STATIONER'S ADDRESS.
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FOLIO, 1647.) GENTLEMEN, xSefore you engage further, be pleased to take notice of these particu-lars. You have licre a nezc book; I can speak it clearly; for of all thislarge volume of comedies and trage^lies, not one, till now, was ever printedbefore. A collection of plays is commonly but a new impression, thescattered pieces which were printed single, being then only republishedtogether: Tis otherwise here. Next, as it is all new, so here is not any thing spurious or imposed: Ihad the originals from such as received them from the authors themselves;by those, and none other, I publish this edition. And as here is nothing but what is genuine and theirs, so you will findhere are no omissions; you have not only all I could get, but all that youmust ever expect. For (besides those which were formerly printed) thereis not any piece written by these authors, either jointly or severally, butwhat are now published to the world ii^ this volume. One only play Imust except (for I mean to deal openly); it is a comedy called the Wi Id-Goose Chase,^ which hath been long lost, and I fear irrecoverable; for aperson of quality borrowed it from the actors many years since, and (bythe negligence of a servant) it was never returned; therefore now I putTip this si quis, that whosoever hereafter happily meets' with it, shall bethankfully satisfied if he please to send it home. Some plays (you know) written by these authors were heretoforeprinted : I thought not convenient to mix them with this volume, whichof itself is entirely new. And indeed it would have rendered the book sovoluminous, that ladies and gentlewomen would have found it scarcemanageable, who in works of this nature must fi^st be remembered. Be-sides, I considered those former pieces had been so long printed and re«?printed, that many gentlemen were already furnished; and I would havenone say, they pay twice for the same book. One thing 1 must answer before it be objected; 'tis this: when thesecomedies ana tragedies were presented on the stage, the actors omittedsome scenes and passages (with the authors' consent) as occasion led them;and when private friends desired a copy, they then (and justly too) tran-scribed what they acted: But now you have both all that was acted, andall that was not; even the perfect full originals, without the least mutila-tion; so that were the authors living, (and sure they can never die) theythemselves would challenge neither more nor less than what is here pub-lished ; this volume being now so complete and finished, that the readermust expect no future alterations. For literal errors committed by the prifiter, it is the fashion to ask par-don, and as much in fashion to take no notice of him that asks it; butin this aUo I have done my endeavour. Twere vain to mention thechargeableness of this work ; for those who owned the manuscripts, toowell knew their value to make a cheap estimate of any of these pieces;and though anotl^er joined with me in the purchase arid printing, yet the ' The Wild-Goose Chase.^ Thif comedy, in the year l662, was published in folio, byLowin and Taylor, two of the players, with a * Dwlioation to the Hoxu)ur'd^ Few, Lovers ofDramutick Poesie^' and several commeudatocy verses annexed. cnre STATIONER'S ADDRESS. v cftre and pains was wholly rnine^ which I found to be more than you willeasily imagine, unless you knew into how many hands the originals weredispersed: Tliey are all now happily met in this book, having escapedthese public troubles, free and unmangled. Heretofore, when gentlemendesired but a copy of any of these plays, the meanest piece here (if any maybe called mean where every one is best) cost them more than four timesthe price you pay for the whole volume. 1 should scarce have adventured in these slippery times on such a workas this^ if knowing persons had not generally assured me that these au-thors were the most unquestionable wits this kingdom hath afforded. Mr.Beaumont was ever acknowledged a man of a most strong and searchingbrain; and (his years considered) the most judicious wit these later aseshave produced; he died young, for (which was an invaluable loss to thisnation) he left the world when he was not full thirty years old. Mr.Fletcher survived, (ind lived till almost fifty; whereof the world now en-joys the benefit. It was once in my thoughts to have printed Mr. Flet-cher's works by themselves,* because single and alone he would make ajust volume; but since never parted while they lived, I conceived it notequitable to separate their ashes. It becomes not me to say (though it be a known truth) that these au-thors had not only high unexpressible gifts of nature, but also excellentacc^uired parts, beine furnished with arts and sciences by that liberal edu-cation they had at the university, which sure is the best place to make agreat wit understand itself; this their works will soon make evident. I wasvery ambitious to have got Mr. Beaumont's picture; but could not pos-sibly, though I spared no enquiry in those noble families whence he wasdescended, as also among those gentlemen' that were his acquaintancewhen he was of the Inner^Temple : The best pictures, and those most likehim, you will find in this volume. This figure of Mr. Fletcher was cutby several original pieces, which his friends lent me; but withal they tellme, that his unimitable soul did shine through his countenance in suchair and spirit, that the painters confessed it was not easy to express him :As much as could be, you have here, and the graver hath done his part. Whatever I have seen of Mr. Fletcher's own hand, is free from inter-lining; and his friends affirm he never writ any one thing twice : ^ It seemshe had that rare felicity to prepare and perfect all first in his own brain ; toshape and attire hjs notions, to add or lop off, before he committed oneword to writing, and never touched pen till all was to stand as firm andimmutable as if engraven in brass or marble. But I keep you too longfrom those friends of his whom 'tis better for you to read; only acceptof the honest endeavours of One that is a Servant to you all,
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