"sweet Ned Alleyn," and he had it. Take
this letter for example. "Mr Alllen, I
commend my love and humble duty to you,
giving you thanks for your great bounty
bestowed upon me in my sickness, when I was
in great want: God bless you for it. Sir, this
it is: I am to go beyond the seas with Mr.
Browne and the company; but not by his
means, for he is put to half a share and to
stay here, for they are all against his going:
now, good sir, as you have ever been my
worthy friend, so help me now. I have a suit
of clothes and a cloak at pawn for three
pounds, and if it shall please you to lend me
so much to release them, I shall be bound to
pray for you as long as I live; for if I go
over and have no clothes, I shall not be
esteemed of, and by God's help the first
money that I get I will send it over unto
you; for here I get nothing, so that I leave in
great poverty here, and so humbly take my
leave, praying to God, I and my wife, for
your health and Mistress Allen's, which God
continue. Your poor friend to command,
RICHARD JONES." Many prayed for Ned's
health and Mistress Alleyne's. He was kind
to the poor, friendly to those of his own way
of life, merciful to his debtor. Of a large
debt from a theatre bequeathed to him by his
father-in-law he forgave half, and took the
rest in a small share of the receipts from
gallery admissions. In making another bond
with players he gave up a thousand pounds
rather than drive a bargain hardly. He gave,
and it was given unto him, even in this
world. Partly, accidents of inheritance
enriched him. He had four fathers to transmit
their substance—two of his own, and two of
his wife Joan's, for both he and his wife
inherited originally from fathers who died
early, and received subsequent inheritances
from new fathers that their mothers gave
them. With his wife's second father Alleyn
had a business partnership; and with his wife
Joan, his "good sweet heart and loving
mouse" the partnership was perfect, while
to her sister, Bess, whom he called Dodipoll, he
was as good a brother-in-law as wife's sister
might wish. Her parents he called father
and mother. If it is any proof of goodness to
be attached warmly to home, Alleyn was
one of the best men in England. While the
play houses are shut in London, because of
plague, and he is strolling with his company, he
writes many a letter in this strain: "My good
sweet mouse, I commend me heartily to you
and to my father, mother, and my sister Bess,
hoping in God, though the sickness be round
about you, yet by His mercy it may escape
your house." Then he shows minutely what
precautions should be taken, and goes on to
say, "I have sent you by this bearer my
white waistcoat, because it is a trouble to me
to carry it. Receive it with this letter, and
lay it up for me till I come." He adds an
account of where he is going, and what he is
doing, and having subscribed himself her
loving husband, breaks out afresh in a post-
script : "Mouse, you send me no news of
anything; you should send of your domestical
matters, such things as happen at home ; as
how your distilled water proves, or this or
that, or anything what you will. And,
Jug, I pray you let my orange tawny stockings
of woollen be dyed a very good black
against I come home, to wear in the winter.
You sent me not word of my garden, but
next time you will; but remember this in
any case, that all that bed which was parsley
in the month of September, you sow it with
spinach, for then is the time. I would do it
myself, but we shall not come home till
Allhallows-tide. And so, sweet mouse,
farewell, and brook our long journey with
patience." No blusterer is this Tamerlane
when he has taken off his buskins; very happy
is this Lear in his own home when he has
put away his "scarlet cloak with two broad
gold laces, and buttons of the same." A
patient friend, kind son, fond husband, and a
man who, since he had no children of his own,
became a father to the fatherless.

For it is because he was childless that he
made provisions out of his estate for helpless
orphans and the aged poor. In founding
Dulwich College he wronged none who were
of his own name and blood; indeed, he took
the utmost possible care of them by ordering
that the chief officers and emoluments at
Dulwich College should be bestowed, when
possible, on men of his own blood, and if not
that, of his own name. Nothing was forgotten
in his will that should have been remembered
in it. Even the humble relative who made a
runaway match with one of his college
chaplains (and who, upon receipt by Alleyn of
information to that effect, in a most tedious and
scholarly thesis or letter from her husband,
was no doubt forgiven without loss of time)
is lovingly remembered. Alleyn's wife Joan
shared in his whole design. She knew well
that Ned was not the man to leave her
penniless. They were in as sweet accord throughout
their whole lives as the strings of Alleyn's
lute when he was making his best melody.
He had a great delight in music, and could
play on lute, cittern, and viol. We give,
therefore, to her as to him credit for the good
deed that was done. They were humbly
thankful for God's gift of riches and comfort
to themselves—they had no descendants to
transmit them to—and would found with
them, therefore, what they piously called
God's Gift College for the Poor. The
Dulwich estates upon which it was planted
Alleyn received from a thriftless nobleman,
who sold them, piece by piece, for ready
money. Full value was given for them. The
spendthrift, of course, complains of the man
who takes what he has lost; but he has no
solid charge to make, and to his sneer at the
college and its founder's motives, the play-
actor's answer is, "My heart in that action is
best known to God that gave it me. If I