articles in _M. L. R._ ii (1906), 1; iv (1909), 153 (cf. App. B); and a number of documents, new and old, including the texts of all the patents issued to companies, have been carefully edited in vol. i of the _Collections of the Malone Society_ (1907–11). Finally, J. T. Murray, _English Dramatic Companies_ (1910), has collected the published notices of performances in the provinces, added others from the municipal archives of Barnstaple, Bristol, Coventry, Dover, Exeter, Gloucester, Marlborough, Norwich, Plymouth, Shrewsbury, Southampton, Winchester, and York, and on the basis of these constructed valuable accounts of all the London and provincial companies between 1558 and 1642. Most of the present chapter was written before Murray’s book appeared, but it has been carefully revised with the aid of his new material. I have not thought it necessary to refer to my original provincial sources, where they are included in his convenient Appendix G, but in using his book it should be borne in mind that he has made a good many omissions in carrying data from this Appendix to the tables of provincial visits, which he gives for each company. For a few places I have had the advantage of sources not drawn upon by Murray, and these should be treated as the references for any facts as regards such places not discoverable in Murray’s Appendix. They are:--for Belvoir and other houses of the Earls of Rutland, _Rutland MSS._ (_Hist. MSS._), iv. 260; for the house of Richard Bertie and his wife the Duchess of Suffolk at Grimsthorpe, _Ancaster MSS._ (_Hist. MSS._), 459; for Wollaton, the house of Francis Willoughby, _Middleton MSS._ (_Hist. MSS._), 446; for Maldon and Saffron Walden in Essex, A. Clark’s extracts in _10 Notes and Queries_, vii. 181, 342, 422; viii. 43; xii. 41; for Newcastle-on-Tyne, G. B. Richardson, _Reprints of Rare Tracts_, vol. iii, and _10 N. Q._ xii. 222; for Reading, _Hist. MSS._ xi. 177; for Oxford, F. S. Boas in _Fortnightly Review_ (Aug. 1913; Aug. 1918; May 1920); for Stratford, J. O. Halliwell, _Stratford-upon-Avon in the Time of the Shakespeares, illustrated by Extracts from the Council-Books_ (1864); for Weymouth, H. J. Moule, _Weymouth and Melcombe Regis Documents_ (1883), 136; for Dunwich, _Various Collections_ (_Hist. MSS._), vii. 82; for Aldeburgh, Suffolk, C. C. Stopes, _William Hunnis_, 314. References for a few other scattered items are in the foot-notes. The warning should be given that the dates assigned to some of the provincial performances are approximate, and may be in error within a year or so either way. For this there are more reasons than one. The zealous antiquaries who have made extracts from local records have not realized that precise dates might be of value, and have often named a year without indicating whether it represents the calendar year (Circumcision style) or the calendar year (Annunciation style) in which a performance fell, or the calendar year in which a regnal, mayoral, or accounting year, in which the performance fell, began or ended. When they are clearly dealing with accounting years, they do not always indicate whether these ended at Michaelmas or at some other date. They sometimes give only the year of a performance, when they might have given, precisely or approximately, the month and day of the month as well. But it is fair to add that the accounts of City Chamberlains and similar officers, from which the notices of plays are generally derived, are not always so kept as to render precise dating feasible. Some accountants specify the days, others the weeks to which their entries relate; others put their entries in chronological...