Eunuchus
Maurice Kyffin, trans. (?) (1588?)
Historical Records
Stationers' Register
21 April 1597
| Paule lynlaye | Entred for his copie vnder thandes | |
| of mr murgetrode and mr | ||
| warden dawson. The second | vjd | |
| Comedy of Terence called | ||
| Eunuchus |
(Book C, fol. 20r; cf. Arber 3.85)
26 June 1600
| Io. fflasket | Entred for his copies by | |
| consent of our Maister | ||
| and Mr Man Warden | viiis | |
| these bookes and partes of | ||
| Bookes folowynge wche | ||
| Were Paule Lynlayes | ||
| viz | ||
| [...] | ||
| The first & second comedie of Terence in Inglishe |
(Book C, fols. 60v–61r; cf. Arber 3.164–65)
Theatrical Provenance
None known. The play was most likely intended solely for publication.
Probable Genre(s)
Comedy (Harbage).
Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues
Terence's Eunuchus.
References to the Play
None known. (Information welcome.)
Critical Commentary
Warton (3.449) stated that the play was "entered at Stationers Hall to W. Leche [sic]." (William Leake had entered a title at the top of the page in the Register.)
Chambers (3.398)
Greg (BEPD, θ20)
Harbage assigns a date range of 1587–97.
Wiggins (#1067) expresses skepticism that the shared transfer in 1600 necessarily suggests that Kyffin was the translator of the Eunuchus. It may have been that Linley had acquired Eunuchus with the intention of assembling a collection of Terence translations, but "he may have been pre-empted by events in Cambridge," namely the publication of Richard Bernard's Terence in English in 1598. (Bernard's book, printed by John Legatt, included translations of all six of Terence's comedies; its English text of Andria was essentially Kyffin's, although this was not acknowledged.)
For What It's Worth
Maurice Kyffin's translation of the Andria was printed in 1588, published by Thomas Woodcock. Woodcock's rights were transferred to Paul Linley in 1596. Kyffin died on 2 January 1598.
Works Cited
Site created and maintained by Misha Teramura, Reed College; updated 15 October 2017.