DEEP: Database of Early English Playbooks

1649 Cavendish, William; Shirley, James The Country Captain (Captain Underwit)

Reference Information

DEEP #: 5145.01
Greg #: 681a(ii)
STC/Wing #: n/a
Record Type: Play in Collection
Play Type: Adult Professional
Genre (Annals): Comedy
 
Book Edition: n/a
Play Edition: 1
Format: Duodecimo
Leaves: 50
Date of First Publication: 1649
Date of First Production: 1640 [c.1639-c.1640]
Company of First Production: King's Men
Company Attribution: King's Men
 
Total Editions: 1 duodecimo (bibliographically independent and in collection)
 
Variants: Sheet A exists in three states, and sheet C in two states. In Greg 681a(i*), there is a single lace ornament above the HT on A2r. In Greg 681a(i†), there is a lace ornament above and below the HT. In Greg 681a(ii), a leaf containing "A Prologue" and "The Epilogue" was inserted between the leaves A1 and A2; and the original duodecimo leaves C5-C6 were replaced by three octavo leaves containing additions to the text. Both states of 681a(i) are also found in 681a(ii). The states of 681a(i) are classified by Greg as a bibliographically independent issue, whereas 681a(ii) is treated as part of the 1649 Cavendish collection (Wing N877), though Greg notes "there is no evidence" that the play "was ever issued except in company with The Variety [691] in a two-play collection." See also 681a(i*); 681a(i†)
 
Also appears as a bibliographically independent playbook in 1649

Title-Page Features

Title: [A1r] THE COVNTRY CAPTAINE A COMOEDYE
Author:
Performance: LATELY PRESENTED By his Majesties Servants at the Blackfryers.
Imprint: IN S'GRAVE VAN HAGHE. Printed by SAMUELL BROUN English Bookeseller at the Signe of the English Printing house in the Achter-ome. Anno 1649.

Paratextual Material

Character List: "The Actors Names" [A1v]

Stationer Information

Printer: Browne, Samuel
Imprint Location: Hague
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] ... Country Captaine ... by my Lord of Newcastle."