1600. The first part Of the true and honorable historie, of the life of Sir John Old-castle, the good Lord Cobham. As it hath been lately acted by the right honorable the Earle of Notingham Lord high Admirall
of England his seruants. V. S. for Thomas Pavier. [Prologue.] 1600. . . . Written by William Shakespeare. For T. P. [Probably a forgery of later date than that given in the imprint; cf. p. 479.] 1664. In Third Folio Shakespeare. 1685. In Fourth Folio Shakespeare. Editions in collections of the Shakespeare Apocrypha, and by W. Scott (1810, A. B. D. i), P. Simpson (1908, M. S. R.), J. S. Farmer (1911, T. F. T.). Henslowe advanced £10 to the Admiral's as payment to Munday, Drayton, Wilson, and Hathway for the first part of 'the lyfe of S^r Jhon Ouldcasstell' and in earnest for the second part on 16 Oct. 1599, and an additional 10s. for the poets 'at the playnge of S^r John Oldcastell the ferste tyme as a gefte' between 1 and 8 Nov. 1599. Drayton had £4 for the second part between 19 and 26 Dec. 1599, and properties were being bought for it in March 1600. It is not preserved. By Aug. 1602 the play had been transferred to Worcester's men. More properties were bought, doubtless for a revival, and Dekker had £2 10s. for 'new a dicyons'. Fleay, ii. 116, attempts to disentangle the work of the collaborators. Clearly the play was an answer to Henry IV, in which Sir John Falstaff was originally Sir John Oldcastle, and this is made clear in the prologue:
It is no pampered glutton we present, Nor aged Councellour to youthfull sinne.
Doubtful and Lost Plays
For ascriptions see Edward IV, London Prodigal, Merry Devil of Edmonton, Sir T. More, and Thomas Lord Cromwell in ch. xxiv. The complete series of his work for the Admiral's during 1597-1602 is as follows: (i) Mother Redcap.
Payments, with Munday, Dec. 1597-Jan. 1598.
(ii) The Welshman's Prize, or The Famous Wars of Henry I and the Prince of Wales.
Payments, with Chettle and Dekker, March 1598. Greg (Henslowe, ii. 192) thinks that the play may have had some relation to Davenport's Henry I of 1624 entered as by Shakespeare and Davenport in S. R. on 9 Sept. 1653. (iii) 1 Earl Godwin and his Three Sons.
Payments, with Chettle, Dekker, and Wilson, March 1598.
(iv) 2 Earl Godwin and his Three Sons.
Payments, with Chettle, Dekker, and Wilson, May to June 1598.
(v) Pierce of Exton.
Payment of £2, with Chettle, Dekker, and Wilson, April 1598; but apparently not finished.
