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Notes
Throughout this study, in speaking of "the Beaumont and Fletcher canon" I refer to the plays published in the second folio (1679), including Beaumont's Masque but excluding Shirley's The Coronation.
Reprinted in Shelburne Essays, Tenth Series, pp. 3 ff. See also C. M. Gayley, Francis Beaumont Dramatist (1914), pp. 271-273.
W. E. Farnham, "Colloquial Contractions in Beaumont, Fletcher, Massinger, and Shakespeare as a Test of Authorship," PMLA, XXXI, 326 ff. Later studies of particular value are found in R. C. Bald, Bibliographical Studies in the Beaumont and Fletcher Folio, and in J. Gerritsen's edition of The Honest Man's Fortune.
Entries in the Office Book of Sir Henry Herbert, Master of the Revels from 1622 until the closing of the theatres, twice refer to The Loyal Subject as the work of Fletcher (The Dramatic Records of Sir Henry Herbert, edited by J. Q. Adams, pp. 22 and 53). In his record of plays licensed for acting, Herbert names Fletcher as the author of A Wife for a Month and Rule a Wife (Ibid., pp. 28-29).
The eight Massinger plays which, on the evidence that is available, can be dated after Fletcher's death are: The Picture, licensed 1629; The Emperor of the East and Believe as you List, 1631; The City Madam, 1632; The Guardian, 1633; The Bashful Lover, 1636 (licensing dates are drawn from Herbert's Office Book). The date of The Maid of Honour and A New Way to Pay Old Debts is uncertain. Malone sought to identify The Maid of Honour with The Honour of Women, licensed by Herbert on 6 May 1628. If the reference to the taking of Breda in A New Way (I, ii) stood in the original version of that play—and there is no reason to suppose the contrary—then the play cannot have been written before that event occurred, on 1 July 1625 (W. Gifford, The Plays of Philip Massinger, III, 503-4).
Abbreviations. (References to the folio, quarto, octavo, or manuscript text upon which all statistics in the present study have been based are given in parentheses after each title.) B. L., The Bashful Lover (O 1655); Bel., Believe as You List (British Museum Ms. Egerton 2828, Edited by C. J. Sisson, The Malone Society); Bon., Bonduca (F 1647); Bond., The Bondman (Q 1624); Chan., The Chances (F 1647); C. M., The City Madam (Q 1658); D. M., The Duke of Milan (Q 1623); E. E., The Emperor of the East (Q 1632); Guard., The Guardian (O 1655); G. D. F., The Great Duke of Florence (Q 1636); H. L., The Humourous Lieutenant (F 1647); I. P., The Island Princess (F 1647); L. S., The Loyal Subject (F 1647); M. L., The Mad Lover (F 1647); M. H., The Maid of Honour (Q 1632); M. Thom., Monsieur Thomas (Q 1639); N. W., A New Way to Pay Old Debts (Q 1633); Pict., The Picture (Q 1630); Pilg., The Pilgrim (F 1647; P. L., The Parliament of Love (Victoria and Albert Museum, Dyce MS. 39, Edited by K. M. Lea, The Malone Society); Ren., The Renegado (Q 1630); R. A., The Roman Actor (Q 1629); R. W., Rule a Wife and Have a Wife (Q 1640); U. C., The Unnatural Combat (Q 1639); Valen., Valentinian (F 1647); W. G. C., The Wild Goose Chase (F 1652); W. M., A Wife for a Month (F 1647); W. P., Women Pleased (F 1647); W. Pr., The Woman's Prize (Folger Shakespeare Library, Lambarde Ms.).
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