rather than from Mrs. Stopes's apparently
less accurate notes in the Shakespeare _Jahrbuch_, XLVI, 97.]

Apparently the players lost little time in fitting up the building,
for we read in Herbert's Office-Book:

A warrant granted to Josias D'Aunay,[710] Hurfries de Lau,
and others, for to act plays at a new house in Drury Lane,
during pleasure, the 5 May, 1635.

The King was pleased to command my Lord Chamberlain to
direct his warrant to Monsieur Le Fevure, to give him a
power to contract with the Frenchmen for to build a
playhouse in the manage-house, which was done accordingly by
my advice and allowance.[711]

[Footnote 710: Should we place a comma after "Josias"? That "Josias
Floridor" was the leader of the troupe we know from two separate
entries; cf. Chalmers, _Apology_, pp. 508, 509.]

[Footnote 711: Malone, _Variorum_, III, 122, note.]

In Glapthorne's _The Ladies' Priviledge_ is a good-natured allusion to
the French Company and their vivacious style of acting:[712]

_La._ But, Adorni,
What think you of the French?

_Ador._ Very airy people, who participate
More fire than earth; yet generally good,
And nobly disposition'd, something inclining
To over-weening fancy. This lady
Tells my remembrance of a comic scene
I once saw in their Theatre.

_Bon._ Add it to
Your former courtesies, and express it.

[Footnote 712: Act II, Scene i. This passage is pointed out by
Lawrence, _The Elizabethan Playhouse_, p. 137.]

Whereupon, according to the stage direction, Adorni "acts furiously."

In the margin of his Office-Book Sir Henry Herbert writes
complacently: "These Frenchmen were commended unto me by the Queen,
and have passed through my hands gratis." This was indeed a rare favor
from Herbert; but they did not so easily escape his deputy, William
Blagrove, who accepted from them the sum of "three pounds for his
pains."

How long the French actors occupied their temporary playhouse in Drury
Lane is not clear. In the Lord Chamberlain's book we find an entry
showing that they presented a play at Court in December, 1635:
"Warrant to pay L10 to Josias Floridor for himself and the rest of the
French players for a tragedy by them played before His Majesty Dec.
last."[713] The entry is dated January 8, 1636, and, so far as I can
discover, this is the last reference to the French players in London.
We may suppose that sho