COUNCIL OF THE SHAKESPEARE SOCIETY. President. THE EARL OF ELLESMERE. Vice-Presidents. THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF CLARENDON. THE RT. HON. THE EARL OF GLENGALL. THE RT. HON. THE EARL HOWE. THE RT. HON. LORD BRAYBROOKE. THE RT. HON. THE VICE-CHANCELLOR SIR JAMES KNIGHT BRUCE. Council. WILLIAM AYRTON, ESQ., F.R.S., F.S.A. ROBERT BELL, ESQ. BAYLE BERNARD, ESQ. J. PAYNE COLLIER, ESQ., V.P.S.A., DIRECTOR. W. DURRANT COOPER, ESQ., F.S.A. BOLTON CORNEY, ESQ., M.R.S.L. PETER CUNNINGHAM, ESQ., F.S.A., TREASURER. J. O. HALLIWELL, ESQ., F.R.S., F.S.A. THE REV. WILLIAM HARNESS. JAMES HEYWOOD, ESQ., M.P. DOUGLAS JERROLD, ESQ. CHARLES KNIGHT, ESQ. WILLIAM CHARLES MACREADY, ESQ. FREDERIC OUVRY, ESQ., F.S.A. T. J. PETTIGREW, ESQ., F.R.S., F.S.A. WILLIAM JOHN THOMS, ESQ., F.S.A. HIS EXCELLENCY M. DE SILVAIN VAN DE WEYER. F. GUEST TOMLINS, ESQ., SECRETARY. 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. INTRODUCTION. For the use of the highly valuable and remarkable manuscript, printed in the first half of the ensuing volume, we are indebted to E. M. L. Mostyn, Esq., M.P. Some of the papers of that ancient family falling under the notice of Sir Frederick Madden, (Principal Keeper of the MSS. in the British Museum) he found among them a theatrical relic, under the title of "The Book of John a Kent and John a Cumber," and procured the ready consent of the proprietor to the publication of it by the Shakespeare Society. It is fitting, therefore, that our obligations to both those gentlemen should, in the first instance, be emphatically expressed; and most of our Members are aware that the latter has always taken a warm interest in our proceedings, as well as in every thing calculated to illustrate the history of our early drama, poetry, and general literature. How the play of "John a Kent and John a Cumber" came into the hands of the Mostyns, after the lapse of more than two centuries and a half we are unable to determine. We entertain little doubt that it was written originally for representation at one of the public theatres of the Metropolis; and it is possible that, having been in some respects well adapted to private performance, the author subsequently prepared it for the purpose, and transmitted his manuscript to North Wales, where it may have been exhibited by the retainers of some powerful house as a Christmas entertainment. On the other hand, it seems more likely that it was acted by a company of professional performers during their progress through North Wales and South Lancashire; and it is to be observed that the author was at one time engaged as a writer for a body calling themselves the theatrical servants of Lord Strange.1 They may have left their "book" behind them in the country, and in this way it may have been deposited among domestic muniments. It is, however, needless to speculate upon this point: we have good reason to rejoice that the MS. has been preserved, and that we have now an opportunity of presenting it to our subscribers. There is no doubt respecting the authorship of the work, since it is signed by that celebrated dramatist, Anthony Munday, or Mundy, at the conclusion, in the following form: "Finis. "Anthony Mundy. "Decembris, 1595." The whole body of the work is in Munday's hand "In 1 The earliest account in "Henslowe's Diary" is thus headed: the name of God, Amen, 1591, beginning the 19 of February, my Lord Strange's men, as followeth." See p. 20 of our impression of this valuable manuscript, made in 1845 by the liberal permission of the Master, Warden, and Fellows, of Dulwich College. |