Crack Me This Nut

Anon. (1595)

Historical Records

F.12v / Greg 1.24:
ye 1 of septmb[er] 1595		ne . .	R[d] at cracke me this nvtte . . . . . . . . . .	iijll js
ye 12 of septmb[er] 1595		. . . . . . . .	R[d] at cracke me this nutte . . . . . . . . . .	iijll
				. . . . . . .
F.13 / Greg 1.25:
ye 24 of septmb[er] 1595			R[d] at cracke me this nvtte . . . . . . . . . .	xxxxijs
ye 2[7]8 of septmb[er] 1595	________	________	R[d] at crack me this nvtte . . . . . . . . . .	iijllvjs
ye 8 of octob[er] 1595			R[d] at cracke me this nvtt . . . . . . . . . .	xxvjs
ye 24 of octob[er] 1595			R[d] at cracke me this nvtte . . . . . . . . . .	xxiijs
ye 5 of novmb[et] 1595			R[d] at cracke me this nvtt . . . . . . . . . .	xxiiijs
				. . . . . . .
F.14 / Greg 1.27:
ye 18 of novmb[er] 1595	________	________	R[d] at cracke me this nvtte . . . . . . . . . . .	xxiiijs
ye 6 of desemb[er] 1595	[_______	________]	R[d] at Crack me this nvtt . . . . . . . . . .	xvs
ye 2 of Jenewary 1595			R[d] at cracke me this nvtt . . . . . . . . . .	ixs
ye 14 of Jenewary 1595			R[d] at cracke me this nvtte . . . . . . . . . .	xxiijs
				. . . . . . .
F.14v / Greg 1.28:
ye 7 of febreary 1595			R[d] at crack me this nvtt . . . . . . . . . .	xixs
				. . . . . . .
F.15v / Greg 1.30:
ye 7 of maye 1596			R[d] at cracke me this nvtte . . . . . . . . . .	xviijs
				. . . . . . .
F.21v / Greg 1.42:
ye 7 of June 1596	___mr pd___	________	R[d] at cracke me this nvtte . . . . . . . . . .	xxviijs
ye 23 of June 1596			R[d] at cracke me this nvtt . . . . . . . . . .	xijs

Theatrical Provenance

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Probable Genre(s)

Comedy (?) (Harbage); tragedy? (see For What It's Worth below)

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

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References to the Play

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Critical Commentary

Greg 2.1176 notes that "[t]he phrase was proverbial. It was the sub-title of Pap with a Hatchet, one of the anti-Martinist tracts. It is no doubt the tract and not the play that is alluded to in Old Fortunatus".

For What It's Worth

A hitherto unconsidered possibility is that Crack Me This Nut may not have been a comedy at all, but a King Lear style tragedy. An entry in the Stationers' Register for 20 January 1595/96 reads:

Master Ponsonby.

Entred for his copie vnder the hands of the Wardens A booke Intitled The Paragon of pleasaunt histories . . . vjd Or this Nutt was neuer Cracked Contayninge a Discourse of a nobl[e] kinge and his Three sonnes /

(S.R.1, 3.57 / Fol.7)

Unfortunately, like the play, this text appears to be lost.

Works Cited

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