A Select Collection of Old English Plays, vol 1 | Page 4

on wrong data.
The Notes without any initial attached to them in the following pages,
may be presumed to be from the pen of Isaac Reed, with the exception
of a limited number, which were written by Dodsley himself, and
which are not easily mistakable. The matter signed S. appears to have
been communicated to Reed by George Steevens. The C. notes are Mr
Collier's, and O.G. stands for Octavius Gilchrist. For the notes which
remain, and which have been enclosed between brackets, the present
editor alone is answerable.
It is proposed to introduce in the concluding volume two indexes, one
of names and another of subjects, as the want of a ready means of

reference to passages, phrases, and characters in these old plays, is one
which the editor himself has so strongly felt as to make him desirous of
removing it, so far as possible, for his own sake and that of the public.
The long table of errata to the former edition has, of course, been
attended to, and the additional notes there placed at the end have been
arranged under their respective heads.
W.C.H. KENSINGTON, 1st November 1873.

DEDICATION.
TO SIR CLEMENT COTTEREL DORMER, KT.
Sir,--If there be anything in this collection worthy of being preserved, it
is to you the public is indebted for the benefit. Your obliging readiness
to communicate the stores of which you were possessed, encouraged
me to undertake the design, which otherwise I should have despaired of
prosecuting with success. Under the sanction of your name, therefore, I
beg leave to shelter the remains of these old dramatic writers, which,
but for your generosity had fallen with their authors into utter oblivion.
To your candour I submit the pains I have taken to give a tolerably
correct edition of them, and am with great respect, Sir, your most
obliged and obedient humble servant,
R. DODSLEY.[6]

INTERLUDE OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS.
A new interlude and a merry of the nature of the Four Elements,
declaring many proper points of philosophy natural, and of divers
strange lands, and of divers strange effects and causes; which interlude,
if the whole matter be played, will contain the space of an hour and a
half; but, if ye list, ye may leave out much of the sad matter, as the
Messenger's part, and some of Nature's part, and some of Experience's

part, and yet the matter will depend conveniently, and then it will not
be past three-quarters of an hour of length. London: John Rastell.
1519. 8vo, black letter.

MR HALLIWELL'S PREFACE TO THE FORMER EDITION.[7]
The curious interlude reprinted in the following pages is one of the
earliest moral plays in the English language known to exist, and it
possesses an interest beyond its connection with the history of the stage,
as being the only dramatic piece extant in which science is attempted to
be made popular through the medium of theatrical representation. Only
one copy of it is known to exist, but that is unfortunately imperfect, a
sheet in the middle and concluding leaves being lost, so that we are left
without the means of giving the reader much information respecting it.
On the other hand, while this circumstance must excuse the brevity of
these preliminary observations, its singularity and extreme rarity
offered additional inducements for selecting it for republication.
An allusion to the discovery of the West Indies and America, "within
this twenty year," would appear to ascertain the date of the composition
of the play; but I suspect from internal evidence, the form and manner
of its dialogue, that it was not written so early as some authors have
supposed, Dr Dibdin assigning 1510 to the period of its appearance.[8]
The same writer considers it to be a production of Rastell's press; and it
has been stated, on somewhat doubtful authority, that the printer was
also the author; a combination that has seldom effected much service,
and has too frequently deteriorated the efforts of both. Be this as it may,
no great talent is displayed in the construction of the following piece,
the value of which must be allowed to consist in the curious illustration
it affords of the phraseology and popular scientific knowledge of the
day, and its curiosity as a link in the history of the drama, rather than in
any intrinsic merits of its own.
It is only necessary to add that the play was rather carelessly printed,
and a few very obvious errors have been corrected. With these

exceptions, the following pages present a faithful copy of the original, a
very small octavo volume in black letter.[9]

INTERLUDE OF THE FOUR ELEMENTS.
THE NAMES OF THE PLAYERS.
Here follow the names of the players.
The Messenger, Nature Natura[t]e, Humanity, Studious Desire, Sensual
Appetite, the Taverner, Experience, Ignorance;