A Collection of Old English Plays, Volume 3

Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Tapio Riikonen and PG Distributed
Proofreaders
In Four Volumes
Edited by
1882-1889.
Preface Sir Gyles Goosecappe The Wisdome of Dr. Dodypoll The Distracted Emperor The Tryall of Chevalry Footnotes
I have not been able to give in the present volume the unpublished play of Heywood's to which I referred in the Preface to Vol. I. When I came to transcribe the play, I found myself baffled by the villanous scrawl. But I hope that, with the assistance of some expert in old handwriting, I may succeed in procuring an accurate transcript of the piece for the fourth volume.
One of the plays here presented to the reader is printed for the first time, and the others have not been reprinted. I desire to thank ALFRED HENRY HUTH, Esq., for the loan of books from his magnificent collection. It is pleasant to acknowledge an obligation when the favour has been bestowed courteously and ungrudgingly. To my friend F.G. FLEAY, Esq., I cannnot adequately express my gratitude for the great trouble that he has taken in reading all the proof-sheets, and for his many valuable suggestions. Portions of the former volume were not seen by him in the proof, and to this cause must be attributed the presence of some slight but annoying misprints. One serious fault, not a misprint, occurs in the first scene of the first Act of Barnavelt's Tragedy (p. 213). In the margin of the corrected proof, opposite the lines,
And you shall find that the desire of glory Was the last frailty wise men ere putt of,
I wrote
That last infirmity of noble minds,
5, WILLOW ROAD, HAMPSTEAD, N.W. January 24, 1884.