Shirley, James. Six new playes : viz. The brothers. Sisters. Doubtfull heir. Imposture. Cardinall. Court secret. The five first were acted at the Private House in Black Fryers with great applause. The last was never acted. All written by James Shirley. Never printed before

Greg, W.W. Bibliography of the English printed drama to the Restoration: III, p. 1123-4
ESTC number: R20878
Woodward & McManaway: 1134
British Museum. Catalogue of the pamphlets, books, newspapers, and manuscripts relating to the Civil War, the Commonwealth, and Restoration, collected by George Thomason, 1640-1661: E.1226[1]
Folger bibliographic ID: 142175
Wing number: S3486
Folger call number: S3486 copy 4
Folger holdings ID: 131172

Bibliographic format

octavo

General notes

The words "Brothers. .. Court secret." are bracketed together on title page The portrait of the author is signed: W. Marshall sculpsit. 1646 Contains "The brothers", "The sisters", "The doubtful heir", "The imposture", "The cardinal", and "The court secret", each with separate pagination, register, and title page (all but the last dated 1652). According to Greg, William Wilson printed the first, fourth, and sixth plays, Thomas Warren the others. "Although individual plays from the collection sometimes occur singly, there is no evidence that they were ever separately issued, unless it be that in Thomason's copy .. the plays do not appear in the order given in the title"--Greg Includes bibliography Variant lacks comma after title word "playes" Annotation on Thomason copy: "ffebu. 8.", "1652"; 3 in imprint date crossed through

Item information about Folger S3486 copy 4

216315. Bound in sprinkled sheep; (re-backed). Bd.w.: Moseley, Humphrey. Courteous reader, these books following are printed for Humphrey Moseley. [London: printed for Humphrey Moseley, 1654.] "The Sisters" is a promptbook copy; cf. Montague Summers, "Essays in Petto," pp. 103-110 (actors' names in this copy are those of Thomas Killigrew's company in which Nell Gwyn played Pulcheria). Some leaves are mutilated and backed, affecting text. Manuscript notes and markings. ³A4 is bound before ³A1. Provenance: autograph and dated (1655) blind stamped initials (on front and back covers) of William Norman; markings of ownership (?) on final leaf: Tho:[Thomas] Browne (?); Sion College library copy; 1977 Folger Library purchase from Sotheby's

Uniform title: Plays. Selections
Extended title: Six new playes : viz. The brothers. Sisters. Doubtfull heir. Imposture. Cardinall. Court secret. The five first were acted at the Private House in Black Fryers with great applause. The last was never acted. All written by James Shirley. Never printed before
Alternate titles: Doubtful heir, Brothers, Court secret, Cardinal, Sisters, Imposture

author: Shirley, James, 1596-1666
printmaker: Marshall, William, active 1617-1650
former owner: Lefferts, Marshall C. (Marshall Clifford), 1848-1928
former owner: McKee, Thomas Jefferson, 1840-1899
former owner: Smith, George D. (George Dallas), 1870-1920
former owner: Sion College. Library