Individually these volumes may not seem important; however, together they chart the progress of not only the adaptations and editions of Shakespeare’s plays in the Restoration era, but also of the English theatre between Charles 2 and the Georgian era. They provide not only complete works by authors, famous in their own right, but also how they sought to bring the best edition out, each arguing with another as to which is best. That there are the editions by such as TATE that change the endings completely, to provide an uplifting theatrical experience in post-Republican days, is incredible; that there are also Restoration play texts that may have not been performed in 300 years, even more so. That the ‘missing link’ is here is remarkable. That Holinshead’s Chronicles, dating back to pre-Shakespeare is more than remarkable. The head of English Literature in Cambridge University has recommended that this collection should not, in any way, be broken up and sold. It is too valuable an inheritance for the City, the University and the people of Cardiff. There is one more link, this time from Robert KECK to BETTERTON & DAVENANT: The Chandos Portrait. The portrait, of which KECK is one of three acknowledged owners, was painted by John Taylor, a player and painter, who acted with W.S, described as ‘his intimate friend’. According to history, Taylor left this portrait to DAVENANT, who sold it to BETTERTON from whom KECK bought it for 40 guineas. KECK is listed as an FRS and a member of the Inner Temple in 1701. He knew the actors and the writers, and was connected directly to the Inns of Court.  

Stephen Whitehead – Cardiff citizen and member of Cardiff Shakespeare Readers 

 

HOLINSHEAD CHRONICLES Volumes 1-3

AUTHOR: Raphael Holinshead

Date: 1580 (Vol 1) 1587 (Vol 2 and 3)

Edition: There was only one first edition, though copied many times, no doubt. 

Brief Description: Volume 1: The first description of the Histories of England, Scotland and Ireland until the year 1547.

Historical/Literary Importance: The first account of the histories of the above countries; formed the source material of the History plays by Wm. Shakespeare and many more of his contemporaries. It includes the first mention of Macbeth, the source for that play.  Their availability, in this form, is unique. Others may exist: viz. paperback versions, but these are dated and originals; invaluable to academics, students, historians, and theatre practitioners. 

 

FIRST FOLIO OF PLAYS BY BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER

Published 1647

All their plays, bar one, ‘The Wild-goose Chase’ discovered in 1652, in one volume for the first time. Never printed in this format before and now published by the authors’ original copies.

Beaumont and Fletcher were Shakespeare’s contemporaries and, with Ben JONSON, his natural successors.  John Fletcher worked with W. S on ‘All Is True’ or Henry VIII; and ‘Two Noble Kinsmen’. The latter was performed by the RSC as the first production of the Swan Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon. This was their first publication in Folio, the rest being in Quarto. Unique and invaluable, it was published after their deaths. Their joint contribution to Theatre cannot be underestimated.

 

THE HISTORY OF THE WORTHIES OF ENGLAND

By FULLER: Thomas D.D 1608-1661

The History of the Worthies of England, who for parts and learning have been eminent in the several counties: also includes the Principality of Wales.

Published 1662

A historical narrative of the native commodities and rarities in each county, it was sold at the sign of The Bible in Little Britain. It seems to be a kind of ‘who’s-who’ of the period.

 

FIRST FOLIO OF PLAYS BY THOMAS KILLIGREW

KILLIGREW: Thomas 1612-1683

Published: 1664

Killigrew held the joint monopoly with William D’AVENANT on acting in Restoration London. He was Master of the Revels 1679. In 1663 he built a playhouse on the site of what is now the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane.  The last act of his play, ‘The Wanderer’ was used by Aphra BEHN as the basis of ‘The Rover’. Behn was regarded as the first woman professional dramatist. The Rover was played by the RSC in the Swan Theatre 1986. As far as I can ascertain these plays haven’t been performed since the 17th Century. It is probable that Killigrew went into exile with Charles 2nd and returned at the Restoration.

 

FIRST FOLIO OF PLAYS BY CAVENDISH

CAVENDISH: MARGARET, Duchess of Newcastle 1624?-1674

She was an early feminist, interested in chemistry and philosophy. Her intellectual curiosity was omnivorous and was one of the first women to attend a Royal Society meeting. She was, at times, regarded as eccentric. KECK was an FRS (Fellow of the Royal Society). These plays are very rare.

 

OF DRAMATIC POESY by JOHN DRYDEN

DRYDEN: JOHN 1631-1700

Published 1668

Poet Laureate 1668 and Historiographer Royal 1670

This is a fictitious dialogue between four fellow writers/poets/dramatists under the guise of Greco/Roman philosophers. It is set in a boat on the Thames on the day of a sea battle between the English and the Dutch navies. In this he discusses the comparative merits of English and French drama; and Old and New English Drama. He is justifying his, then, current practice as a playwright. It contains appreciations of Wm. Shakespeare, John Fletcher and Ben Jonson. It was published again in 1693, but this is the first edition. Very rare.

 

THE RIVALS – A reworking of Two Noble Kinsmen

DAVENANT: William, Sir, 1606-1668

Printed 1668

It is an alteration of The Two Noble Kinsmen by Shakespeare and Fletcher 

William DAvenant was rumoured to be the natural son of William Shakespeare. He succeeded Ben JONSON as Poet Laureate, and knighted by Charles I after the siege of Gloucester. 1650-1652 he was imprisoned by Cromwell in The Tower, but was saved by John MILTON. During the Commonwealth he evaded the ban on plays with ‘entertainments of music and instruction’. His Charter for the Duke’s House, Lincolns Inn Fields, was transferred to Covent Garden. He was an innovator of movable scenery. Later he adapted the plays of Wm Shakespeare ‘to suit the taste of the day’. With Thomas KILLIGREW he shared the monopoly of acting in Restoration London. Very rare.

 

THE TEMPEST – a reworking by JOHN DRYDEN

DRYDEN: John 1631-1700

The Tempest, or the Enchanted Island; a comedy published 1670.

An adaptation and alteration of Shakespeare’s Tempest, co-written with William D’AVENANT. Only three other copies are recorded in Birmingham Central Library, Folger Shakespeare Library and Columbia University. Later editions were altered from this original. That of 1690 is in this collection.

 

THE COLLECTED WORKS OF D’AVENANT (1673)

DAVENANT, William, Sir 1606-1668

This is the first collection of Davenant’s works. Some formerly printed, some printed for the first time from the author’s original copies. Rare.

 

ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA – a version by Charles Sedley (1677)

SEDLEY, Charles 1639?-1701

Dramatist, poet and friend of Dryden and John Wilmot, the Earl of ROCHESTER, SEDLEY was famous for his wit and urbanity and noted for his profligacy. In this situation he would also be close, as Rochester was, to Charles II. He features (under an alias) in DRYDEN’s ‘Of Dramatic Poesy’, also featured in this collection. It was reprinted in 1702 under the title, Beauty the Conqueror, or The death of Marc Antony. Hardly any of his works remain as far as I can ascertain.

 

THE HISTORY OF TIMON OF ATHENS – a reworking by Thomas Shadwell

SHADWELL, Thomas 1642-1692 

Printed and licensed, as a play, Feb 18 1678; an adaptation of Shakespeare’s play. He was a rival of DRYDEN and so much so that this became political. As DRYDEN was closer to the Crown than SHADWELL, his plays were rarely performed during the reigns of both Charles 2nd and James 2nd.  He also wrote the opera ‘The Tempest’ (see Thomas DUFFETT), based on Dryden’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s original. He became poet laureate and historiographer after DRYDEN in 1689. His works were rarely performed and as such are very rare.

 

ALL FOR LOVE – a version of Antony and Cleopatra by JOHN DRYDEN

DRYDEN: John 1631-1700

Published 1678: First Edition Later versions of this are also in the collection, dated 1692, 1696, 1703, 1709. It appears that KECK bought each edition as it was printed with any amendments. This apparently meant a great deal to Robert KECK. A rare first edition 

 

MISERY OF CIVIL WAR – a reworking of Henry VI by JOHN CROWNE

CROWNE, John 1640?-1712

Published 1681. CROWNE was a favourite of Charles 2nd, yet had a mortal aversion to court life. He was one of the first exponents of elaborate and expensive staging, thus furthering and developing the craft of staging and acting. This would eventually lead to the major dramas and spectacles of the 19th century; an important development in theatre. He claimed his plays were ‘successful, yet clean’. With DRYDEN and SHADWELL he wrote a satirical attack on SETTLE’S, ‘Empress of Morocco’ also in the collection. His work is very rare.

 

SEVERAL OF NAHUM TATE’S FAMOUS REWORKINGS OF SHAKESPEARE

TATE: Nahum 1652-1715

Nahum Tate was notorious for his rewriting of some of Shakespeare’s greatest tragedies, and giving them happy endings. The best known of these, and one performed as recently as the 1980’s in New York by the Riverside Shakespeare Company, was:

FIRST EDITION OF KING LEAR (1681)

Under instruction to make the endings happy for the audiences who, it was feared had suffered enough misery under the Commonwealth and Oliver Cromwell, he changed this almost out of recognition. Lear, Kent and Gloucester live, and Edgar marries Cordelia. His versions became the standard playing texts until Edmund KEAN reverted to the originals. These versions were performed by David GARRICK and Tate was championed, posthumously, by Dr Samuel JOHNSON. TATE was also the librettist for Purcell’s opera DIDO AND AENEAS, often referred to as the 1st English Opera. The first publication of 1681 is in this collection, as are later reprints of 1689 and 1699, each with alterations and amendments.   

THE HISTORY OF KING RICHARD THE SECOND

This copy includes a prefatory epistle in vindication of the author, occasioned by the prohibition of this play on stage, by the author.

Published in 1681, this was an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Richard 2nd.

THE FALL OF CAIUS MARTIUS CORIOLANUS  

Published 1682. TATE’s work is invaluable. Although he ‘messed around’ with Shakespeare, he was writing for a country emerging from years of Civil war, persecution, limitations and a ban on any enjoyment in theatre that was not morally uplifting. His version of ROMEO and JULIET, with the happy ending (they survive, as does Mercutio) was used by David EDGAR in the RSC’s classic production of The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby in the 1980’s, when it is performed by the Vincent Crummles Theatre Company.

 

A REWORKING OF MACBETH by DAVENANT

DAVENANT, William, Sir 1606-1668

Published 1687

This is a major rewrite of the play after Davenant’s original. It is unique having totally altered the original to include songs. There are no songs in the original Shakespeare play. It is taking a rewrite and rewriting it to suit the times. It is a case, as in many others in this collection, of giving the people what they wanted. Writers were catering to the audiences to get them back in after years of a cultural drought.

 

A REWORKING OF TITUS ANDRONICUS by RAVENSCROFT

RAVENSCROFT, Edward 1654-1707

Published 1687

Other copies available in Birmingham Central Library and Edinburgh University Library. Although born in England, his family were originally from Flintshire. He trained as a lawyer in Middle Temple, but preferred to write. He wrote twelve plays, some of which he freely adapted from originals by Moliere. He has the Welsh connection.

 

NEW CATALOGUE OF ENGLISH PLAYS (1691)

LANGBAINE, Gerard 1656-1692

An overall account, like a ‘who’s who’ in the theatre world. It covers every aspect of theatrical dramatic writing, including pastorals, masques, farces and operas in the English language; it also includes the poets as well as the dramatists and playwrights. It also includes observations and remarks on their lives and writings. Langbaine was a scholar, English dramatic biographer and critic. Wikipedia states this book was the earliest work to give biographical and critical information on the playwrights of English Renaissance and Restoration Theatre. He was long recognised as the only serious scholar in this field. His own collection of printed editions of plays and masques amounted to 980, not including interludes and drolls. It was the first attempt to clarify and comprehend the lush confusion of English drama in the 16th and 17th centuries. His ‘Account of the English Dramatic Poets’ and the new catalogue, were included in the 1711 reprint of the Beaumont and Fletcher plays; the first since 1679, the version included in the Cardiff collection. As a source work and an account of the theatre in England in over 200 years this work is invaluable. Of the 980 plays in his collection many will no longer be available, or may indeed be in this collection. The importance of this book, both to academics and theatre practitioners, as well as students of Literature cannot be underestimated. Extremely rare.

 

THE WORKS OF BEN JONSON (1692)

JONSON, Ben 1573?-1637

Title: The works of Ben Jonson, formerly printed in two volumes, are now reprinted into one. To which is added a comedy, The New Inn, with additions never before published. Published sixty years after his death this has to be the most comprehensive collection of Jonson’s plays to that date. The New Inn was performed by the RSC in 1987 in the Swan Theatre. Jonson, after Shakespeare is, arguably, the leading Elizabethan/Jacobean dramatist. His plays have never been out of print, but this is the first time all his plays were gathered into one volume.

 

THE HISTORY AND FALL OF CAIUS MARIUS (1692)

OTWAY, Thomas 1652-1685

This is unique. Otway, also famous for his play Venice Preserv’d was first an actor, given a part by Aphra BEHN the first female professional dramatist. The first half of the play is taken from Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, combined with reminiscences of Plutarch’s Life of Marius.  There are two copies of this book in the collection. Very rare.

 

LIBRETTO: FAIRY QUEEN – a reworking of Midsummer Night’s Dream (1692)

Printed by Jacob TONSON, written by Elkanah SETTLE; based on Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Libretto only; the music was composed by Henry Purcell. It also includes stage directions. TONSON was a founder member of the Kit-Cat Club, the most influential political and cultural club in the latter half of the 17th and the 18th Centuries. TONSON was the first professional printer in London, and published the first edition of John MILTON’s Paradise Lost. Another co-founder was Richard STEELE, the editor and owner/publisher of THE SPECTATOR. This edition is autographed by Robert KECK and also has notes in his handwriting     

 

TROILUS AND CRESSIDA – a version by JOHN DRYDEN (1695)

This edition also includes a preface containing the grounds of criticism in tragedy, written by Dryden.

 

HENRY IV PART 1 (1700)

An abridgement by Thomas BETTERTON (1635-1710): the greatest actor of the Restoration period. He played 180 roles, including Falstaff. On the CARDIFF copy there is the date 1703, and the name Robert KECK; there are also notes, by him, on Falstaff. BETTERTON first performed in Little Lincolns Inn Fields Theatre then joined D’Avenant’s company. In 1695 he opened a new theatre, transferring to the new Haymarket Theatre in 1705. The Haymarket was designed by Vanbrugh, another member of the KIT-CAT Club; who also designed and built Castle Howard (designs paid for by the K-C C) and Blenheim Palace. BETTERTON also was the first actor to portray Hamlet with the first female Ophelia to play the part in public (Mary Saunderson, whom he later married). He has direct links with Shakespeare. DAVENANT taught BETTERTON the part of Hamlet, having seen it performed by ‘Mr TAYLOR’ of the Blackfriars Company, who had been instructed by Shakespeare himself.  Amongst his other roles was LEAR in TATE’s version

 

MEASURE FOR MEASURE – with additions by GILDON

GILDON, Charles 1665-1724

Date: 1700

This is from the original by Shakespeare, but very much altered with additions of several entertainments of musick. This version is totally unique. Davenant combined portions of Measure for Measure and Much Ado, and called it, ‘Law against Lovers’, in 1673. GILDON took from this the portions from MFM, altered them, added four musical entertainments and published it without acknowledging anyone. GILDON was associated with the Kit Cat Club. He wrote to the Electress Sophia to visit England to be on hand when Queen Anne died, and take the throne. He was prosecuted for libel, but the K-C C paid his fine. The letters should have had him imprisoned or pilloried, but his connections saved him.  in 1710 he wrote The Life of Thomas Betterton (see above), dedicated to STEELE (The K-C C , The Tatler and Spectator). He was a rival of POPE and SWIFT. This edition is extremely rare.

 

KING RICHARD III – a reworking by CIBBER (1700)

CIBBER, COLLEY 1671-1757

Signed edition of this play, by the author, and dated February 1700

Colley Cibber was the first British actor-manager. Noted for being an extremely bad poet he wrote the first of what would become, in the future, an actor’s biography. His own memoir, An Apology for the Life of Colley Cibber, is regarded as a source for accounts of life on the 18th century London stage.  This adaption of Richard 3 remained the standard stage version for 150 years. A critic writing of Edwin Booth’s performance in America in the 1870’s described the play as ‘Not the version generally played; a hodgepodge concocted by Colley Cibber, who cut, and transposed the original version, and added to it speeches from four or five other Shakespeare plays, and several really fine speeches of his own.’ The well known line, ‘off with his head, so much for Buckingham’ was included in this version. He was often criticised for his ‘miserable mutilation of hapless Shakespeare, and crucified Moliere’.

That this has a dedication signed and dated by Colley Cibber in 1700 makes this extremely rare.

 

COMPLETE WORKS OF JOHN DRYDEN (1701)

The first time all Dryden’s works were collected together and corrected from the originals, in two volumes. Only two other copies are recorded: British Library and the National Library of Ireland.

 

THE JEW OF VENICE -  a reworking of Merchant of Venice (1701)

LANSDOWNE: George Granville, Baron 1667-1735

An adaptation of Shakespeare’s Merchant of Venice, includes an interlude; Peleus & Thetis

George Granville, friend of DRYDEN. Wrote poems whilst at Trinity, Cambridge, to welcome Mary of Modena; the employer of John CARYLL (also in this collection). Granville was also connected with the K-C C, strange for a Tory to be connected to a Whig-based society. His work was little staged during his life and any copies of his plays are rare.

 

THE COMICAL GALLANT -   a reworking of Merry Wives of Windsor (1702)

DENNIS: John 1657-1734

Title: The comical gallant, or the amours of Sir John Falstaffe.  To which is added a large account of the taste in poetry and the causes of the degeneracy of it.

This is an adaptation of the Merry Wives of Windsor. Dennis was a dramatist best known for his criticisms. A critic and rival of POPE, the latter took his words to heart and amended some of his own work in line with Dennis’s criticisms. Although his criticism on poetry is available, not all Dennis’s work is. As such any copies of his plays are rare.

 

LOVE BETRAYED – a reworking of Twelfth Night (1703)

BURNABY; William 1672/3-1706

This is a re-working of the basic plot of Twelfth Night. His translation of Petronius’ Satyricon is widely available, however, copies of this play I’ve tracked down to the National Library of Australia. Any links in the northern hemisphere are not available to browse, buy or borrow. To the best of my knowledge the Cardiff copy, at this date, may be the only existing copy not in Australia. Later dated copies, with any amendments, may be available from the USA (see above)         

    

POEMS ON AFFAIRS OF STATE 1620-1707

A compilation of poems on this subject between those two dates. It includes work by Shakespeare, Dryden, Tate and many others.

Published: 1707. This is very rare; almost unique. At the time of printing many of these poems hadn’t been published before, and quite probably not since. Some of the poets mentioned are otherwise unknown.

 

THE COMPLETE WORKS OF SHAKESPEARE

WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE 1564-1616

Various editions

Published: 1709, 1714, 1725, 1726, 1733, 1743, 1765, 1768, 1773

On notable edition is the 1733 edition, edited by Lewis THEOBALD 1688-1744

This is the missing link. This edition of 7 volumes reverts back to the original Shakespearean text and is that which forms the reference for all future Complete Works. It was believed to be long since missing. This date was the first recorded publishing of this edition. It is the benchmark. Only the plays are here, not the poems, or the sonnets.