To have a Faire and Constant wife,
Yet Tarquine pluckt his glistering grape
And Shake-speare, paints poore Lucrece rape.”
The above lines certainly strengthen the theory that the initials W. S. stand for a real actor. The reader will also notice the words Actor, Player, Comedy and Tragedy, all of which help to identify the person designated.
The first literary notice of Shakespeare is to be read in a pamphlet styled “Greene’s Groats-worth of Wit.” Greene died in September, 1592, and his book was issued in the same year. The first edition of Greene’s pamphlet remained unknown for many generations, and was only discovered during the last few years, and is now safely deposited in the British Museum. To the best of my belief the accompanying facsimile is published for the first time. Chettle refers to Shakespeare in his introductory letter to “Kind Harts Dream,” styled “To the Gentlemen Readers.” Chettle Greene’s friend, in a tract, entitled, “Kind Harts Dream,” entered at Stationers’ Hall, 8th December, 1592, published shortly afterwards by W. Wright without date. Greene’s pamphlet was registered on September 20th, 1592.
A copy of this book in the Huth collection, dated 1596, when sold fetched £200. The 1617 edition sold for £25 and the 1637 edition for £17. All three editions came from the same library. The full title of the 1596 edition is as follows:
“Greene’s Groats-worth of Wit, bought With a Million of Repentance. Describing the follie of Youth, the falshoode of makeshift flatterers, the miserie of the negligent and mischiefes of deceiving Courtesans. Written before (sic) his death, and published at his dying request.”
“Printed by Thomas Creede for Richard Olive, dwelling in long-long (sic) Lane, and are there to be solde, 1596.”
“Black letter, cut on title (last leaf backed and 3 pages scribbled on margins of 2.U. slightly mended, otherwise good, blind stamp russia A-F.2 in fours).”