Lansdowne MS 807, folio 29 recto
From the collections of: THE BRITISH LIBRARY
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The British Library has graciously contributed the above images to Shakespeare Documented under a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark.
Copyright status of the manuscript and unpublished Materials: The 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (as amended) states that unpublished literary and artistic works remain in copyright in the UK until at least 31 December 2039. Therefore important parts of the library’s collection remain in copyright, including very old manuscripts. However for unpublished material created many centuries ago and in the public domain in most other countries, the Library believes this material to be very unlikely to offend anyone. As an institution whose role it is to support access to knowledge, we have therefore taken the decision to release certain digitised images technically still in copyright in the UK under the Public Domain Mark.
Document-specific information
Title: folio.A Volume, formerly belonging to John Warburton, Esq. Somerset Herald, containing 5 plays
Date: 1558-1642
Repository: The British Library, London, UK
Call number and opening: Lansdowne MS 807
View online bibliographic record
Lansdowne MS 807, folio 56 recto
From the collections of: THE BRITISH LIBRARY
Terms of use
The British Library has graciously contributed the above images to Shakespeare Documented under a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark.
Copyright status of the manuscript and unpublished Materials: The 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (as amended) states that unpublished literary and artistic works remain in copyright in the UK until at least 31 December 2039. Therefore important parts of the library’s collection remain in copyright, including very old manuscripts. However for unpublished material created many centuries ago and in the public domain in most other countries, the Library believes this material to be very unlikely to offend anyone. As an institution whose role it is to support access to knowledge, we have therefore taken the decision to release certain digitised images technically still in copyright in the UK under the Public Domain Mark.
Document-specific information
Title: folio.A Volume, formerly belonging to John Warburton, Esq. Somerset Herald, containing 5 plays
Date: 1558-1642
Repository: The British Library, London, UK
Call number and opening: Lansdowne MS 807
View online bibliographic record
Lansdowne MS 807, folio 56 verso
From the collections of: THE BRITISH LIBRARY
Terms of use
The British Library has graciously contributed the above images to Shakespeare Documented under a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark.
Copyright status of the manuscript and unpublished Materials: The 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (as amended) states that unpublished literary and artistic works remain in copyright in the UK until at least 31 December 2039. Therefore important parts of the library’s collection remain in copyright, including very old manuscripts. However for unpublished material created many centuries ago and in the public domain in most other countries, the Library believes this material to be very unlikely to offend anyone. As an institution whose role it is to support access to knowledge, we have therefore taken the decision to release certain digitised images technically still in copyright in the UK under the Public Domain Mark.
Document-specific information
Title: folio.A Volume, formerly belonging to John Warburton, Esq. Somerset Herald, containing 5 plays
Date: 1558-1642
Repository: The British Library, London, UK
Call number and opening: Lansdowne MS 807
View online bibliographic record
From the collections of: THE BRITISH LIBRARY
Terms of use
The British Library has graciously contributed the above images to Shakespeare Documented under a Creative Commons Public Domain Mark.
Copyright status of the manuscript and unpublished Materials: The 1988 Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (as amended) states that unpublished literary and artistic works remain in copyright in the UK until at least 31 December 2039. Therefore important parts of the library’s collection remain in copyright, including very old manuscripts. However for unpublished material created many centuries ago and in the public domain in most other countries, the Library believes this material to be very unlikely to offend anyone. As an institution whose role it is to support access to knowledge, we have therefore taken the decision to release certain digitised images technically still in copyright in the UK under the Public Domain Mark.
Document-specific information
Title: folio.A Volume, formerly belonging to John Warburton, Esq. Somerset Herald, containing 5 plays
Date: 1558-1642
Repository: The British Library, London, UK
Call number and opening: Lansdowne MS 807
View online bibliographic record
Heather Wolfe, "Manuscript promptbook of The Second Maiden’s Tragedy: misattributed to Shakespeare," Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/650.
British Library, Lansdowne MS 807. See Shakespeare Documented, https://doi.org/10.37078/650.
This book is the only surviving play manuscript used by Shakespeare’s company, the King’s Men. It is also the only surviving copy of the play itself, which became known as The Second Maiden’s Tragedy. It was approved for public performance by Sir George Buc in 1611, after “reformations” were made. The manuscript contains deletions to satisfy Buc, additions written on separate slips, and stage directions. Since it was untitled, Buc describes it as “This second Maydens tragedy (for it hath no name inscribed).” On the back of the last page, an early inscriber deletes the names of playwrights Thomas Goff and George Chapman as potential authors in favor of “Will Shakspear.” However, based on linguistic analysis and similarity to other Middleton plays, scholars now believe the play was written by Thomas Middleton, who made revisions and corrections to the manuscript in his own hand.
[This transcription is pending final vetting]
[Image 2: fol. 56r]
<T>he Spirit enters
<…>ren and stayes to
<…> out with the
<…>ly as it were
<e>ndinge it
Vnto the howse of peace from whence she came
as Queene of Scilenc; o welcome blest Spirit
Thow needst not mistrust mee, I haue a care
as it alowes as thine owne, weele see it doune
and not belieue reporte, our zeale is sutche
we cannot reuerence chastetie to muche
lead on; I would those ladies that fill Honors roomes
might all be borne so [honest] vertuous to their toombes.
Recorders or other solempne
Musique playes them owt.
ffinis
[In hand of George Buc:]
This second Maydens tragedy (for it hath
no name inscribed) may wth the reformati-
ons bee acted publikely. 31 octobr.
1611. / G. Buc.’
[Image 2: fol. 56v]
[In other hands:]
The Second Maydens Tragedy
October 31th
1611By Thomas Gough George Chapman
By Will Shakspear
A Tragedy indeed
Written by Heather Wolfe
Last updated May 17, 2020
