In Table IV. every entry of a play that I can find in the Stationers' Registers is extracted with all necessary fulness. The only point requiring explanation is that the capital letters after the publishers' names indicate the names of the licensers:—T.=Tylney; B.=Sir G. Buck; S.=Segar, his deputy; A.=Sir John Astley; H.=Sir Henry Herbert; T.=Thomas Herbert, his deputy; Bl.=Blagrave, also his deputy. Where the Master of the Revels or his deputy was not the licenser, the insertion of the Wardens' names, &c., would have needlessly encumbered the tables. The spelling has been modernised, except in proper names, &c., where it is of advantage to retain the old forms. These tables afford for the first time complete means of estimating Shakespeare's influence, in I. on the reading public positively; in II. as compared with his co-workers; in III. at Court; in IV. as compared with writers for other companies.
Table V., of transfers of copyright, is, I fear, in spite of much labour, incomplete. Notifications of omission will be welcome and duly acknowledged with gratitude.
TABLES.
Table I.—QUARTO EDITIONS OF SHAKESPEARE'S PLAYS.
| Date, S. R. | For whom Entered, S. R. | Name of Play. | Printer and Publisher of Earliest Edition Extant. | Dates of Extant Editions. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1593-4 | Feb. 6 | John Danter | Titus Andronicus | a | By J. R. for Edward White | ... | 1600A. | ... | ... | 1611A. | ... |
| 1593-4 | Mar. 12 | Thomas Myllington | York and Lancaster, I. | b | By Thomas Creede for Thomas Millington | 1594A. | 1600A. | ... | ... | ... | 1619A. |
| ... | ... | Richard Duke of York | c | By P.S. for Thomas Millington | 1595A. | 1600A. | ... | ... | ... | ||
| 1595 | Dec. 1 | Cuthbert Burby | Edward III. | d | ... for Cuthbert Burby | 1596A. | 1599A. | ... | 1609A. | 1617A. | 1625A. |
| ... | ... | Romeo and Juliet (1) | e | By John Danter | 1597A. | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | |
| 1597 | Aug. 29 | Andrew Wise | Richard II. | f | By Valentine Simmes for Andrew Wise | 1597A. | 1598 | ... | 1608 | 1615F. | ... |
| 1597 | Oct. 20 | Andrew Wise | Richard III. | g | By Valentine Sims for Andrew Wise | 1597A. | 1598 | 1602 | 1605 | 1612 | 1622 |
| 1597-8 | Feb. 25 | Andrew Wise | 1 Henry IV. | h | By P.S. for Andrew Wise | 1598 | 1599 | 1604 | 1608 | 1615F. | 1622 |
| 1598 | July 22 | James Roberts | Merchant of Venice. | i | By J. Roberts | ... | 1600 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| ... | ... | Love's Labour's Lost | j | By W. W. for Cuthbert Burby | 1598 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | |
| ... | ... | Romeo and Juliet (2) | k | By Thomas Creede for Cuthbert Burby | ... | 1599A. | ... | 1609A.F. | ... | ... | |
| 1600 | Aug. 4 | ... | As You Like It | l | "Stayed" with the two following plays. Not printed. | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 1600 | Aug. 14 | "Set over" to Thomas Pavier | Henry V. | m | By T. Creede for T. Millington and J. Busby | ... | 1600A. | 1602A. | 1608A. | ... | ... |
| 1600 | Aug. 23 | Andrew Wise and William Aspley | Much Ado about Nothing | n | By V. S. for Andrew Wise and William Aspley | ... | 1600F. | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 2 Henry IV. | ... | 1600 | ... | ... | ... | ... | |||||
| 1600 | Oct. 8 | Thomas Fisher | Midsummer Night's Dream | o | ... for Thomas Fisher | ... | 1600 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| By James Roberts | ... | 1600F. | ... | ... | ... | ... | |||||
| 1600 | Oct. 28 | Thomas Haies | Merchant of Venice | p | By J. R. for Thomas Hayes | ... | 1600F. | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 1601-2 | Jan. 18 | John Busby (with assignment to Arthur Johnson) | Merry Wives of Windsor | q | By T. C. for Arthur Johnson | ... | 1602 | ... | ... | ... | 1619 |
| 1602 | April 19 | Thomas Pavier | 1, 2 Henry VI. and Titus Andronicus | r | By assignment from Thomas Millington | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 1602 | July 26 | James Roberts | Revenge of Hamlet (1) | s | ... for N. L. and John Trundell | ... | 1603 | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| ... | ... | Hamlet (2) | t | By J. R. for N. L. | ... | ... | 1604 | 1605 | 1611 | ... | |
| 1602-3 | Feb. 7 | James Roberts | Troylus and Cressida | u | "To print when he hath gotten sufficient authority for it." Not printed. | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| 1607 | Nov. 26 | Na. Butter: Jo. Busby | King Lear | v | ... for Nathaniel Butter | ... | ... | ... | 1608 bis | ... | ... |
| 1608 | May 20 | Edward Blount | Pericles | w | Not printed. | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Anthony and Cleopatra | |||||||||||
| 1608-9 | Jan. 28 | Ri. Bonion; Hen. Whalley | Troylus and Cressida | x | By G. Eld for R. Bonion and H. Whalley | ... | ... | ... | 1609 bis | ... | ... |
| ... | ... | Pericles | y | ... for Henry Gosson | ... | ... | ... | 1609 bis | 1611 | 1619 | |
| 1621 | Oct. 6 | Thomas Walkley | Othello | z | By N. O. for Thomas Walkley | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1622 |