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INTRODUCTION

A. EDITIONS OF THE TEXT

a. COLLATIONS

Poetaster is found in the following editions:

I. POETASTER | or | The Arraignment: | As it hath beene fundry times priuately | acted in the Blacke Friers, by the children of her Maiefties | Chappell. | Composed, by Ben. Iohnfon. Et mihi de nullo fama rubore placet. | [Device.]1 | LONDON |

[Printed for M. L. and are to be fould in | Saint Dunstans Church-yarde. | 1602. |

Quarto. Collation.-[A] to N in fours (series J omitted); no pagination. Title-page as above, without signature; verso, THE PERSONS THAT | ACT. | On this page also is Ad Lectorem [Martial, Epigr. 7. 12.9-12]3. On A2 recto is LIVOR, with the speech of Envie appearing in folio 1616, concluded verso. A3 recto, PROLOGVS; verso, act I begins. N recto, the play ends; verso bears:

H

To The Reader.

ERE (Reader) in place of the E

pilogue, was

meant to thee an A- | pology from the Author, with | his reafons for the publishing of this booke: but (fince he is no lefse | reftrain'd, then thou depriu'd of it, by Authoritie) | hee praies thee to thinke charitably of what thou | haft read, till thou maist heare him speake what hee hath written.

FINIS.

'The device, which is upside down, measures 21⁄2 x 1⁄2 inches, and consists of two Cupids bearing cornucopias filled with fruits, flowers, and leaves; about these are intertwined dragons; in the center is a lyre.

This collation is made from a copy owned by Mr. W. A. White, of New York City.

Jonson adapts line 9 of the epigram (Ludimus innocui: scis hoc bene: iuro potentis) thus:

Ludimus innocuis verbis, hoc iuro potentis.

II. THE | WORKES | OF | Beniamin Jonson | -neque, me vt miretur turba, | laboro: | Contentus paucis lectoribus. |

LONDON | Printed by William Stanfby. | An° D. 1616. | Folio. Collation.2-Five leaves: title-page, verso blank; catalogue recto, with signature ¶ 3, verso bearing the beginning of the complimentary verses, which cover also the remaining three leaves. Then follows ([A] recto) the titlepage of Euery MAN IN HIS HVMÖVR, and so on to [Qq9q4] recto (verso blank), in sixes. Sets of signatures for J, U, W, Jj, Uu, Ww, Jjj, Uuu, Www, Jjjj, are wanting. After [Tt6] follow Vu, Vu2, Vv3; in place of Eee3, we have Ee3; a second Kkk3 appears in place of Lll3; after [Ttt6] come Vuu, Vuu2, Vuu3. The last of the plays, Catiline, ends Sss4 verso, p. (764); then follow the Epigrams, the Forest, a Panegyre, Entertainments, and Masques.

Engraved general title-page, representing the front of a temple, in rococo design. On the left stylobate is a PLAVSTRVM, on the right, a VISORIVM and a Chorus, while between the two, on a cartouche, appears the imprint. Each stylobate supports two Corinthian columns, with a

1

This is known as Vol. 1 of the First Folio. For a detailed collation of Vol. 2, published 1631-41, see Dr. D. Winter's edition of The Staple of News (Yale Studies in English XXVIII), New York, 1905.

'Imprints of the engraved general title-page of folio 1616 vary, particularly as respects the printer's name (cf. W. W. Greg, Mod. Lang. Quart., April 1904, pp. 26-9). Some revision also must have been done while the folio was in press, for minor differences of text appear. The copy owned by Prof. W. L. Phelps of Yale differs in capitalization, punctuation, and spelling, in the speech of Envy and in act 1 sc. 2, from the copy in the Yale Library. There is but one important variation: in place of 'artes' (1. 2. 242) of the Yale text, the copy owned by Professor Phelps reads 'Romane artes.' From our Variants it will be seen that folio 1640 follows the metrically objectionable reading.

niche between them; in the left niche is TRAGOEDIA, in the right, COMEDIA. Within the doorway between the two sets of columns is the title; upon the frieze of the entablature over the doorway are the words: SI[N]GVLA QVÆQV[E] LOCVM TENEANT S[O]RTITA DECEN[T]ER, from Horace, Ars. P. 92. Next above is a broken arch, upon the panel of which is a THEATRVM; seated upon the arch to the left is a SATYR, to the right, a PASTOR. On either side of the arch is a pedestal supporting a flanking column twined with laurel leaves. Above the arch is a fronton with arched pediment, before which stands TRAGICOMEDIA. In a niche to the left of the fronton is Bacchus, in a niche to the right, Apollo. On the moulding of the right-hand stylobate are the words: Guliel' Hole fecit.

Poetaster has two alternative title-pages, the first being the recto of an extra leaf inserted, the second being [Z4] recto; versos blank. The first has a wood-cut border which is used also on the title-page of Every Man out of his Humour. The Poetaster title-pages are as follows:

POËTASTER, OR | His Arraignement. | A Comicall Satyre. Acted, in the yeere 1601. | By the then Children of Queene | ELIZABETHS | Chappell. | The Author B. I. MART. | Et mihi de nullo fama rubore placet. | LONDON, | Printed by W. Stansby, | for M. Lownes. | 1616 |

POËTASTER, OR | His Arraignement. | A Comicall Satyre. Acted, in the yeere 1601. By the then | Children of Queene ELIZABETHS | CHAPPEL. | The Author B. I. | Mart. | Et mihi de nullo fama rubore placet. | LONDON, | Printed by VVILLIAM STANSBY, for Matthew Lownes. | M. DC. XVI.

The Dedication appears on Z5 recto, page (273), and the verso, (274), bears The Persons of the Play. On 26 recto, p. 275, the speech of ENVIE begins. On 348, verso of [Ff6], the play proper is concluded and we have the address To THE READER, followed by the beginning of the Apologetical Dialogue, which ends on 353, Gg3 recto.

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