s
boys now satirized the King's efforts to raise money, made local jokes
on the recent discovery of his silver mine in Scotland, brought him on
the stage as drunk, and showed such to be his condition at least three
times a day, caricatured him in his favorite pastime of hawking, and
represented him as swearing and cursing at a gentleman for losing a
bird." I do not know what document Mr. Wallace has found; the French
document quoted above has been known for a long time.]

Naturally Kirkham, Rastell, and Kendall, since there was "no profit
made of the said house, but a continual rent of forty pounds to be
paid for the same," became sick of their bargain with Evans. An
additional reason for their wishing to withdraw finally from the
enterprise was the rapid increase of the plague, which about July 25
closed all playhouses. So Kirkham, "at or about the 26 of July, 1608,
caused the apparrels, properties, and goods belonging to the
copartners, sharers, and masters" to be divided. Kirkham and his
associates took away their portions, and "quit the place," the
one-time manager using to Evans some unkind words: "said he would deal
no more with it, 'for,' quod he, 'it is a base thing,' or used words
to such or very like effect."[355] Evans, thus deserted by Kirkham,
Rastell, and Kendall, regarded the organization of the Blackfriars as
dissolved; he "delivered up their commission which he had under the
Great Seal authorizing them to play, and discharged diverse of the
partners and poets."

[Footnote 355: Fleay, _op. cit._, pp. 221-22.]

Robert Keysar, however, the old manager, laid plans to keep the
Children together, and continue them as a troupe after the cessation
of the plague. For a while, we are told, he maintained them at his own
expense, "in hope to have enjoyed his said bargain ... upon the
ceasing of the general sickness."[356] And he expected, by virtue of
the share he had purchased from John Marston, to be able to use the
Blackfriars Playhouse for his purpose.

[Footnote 356: Wallace, _Shakespeare and his London Associates_, pp.
83, 97.]

In the meanwhile Evans began negotiations with Burbage for the
surrender of the lease: "By reason the said premises lay then and had
long lyen void and without use for plays, whereby the same became not
only burthensome and unprofitable unto the said Evans, but also ran
far into decay for want of reparations ... the said Evans began to
treat with the said Richard Burbage about