DEEP: Database of Early English Playbooks

1652 Shirley, James The Doubtful Heir (Rosania, or Love's Victory)

Reference Information

DEEP #: 1082
Greg #: 725a
STC/Wing #: S3466
Record Type: Single-Play Playbook
Play Type: Adult Professional
Genre (Annals): Tragicomedy
 
Book Edition: 1
Play Edition: 1
Format: Octavo
Leaves: 42
Date of First Publication: 1652
Date of First Production: c.1638 [licensed for stage, Jun 1, 1640]
Company of First Production: Ogilby's Men; 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 DOUBTFUL HEIR. A Tragi-comedie,
Author: WRITTEN By JAMES SHIRLEY.
Performance: AS It was Acted at the private House IN BLACK-FRIERS,
Imprint: Never Printed before. LONDON, Printed for Humphrey Robinson at the three Pigeons, and Humphrey Moseley at the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Church-yard. 1652.

Paratextual Material

Dedication: Epistle to: Edmund Bowyer; from: James Shirley [A3r]
Character List: "The Persons of the Play" [A3v]

Stationer Information

Printer: Warren, Thomas (1)
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] ... Doubtfull heire ... by Mr Shirley".
 
Additional Notes: Although bibliographically independent and although copies of the plays in the 1653 Shirley collection "sometimes occur singly," Greg writes that there is "no evidence" this edition was "ever issued separately" (Bibliography, 3:1123).