acquainted with, have been discovered by the present editor, and, in some instances, a more ancient source has been pointed out than that industrious collector was aware of.

With regard to the critical observations prefixed to the several dramas, the editor wishes them to be regarded principally as indications to the reader of the more striking beauties and defects of the play he is about to peruse, without any pretensions to more extensive critical enquiries, which, considering the great number of the productions of our poets, would have been out of place, and would have wearied the reader, if he had condescended to afford them a perusal.

A chronological arrangement of the plays would have been very desirable; if it could have been executed with any degree of certainty and authenticity; but, unfortunately, that is entirely out of the power of any editor, without very frequently grounding his hypothesis upon mere guess-work. In the table subjoined to the present prefatory introduction, an endeavour has been made to arrange the plays, as far as our scanty information permits, into some kind of chronological order, and to separate those which were probably the united production of Beau

mont and Fletcher from those which were written by each without the assistance of the other, or in conjunction with other poets. The arrangement in the first folio was entirely made to serve the convenience of the printer. The plays were sent to press as they could be procured, and, to expedite the work, they were divided into eight unequal portions. The arrangement of the second folio, which has been followed by all the modern editors, is different, but no less unsystematic, and without any attempt at a regular sequence. For these reasons, no arrangement has been attempted in the present edition, excepting that the plays which Fletcher wrote in conjunction with other poets than Beaumont, have been printed together in the two last volumes. So long as we are unable to form a strictly chronological order, it is utterly indifferent how the plays are arranged; and their distribution in such a manner as to equalize the size of the volumes is as specious as any other.

It remains to apprize the reader what additional matter he will meet with in the present volumes. The tragi-comedy of the Faithful Friends is now, for the first time, faithfully printed from the original manuscript, purchased

by the proprietors. Its authenticity is unques tionable; and, though not a work which shows the genius of our poets in the most splendid light, the whole forms an interesting and wellconstructed drama, and some of the scenes are of sufficient merit to compensate for the defects of others. The comedy of The Widow, in which Fletcher assisted Ben Jonson and Middleton, has also been added, as well as the poems of Beaumont, which were first printed in 1640, and again in 1653.

The editor's curiosity having been excited by what he conceived might possibly prove a valuable addition to his edition, he used every endeavour to obtain a book entitled, in a bookseller's catalogue, "The Golden Remains of Beaumont and Fletcher," but his exertions proved unavailing till this sheet was going to press, when he was fortunate enough to obtain a copy, and found, what indeed he had strongly suspected,, that it is merely the second edition of Beaumont's Poems, printed in the last volume of this work, with a new title-page, well calculated to attract purchasers. The following is the title: "Poems. The Golden Remains of those so much admired Dramatick Poets, Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, Gents. Containing, The Hermaphrodite two Sexes, The Remedy and Art of Love, Elegies on the most eminent Persons; with other amorous Sonnets, and conceited Fancies. Together with the Prologues, Epilogues, and Songs, many of which were never before inserted in his printed Plays. The second Edition, enriched with the Addition of other Drolleries by several Wits of the present Times. London, printed for William Hope, at the backside of the Old Exchange. 1660."

I cannot close these introductory pages without acknowledging the very valuable assistance I have received in the course of it from Walter Scott, Esq. who was ever ready to give his opinion upon any passage which, by his permission, the editor submitted to his judgment. Nor must I omit gratefully to acknowledge the kindness of John Philip Kemble, Esq. who, in the most handsome manner, communicated his copy of the second quarto of The Knight of the Burning Pestle, collated throughout by himself with the first edition, which has proved of singular advantage to the work.

The Epitaph beginning―

"Here she lies, whose spotless fame
Invites a stone to learn her name,” &c.

is an old MS. note said to be written "On Mrs Ann Littleton, who dy'd 6th February, 1623, and lies buried in the Temple Church." This proves that the epitaph could not be Beaumont's, but it is not unlikely to have been written by Fletcher.

LIST OF THE PLAYS

OF

BEAUMONT & FLETCHER.

In the following list it has been attempted to specify, on such evidence as has been transmitted to our time, which plays appear to have been written by Beaumont and Fletcher in conjunction, and which were produced by each poet without the assistance of the other, or by the latter in combination with other poets, referring for the evidence on which the conclusions have been grounded to the introductions prefixed to the several plays. The date of the plays has been noticed, wherever it could be made out with any degree of probability, as well as the dates of the old quartos. Wherever no edition is mentioned, the play was first printed in the folio collection of 1647.