It is possible to verify the actual performance of Page of Plymouth (September), 1 Sir John Oldcastle (November),[1] Fortunatus (December), The Gentle Craft (January), Thomas Merry (January), Patient Grissell (January), 2 Sir John Oldcastle (March), The Seven Wise Masters (March), Ferrex and Porrex (May), Damon and Pythias (May), Strange News out of Poland (May), Cupid and Psyche (June). Sir John Oldcastle must of course be regarded as a counterblast to the Henry IV plays of the Chamberlain's men, in which the character of Falstaff originally bore the name of the Lollard hero. One infers that it had a considerable success, for the company gave 10s. for 'Mr. Mundaye and the reste of the poets at the playnge of Sr John Oldcastell the ferste tyme', and Henslowe notes in the margin that this was 'as a gefte'. It is with some hesitation that I have included Fortunatus in the list of new plays, because it is impossible to suppose that it was not based upon the earlier Fortunatus, already an old play in 1596, of the properties of which the Admiral's men certainly retained possession. But Dekker was paid on the scale of a new play, for he got a full £6 in the course of November for the book, together with an additional £1 'for the altrenge of the boocke' and £2 a fortnight later 'for the eande of Fortewnatus for the corte'. I take it that this was the Court play of 27 December. That of 1 January was another of Dekker's, The Gentle Craft, also called The Shoemaker's Holiday, which was published in the year '1600' as played before the Queen 'on New Year's Day at night last' by the Admiral's men. Fortunatus, 1 Sir John Oldcastle,[1] Patient Grissell, and 1 Blind Beggar of Bethnal Green have also been preserved, while the publication, also in the course of the twelve months ending on 24 March 1601, of Look About You as an Admiral's play must surely render plausible the hypothesis, rejected by Dr. Greg, of its identity with Bear a Brain. It would seem that Thomas Merry furnishes one of the two parallel plots of Robert Yarington's Two Lamentable Tragedies, and a notice by Simon Forman suggests that Cox of Collumpton was ultimately finished.[2] An outline of the opening scenes of 2 Henry Richmond is among the Dulwich papers.[3] Publication was a form of popularity which the actors were apt to resent. The Admiral's men spent £2 on 18 March 1600 'to geue vnto the printer to staye the
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