21 August, 1594 - Belin Dun

Here's what the Admiral's Men performed at the Rose playhouse on this day, 424 years ago...

Henslowe writes: y^e 19 of aguste 1594 ... R at bellendon ...  xxj^s 

In modern English: [21^st] August, 1594 ... Received at Belin Dun ... 21 shillings

A highwayman portrayed in Richard

Head's The English Rogue (1666)

Today, the Admiral's Men once again performed Belin Dun, their lost play about the notorious robber who terrorized the highways around Dunstable during the reign of King Henry I; you can read more about this play in the entry for 10 June.

The company last performed Belin Dun a week ago. Until today, Belin Dun had seemed to be a reliable workhorse of the company's repertory, but it has now achieved a disappointing box office that may be a worrying sign that it is beginning to lose its shine.

Henslowe links

• Transcript of this page of the Diary (from W.W. Greg's 1904 edition)
• Facsimile of this page of the Diary (from the Henslowe-Alleyn Digitisation Project)

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