PREFACE. THE five plays contained in this volume are here printed in the order in which they occur in the Folios. I. MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. The first edition of this play is a Quarto, of which the title is as follows: Much adoe about | Nothing. | As it hath been sundrie times publikely | acted by the right honourable, the Lord | Chamberlaine his seruants. | Written by William Shakespeare. | London | Printed by V. S. for Andrew Wise, and | William Aspley. | 1600. The First Folio edition of this play was obviously printed from a copy of the Quarto belonging to the library of the theatre, and corrected for the purposes of the stage. Some stage directions of interest occur first in the Folio, but as regards the text, where the Folio differs from the Quarto it differs almost always for the worse. The alterations are due however to accident not design. 'Davenant's version,' to which reference is made in the notes, is his play The Law against Lovers.' 2. LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST was published for the first time in Quarto, with the following title: A Pleasant | Conceited Comedie | called, | Loues labors lost. | As it was presented before her Highnes this last Christmas. | Newly corrected and augmented | By W. Shakespere. | Imprinted at London by W. W. | for Cutbert Burby. | 1598. The Folio edition is a reprint of this Quarto, differing only in its being divided into Acts, and, as usual, inferior in accuracy. The second Quarto (Q.) is reprinted from the First Folio. It bears the following title: Loues Labours lost. | A wittie and | pleasant | comedie, | As it was Acted by his Maiesties Seruants at | the Blacke-Friers and the Globe. | Written | By William Shakespeare. | London, | Printed by W. S. for Iohn Smethwicke, and are to be | sold at his Shop in Saint Dunstones Church-yard vnder the Diall. | 1631. 3. A MIDSUMMER-NIGHT'S DREAM. Of this play also the first edition is a Quarto, bearing the following title: A | Midsommer nights | dreame. | As it hath beene sundry times publickely acted, by the Right honourable, the Lord Chamberlaine his seruants. Written by William Shakespeare. | Imprinted at London, for Thomas Fisher, and are to be soulde at his shoppe, at the Signe of the White Hart, | in Fleetestreete. 1600. The copy of this Quarto in the Capell collection was formerly in the possession of Theobald, and bears this note in his handwriting: "Collated with the other Old Quarto with the same Title, printed by James Roberts in 1600, L. T." The results of the collation are recorded in the margin. We have called this Q.. In the same year another edition appeared, also in Quarto, with this title: A Midsommer nights | dreame. As it hath beene sundry times publikely acted, by the Right Honourable, the Lord Chamberlaine his | seruants. | Written by William Shakespeare. | Printed by Iames Roberts, 1600. On comparing these two Quartos we find that they correspond page for page, though not line for line, except in the first five pages of sheet G. The printer's errors in Fisher's edition are corrected in that issued by Roberts, and from this circumstance, coupled with the facts that in the Roberts Quarto the 'Exits' are more frequently marked, and that it was not entered at Stationers' Hall, as Fisher's edition was, we infer that the Roberts Quarto was a pirated reprint of Fisher's, probably for the use of the players. This may account for its having been followed by the First Folio. Fisher's edition, though carelessly printed, contains on the whole the best readings, and may have been taken from the author's manuscript. |