A Collection of Old English Plays, Vol. II unknown Various. A Collection of Old English Plays, Vol.

II Produced by Jonathan Ingram, Tapio Riikonen and Distributed Proofreaders A COLLECTION OF OLD ENGLISH PLAYS, VOL. II In Four Volumes Edited by A.H.

BULLEN 1882-89. PREFACE. The plays in this volume are printed for the first time.

All are anonymous; but it is absolutely certain that _Sir_John_Van_Olden_Barnavelt_ is a masterpiece by Fletcher and Massinger; that _Captain_Underwit_ is a comedy of Shirley's; and that the _Lady_Mother_ (a piece of no particular merit) is by Glapthorne. I am not at all sure that I am right in ascribing _Dick_of_Devonshire_ to Heywood. But, whoever may have been the author, I am confident that this well-written play will be welcomed by all.

In _Appendix_I_ I give an account of the folio volume (Eg. MS. 1,994) from which the two last pieces are taken.

To Mr. ROBERT BOYLE, of St. Petersburg, I offer my sinceere thanks for the very interesting note (_Appendix_II_) which he sent me after reading the proof-sheets of _Barnavelt_.