Warburton's List

Warburton’s List (Lansdowne MS 807).

Background

In a marginal note in the British Library's Lansdowne MS 807, John Warburton (1682-1759), Somerset Herald, reports that his extensive collection of unprinted MS drama from the early seventeenth century was entrusted to his cook, who (failing to recognise their value) apparently used the manuscripts in the course of her kitchen duties, burning them or otherwise destroying them in the process of baking. Only 3 full plays (and one MS fragment) ‘survived’: The Queen of Corsica, The Second Maiden’s Tragedy, and Bugbears in full; Benefice in fragmentary form.

Bibliographic description

“It is a thin foolscap folio bound in Russia. The end papers are modern. An original flyleaf is preserved, but not numbered; then comes a leaf with the Warburton and Shelburne book-plates on the verso, then Warburton’s list, mounted and reckoned as folio 1. The plays follow: the ‘Queen of Corinth’ occupying folios 2-28, the ‘Second Maiden’s Tragedy’ folios 29-56, the ‘Bugbears’ folios 57-77. at the end is an imperfect play in quarto occupying folios 78-88. it is a fragment of the ‘Benefice’ by R. Wild containing III.iv. to the end. That completes the collection as now extant” (Greg, “The Bakings of Betsy” 230).

Digitisation

The following images from British Library Lansdowne MS 807, fo. 1^r-v are reproduced by permission of the British Library.


British Library Lansdowne MS 807, fol.1^r.	British Library Lansdowne MS 807, fol.1^v.

Transcription

The following transcription of Warburton’s list is based on Greg, “The Bakings of Betsy” 230-32. Hover over titles for links to LPD entries, where relevant.

Manuscripts [recto]

The Hon^r. Loves by Will. Rowley

Henry y^e 1^st. by Will. Shakespeare & Rob. Davenport

The fair favourit

Minervas Sacrifise Phill. Masenger

Duke Humphery Will. Shakespear

Citty Shuffler

S^r. Joⁿ Suckling’s Workes

Nothing Imposeble to love T. C. S^r Rob. Le Green

The forc’d Lady A T. Phill. Massinger

The Governer T. S^r. Corñ. Fermido

The Lovers of Loodgate