The Famous Victories of Henry the Fifth > 1588
S. R. 1594, May 14. 'A booke intituled, The famous victories of Henrye the Fyft, conteyninge the honorable battell of Agincourt.' Thomas Creede (Arber, ii. 648). 1598. The Famous Victories of Henry the fifth: Containing the Honourable Battell of Agin-court: As it was plaide by the Queenes Maiesties Players. Thomas Creede.
1617. . . . as it was Acted by the Kinges Maiesties Seruants. Bernard Alsop. [Another issue of the same sheets.] Editions by J. Nichols (1779, Six Old Plays, ii. 317), W. C. Hazlitt (1875, Shakespeare's Library, v. 321), P. A. Daniel (1887, Sh. Q), and J. S. Farmer (S. F. T.). In Tarlton's Jests (ed. Halliwell for Sh. Soc. 24) is a story of Knell acting Henry V and Tarlton doubling the parts of the judge and the clown, which clearly refers to this play. The performance took place 'at the Bull in Bishopsgate'. Tarlton died in 1588. Fleay, 67; ii. 259, suggests that Tarlton was the author. Nashe in Pierce Penilesse (1592, Works, i. 213) speaks of 'Henrie the fifth represented on the stage'. This is obviously too early to be the new play of 'harey the V', given thirteen times for Henslowe between 28 Nov. 1595 and 15 July 1596 by the Admiral's, in whose inventories of March 1598 Harry the Fifth's doublet and gown appear. An earlier Henslowe entry on 14 May 1592, sometimes quoted as 'harey the v^{th}' by Collier, is really 'harey the 6' (Greg, Henslowe, ii. 152, 177; Henslowe Papers, 121). Sykes thinks the author S. Rowley (q.v.). Histriomastix. 1589 (?), 1599
S. R. 1610, Oct. 31 (Buck). 'A booke called, Histriomastix or the player whipte.' Thomas Thorpe (Arber, iii. 447). 1610. Histrio-Mastix. Or, the Player whipt. For Thomas Thorp.
Editions by R. Simpson (1878, S. of S. ii. 1) and J. S. Farmer (1912, T. F. T.).—Dissertation: F. Hoppe, Histriomastix-Studien (1906, Breslau diss.).
Fleay, ii. 69, gives the whole play to Marston, but the sounder view of Simpson that Marston, whose style in places is unmistakable, was only the reviser of an earlier play, is revived in the elaborate and mainly satisfactory study of Small, 67. The passages assigned by Small to Marston are ii. 63-9, 128-9, 247-79; iii. 179-v. 191; v. 234; vi. 259-95. I should be inclined to add v. 244-67, but to omit ii. 128-9; iii. 218-64; iv. 159-201; v. 61-102; v. 147-180; vi. 259-95, which may just as well belong to the original play. No doubt vi. 259-95 is an addition, constituting an alternative ending for a court performance before Elizabeth; but this may just as well have been a contemporary as a Marstonian addition, and in fact there is no court performance at the end of the century available for it, while the attempt to find one led Fleay to the impossible theory that it was given by Derby's men. As its whole substance is a satire on professional players, it must have been both produced and revived by amateurs or boys; and the same conclusion is pointed to by the
