Robert Greene

Verse

Song
('Sweet are the thoughts that savour of content')

First published in Greenes Farewell to Folly (London, 1591).

GrR 0.5

Copy, in a secretary hand, headed The songe of mesia.

In: A folio composite volume of miscellaneous verse, drama and other papers, in English, French and Latin, in various professional hands, 168 leaves, in modern brown leather gilt.
GrR 0.8
Copy of a version beginning Sweet are the thoughts yt harbour full content, on a leaf tipped into a music part-book. c.1600.

The book inscribed by Conyers D'arcy (1570-1653/4), of Hornby Castle, North Yorkshire.

This MS recorded in David Greer, Manuscript Additions in Parthenia and Other Early English Printed Music in America, Music & Letters, 77 (May 1996), 169-82 (p. 177).

Prose

Arbasto: The Anatomie of Fortune

First published in London, 1584. Grosart, III, 171-253.

GrR 1

Extracts.

In: A tall folio miscellany of extracts from prose romances, 56 leaves (including blanks), largely written on rectos only, in modern half morocco on cloth boards. c.1600.

Note stating this MS was lent to Sidney Lee (1859-1926), literary scholar, by James Lee.

Ciceronis Amor. Tullies Loue

First published in London, 1589. Grosart, VII, 95-216.

GrR 2

Extracts.

In: A tall folio miscellany of extracts from prose romances, 56 leaves (including blanks), largely written on rectos only, in modern half morocco on cloth boards. c.1600.

Note stating this MS was lent to Sidney Lee (1859-1926), literary scholar, by James Lee.

Greenes Farewell to Folly

First published in London, 1591. Grosart, IX, 223-348.

GrR 3

Extracts.

In: A tall folio miscellany of extracts from prose romances, 56 leaves (including blanks), largely written on rectos only, in modern half morocco on cloth boards. c.1600.

Note stating this MS was lent to Sidney Lee (1859-1926), literary scholar, by James Lee.

Greenes Never too late

First published in London, 1590. Grosart, VIII.

GrR 3.5

Extracts.

In: An octavo commonplace book of verse and prose, in two or more secretary hands, 41 leaves, in a recycled illuminated vellum music document.

Inscribed (ff. 1r, 2r) Samuell Watts.

Early 17th century.

Among the papers of the Sanford family. Formerly DD/SF 3970.

Menaphon

First published in London, 1589. Grosart, VI, 1-146.

GrR 4

Extracts.

In: A quarto miscellany of verse and prose, in English and Latin, in several secretary and italic hands, with later additions, 99 pages, some entries dated 1583-88, in calf. Late 16th century.

Inscribed (p. 1) Will Parkyns and (p. 61) Per Tho Parkins. Item 32 in an unidentified sale cataloue.

Orpharion

First known publication: London, 1599. Grosart, XII, 1-94.

GrR 5

Extracts.

In: A tall folio miscellany of extracts from prose romances, 56 leaves (including blanks), largely written on rectos only, in modern half morocco on cloth boards. c.1600.

Note stating this MS was lent to Sidney Lee (1859-1926), literary scholar, by James Lee.

Planetomachia

First published in London, 1585. Grosart, V, 1-135.

GrR 6

Extracts.

In: A tall folio miscellany of extracts from prose romances, 56 leaves (including blanks), largely written on rectos only, in modern half morocco on cloth boards. c.1600.

Note stating this MS was lent to Sidney Lee (1859-1926), literary scholar, by James Lee.

Dramatic works

John of Bordeaux or The Second Part of Friar Bacon

A sequel to Greene's Friar Bacon probably also by Greene. First published in Oxford, 1936, ed. W.L. Renwick, and in W.W. Greg, Malone Society. Greene's authorship supported in Waldo F. McNeir, Robert Greene and John of Bordeaux, PMLA, 64/i (1949), 781-801.

GrR 7
Copy, with insertions in another hand and alterations by at least three more hands associated with the playhouse including the playwright Henry Chettle, untitled. c.1590-4.

Edited from this MS in Renwick and in Greg, the latter with eight pages of facsimile examples. Discussed in Harry R. Hoppe, John of Bordeaux: A Bad Quarto that never reached print, Studies in Honor of A.H.R. Fairchild (Columbia, 1946), 121-32, and, adding evidence for the casting of the play, in Laurie E. Maguire, John Holland and John of Bordeaux, N&Q, 231 (September 1986), 327-33.

A Looking Glasse for London and England

First published London, 1594. Grosart, XIV, 1-113. Edited by W.W. Greg, Malone Society (Oxford, 1932). See also Berta Sturman, A Date and a Printer for A Looking Glasse for London and England, Q4, SB, 21 (1968), 248-53.

GrR 8
An exemplum of the fourth printed edition [1603-7] with numerous MS annotations, recording entrance and exits, music, stage effects, and some deleted and additional text, evidently used as a prompt book by a London theatrical company, imperfect, lacking the original title-page, a small quarto, in modern calf gilt. Early 17th century.

Later owned by Frederick Locker-Lampson (1821-95), poet.

Recorded in Grosart, XIV, 2. Described, with facsimile pages, in Charles Read Baskerville, A Prompt Copy of A Looking Glass for London and England, MP, 30 (1932-3), 29-51.

Orlando Furioso

First published in London, 1594. Grosart, XIII, 111-98. Edited by W.W. Greg and R.B. McKerrow, Malone Society (Oxford, 1907). For a discussion of the text, see Michael Warren, Greene's Orlando: W.W. Greg Furioso, in Textual Formations and Reformations, ed. Laurie E. Maguire and Thomas L. Berger (Newark & London, 1998), pp. 67-91.

GrR 9

The part of Orlando, in the hand of a playhouse scribe, with additions probably made by the actor Edward Alleyn (1566-1626), probably used for a performance by Lord Strange's company in February 1591/2, imperfect.

In: A collection of papers of the actor Edward Alleyn (1566-1626).

This MS collated in Grosart. Edited, with facsimile pages, in Two Elizabethan Stage Abridgements: The Battle of Alcazar and Orlando Furioso, ed. W.W. Greg, Malone Society (Oxford, 1922), and in Greg, Dramatic Documents, I, 176-87, & Vol. II.

A complete facsimile in The Henslowe Papers, ed. R.A. Foakes (London, 1977), II, in endpocket. Facsimile examples also in Elizabethan Dramatists, ed. Fredson Bowers, DLB 62 (Detroit, 1987), pp. 87, 411.