we find him chosen one of the Queen's players, and a groom of the chamber, which office he held till his death in 1588.1

In addition to his other accomplishments, Tarlton was well skilled in fencing. In the British Museum is preserved a fragment of a register belonging to a School of Defence, a species of college fashionable and important in Tarlton's time. Tarlton was admitted a Master of Fence, the highest degree, in 1587. The reader will recollect that Master Slender thought it an honour to play with a Master of Fence, "three veneys for a dish of stewed prunes." The following extracts from this MS. contain notices of the subject of our memoir :

Mr. Tarlton, ordenary grome off her majestes chamber, was alowed a mr, the xxiijth of Octobere, under Henrye Nayllore, in 1587.

James Cranydge playd his masters prize the 21 of Nowember, 1587, at the Bellsavage, without Ludgate, at iiij. sondry kindes of weapons, that is to say, the longsword, the backsword, the sword and dagger, and the

the best chosen, and at the request of Sir Francis Walsingham, they were sworn the Queenes servants, and were allowed wages and liveries as groomes of the chamber: aud untill this yeere, 1583, the Queene hadde no players. Amongst these xii. players were two rare men, viz., Thomas Wilson for a quicke delicate refined extemporall witte, and Richard Tarleton for a wondrous plentifull pleasant extemporall wit, hee was the wonder of his time. He lyeth buryed in Shore-ditch Church."-Stow's Annales, ed. 1615, p. 697.

1 It is stated by some that he was discharged from this office for some scurrilous reflections on Leicester and Raleigh, but see his will. This was not a patent office, which may be the reason of my not having succeeded in discovering any facts relative to him in the Record Offices.

2 This MS. also notices a Robert Greene, but I rather doubt whether he was the poet of that name.

rapier and dagger. Ther playd with him 9 masters, that is to say, Andreue Collowe at ij. weapons, the longesword, and the backsword, and no more and the other viij. m2 at all the weapons, that is to say, John Daniell, Wallentine Longe, Richard Flecher, Robard Blisse, Wm Mathewes, John Goodwyne, Gregory Grene, Henry Naylor, in the presents of ther bretheren, that is, Mr. Joyner, John Evans, Pawle Weran, and Richard Tarlton, and so the sayd James Cranydge was allowed a mr under Richard Tarleton, m' of the noble syence of deffence, &c.

John Mathewes playd his masters prise the 31 daye of Januarie, 1588, at the Bell Savage, without Ludgate, at iiii. sondry kinde of weapons, that is to saye, the longesworde, the backesworde, the sworde and dagger, and the rapier and dagger. There played with him vii., that is to saye, James Cranydge, John Dawell, Wallentine Longe, Richarde Flecher, Robart Blisse, John Goodwyne, and Gregorye Grene, and in the presents of the reste of the masteres, that is, William Joyner, his master, Masther Rycharde Petter, William Mathewes, Powlle Weran, and Rycharde Tarlton, and so the sayde John Mathewes was allowed a master under Williame Joyner, master of the noble syenes of deffence. 1588.-MS. Sloane, 2530, f. 6-7.

It is to be feared that Tarlton led a dissipated life, and Gifford, who gives no credit to the songs which tell of his recantation and repentance, believes that he died a profligate. That he was poor is also asserted by more than one authority,' and his will indicates no appearance of real property. In person he was plainnose and a disposition to squint do not generally contribute to a handsome countenance; but, as Bucke tells us, "the finenes was within."

a flat

The year 1588 witnessed the Spanish Armada, and the death of Tarlton; and the latter circumstance long continued to be remembered by the other. Tarlton is

1 See Bucke's play, before quoted: "But soft, thy name is wealth; I think in earnest he was litle acquainted with thee."

said by W. Percy and others to have died the year of "the great Armada." In the burial register of St. Leonard's, Shoreditch, for that year, occurs the following entry :

Richard Tarelton was buryed the third of

September.

It also appears from the same register that his residence was in "Haliwel Stret," so called from a famous well in the neighbourhood, but which is now generally known as High Street, Shoreditch.1

Tarlton probably died of the plague, for he made his will, expired, and was buried the very same day; viz., Sept. 3rd, 1588. His will is preserved in the registry of the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, and furnishes several interesting biographical facts. The following is a copy of it :

To all Christien people to whom this present writinge shall comme, Richard Tarleton, one of the Gromes of the Quenes Majesties chamber, greetinge in our Lord everlastinge, knowe yee that I, the saide Richard, for the naturall love and fatherly affection that I doe beare unto my naturall3 and wel beloved sonne, Phillip Tarlton; and to the intent

1 Burbage lived in the same street, as appears from the register, which I give verbatim, Malone having neglected to do so. "1618. Richard Burbadge player was buried the xvjth of Marche. Hallywell Street." His short epitaph, "Exit Burbage," is found in MS. Ashmole, 38, f. 190.

2 This was not an unusual practice. Forman has the following entry in his diary for 1564:-"The first dai of Januarie, betwen twelve and on in the morn, my father died, and was buried the same daie, being New Yers daie."-MS. Ashmole, 208, f. 17.

3 This term does not here imply illegitimacy.

that he maye be the better mainteyned and brought upp in the feare of God and good letters, have given, graunted, confirmed, assigned, and sett over, and by thes presentes doe give, graunte, confirme, assigne, and sett over unto my said sonne, all suche cattells, chattells, plate, readie money, jewells, bondes obligatorie, and specialties whatsoever, that I now have, or am possessed of, or hereafter by any meanes shalbe, or in whose handes, custodie, or possession, the same now bee, or hereafter at any time shalbe, togeather withe all suche debtes and somes of money as now be, or any time hereafter shalbe due, or growinge due, or owinge unto me by any person or persons whatsoever, to have, howld, possesse, enjoye, perceyve, and receyve all my saide goodes, cattells, chattells, plate, ready money, jewells, bondes obligatorie, specialties, and debtes whatsoever, as aforesaide, unto my saide sonne, Phillipp Tarlton, and to the proper use and behoofe of the same Philipp his executors and assignes from the daye of the date hereof for ever, provided alwaies, and I doe hereby assigne, authorise, and appoynte, my most lovinge mother, Katharin Tarlton, widowe, and my very lovinge and trustie frendes Robert Adams, of the parishe of St. Bridgett, alias Bride, in the suburbes of London, gent, and my fellow, William Johnson,1 one also of the groomes of her majesties chamber, to have the use, governement, custodie, and disposition of my said sonne, togeather with all my said goodes and cattels, to the entent and purpose aforesaide, untill he shall attaine and accomplishe his full age of twentie and one yeares, and theye and every of them that shall take uppon them to deale in this behalfe, to yealde a just and trew accompte unto my said sonne. In Witnes of all and singuler the premisses, I, the said Richard Tarlton, have at then sealinge and deliverie hereof delivered one penny of lawfull money of England to the said Robert Adams, to the use of the saide Phillipp Tarlton, by waye of possession and seison of all my saide goodes and cattells, and hereunto have sett my hand and seale, withe the saide penny therin fixed, yeaven the third daye of September, a thousand five hundrethe eightie eighte, and in the thirtie yeare of the raigne of our soveraigne Lady Elizabethe, by the Grace of God, of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, Queene, defendor of the faiethe, &c. |— | Richard Tarleton Signed sealed and delivered unto the above named Robert Adams, to the use of the said Phillipp Tarlton, in the presence of theis

1 See Collier's Annals of the Stage, i., 210.

persons underwritten :

Stephen Wassell, his marke, Leonard Hodges, his marke | | Charles Barnard |— │·

This will was proved on the sixth of the same month, three days afterwards. His frail wife Kate had probably died before this period, as we find no mention of her; nor have we any knowledge of what became of his son Philip.

Tarlton's decease was a subject of much regret amongst his contemporaries, and many elegies were composed on the occasion. Camden has preserved the following: :

Hic situs est, cujus vox, vultus, actio possit

Ex Heraclito reddere Democritum.1

Another has been frequently quoted, though not accurately, from "Wits Bedlam," 1617:

Here within this sullen earth

Lies Dick Tarlton, lord of mirth;
Who in his grave, still laughing, gapes,
Syth all clownes since have beene his apes.
Earst he of clownes to learne still sought,
But now they learne of him they taught;
By art far past the principall,

The counterfet is so worth all.

Scarcely more intelligible is the following Latin elegy by Fitzgeoffry, which is taken from his "Cenotaphia," 12mo, Oxon., 1601 :

Richardo Tarltono.

Conspicienda amplo quoties daret ora Theatro

Tarltonus, lepidum non sine dente caput,

1 Camden's Remaines, 1605, ii., 58. See the same, somewhat differently arranged, in Hackett's Select and Remarkable Epitaphs, 1757, ii., 59.