hallowed places within the woods where they honoured their gods vunder 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 scaffolds 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 fit 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 to 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
_theatrum_, 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