London; which said six upper chambers, lofts, lodgings, or
rooms, were lately, amongst others, in the tenure and
occupation of the right honourable Sir William Brooke,
Knight, Lord Cobham; and do contain in length from the north
end thereof to the south end of the same one hundred fifty
and six foot and a half of assize; whereof two of the said
six upper chambers, lofts, lodgings, or rooms in the north
end of the premises, together with the breadth of the little
room under granted, do contain in length forty[150] and six
foot and a half, and from the east to the west part thereof
in breadth twenty and five foot of assize;[151] and the
four other chambers, or rooms, residue of the said six upper
chambers, do contain in length one hundred and ten foot, and
in breadth from the east to the west part thereof twenty-two
foot of assize.... And also ... the great stairs lately
erected and made by the said Sir Henry Neville upon part of
the said void ground and way.

[Footnote 150: By an error in the manuscript this reads "fifty"; but
the rooms are often described and always as "forty-six" feet in
length; moreover, the error is made obvious by the rest of the lease.]

[Footnote 151: The breadth is elsewhere given as twenty-six, and
twenty-seven feet.]

It was agreed that the lease should run for twenty-one years, and that
the rental should be L14 per annum. But Sir William More, being a most
careful and exacting landlord, with the interest of his adjacent
lodgings to care for, inserted in the lease the following important
proviso, which was destined to make trouble, and ultimately to wreck
the theatre:

Provided also that the said Richard Farrant, his executors
or assigns, or any of them, shall not in any wise demise,
let, grant, assign, set over, or by any ways or means put
away his or their interest or term of years, or any part of
the same years, of or in the said premises before letten, or
any part, parcel, or member thereof to any person, or
persons, at any time hereafter during this present lease and
term of twenty-one years, without the special license,
consent, and agreement of the said Sir William More, his
heirs and assigns, first had, and obtained in writing under
his and their hands and seals.

The penalty affixed to a violation of this provision was the immediate
forfeitu