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

Transcription

The following transcription of Warburton’s list is based on Greg, “The Bakings of Betsy” 230-32.

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

The Flying Voice by Ra. Wood

The Mayden Holaday by Chris. Marlowe

The Fatal Love

The Puritan Maid y^e. Modest Wife & y^e. Wanton Widow by Tho. Middleton

The London Marchat (sic) A Com. By Joⁿ Ford.

The King of Swedland

Love hath found out his Eyes by Tho. Jorden

Antonio & Vallia by Phill. Massinger

The Dutches of Fernandina T. Hen. Glapthorn

Jocondo & Astolfo C. Thõ. Decker

S^t. Geõ. For England by Will. Smithe

The Parliam^t of Love by W^m. Rowley

The Widows Prise C. W^m Sampson

The Inconstant Lady W^m. (sic) Wilson

The Womans Plott Phill. Massinger

The Marchants Sacrifice Crafty Marchat (sic) C Shack. Marmio[n

An Interlude by Ra. Wood worth Nothing

The Tyrant A Tragedy by Phill. Massenger

The Yorkshire Gentlewoman & her Son T.

The None Such A C. W^m Rowley

The Royal Combate A C. by Joⁿ. Forde.

Philenzo & Hipolito A C. by Phill. Massenger

Beauty in a Trance A C. Joⁿ. Forde.

The Judge A C. by Phill. Massenger.

A good beginning may have A good end by Joⁿ. Ford

Fast and Welcom C. by Phill. Massinger

Belive as yo^u. list C. By Phill. Massinger

His^t. of Jobe by Rob. Green

The Vestall A Tragedy by H. Glapthorn

The Noble Tryall. T. H. Glapthorn

After I had been many years Collecting

these MSS Playes, through my own

carelesness and the Ignorace (sic) of my S[er

in whose hands I had lodged them they

was unluckily burnd or put under

Pye bottoms, excepting y^e three which followes.

J. W.

Manuscripts [verso]

Yorkshire Gentlewoman and her Son T

The Hon^r. of Women A C. by Massinger

Alexias or y^e chast Glallant (sic) T. P Massinger

The vestal a Tragedy H. Glapthorn

The Noble choise T.C. P. Massinger

A Mask R. Govell

2^d. p^t. Maidens Trag. Geo. Chapman

The Great Man T.

The Spanish Purchas C.

The Queen of Corsica T. by F. Jaques

The Trag^d. of Jobe     Good

The Nobleman T.C. Cyrill Turnuer

A Play by Will Shakespear

Bugbear C. Joⁿ. Geffrey

Orpheus C.

Tis Good Sleeping in A Whole Skin W. Wager

Farry (sic) Queen

Works Cited

Greg, W. W. “The Bakings of Betsy.” The Library, 3rd series. 7.11 (1911): 225-259.

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