O F

ENTRIES

ON THE

Books of the STATIONERS' COMPANY.

A charter was granted to the Company of Station

ers on the 4th of May, 1556, (third and fourth of Philip and Mary,) and was confirmed by Queen Elizabeth in 1560.

The first volume of thefe Entries has been either loft or deftroyed, as the earlieft now to be found is lettered B." The hall was burnt down in the fire. of London. The entries begin July 17, 1576.

1562. [+Receyvd of M. Tottle for his license for pryntinge of the tragicall History of the Romeus and Juliett with Sonnettes. A. fol. 86. a. ]

N. B. The terms book and ballad were anciently used to fignify dramatick works, as well as any other forms of compofition; while trage ly and comedy were titles very often bestowed on novels of the ferious and the lighter kind. STEEVENS. š Since this was written, the firft volume, marked A, has been found. MALONE.

6 This article, within crotchets, is from Vol. I. which (as Mr. Malone obferves) has fince been difcovered. STEEVENS.

VOL. II,

B

Again, Feb. 18. 1582.
M. Tottell.] Romeo and Juletta. 7
Again, Aug. 5, 1596,—as a newe ballet, for
Edward White.

April 3, 1592.

Edw. White.] The tragedie of Arden of
Feverfham and Black Will.

C. p. 12. b.

April 18, 1593.

Rich. Field.] A booke entitled Venus and
Adonis.

Vol. B.

P. 193

297 b.

7 This and the foregoing are perhaps the original work on which Shakspeare founded his play of Romeo and Juliet. STEEVENS.

Fling down Endimion, and fnatch him up.” Merchant of Venice, A&t V. fc. i:

66

This play was reprinted in 1770 at Feverfham, with a preface attributing it to Shakspeare. The collection of parallel paffages which the editor has brought forward to justify his fuppofition, is fuch as will make the reader smile. The following is a fpecimen:

Arden of Feversham, p. 74:

66

Peace, ho! the moon fleeps with Endymion.” Arden of Feverfham, p. 87:

66

fin."

Let my death make amends for all my Much Ado about Nothing, A& IV. fc. ii :

Death is the fairest cover for her fhame."

66

286

66

STEEVENS.

The laft ftanza of a poem entitled Mirrha the Mother of Adonis; or Luftes Prodegies, by William Barkíted, 1607, has the following praife of Shakspeare's Venus and Adonis : But ftay, my mufe, in thy own confines keepe, "And wage not warre with fo deere-lov'd a neighbor; "But, having fung thy day fong, reft and fleepe, "Preferve thy fmall fame and his greater favor. "His fong was worthie merit, (Shakspeare hee)

Sung the faire bloffome, thou the withered tree;
"Laurel is due to him; his art and wit
** Hath purchas'd it; cypres thy brow will fit."

STEEVENS,

Afterwards entered by
Harrifon, fen. June 23, 1594: by
W. Leake, June 23, 1596: by
W. Barrett, Feb. 16, 1616: and
by John Parker, March 8, 1619.
O&. 19, 1593.
Symon Waterfon.] A booke entitled the
Tragedie of Cleopatra.9
Feb. 6, 1593.

John Danter.] A booke entitled a noble
Roman Hiftory of Titus Andro-

nicus.

Entered alfo unto him by warrant from Mr. Woodcock, the ballad thereof.

March 12, 1593.

Tho. Millington.] A booke entituled the Firft Part of the Contention of the twoo famous Houfes of Yorke and Lancaster, with the Deathe of the good Duke Humphrie, and the Banifhment and Deathe of the Duke of Yorke, and the tragical Ende of the proude Cardinall of Winchester, with the notable Rebellion of Jacke Cade, and the Duke of Yorke's firft Claime unto the Crown,

301 b.

304 b.

305 b.

I fuppofe this to be Daniel's tragedy of Cleopatra. Simon Waterfon was one of the printers of his other works.

STEEVENS. Daniel's Cleopatra was published by Waterfon in 1594; this entry therefore undoubtedly related to it.

MALONE.

2

May 2, 1594:

Peter Shorte.] A pleafaunt conceyted hyf-
torie called the Tayminge of a

Shrowe."

May 9, 1594.

Mr. Harrison Sen. ] A booke entitled the
Ravyfhment of Lucrece.

May 12, 1594.

Tho. Strode,] A booke entitled the famous
Victories of Henry the Fift, con-
taining the honorable Battell of
Agincourt. 3

May 14, 1594.

Edw. White:] A booke entituled the famous
Chronicle Hiftorie of Leire King
of England and his three Daugh-

ters.

4

May 22, 1594.

Edw. White] A booke intituled a Winter
Nyghts Paftime.‘

306 b.

306 b.

306 b.

307

307 b.

2 I conceive it to be the play that furnished Shakspeare with the materials which he afterwards worked up into another with the fame title. STEEVENS.

3 This might have been the very difpleafing play mentioned in the epilogue to the fecond part of King Henry IV.

STEEVENS.

The earliest edition of this play now known to be extant, was printed in 1598. Of that edition I have a copy. This piece furnished Shakspeare with the outline of the two parts of King Henry IV. as well as with that of King Henry V.

MALONE.

I fuppofe this to be the play on the fame fubject as that of our author, but written before it. STEEVENS.

Query, if the Winter's Tale.

STEEVENS.

1