Third," first came from the press the title-page of the former is precisely in this form : THE Tragedie of King Ri- cond. As it hath beene publikely acted LONDON Printed by Valentine Simmes for Androw Wise, and 1597. Here we find a third printer, with his own device, and a new publisher, who in some way had possessed himself of the manuscript of "Richard the Second:" if he knew that it was by Shakespeare, the fact did not appear upon the title-page of Wise's first edition, though it is stated to be "By William Shake-speare" on the title-page of Wise's second edition in the following year. On the title-page of the 4to. of 1608 we first hear of "new additions of the Parliament Sceane;" but there is a copy of that impression in the library of the Duke of Devonshire, which makes no particular mention of them, although the "Parliament Scene" is duly inserted in the body of the performance: it also professes to have been acted by the theatrical servants of the Lord Chamberlain, as the King's Players were called before the accession of James I.; and this fact may possibly show that the copy was printed from a manuscript prepared for the purpose before the demise of Elizabeth. We come next to THE TRAGEDY OF King Richard the third. His treacherous Plots against his brother Clarence: As it hath beene lately Acted by the Printed by Valentine Sims, for Andrew Wise, 1597. This earliest edition of "Richard the Third," it will be observed, was by the same printer and for the same publisher as "Richard the Second," and all the copies I have seen contain the two misprints of "iunocent" for innocent, and of “Chuch” for Church. Here again we find the name of the author, wanting in 1597, but furnished in 1598, when Thomas Creede printed a second impression for the same publisher as had put forth the first. Valentine Simmes printed for Andrew Wise the second edition of "Richard the Second" in 1598, but perhaps he was too busy to print also the new edition of "Richard the Third" in the same year, and hence the employment of Creede. It seems pretty clear that the edition of “Richard the Third" in 1597 was brought out in haste; and besides the misprints we have noticed on the title-page, it contains others in the body of the work, which may have led Wise to resort to another printer in 1598 for "Richard the Third,” although he still employed Simmes to print for him the second impression of "Richard the Second" in 1598. In 1598 we find Wise employing a third printer, Peter Short in that year came out the earliest impression of the first part of "Henry the Fourth," although on the title-page, which we subjoin, it does not appear that it was only the commencement of the subject. THE HISTORY OF HENRIE THE FOVRTH; With the battell at Shrewsburie, betweene the King and Lord With the humorous conceits of Sir Iohn Falstalffe. AT LONDON, Printed by P. S. for Andrew Wise, dwelling Peter Short was a well-known typographer of the day, and his initials only are in the imprint. Here again, strange as it VOL. III. F may seem, we meet with no indication of the author of the drama: "Newly corrected by W. Shake-speare" occurs for the first time, in connexion with "Henry the Fourth," Part I., on the title-page of the second impression for the same publisher in 1599: thus it appears that Andrew Wise had issued the earliest editions of three great historical dramas, "Richard the Second," "Richard the Third," and "Henry the Fourth," Part I., in 1597 and 1598, without knowing, or at all events without informing the buyers, that they were the works of Shakespeare. Shakespeare's earliest comedy (earliest certainly as to the date when it was published) came from the press in the same year as his "Henry the Fourth," Part I., and upon the title-page his name is distinctly printed. It was, however, by another printer and for another stationer, as will be seen from what follows: A PLEASANT Conceited Comedie CALLED, Loues labors lost. As it vvas presented before her Highnes Newly corrected and augmented Imprinted at London by W. W. 1598. The initials W. W., in the imprint, were most likely those of William Waterson; and Cuthbert Burby was the bookseller who had published the second edition of "Romeo and Juliet " in 1599. As far as we know, "Love's Labours Lost" was not reprinted until it appeared in the folio of 1623; but as in 1598 it professes to have been "newly corrected and augmented," we should not be at all surprised if it had been printed before, although no copy of an earlier edition has ever been heard of. The impression of "Romeo and Juliet," published by Cuthbert Burby in 1599, professes also to have been "corrected, augmented, and amended;" and there is no doubt that it had been so, as compared with the edition of 1597. We now come to the year 1600, when no fewer than six of Shakespeare's plays came from the presses of various printers. We shall speak of them in succession, beginning with "Much ado about Nothing," the original title-page of the only 4to. edition of which is in this form :: Much adoe about Nothing. As it hath been sundrie times publikely Written by William Shakespeare. LONDON Printed by V. S. for Andrew Wise, and 1600. The initials V. S., in the imprint, are those of Valentine Simmes; and here we find Andrew Wise, the stationer, putting |