Play-houses.
TIme, Place, Subiect, Actors, and Cloathes, either make or marr a play: the Prologue and Epilogue are like to an Host and Ho∣stesse, one bidding their Guests welcome, the other bidding them farwell: the Actors are like Seruing∣men, that bring in the Sceanes and Acts as their Meate, which are lik'd or dislik'd, according to euery mans iudgment, the neatest drest, and fairest deliuered, doth please most.
They are as crafty with an old play, as Bauds with olde faces; the one puts one a new fresh colour, the other a new face and Name: they pra∣ctise a strange Order, for most commonly the wisest man is the Foole: They are much beholden to Schol∣lers that are out of meanes, for they sell them ware the cheapest: they haue no great reason to loue Puritans, for they hold their Calling vn∣lawfull.
New Playes and new Cloathes, many times help bad actions: they pray the Company that's in, to heare them patiently, yet they would not suffer them to come in without pay∣ment: they say as Schollers now vse to say, there are so many, that one Fox could find in his heart to eate his fellow: A player often changes, now he acts a Mo∣narch, tomorrow a Beg∣gar: now a Souldier, next a Taylor: their speech is loud, but neuer extempore, he seldome speaks his own minde, or in his own name: when men are heere, and when at Church, they are of contrary mindes, there they thinke the time too long, but heere too short: most commonly when the play is done, you shal haue a ligge or dance of al trads, they mean to put their legs to it, as well as their tongs: they make men wonder when they haue done, for they all clappe their hands. Sometimes they flye into the Countrey; but tis a sus∣picion, that they are either poore, or want cloaths, or else Company, or a new Play: Or do as some wan∣dring Sermonists, make one Sermon trauaile and serue twenty Churches.
All their care is to be like Apes, to immitate and expresse o∣ther mens actions in their own persons: they loue not the company of Geese or Serpents, because of their hissing: they are many times lowzy, it's strange, and yet shift so often: As an Ale∣house in the Country is be∣holden to a wilde Schoole∣master, so an whoore-house to some of these, for they both spend all they get. Well, I like them well, if when they Act vice they will leaue it, and when ver∣tue, they will follow. I speake no more of them, but when I please, I will come and see them.
Lupton 1632, p. 79-83.
(Playhouse is another term for theatre)