THE PERSONS OF THE PLAY ROBERT CECIL, LORD BURGHLEY THE EARL OF SOUTHAMPTON LORD WILLIAM HERBERT (afterwards Earl of Pembroke). KINGSTON LACY, EARL OF LINCOLN, an Euphuist SIR JOHN STANLEY SIR WALTER RALEIGH MASTER WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE “ FRANCIS BACON “ BEN JONSON “ FLETCHER “ RICHARD BURBAGE “ MARSTON “ CHETTLE, the prototype of Falstaff. “ DEKKER “ WILLIE HUGHES “ SELDEN DR. HALL, Shakespeare’s son-in-law MASTER FRY, the Host of the “Mitre” QUEEN ELIZABETH LADY RUTLAND, Sidney’s sister LADY JANE WROTH LADY CYNTHIA DARREL LADY JOAN NEVIL MISTRESS MARY FITTON, Shakespeare’s Love “ VIOLET VERNON “ QUINEY } “ HALL, } Shakespeare’s daughters COURTIERS AND SERVANTS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SHAKESPEARE AND HIS LOVE ACT I SCENES I-VII _The Stage of the Globe Theatre._ “ VIII-X _The Antechamber at Court_ ACT II SCENES I-II _In the “Mermaid”_ “ III-VI _In the Gardens of St. James’s Palace by moonlight_ ACT III SCENES I-IV _In the “Mitre” Tavern_ “ V-VI _A Room in Lord William Herbert’s Lodgings_ ACT IV SCENES I-IV _In the “Mitre” Tavern_ “ V-VI _The Throne Room at Court_ THE EPILOGUE SCENES I-II _A Bedchamber in_ SHAKESPEARE’S _House at Stratford_ _Time_ _Acts I, II, III and IV take place in the summer of 1598 The Epilogue in April, 1616_ ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ACT I ------------------------------------------------------------------------ SCENE I. _The tiring-room behind the stage of the Globe theatre after a performance of “The Merchant of Venice.”_ [_As the curtain goes up an attendant is discovered listening at door_ L. _There is a noise to be heard as of persons leaving the theatre: as the door is thrown open the attendant moves aside. The Earl of Southampton, Lord Lacy, Sir John Stanley, Chapman, Dekker, Marston, Fletcher, John Selden and Burbage enter._] SIR JOHN STANLEY: [_Flinging in._] What a foolish play! And what a spendthrift merchant! CHAPMAN: Trivial, I found it. Trivial and silly. LACY: