The amounts paid for new plays at this time were
very low. Before 1600 Henslowe never gave more than L8 for a play, but
after that date there was a considerable rise in prices. In 1613
Daborne received L20 for his tragedy of "Machiavell and the Devil." In
the same year, however, for another play, "The Bellman of London," he
was content to take L12 and "the overplus of the second day." He had
demanded L20 in the first instance, but being in great stress for
money, had reduced his terms, beseeching Henslowe "to forsake him not
in his extremity." Daborne's letters of entreaty indeed expose his
poverty in a most pathetic manner, while occasionally they betray
amusingly his vanity as an author. In one of his appeals to the
manager, he writes: "I did think I deserved as much money as Mr.
Massinger;" but this estimation of himself and his writings has not
been confirmed by later ages.
The "overplus of the second day" was probably, as a rule, not very
considerable, seeing that a payment of L20 down was regarded as a
higher rate of remuneration than L12 and "the overplus," whatever it
might produce, in addition.
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