“The actors who doubled their parts were W. Penn, who was also a Jailor; Rowland, who was also King Prusias; Patrick, who was also a Captain; and Baxter, who was also an officer and a servant, besides, as well as we can judge, delivering a speech or two as Demetrius. Rowland must also have trebled his small parts. Besides these, we hear in the course of the play of W. Mago, Gascoine, Herbert, and Harry Wilson; the last was a singer.... It need hardly be added that the 'tragedy' was got up and acted by the Company called the King's Players, all the names being those of performers in that association in 1631.”
Appendix VIII. Collation Of Ms. Of “Believe As You List”
This play is accessible to the general public at present in Colonel Cunningham's edition of Massinger, and in Mr. Arthur Symons's edition in “The Mermaid Series.” An examination of the original MS., now in the British Museum, shows that Cunningham's text is not always correct. Though an exhaustive collation of the MS. is not necessary, several points of interest emerge from a study of the original document, which I have digested here. (C. = Cunningham's edition; MS. = Manuscript reading. Brackets signify Cunningham's conjectural additions, which he has not always taken the trouble to indicate.)
Page 595. There is no list of dramatis personae in MS.
I., 1.—C.: Enter Antiochus and a Stoic. The three servants enter after line 118.
MS.: Antiochus Stoic in philosopher's habits; Chrysalus with a writing, Syrus, Geta, bondmen.
I., 1, 26.—C.: Stoic.
MS.: Stoic: Hermit (cancelled).
I., 1, 56.—C.: