Project Gutenberg's A Collection of Old English Plays, Vol. II, by Various

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Title: A Collection of Old English Plays, Vol. II

Author: Various

Release Date: January 9, 2004 [EBook #10656]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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A COLLECTION OF OLD ENGLISH PLAYS, VOL. II

In Four Volumes

Edited by

A.H. BULLEN

1882-89.

CONTENTS:

Preface
Dick of Devonshire
The Lady Mother
The Tragedy of Sir John Van Olden Barnavelt
Captain Underwit
Appendix I.
Appendix II.
Footnotes.

PREFACE.

The plays in this volume are printed for the first time. All are
anonymous; but it is absolutely certain that _Sir John Van Olden
Barnavelt_ is a masterpiece by Fletcher and Massinger; that _Captain
Underwit_ is a comedy of Shirley's; and that the _Lady Mother_ (a piece
of no particular merit) is by Glapthorne. I am not at all sure that I am
right in ascribing _Dick of Devonshire_ to Heywood. But, whoever may
have been the author, I am confident that this well-written play will be
welcomed by all. In _Appendix I_ I give an account of the folio volume
(Eg. MS. 1,994) from which the two last pieces are taken.

To Mr. ROBERT BOYLE, of St. Petersburg, I offer my sincere thanks for
the very interesting note (_Appendix II_) which he sent me after reading
the proof-sheets of _Barnavelt_. Elsewhere I have expressed my gratitude
to Mr. F.G. FLEAY for his valuable help.

The preparation of this volume has been a work of great labour, for
everything has been transcribed by my own hand; but the tedious delay in
publication has been due in great part to circumstances beyond my
control.

_January_ 27, 1883.

INTRODUCTION TO DICK OF DEVONSHIRE.

The play of _Dick of Devonshire_, now first printed (from Eg. MS.,
1994[1]), is distinctly a well-written piece, the work of a practised
hand. There is nothing amateurish in the workmanship; the reader is not
doomed to soar into extravagances at one moment, and sink into
flatnesses at another. Ample opportunities were offered for displ