DEEP: Database of Early English Playbooks

1608 Middleton, Thomas A Mad World, My Masters

Reference Information

DEEP #: 530
Greg #: 276a
STC/Wing #: 17888
Record Type: Single-Play Playbook
Play Type: Boys Professional
Genre (Annals): Comedy
 
Book Edition: 1
Play Edition: 1
Format: Quarto
Leaves: 34
Date of First Publication: 1608
Date of First Production: 1605 [1604-1607]
Company of First Production: Children of Paul's (second)
Company Attribution: Children of Paul's (second)
 
Total Editions: 2 quartos

Title-Page Features

Title: A MAD WORLD, MY MASTERS.
Author: Composed by T. M.
Performance: As it hath bin lately in Action by the Children of Paules.
Imprint: LONDON, Printed by H. B. for WALTER BVRRE, and are to be sold in Paules Church-yard, at the signe of the Crane. 1608.

Paratextual Material

None

Stationer Information

Printer: Ballard, Henry; Okes, Nicholas
Publisher: Burre, Walter
Imprint Location: A.3 (Paul's Churchyard - Northeast)
Entries in Stationers' Register: Oct 4, 1608: Entered to Walter Burre and Eleazar Edgar: "A booke called. A Mad World (my Maysters)".
Apr 19, 1613: Transferred from Eleazar Edgar to John Hodgets: "A half parte of A playe called A mad world my maisters".
Jul 3, 1630: Transferred from the widow of Walter Burre to John Spencer: "A mad world my masters."
 
Additional Notes: Thomas Middleton and Early Modern Textual Culture dates the first production to Summer 1605; Annals dates it to 1606 [1604-1607]. For the printers of this edition, see Peter Saccio, "A Mad World, My Masters," in Thomas Middleton and Early Modern Textual Culture, 586-87.