Wise Man of West Chester, The

Historical Records

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

y^e 2 of desember 1594	................	ne	.....	Rd at the wise man of chester	................	xxxiij^s
y^e 6 of desember 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at wiseman of weschester	................	xxxiiij^s

F. 11 (Greg I.21)

y^e 29 of desember 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wissman of weschester	................	iij^li ij^s
y^e 16 of Jenewarye 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wiseman of weaschester	................	iij^li
y^e 23 of Jenewary 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wiseman of wescheaster	................	iij^li vj^s
y^e 4 of febreary 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wysman of weschester	................	iij^li iiij^s
y^e 12 of febreary 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisman of weschester	................	liij^s

F.11^v (Greg I.22)

y^e 19 of febrey 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisman of weschester	................	xxxxvj^s
y^e 28 of febreary 1594	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xxxix^s
y^e 25 of Ap^rrell 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wissman	................	xxxix^s
y^e 26 of Ap^rrell 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisseman of weschester	................	iij^li
y^e 6 of may 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at wiseman	................	xxxx^s
y^e 15 of may 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisse man of weschester	................	xxxxiiij^s

F.12^v (Greg I.24)

y^e 26 of maye 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at weschester	................	xxxj^s
y^e 4 of June 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xxij^s
y^e 11 of June 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wissman of weschester	................	xxxxvij^s
y^e 26 of aguste 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of wescheaster	................	xxxix^s
y^e 9 of septmber 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wise man	................	xxxxiiij^s

F.13 (Greg I.25)

y^e 29 of septmber 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wiseman	................	xv^s
y^e 6 of october 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman	................	xvij^s
y^e 19 of october 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman	................	xvij^s
— m^r pd—	................	.....	.....	Rd at weschester	................	xx^s

F.14 (Greg I.27)

y^e 29 of desember 1595	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xxij^s
	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wissman of weschester	................	xviij^s

F.14^v (Greg I.28)

y^e 4 of febreary 1595

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

.....

Rd at the wissman of weschester

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

xxij^s

F.15^v (Greg I.30)

y^e 17 of ap^rrell 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xxx^s
y^e 30 of ap^rrell 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisman	................	x^s

F.21^v (Greg I.42)

y^e 8 of June 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at the wisman of weschester	................	xx^s
y^e 7 of July 1596	................	.....	.....	Rd at wisman of weschester	................	xvj^s

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

None known.

Critical Commentary

Malone
Collier
Fleay
Greg
MSR editor (Muriel St. Clare Byrne)
Ashton Gurr (Playgoers; Sh Opposites)
Shapiro & Ioppolo (date)
Knutson
Mac Jackson

For What It's Worth

Works Cited

Malone
Collier
Fleay
MSR editor (Muriel St. Clare Byrne)
Ashton Gurr (Playgoers; Sh Opposites)
Shapiro & Ioppolo (date)
Knutson
Mac Jackson

Site created and maintained by Roslyn L. Knutson, Professor Emerita, University of Arkansas at Little Rock; updated 16 January 2012].