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Shakespeare's Works: Measure for measure. Troilus and Cressida
Shakespeare's Works Measure for measure Troilus and Cressida Author:William Shakespeare Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: INTRODUCTION TROILUS AND CRESSIDA. I. THE HISTORY OF THE PLAY. Troilus and Cressida was first printed, so far as we know, in 1609, when two quarto ... more »editions appeared. The title-page of one of these is as follows: The | Historic of Troylus | and Cresseida. | As it was acted by the Kings Maiesties seruants at the Globe. | Written by William Shakespeare. | LONDON | Imprinted by G. Eld for R. Bonian and H. Walley, and | are to be sold at the spred Eagle in Paules | Church-yeard,ouer against the | great North doore. | 1609. The other quarto was printed from the same type, with the first lines of the title modified thus: The | Famous Historic of [ Troylus and Cresseid. | Excellently expressing the beginning of their loues, with the conceited wooing | of Pandarus Prince of Liria. Written by William Shakespeare | [the rest exactly as above]. This edition also differs from the other in having a preface, apparently from the publisher, with the heading: "A neuer writer, to an euer reader. Newes." The play is called a new one, " neuer stal'd with the Stage, neuer clapper-clawd with the palmes of the vulger." It has hence been inferred that this edition was earlier than the other; but the Cambridge editors are perhaps right in their conclusion that the title we have given first was the original one, and that after some copies had been issued this was cancelled, and the second title with the preface inserted instead. They say: "The title-page of the edition with the preface is printed from the same form as the other title-page, as is evident from a comparison of the parts in each, from ' Written by William Shakespeare ' to the end, which are absolutely identical. As the running title, 'The history of Troylus and Cresseida,'corresponds with the first-quoted title-page...« less