DEEP: Database of Early English Playbooks

1652 Shirley, James The Brothers (The Politic Father)

Reference Information

DEEP #: 1080
Greg #: 723a
STC/Wing #: S3460
Record Type: Single-Play Playbook
Play Type: Adult Professional
Genre (Annals): Comedy
 
Book Edition: 1
Play Edition: 1
Format: Octavo
Leaves: 40
Date of First Publication: 1652
Date of First Production: 1641 [licensed for stage, May 26]
Company of First Production: King's Men
Company Attribution: n/a
 
Total Editions: 1 octavo (bibliographically independent and in collection)
 
Also appears in collection: Six New Plays (1653)

Title-Page Features

Title: THE BROTHERS, A COMEDIE,
Author: WRITTEN By JAMES SHIRLEY.
Performance: AS It was Acted at the private House IN BLACK FRYERS.
Imprint: Never Printed before. LONDON, Printed for Humphrey Robinson at the Three Pigeons, and Humphrey Moseley at the Prince Armes in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1652.

Paratextual Material

Dedication: Epistle to: Thomas Stanley (poet and classical scholar); from: James Shirley [A3r]
Character List: "The Persons" [A4v]

Stationer Information

Printer: Wilson, William
Publisher: Moseley, Humphrey; Robinson, Humphrey
Imprint Location: A.3 (Paul's Churchyard - Northeast); A.2 (Paul's Churchyard - Great North Door)
Entries in Stationers' Register: Sep 4(?), 1646: Entered to Humphrey Robinson and Humphrey Moseley: "these seueral Tragedies & Comedies herevnder mencioned (vizt.) [(Saluo iure cuiusumque) deleted] ... Brothers ... by Mr Shirley".
 
Additional Notes: Although this edition is bibliographically independent and although copies of the plays in the 1653 Shirley collection "sometimes occur singly," Greg writes that there is "no evidence" this play was "ever issued separately" (Bibliography, 3:1123).