House used by this or that company. On March 3, 1591, the play acted
by "Lord Strange's (Derby's) men" was Henry VI. Several other plays
with names familiar in Shakespeare's Works, such as Titus Andronicus,
all the three parts of Henry VI, King Leare (April 6, 1593), Henry V
(May 14, 1592), The Taming of a Shrew (June 11, 1594), and Hamlet,
paid toll to Henslowe. He "received" so much, on each occasion, when
they were acted in a theatre of his. But he never records his
purchase of these plays; and it is not generally believed that
Shakespeare was the author of all these plays, in the form which they
bore in 1591-4: though there is much difference of opinion.

There is one rather interesting case. On August 25, 1594, Henslowe
enters "ne" (that is, "a new play") "Received at the Venesyon
Comodey, eighteen pence." That was his share of the receipts. The
Lord Chamberlain's Company, that of Shakespeare, was playing in
Henslowe's theatre at Newington Butts. If the "Venesyon Comodey"
(Venetian Comedy) were The Merchant of Venice, this is the first
mention of it. But nobody knows what Henslowe meant by "the Venesyon
Comodey." He does not mention the author's name, because, in this
part of his accounts he never does mention the author or authors. He
only names them when he buys from, or lends to, or has other money
dealings with the authors. He had none with Shakespeare, hence the
Silence of Philip Henslowe.



CHAPTER IX: THE LATER LIFE OF SHAKESPEARE--HIS MONUMENT AND
PORTRAITS