London and the Problem of the Clerkenwell Plays

Comparative Drama, Fall, 2000 by Lawrence M. Clopper

(10) Westminster Chronicle 1381-94, ed. L. C. Hector and B. F. Harvey (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1982), 94 (trans. on 95). The editors translate the key clause as "the clerks ... performed ... a lavishly produced play ...," which suggests that they understand this ludus to be a drama. I've supplied a more literal translation to keep the question open.

(11) Calendar of Letter-Books Preserved among the Archives of the Corporation of the City of London at the Guildhall, ed. Reginald R. Sharpe, 11 vols. (London, 1899-1912): Letter Book H, p. 272. Unless otherwise indicated I cite the Clerkenwell transcriptions made by Mary Erler that are at the REED office. Her transcription reads: (right marginalia) "Proclamacioun que nul luyte soit. ne nul Jew enterludie, nautre iewee tanque Item ne que nulle femme ne enfantz passent Iour mesouns en temps des escry"

   Pur eschuyre touz perils & debatz que auant ses houres sount Anemiz & de
   legier purroient sourdre de luytes par commune assent des mair & aldermans
   est assentuz que null luyte soit deuis la Citee ne suburbes dicele ne por
   vij liewes enuiron en priue ne en Apert par gentz de mesme la cite sur
   peyne denprisonement a volunte des mair & aldermans & forfaiture de lour
   biens a mensiuer le Roi/Ne que le iew gest ordeine destre fact a
   skynnereswelle ne null autre tiel ne semblable ne soit iewe en la dite
   Citee ne dehors par gentz de mesme la Citee tanque autres nouelles dil
   esploit mesieur le roi que dieu gard viegnent Sur peyne de emprisonement a
   volunte des mair & ateris Et entre si Asoun escry des enemys yveique Ala
   dite Cite que Dieu defende que nulle femme ne enfauntz ne se treent ne
   Aprochant cel part ... (Proclamation of 12 August, 9 Richard 2).

(12) Issues of the Exchequer; Being a Collection of Payments Made out of His Majesty's Revenue from King Henry III, to King Henry VI, Inclusive, ed. Frederick Devon (1837), 244-45. The document, PRO E/403/533, is dated 11 July. I wish to thank Barbara Hanawalt for checking the document for me.

(13) Chronicle, 476-77. Mary Erler, as does Chambers, gives "oculariter" for the Chronicle's "ocularitur." Nelson, Medieval English Stage, 171, translates as "in which the Old and also the New Testament were displayed to the view in the manner of playing" whereas the editors of the Westminster Chronicle translate "a rather elaborate play ... in which scenes from both the Old Testament and the New were presented in dramatic form."

(14) A Chronicle of London, from 1089 to 1483, ed. Edward Tyrrell and Nicholas A. Nicolas (1827), 91:

"1409 This yere was the pleye at Skynners Welle, whiche endured Wednesday, Thorsday, Fryday, and on Soneday it was ended; and thanne began the fetees of werre in Smythfeld for diverses chalanges. First it began be the seneschall of Henawde and the erle of Somerset, for the Henawde soughte hyder to seke awntures, the whiche fight lasted iij dayes; and on Monday, Sr John and another Henawde; and on the Tuwesday, Sr John Philipp with another; and on the Wednesday, John Grey and his adversaries: and on Fryday the kyng wolde suffre nothing to be don. On the Satyrday, Standyssh and his adversarie: on the Monedaye suynge, Styward and his adversarie: on the Tuesday, Souche and his adversarie. On the Moneday after, Sr John Grene, Cornewayle, and his felawes, and on [p. 92] the Saterday, tho too broughten hire brethren and ther adversaries: and, as God wolde, evere the Englyssh partye hadde the victorie." See J. H. Wylie, History of England Under Henry the Fourth, 4 vols. (1898), 4.213; cf. 3.246 and 4.298. There are two MSS, Harl 565 (ca. 1442) and Cotton MS Julius B.1 (in a later hand; it is a continuation). Cotton reads "Clerkenwell" for "Skynners Welle." Robert Fabyan, The New Chronicles of England and France ... (London: F. C. and J. Rivington et al., 1811), 573-74, gives a fairly detailed account of this event. He says it lasted eight days and dated it to 11 May (but the manuscript left the month blank and only later added "May"). Fabyan does not refer to plays on the days preceding the tournament. Nelson, The Medieval English Stage, p. 171, believes the play and the joust took place at the same time, but the play seems to have normally taken place after the feast of St. Bartholomew. The document cited here places the joust on that date, but Fabyan has the joust on 11 May, though he seems to have been uncertain of the month.