A SELECT COLLECTION OF OLD ENGLISH PLAYS. ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED BY ROBERT DODSLEY IN THE YEAR 1744. _FOURTH EDITION,_ NOW FIRST CHRONOLOGICALLY ARRANGED, REVISED AND ENLARGED WITH THE NOTES OF ALL THE COMMENTATORS, AND NEW NOTES BY W. CAREW HAZLITT. BENJAMIN BLOM, INC. [Illustration: New York] First published 1874-1876 Reissued 1964 by Benjamin Blom, Inc. L.C. Catalog Card No. 64-14702 _Printed in U.S.A. by_ NOBLE OFFSET PRINTERS, INC. New York 3, N. Y. THE REVENGER'S TRAGEDY. _For a notice of the Edition, see the next page._ INTRODUCTION. Cyril Torneur is known only as an author, none of the dramatic biographers giving any account of him. Winstanley quotes the following distich from a contemporary poet, by which it appears that he was not held in much estimation for his writings-- "His fame unto that pitch was only rais'd, As not to be despis'd, nor over-prais'd." He was the author of-- [(1.) The Transformed Metamorphosis, a Poem. 8o, London, 1600.[1]] (2.) The Revengers Tragoedie. As it hath beene sundry times Acted by the Kings Maiesties Seruants. At London. Printed by G. Eld, and are to be sold at his house in Fleete-lane at the signe of the Printers-Presse. 1607, 4o. Again (a new date only) 1608, 4o.[2] (3.) "The Atheists Tragedie: Or The honest Mans Reuenge. As in diuers places it hath often beene Acted. Written by Cyril Tourneur. At London Printed for John Stepneth and Richard Redmer, and are to be sold at their shop, at the West end of Paules. 1611,"[3] 4o. Again, 1612, 4o. (4.) A Traji-Comedy, called The Nobleman, never printed, and which Oldys says was destroyed by ignorance.[4] (5.) A Funerall Poeme. Vpon the Death of the most Worthie and Trve Sovldier: Sir Francis Vere, Knight, Captaine of Portsmouth, L. Gouernour of his Maiesties Cautionarie Towne of Briell in Holland, &c., 4o, 1609. (6.) A Griefe on the Death of Prince Henrie. Expressed in a broken Elegie, according to the nature of such a sorrow, 4o, 1613.[5] [A MS. note in one of the former editions says: "This is a most splendid work. The character of _Vendice_ surpasses anything else of the kind. The power with which it is conceived and conducted is appalling. The quaint way that accompanies it adds to its fearful effect. The whole is perfectly tremendous."] FOOTNOTES: [1] [See Hazlitt's "Handbook," 1867, _art._ Tourneur, in Appendix.] [2] "The Revenger's Tragedy" was entered on the Stationers' Books, with "A Trick to Catch the Old One," on the 7th October 1607.