Wise Man of West Chester, The

Anon. (1595)

Historical Records

Henslowe's Diary
F.10^v (Greg I.20)

ye 2 of desember 1594	................	ne	.....	Rd at the wise man of chester	................	xxxiijs
ye 6 of desember 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at wiseman of weschester	................	xxxiiijs

F. 11 (Greg I.21)

ye 29 of desember 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wissman of weschester	................	iijli ijs
ye 16 of Jenewarye 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wiseman of weaschester	................	iijli
ye 23 of Jenewary 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wiseman of wescheaster	................	iijli vjs
ye 4 of febreary 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wysman of weschester	................	iijli iiijs
ye 12 of febreary 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisman of weschester	................	liijs

F.11^v (Greg I.22)

ye 19 of febrey 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisman of weschester	................	xxxxvjs
ye 28 of febreary 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xxxixs
ye 25 of Aprrell 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wissman	................	xxxixs
ye 26 of Aprrell 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisseman of weschester	................	iijli
ye 6 of may 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at wiseman	................	xxxxs
ye 15 of may 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisse man of weschester	................	xxxxiiijs

F.12^v (Greg I.24)

ye 26 of maye 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at weschester	................	xxxjs
ye 4 of June 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xxijs
ye 11 of June 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wissman of weschester	................	xxxxvijs
ye 26 of aguste 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of wescheaster	................	xxxixs
ye 9 of septmber 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wise man	................	xxxxiiijs

F.13 (Greg I.25)

ye 29 of septmber 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wiseman	................	xvs
ye 6 of october 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman	................	xvijs
ye 19 of october 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman	................	xvijs
— mr pd—	................	.....	.....	Rd at weschester	................	xxs

F.14 (Greg I.27)

ye 29 of desember 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xxijs
	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wissman of weschester	................	xviijs

F.14^v (Greg I.28)

ye 4 of febreary 1595

................

.....

.....

Rd at the wissman of weschester

................

xxijs

F.15^v (Greg I.30)

ye 17 of aprrell 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xxxs
ye 30 of aprrell 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisman	................	xs

F.21^v (Greg I.42)

ye 8 of June 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xxs
ye 7 of July 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisman of weschester	................	xvjs

F.27 (Greg I.53)

[July 1597]

.....

8

....................

tt at wismane of weschester

...............

01—

00—

01-00-03

F.27^v (Greg I.54)

[July 1597]

.....

12

....................

tt at wismane of weschester

...............

00—

18—

00-01-00

(marginal note: "marten slather went for the company of my lord admeralles men the 18 of July 1597")

[July 1597]

.....

18

....................

tt at wisman

...............

01—

10—

00-00-00

F.93^v (Greg I.148)

pd at the apoyntment of the 19 of septmber

1601 for the playe of the wysman of weschester

vnto my sonne E Alleyn the some of ............... xxxx^s

Theatrical Provenance

The Wise Man of West Chester was played at the Rose playhouse beginning on 2 December 1594 by the Admiral's players; its initial entry carries Henslowe's enigmatic "ne." Its purchase in 1601 makes it second among the nine playbooks sold by Edward Alleyn to the company in the early years of the Fortune playhouse.

Probable Genre(s)

Pseudo-History (Harbage, identifying it as John a Kent and John a Cumber); Magician play (whatever its relation to John a Kent)

Possible Narrative and Dramatic Sources or Analogues

None known (unless it is John a Kent and John a Cumber [see Critical Commentary, below])

References to the Play

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Critical Commentary

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For What It's Worth

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Works Cited

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