Every Man in his Humour.] This Comedy (as here given) was first presented in 1598, at the Globe, and, as the title says, by the Lord Chamberlain's Servants. It was not printed till 1616.
The first appearance of Every Man in his Humour on the stage, was either in 1595 or in 1596, when it was brought out at the Rose Theatre, by Henslowe and Alleyn, and proved exceedingly popular. Before it was purchased by the company at the Globe, it had undergone a variety of alterations; the names, the place of action, were radically altered; some of the dialogue was remodelled, and the incidents accommodated to the changes of the scene, which was brought from Italy to England. It has always been a favourite, and is still in possession of the stage.[1]
The 4to. edition appeared in 1603: there is not the least probability of its having been given to the press by Jonson, whose name is misspelt in the title-page, and who indeed, if the property of the play had been in his own hands, would naturally be inclined to suppress it altogether. It had neither dedication nor prologue, and was probably printed from the bookholder's copy at the Rose.
Jonson has subjoined the names of "the principal comedians;" these were "Will. Shakspeare, Aug. Philips, Hen. Condel, Will. Slye, Will. Kempe, Ric. Burbage, J. Hemings, Tho. Pope, Chr. Beeston, and John Duke:" this arrangement, however, does not enable us to appropriate the characters to the names, respectively.
- ↑ "Of Jonson's fifty dramas" (as Mr. A. Chalmer's informs us) "there are not above three which preserve his name on the stage." Mr. Malone, too, talks of Jonson's fifty dramas, as if he were speaking of those of Shakspeare, or Beaumont and Fletcher. Did neither of these critics know, that of those fifty pieces, absurdly called dramas by them, four and thirty, at least, were never intended for the stage! But thus it ever is in the case of our author:—deception walks hand in hand with ignorance. "His first play (says the Theatrum Poetarum, 1800,) was Every Man in his Humour, 1598, 4to." (there is no such edition) "his sixth, Part of King James's Entertainment in passing to his Coronation" (an excellent play,) "his forty-ninth" (more excellent still) "the King and Queen's Entertainment at Bolsover!" p. 243. The fiftieth play is not specified; but, from its position, was probably the Grammar.
