a half, and could not be renewed.
Rosseter and Henslowe, as pointed out in the preceding chapter, seem
to have attempted to erect in Whitefriars a winter home for their
troupe; so, at least, I have interpreted the curious entry in Sir
George Buc's Office Book: "July 13, 1613, for a license to erect a new
playhouse in the Whitefriars, &c. L20."[543] The attempt, however, was
foiled, probably by the strong opposition of the inhabitants of the
district.

[Footnote 543: Malone, _Variorum_, III, 52.]

Shortly after this, Henslowe made plans to provide the company with a
new and better public playhouse on the Bankside, more conveniently
situated than the Swan. The old Bear Garden was beginning to show
signs of decay, and, doubtless, would soon have to be rebuilt. This
suggested to Henslowe the idea of tearing down that ancient structure
and erecting in its place a larger and handsomer building to serve
both for the performance of plays and for the baiting of animals. To
this plan Jacob Meade, Henslowe's partner in the ownership of the Bear
Garden, agreed.

[Illustration: THE HOPE PLAYHOUSE, OR SECOND BEAR GARDEN

From Hollar's _View of London_ (1647).]

Accordingly, on August 29, 1613, Henslowe and Meade signed a contract
with a carpenter named Katherens to pull down the Bear Garden and
erect in its place a new structure. The original contract, preserved
among the Henslowe Papers, is one of the most valuable documents we
have relating to the early theatres. It is too long and verbose for
insertion here, but I give below a summary of its contents.[544]
Katherens agreed:

1. To "pull down" the Bear Garden and "the stable wherein
the bulls and horses" had been kept; and "near or upon the
said place where the said game-place did heretofore stand,"
to "newly erect, build, and set up" a "playhouse, fit and
convenient in all things both for players to play in, and
for the game of bears and bulls to be baited in."

2. "To build the same of such large compass, form, wideness,
and height as the playhouse called the Swan."

3. To provide for the building "a good sure, and sufficient
foundation of bricks ... thirteen inches at the least above
the ground."

4. To make three galleries: "the inner principal posts of
the first story to be twelve feet in height, and ten inches
square; in the middle story ... eight inches square; in the
upper story ... seve