The Council of the Shakespeare Society desire it to be understood that they are not answerable for any opinions or observations that may appear in the Society's publications; the Editors of the several works being alone responsible for the same. PREFACE. This work has originated in a desire, on the part of the Council of the Shakespeare Society, to afford a receptacle for papers illustrative of our early drama and stage, none of which, by themselves, would be of sufficient length and importance to form a separate publication. It is to be borne in mind that the Society was formed, not merely for the elucidation of the productions of our great Dramatist (although that was certainly the main design), but of those of his predecessors, contemporaries, and immediate followers; so that few points connected with our popular literature, anterior to the Restoration, do not come within the scope of the Society. This remark is the more necessary, because it does not always seem to have been understood, because some of the ensuing articles are of a general character or relate to a remote period, and because it is the wish of the Council to invite contributions illustrating, directly or incidentally, the opinions, manners, and peculiarities of the times in which Shakespeare lived, so distinctly and vividly reflected in his pages. The Council has confined the volume, in the first instance, to five and twenty papers; but others are in reserve, and, by the aid of zealous Members in different parts of the kingdom, it is hoped that succeeding volumes may be issued of larger dimensions and of a wider range of criticism and reflection. It is known that several individuals, friendly to the design, would have sent contributions to the Secretary, had they been aware of the precise form it was wished they should assume. The Council has to return its thanks for various articles not found in the following pages, and to apologize to the writers for the non-insertion of them in the present publication, which has been put forth rather as a specimen of what has been done, than of what may be accomplished. CONTENTS. ART. I.-Dogberry and his Associates. Arrest of the Conspirators with Mary Queen of Scots. By J. PAYNE COLLIER, Esq., F.S.A. ART. II.-Remarks on the Similarity of a Passage in Marlowe's Edward II., and one in the First Part of The Contention. By JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A., &c. ART. III.-Letter from Ben Jonson to the Earl of Newcastle, and other matters relating to the Poet. By PETER CUNNINGHAM, ART. IV.-Ballad illustrative of Romeo and Juliet, entitled "A pleasant new ballad of Two Lovers." By ANDREW BARTON, Esq. ART. V. Additions to "The Alleyn Papers." From the origi- nals in the possession of J. F. HERBERT, Esq. ART. VI. On the Profits of Old Actors. By DRAMATICUS ART. VII.—“The passing measure Pavin." Illustrative of a Pas- sage in Twelfth Night. By J. PAYNE COLLIER, Esq., F.S.A. ART. VIII.-Origin of the Curtain Theatre, and mistakes regard- ing it. By THOMAS EDLYNE TOMLINS, Esq. ART. IX. Mistake by Campbell in his Life of Shakespeare, relative to The Tempest. By L.L.D. ART. XIII.-Imitations of Shakespeare by Shelley, in his Tragedy ART. XIV.-"Albion Knight;" a fragment of a Moral Play. From Lines by Thomas Nash, illus- trative of a passage in Midsummmer Night's Dream. By a ART. XVI.—Skeltonical Song by John Heywood, the Dramatist. ART. XVII.-On Shakespeare's Bust at Stratford-upon-Avon; ART. XVIII.—On a poem attributed to Thomas Nash. By G. L. 69 ART. XXII.-Corrections of Shakespeare's Text, suggested by Judge Blackstone, &c. From his Original MS. By THOMAS ART. XXIII.—Inigo Jones, and his Office under the Crown: with extracts from the Accounts of the Paymaster of the Crown Works, preserved in the Audit Office. By PETER CUNNINGHAM, Esq. ART. XXIV. On the word "Ducdame,” in As you Like it. By JAMES ORCHARD HALLIWELL, Esq., F.R.S., F.S.A., &c. |