dsomely reimburse themselves for their trouble.

Such was Evans's scheme, based upon his former experience with the
Children at Farrant's Blackfriars, and suggested, perhaps, by the
existence of Burbage's Blackfriars now forbidden to the "common"
players. He presented his scheme to Giles, the Master of the Children;
and Giles, no doubt, presented it at Court; for he would hardly dare
thus abuse the Queen's commission, or thus make a public spectacle of
the royal choristers, without in some way first consulting Her
Majesty, and securing at least her tacit consent. That Giles and Evans
did secure royal permission to put their scheme into operation is
certain, although the exact nature of this permission is not clear.
Later, for misdemeanors on the part of the management, the Star
Chamber ordered "that all assurances made to the said Evans concerning
the said house, or plays, or interludes, should be utterly void, and
to be delivered up to be cancelled."[315]

[Footnote 315: Fleay, _A Chronicle History of the London Stage_, p.
248.]

Armed with these written "assurances," and with the royal commission
to take up children, Evans and Giles began to form their company. This
explains the language used by Heminges and Burbage: "let the said
playhouse unto Henry Evans ... who intended then presently to erect or
set up a company of boys."[316] Their method of recruiting players
may best be told by Henry Clifton, in his complaint to the Queen:

But so it is, most excellent Sovereign, that the said
Nathaniel Giles, confederating himself with one James
Robinson, Henry Evans, and others,[317] yet unto Your
Majesty's said subject unknown how [many], by color of Your
Majesty's said letters patents, and the trust by Your
Highness thereby to him, the said Nathaniel Giles,
committed, endeavoring, conspiring, and complotting how to
oppress diverse of Your Majesty's humble and faithful
subjects, and thereby to make unto themselves an unlawful
gain and benefit, they, the said confederates, devised,
conspired, and concluded, for their own corrupt gain and
lucre, to erect, set up, furnish, and maintain a playhouse,
or place in the Blackfriars, within Your Majesty's city of
London; and to the end they might the better furnish their
said plays and interludes with children, whom they thought
most fittest to act and furnish the said plays, they, the
said con