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The Troublesome Reign of King John
The Troublesome Reign of King John
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Scanned, proofed and corrected from the original hardcover edition for enjoyable reading. (Worth every penny spent!)
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An excerpt from the beginning of the:
INTRODUCTION
Authorship. —The publisher of the 2nd Quarto of this play, in 1611, John Helme, put on its title-page that it was "Written by W. Sh." The publisher of the 3rd Quarto in 1622 altered this into "Written by W. Shakespeare."
The Editor of the 1764 reprint of the 2nd, or 1611, Quarto calls it in his Preface, " the first work probably of the great man whose name it bears [W. Sh.], and whose genuine performance it most unquestionably is." He adds, "'Tis somewhat remarkable that the several editors of Shakespeare should have so totally unnoticed this work, as not to have told their readers that it contains nothing to be met with in any of their several editions. Theobald and Warburton have given us the title in their several lists of his Writings, but make no mention of this particular... thus far is indisputable, that this is his earliest publication, and the only one of the year in which it was published".
" The present work will be found to contain many speeches worthy of its author: and there is much singular humour in those of the bastard; particularly in the ballad-metre dialogue betwixt him and the friar".
Malone attributed The Troublesome Reign to Marlowe, and on his authority the British Museum Catalogue has entered it under Marlowe, after a line drawn between it and his genuine works, as " Written by W. Shakspere. Attributed by Malone to Christopher Marlowe]." Of which Mr. Fleay's version is, "Yet in the British Museum Catalogue Marlowe is given as the probable author." This and like entries are made, says Mr. Barwick, only for the convenience of readers, who, seeing Malone's statement, would naturally turn to " Marlowe " for the play.
This practical joke of attributing the play to Shakspere was modified by Pope, who, "in one of his Notes," as Steevens says, "affirms the old Play to have been written by Shakespeare and Rowley;" and in 1878 it was transformed by Mr. Fleay into the statement that only " the platform or plot of the play " was due to Shakspere, while Greene, Peele and Lodge wrote it.
These guesses we need not trouble about. Nothing is known of the plotter or author, or authors, of the play, and no convincing arguments with regard to them have been brought forward. It is enough for us to know that Shakspere cared enough for The Troublesome Reign to remodel it into his King John, and that he did not go outside its bounds for fresh material for his drama.
Editions.—Q I (Part I) was printed in 1591 with the title " The Troublesome Raigne of Iohn King of England, with the discouerie of King Richard Cordelions Base son (vulgarly named, The Bastard Fawconbridge) : also the death of King John at Swinstead Abbey. As it was (sundry times) publikely acted by the Queenes Maiesties Players, in the honourable Citie of London. [Device] Imprinted at London for Sampson Clarke, and are to be solde at his shop, on the back-side of the Royall Exchange, 1591."
Part II has a different device and heading, the latter running: " The Second part of the troublesome Raigne of King Iohn, conteining the death of Arthur Plantaginet, the landing of Lewes, and the poysoning of King Iohn at Swinstead Abbey."
Q 2 presented one title-page for the two parts with the addition of "Written by W. Sh." : "The First and Second -Part of the troublesome Raigne of John King of England. With the discouerie of King Richard Cordelions Base sonne (vulgarly named the Bastard Fawconbridge:) Also, the death of King John at Swinstead Abbey, As they were (sundry times) lately acted by the Queenes Maiesties Players. Written by W. Sh. [Device] Imprinted at London by Valentine Simmes for Iohn Helme, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstons Churchyard in Fleetestreet, 1611."
Q 3 has the same heading with minor changes, and proceeds : " As they were (sundry times) lately acted. Written by W. Shakespeare. [Device] London, Printed by Aug: Mathewes for Thomas Dewe, and are to be sold at his shop in St. Dunstones Churchyard in Fleet-street, 1622."
The " W. Sh." and " W. Shakespeare" are generally regarded as attempts to sell the book. The expression " lately acted " may point to a recent presentation either of Shakspere's play or the old one. In the former hypothesis the addition of the initials or name may have been merely due to supposing the play to be the same. Other editions are as follows—
1. 1760. "Twenty of the Plays of Shakespeare, Being the whole Number printed in Quarto During his Life-time, or before the Restoration . . London, for Tonson, Payne, and Richardson." Edited by G. Steevens. The Troublesome Reign is reprinted from the second quarto...
***
An excerpt from the beginning of the:
INTRODUCTION
Authorship. —The publisher of the 2nd Quarto of this play, in 1611, John Helme, put on its title-page that it was "Written by W. Sh." The publisher of the 3rd Quarto in 1622 altered this into "Written by W. Shakespeare."
The Editor of the 1764 reprint of the 2nd, or 1611, Quarto calls it in his Preface, " the first work probably of the great man whose name it bears [W. Sh.], and whose genuine performance it most unquestionably is." He adds, "'Tis somewhat remarkable that the several editors of Shakespeare should have so totally unnoticed this work, as not to have told their readers that it contains nothing to be met with in any of their several editions. Theobald and Warburton have given us the title in their several lists of his Writings, but make no mention of this particular... thus far is indisputable, that this is his earliest publication, and the only one of the year in which it was published".
" The present work will be found to contain many speeches worthy of its author: and there is much singular humour in those of the bastard; particularly in the ballad-metre dialogue betwixt him and the friar".
Malone attributed The Troublesome Reign to Marlowe, and on his authority the British Museum Catalogue has entered it under Marlowe, after a line drawn between it and his genuine works, as " Written by W. Shakspere. Attributed by Malone to Christopher Marlowe]." Of which Mr. Fleay's version is, "Yet in the British Museum Catalogue Marlowe is given as the probable author." This and like entries are made, says Mr. Barwick, only for the convenience of readers, who, seeing Malone's statement, would naturally turn to " Marlowe " for the play.
This practical joke of attributing the play to Shakspere was modified by Pope, who, "in one of his Notes," as Steevens says, "affirms the old Play to have been written by Shakespeare and Rowley;" and in 1878 it was transformed by Mr. Fleay into the statement that only " the platform or plot of the play " was due to Shakspere, while Greene, Peele and Lodge wrote it.
These guesses we need not trouble about. Nothing is known of the plotter or author, or authors, of the play, and no convincing arguments with regard to them have been brought forward. It is enough for us to know that Shakspere cared enough for The Troublesome Reign to remodel it into his King John, and that he did not go outside its bounds for fresh material for his drama.
Editions.—Q I (Part I) was printed in 1591 with the title " The Troublesome Raigne of Iohn King of England, with the discouerie of King Richard Cordelions Base son (vulgarly named, The Bastard Fawconbridge) : also the death of King John at Swinstead Abbey. As it was (sundry times) publikely acted by the Queenes Maiesties Players, in the honourable Citie of London. [Device] Imprinted at London for Sampson Clarke, and are to be solde at his shop, on the back-side of the Royall Exchange, 1591."
Part II has a different device and heading, the latter running: " The Second part of the troublesome Raigne of King Iohn, conteining the death of Arthur Plantaginet, the landing of Lewes, and the poysoning of King Iohn at Swinstead Abbey."
Q 2 presented one title-page for the two parts with the addition of "Written by W. Sh." : "The First and Second -Part of the troublesome Raigne of John King of England. With the discouerie of King Richard Cordelions Base sonne (vulgarly named the Bastard Fawconbridge:) Also, the death of King John at Swinstead Abbey, As they were (sundry times) lately acted by the Queenes Maiesties Players. Written by W. Sh. [Device] Imprinted at London by Valentine Simmes for Iohn Helme, and are to be sold at his shop in Saint Dunstons Churchyard in Fleetestreet, 1611."
Q 3 has the same heading with minor changes, and proceeds : " As they were (sundry times) lately acted. Written by W. Shakespeare. [Device] London, Printed by Aug: Mathewes for Thomas Dewe, and are to be sold at his shop in St. Dunstones Churchyard in Fleet-street, 1622."
The " W. Sh." and " W. Shakespeare" are generally regarded as attempts to sell the book. The expression " lately acted " may point to a recent presentation either of Shakspere's play or the old one. In the former hypothesis the addition of the initials or name may have been merely due to supposing the play to be the same. Other editions are as follows—
1. 1760. "Twenty of the Plays of Shakespeare, Being the whole Number printed in Quarto During his Life-time, or before the Restoration . . London, for Tonson, Payne, and Richardson." Edited by G. Steevens. The Troublesome Reign is reprinted from the second quarto...
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