The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 17.0552  Monday, 12 June 2006

[1] 	From: 	Matthew Steggle <
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	Date: 	Friday, 9 Jun 2006 10:54:19 +0100
	Subj: 	Dedications to printed plays

[2] 	From: 	Bill Lloyd <
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	Date: 	Friday, 9 Jun 2006 13:08:03 EDT
	Subj: 	Re: SHK 17.0546 Dedications to Printed Plays--


[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Matthew Steggle <
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Date: 		Friday, 9 Jun 2006 10:54:19 +0100
Subject: 	Dedications to printed plays

For Robin Hamilton -

Try David M. Bergeron, _Textual Patronage in English Drama, 1570-1640_ 
(Ashgate, 2006), 215-28, who gives an interesting chronological list of 
dozens of printed play dedications in that period.  His first named 
dedicatee is Lady Cheynie of Toddington, dedicatee of an Italian play 
translated by Henry Cheeke and printed in 1573.  Even if you restrict 
the category to plays from the English professional stage, there are 
still plenty of examples on Bergeron's list, above all, Jonson's 1616 
Works with its numerous dedications.  So, surprisingly, it's more common 
than one might think.

- Matt

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From: 		Bill Lloyd <
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Date: 		Friday, 9 Jun 2006 13:08:03 EDT
Subject: 17.0546 Dedications to Printed Plays--
Comment: 	Re: SHK 17.0546 Dedications to Printed Plays--

 >When is the printed text of an individual play first dedicated to an
 >eminent personage?

I don't know if these are the earliest, but they're early-ish:

In 1575 George Gascoigne dedicated his play The Glass of Government to 
Sir Owen Hopton, knight, "hir Majesties Lieutenant in hir tower of 
London".  Not sure if this is eminent enough.

Sometime before his death in 1577, Gascoigne seems to have presented his 
'Work' to the Queen, in person. This is perhaps the *Hundreth Sundry 
Flowers* of 1573 or its 1575 revision *The Posies of George Gascoigne*, 
which included a novel, two plays, a masque, and verse. However as far 
as I can tell, the printed texts do not contain dedications to 
eminences. Gascoigne can be seen presenting his Work to the Queen at 
http://www.luminarium.org/renlit/gascbib.htm.

By the way, I've seen it said that Samuel Daniel's *Certain Small 
Workes* of 1607 (which along with much verse includes three plays) 
trumps Jonson's 1616 *Workes* as the first 'collected plays' in English. 
Gascoigne would seem to trump Daniel.

Bill Lloyd

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