Theodore Marynn.
Enter Heraclius Thamar sam charles To him
Theodore ffryer Dunstan Martynn To them
[------------------------------------------------------------------------------------]
Enter King Basilea ffrederick Messenger
Mr Juby R Allen Dick Black Dick. To them
Sebastian leonora Myronhamec Thamar Goliors
Mr Allen will Tho Towne Charles. Tho : Hunt
Black Dick gatherers.
Epilogs R Allenn Finis : /



Performance Records (Henslowe's Diary)

F.27 / Greg 1.53:

Under the heading, "Jn the name of god amen begininge the 25 of novemb[er] 1596 as foloweth the lord admerall players":


June 15 97
. . 3 . . ne.. . . tt at frederycke & basellia. . . . . . . . . . 02|02|01-13-04
...
9 tt at fredericke & baselia. . . . . . . . . . 01|00|00-00-00
. .
18 tt at fredericke & basilia. . . . . . . . . . 00|11|00-04-06
. .
July 1597
4 tt at fredericke & baselia. . . . . . . . . 01|00|01-14-06




Theatrical Provenance

Admiral's at the Rose. The plot provides for a cast of seventeen men and four boys (Kathman 127; Wiggins reckons 16 men and 3 boys).


Probable Genre(s)

Romance (Harbage).


Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

Wiggins (1078) succinctly notes that "[i]n the course of the play, Theodore acts as liaison between Leonora and the Moors, but nothing more of the story may be gleaned from the surviving document".


References to the Play

<List any known or conjectured references to the lost play here.>


Critical Commentary

Schelling lists this play in his discussion of Italian commedia dell'arte or improvised drama-style as it was apparently known in England (196)

Rutter points out that the sheer number of roles required in the plot would have made performing this play difficult: "The casting requirements of this play stretched the Company's resources to the limits: even the gatherers -- the men and women who collected admission money at the playhouse doors -- were brought on stage to make up the numbers" (111)


For What It's Worth

<Enter any miscellaneous points that may be relevant, but don't fit into the above categories. This is the best place for highly conjectural thoughts.>


Works Cited

Kathman, David. "The Seven Deadly Sins and Theatrical Apprenticeship." Early Theatre 14.1 (2011): 121-39.
Rutter, Carol Chillington. Documents of the Rose Playhouse. The Revels Plays Companion Library. Manchester: MUP, 1999.
Schelling, Felix Emmanuel. Elizabethan Drama, 1558-1642: A History of the Drama in England from the Accession of Queen Elizabeth to the Closing of the Theaters. Boston: Houghton, Mifflin & Company, 1908. Internet Archive


Site created and maintained by David McInnis, University of Melbourne; updated 29 October 2015.