1.17. Of the places where their enterludes or poemes drammaticke were represented to the people.
As it hath bene declared, the Satyres were first vttered in their
hallowed places within the woods where they honoured their
gods vnder the open heauen, because they had no other housing fit for great
assemblies. The old comedies were plaid in the broad streets vpon wagons
or carts vncouered, which carts were floored with bords & made for
remouable stages to passe from one streete of their townes to another,
where all the people might stand at their ease to gaze vpon the sights.
Their new comedies or ciuill enterludes were played in open pauilions or
tents of linnen cloth or lether, halfe displayed that the people might see.
Afterward when Tragidies came vp they deuised to present them vpon
scaffoldes or stages of timber, shadowed with linen or lether as the other,
and these stages were made in the forme of a
Semicircle, wherof the
bow serued for the beholders to sit in, and the string or forepart was
appointed for the floore or place where the players vttered, & had in it
sundry little diuisions by curteins as trauerses to serue for seueral roomes
where they might repaire vnto & change their garments & come in
againe, as their speaches & parts were to be renewed. Also there was
place appointed for the musiciens to sing or play vpon their instrumentes at
the end of euery scene, to the intent the people might be refreshed, and kept
occupied. This maner of stage in halfe circle, the Greekes called
theatrium, as much to say as a beholding place, which was also in
such sort contriued by benches and greeces to stand or sit vpon, as no man
should empeach anothers sight. But as ciuilitie and withall wealth
encreased, so did the minde of man growe dayly more haultie and superfluous
in all his deuises, so as for their
theaters in halfe circle, they came
to be by the great magnificence of the Romain princes and people
somptuously built with marble & square stone in forme all round, &
were called
Amphitheaters, wherof as yet appears one among the
ancient ruines of Rome, built by
Pompeius Magnus, for capasitie able
to receiue at ease fourscore thousand persons as it is left written, & so
curiously contriued as euery man might depart at his pleasure, without any
annoyance to other. It is also to be knowne that in those great
Amphitheaters, were exhibited all maner of other shewes &
disports for the people, as their sence playes, or digladiations of naked men,
their wrastlings, runnings, leapings and other practises or actiuitie and
strength, also their baitings of wild beasts, as Elephants, Rhinocerons,
Tiger, Leopards
and others, which sights much delighted the common people, and therefore
the places required to be large and of great content.