A Treatise of Scenes, or places to play in

AMong all the things that may bee made by mens hands, thereby to yéeld admiration, pleasure to sight, and to content the santasies of men; I thinke it is placing of a Scene, as it is shewed to your sight, where a man in a small place m• sée built by Carpenters or Masons, skilfull in Perspectiue worke, great Palaces, large Temples, and diuers Houses, both neere and farre off; broad places filled with Houses, long stréets crost with other wayes: tryumphant Arches, high Pillars or Columnes, Piramides, Obeliscens, and a thousand fayre things and buildings, adorned with innumerable lights, great, middle sort, and small, as you may sée it placed in the Figure, which are so cunningly set out, that they shew foorth and represent a number of the brightest stones; as Diamonds, Rubins, Saphirs, Smaragdes, Iacinthes, and such like. There you may sée the bright shining Moone ascending only with her hornes, and already risen vp, before the spectators are ware of, or once saw it ascend. In some other Scenes you may sée the rising of the Sunne with his course about the world: and at the ending of the Comedie, you may see it goe downe most artificially, where at many beholders haue bene abasht. And when occasion serueth, you shall by Arte sée a God descending downe from Heauen; you also sée some Comets and Stars shoot in the skyes: then you sée diuers personages come vpon the Stage, richly adorned with diuers strange formes and manners of Apparell both to daunce Moriscoes and play Musicke. Sometimes you sée strange beasts, wherein are men and children, leaping, running, & Tumbling, as those kind of beasts vse to doe, not without admiration of the beholders: which things, as occasion serueth, are so pleasant to mens eyes, that a man could not sée fairer made with mens hands. But for that we are entred into another maner of Perspectiue worke, therefore I will speake more at large thereof. This Perspectiue worke wherof I wil speake, although it be contrary to those rules which are shewed before, because these aforesayd are imagined to be vpon a slat wall: and this other rule because it is materiall and imbossed or raysed outward, therefore it is reason we obserue another rule therein, according to common custome. First, you must make a Scaffold, which must bee as high as a mans eye will reach, looking directly for ward; for the first part thereof which is marked C. But the other part behind it, whereon the Houses stand, you must rayse vp behind against the wall at least a ninth part thereof, that is, you must deuide the playne Stage or Scaffold in nine parts; and then you must make the Scaffold higher by a ninth part behind: then before at B. which must be very euen & strong because of the Morised dancers. This hanging downward of the Scaffold, I haue found by experience to be very pleasing, for in Vincente which is as sumptuous and rich a Towne as any in all Italy; there I made a Theater and a Stage of wood, then the which, I thinke, there was neuer a greater made in our time, in regard of the wonderfull sights that there were scene, as of Wagons, Elephants and other Moriscoes. There I ordained, that before the hanging Scene there should be a Scaffold made by water compasse, which Scaffold was 12. foot broad, and 60. foot long, according to the place wherin it stood; which I found to be very pleasing and fit for shew. This first Scaffold, because it was right, therefore the pauement therof must not obey the Horison, but the Quadrants, whereof on euery side were foure square, from whence at the beginning of the rising Scaffold B. all the Quadrans went to the outtermost Horison O. which with their due distances do shorten very well. And for th• some men haue placed the Horison of this Sciographies against the wall right aboue the Scaffold, whereby it séemeth the Houses runne all in one; therefore I determined to place the Horison before the doore, which pleased me so well, that I vsed the same kind of order in all these kind of works: and so I counsell those that take pleasure in such Arts, to vse and esteeme this way for the best, as I will shew in this Figure following, and haue also declared in the profill of the Theater and Scene.

And because the preparation for Comedies are done in thrée sorts, that is, Comical, Tragical and Satiricall; I will first entreat of the Comicall, whereof the Houses must be made as if they were for common or ordinarie people, which for the most part must be made vnder roofes in a Hall, which at the end thereof hath a chamber for the pleasure or ease of yᵉ personages: and there it is that the ground of the Scaffold is made (as I said and shewed before) in the profil. Therefore C. is the first part being the flat Scaffold; and suppose that each Quadran containeth two foote on eyther side, so shal they vpon the hanging Scaffold before on the Base be also two foot broad, which is marked B. And (as I sayd before) my meaning is not to place the Horison hereof against the backe behind in the Scaffold, but as farre as it is from the beginning of the pauement B. to the wall, so farre I would also that men shall passe behinde through the wall, and so shall all the houses and other things show better in the shortening: and when by conuenient distances you haue drawne all the Quadrans towards the Horison, & shortened them, then you must shorten the houses right with the foure square stones; which houses are the great lines marked vpon the ground, aswell for those that stand vpright, as those that shorten. All such houses I alwayes made of spars, or rafter or laths, couered with linnin cloth; making doores and windowes, both before and in the shortening, as occasion fell out. I haue also made some things of halfe planks of wood, which were great helpe to the Paynters to set out things at life. All the spaces frō the backe to the wall marked A. shall be for the personages, to the which end the hindermost backe in the middle shall stand at the least two foot from the wall, that the personages may goe from the one side to the other, and not be séene. Then you must rayse a termination at the beginning of the pauement B. which shall be the poynt L. and from thence to the Horison there shalbe a line drawne, as it is marked in the profil with prickes, which shall be of like height; and where that toucheth the hindermost backe of the Scene or Scaffold, there the Horison of that backe shall stand: and that Horison shall serue onely for that backe. But if you stretch a corde or any other thing to the termination L. then you may fasten a thread to it, to thrust backward or forward, to vse it out of the stedfast Horison, & all the Ortographie of the houses before. But the Horison which goeth through the wall, shall serue for all the shortening sides of the houses: and for that men should breake the wall, if they would vse all this Horison in grosse, which may not bee done, therefore I haue alwayes made a small modell of wood and Paper iust of the same bignes, and by the same modell set it downe in grosse, from piece to piece. But this way will fall out hard for some men to vnderstand, neuerthelesse, it will be necessary to worke by models and experiments, and by studie a man shall sind the way: and for that a man can hardly finde any Halls how great soeuer, wherein he can place a Theater without imperfection and impediment; therefore to follow Antiquities, according to my power and abilitie, I haue made all such parts of these Theaters, as may stand in a Hall. Therefore the part marked D. shall be the post scene, and the circular place marked E. shall bee the Orchestra: round about this Orchestra shall be the places for the noblest personages to sit, marked F. The first steps marked G. for the noblest women to sit vpon. The place H. is a way, so is the part marked I. In the middle betwéene these degrées are s•eps the easier to goe vp. The places marked K. must bee made so great backward as the Hall will afford, which is made somewhat slooping, that the people may see out ou• • others head.

TOuching the dispositon of Theaters and other Scenes, concerning the grounds thereof, I haue spoken sufficiently; now I will speake of the Scene in Perspectiue worke: and for that Scenes are made of thrée sorts, that is, Comical, to play Comedies on, Tragicall, for Tragedies, and Satiricall for Satirs. This first shall be Comicall, whereas the houses must be flight for Citizens, but specially there must not want a brawthell or bawdy house, and a great Inne, and a Church; such things are of necesstie to be therein. How to rayse these houses from the ground is sufficiently expressed, and how you shall place the Horison: neuerthelesse, that you may be the better instructed (touching the former of these houses) I haue here set downe a Figure, for satisfaction of those that take pleasure therein; but because this Figure is so small, therein I could not obserue all the measures, but refer them to inuention, that thereby you may chuse or make houses which shew well, as an open Gallery, or lodge through the which you may sée an other house. The hangings ouer or shooting out, show well in shortening worke, and some Cornices cut out at the ends; accompanied with some others that are painted, show well in worke: so doe the houses which haue great bearing out, like lodgings or Ch•nbers for men, and especially aboue all things, you must set the smalest houses before, that you may sée other houses ouer or aboue them, as you sée it here aboue the bawdy house: for if you place the greatest before, and the rest behind still lessen, th•n the place of the Scene would not be so well filled, and although these things vpon the one side be made all vpon one floore: Neuerthelesse, for that you place great part of the lights in the middle, hanging ouer the Scene or Scaffold, therefore it would stand better if the floore in the midst were taken away, and all the roundels and Quadrans which you sée in the Buildings, they are artificiall lights cutting through, of diuers colors; which to make, I will shew the manner in the last of this Booke. The windowes which stand before, were good to be made of Glasse or Paper, with light behind them. But if I should here write all that I know to serue for this worke, it would be ouerlong to rehearse; therefore I referre that to the wit and discretion of those that exercise and practise themselue• heerein.

HOuses for Tragedies, must bee made for great personages, for that actions of loue, strange aduentures, and cruell murthers, (as you reade in ancient and moderne Tragedies) happen alwayes in the houses of great Lords, Dukes, Princes, and Kings. Therefore in such cases you must make none but stately houses, as you sée it hore in this Figure; wherein (for that it is so smal) I could make no Princely Pallaces: but it is sufficient for the workeman to sée the manner thereof, whereby he may helpe himselfe as time and place serueth: and (as I sayde in the Comicall) hee must alwayes study to please the eyes of the beholders, and forget not himselfe so much as to set a small building in stead of a great, for the reasons aforesayd. And for that I haue made all my Scenes of laths, couered with linnen, yet sometime it is necessary to make some things rising or bossing out; which are to bee made of wood, like the houses on the left side, whereof the Pillars, although they shorten, stand all vpon one Base, with some stayres, all couered ouer with cloth, the Cornices bearing out, which you must obserue to the middle part: But to giue place to the Galleries, you must set the other shortening Cloth somewhat backwards, and make a cornice aboue it, as you see: and that which I speake of these Buildings, you must vnderstand of all the rest, but in the Buildings which stand far backward the Painting worke, must supplie the place by shadowes without any bearing out: touching the artificiall lights, I haue spoken thereof in the Comicall works. All that you make aboue the Roofe sticking out, as Chimneyes, Towers, Piramides, Oblisces, and other such like things or Images; you must make them all of thin bords, cut out round, and well colloured: But if you make any flat Buildings, they must stand somewhat farre inward, that you may not see them on the sides. In these Scenes, although some haue painted personages therein like supporters, as in a Gallery, or doore, as a Dog, Cat, or any other beasts: I am not of that opinion, for that standeth too long without stirring or moouing; but if you make such a thing to lie sléeping, that I hold withall. You may also make Images, Histories, or Fables of Marble, or other matter against a wall; but to represent the life, they ought to stirre. In the latter end of this Booke I will shew you how to make them.

THe Satiricall Scenes are to represent Satirs, wherein you must place all those things that bee rude and rusticall, as in ancient Satire they were made plaine without any respect, whereby men might vnderstand, that such things were referred to Rush call people, which set all things out rudely and plainely: for which cause Vitruuius speaking of Scenes, saith, they should be made with Trées, Rootes, Herbs, Hils and Flowres, and with some countrey houses, as you sée them here set downe. And for that in our dayes these things were made in Winter, when there were but fewe gréene Trées. Herbs and Flowres to be found; then you must make these things of Silke, which will be more commendable then the naturall things themselues: and as in other Scenes for Comedies or Tragedies, the houses or other artificiall things are painted, so you must make Trées, Hearbs, and other things in these; & the more such things cost, the more they are esteemed, for they are things which stately and great persons doe, which are enemies to nigardlinesse. This haue I séene in some Scenes made by Ieronimo Genga, for the pleasure and delight of his lord and patron Francisco Maria, Duke of Vrbin: wherein I saw so great liberalitie vsed by the Prince, and so good a conceit in the workeman, and so good Art and proportion in things therein represented, as euer I saw in all my life before. Oh good Lord, what magnificence was there to be séene, for the great number of Trées and Fruits, with sundry Herbes and Flowres, all made of fine Silke of diuers collors. The water courses being adorned with Frogs, Snailes, Tortuses, Toads, Adders, Snakes, and other beasts: Rootes of Corrale, mother of Pearle, and other shels layd and thrust through betwéene the stones, with so many seuerall and faire things, that if I should declare them all, I should not haue time inough. I speake not of Satirs, Nimphes, Mer-maids, diuers monsters, and other strange beastes, made so cunningly, that they séemed in shew as if they went and stirred, according to their manner. And if I were not desirous to be briefs, I would speake of the costly apparel of some Shepheards made of cloth of gold, and of Silke, cunningly mingled with Imbrothery: I would also speake of some Fishermen, which were no lesse richly apparelled then the others, hauing Nets and Angling-rods, all gilr: I should speake of some Countrey mayds and Nimphes carelesly apparelled without pride, but I leaue all these things to the discretion and consideration of the indicious workeman; which shall make all such things as their paitcons serue them, which they must worke after their owne deuises, and neuer take care what it shall cost.