THIS play, although it was not published sooner than the year 1660,* is supposed to be one of the earliest productions of the author Thomas Middleton. Mr. Malone imagines it to have been written about the same time that Pericles and Robert of Huntingdon appeared, each of these plays having a chorus in the same manner as Raynulph in the present performance. The regulation of the metre seems to have been entirely neglected; some liberties have therefore been necessarily taken to restore the play+ nearer to the state in which it is presumed the author left it.‡

* This is one more of the repeated instances to shew how futile was the arrangement adopted by Mr. Reed in this collection, viz. according to the dates when the plays were published. Middleton began to write for the stage in all probability before 1600, and the first performance by him with a date is in 1602. (See vol. V. p. 278.) He died 34 years before the Mayor of Quinborough was published. C.

1 Attempt to ascertain the order of Shakspeare's Plays. p. 288. + Still Mr. Reed left it very defective, and though some farther improvements have been made, the apparent licence of the poet and the caprice or convenience of the printer have rendered a perfect restoration of the verse perhaps impossible. C.

Mr. O. Gilchrist added a note containing a supposed " Prologue to the Mayor of Quinborough," extracted from Wit Restored, p. 268. Edit. 1817; but the fact is, (as he would have seen had he referred to the play itself,) that it is merely the opening speech of Simon to Act IV, somewhat differently printed in point of form, but the same in words, excepting a few errors of the press. C.

GENTLEMEN,

You have the first flight of him, I assure you. This Mayor of Quinborough whom you have all heard of, and some of you beheld upon the stage, now begins to walk abroad in print: he has been known sufficiently by the reputation of his wit, which is enough, by the way, to distinguish him from ordinary Mayors; but wit, you know, has skulk'd in corners for many years past, and he was thought to have most of it that could best hide himself. Now whether this magistrate fear'd the decimating times, or kept up the state of other Mayors, that are bound not to go out of their liberties during the time of their mayoralty, I know not: 'tis enough for me to put him into your hands, under the title of an honest man, which will appear plainly to you, because you shall find him all along to have a great pique to the rebel Oliver. I am told his drollery yields to none the English drama did ever produce; and though I would not put his modesty to the blush, by speaking too much in his commendation, yet I know you will agree with me, upon your better acquaintance with him, that there is some difference in point of wit, betwixt the Mayor of Quinborough and the Mayor of Huntingdon 2.

Huntingdon, the place where Oliver Cromwell was born and resided many years of his life. Some allusion here seems to be lost.

THE

MAYOR OF QUINBOROUGH.

ACT I. SCENE I.

Enter RAYNULPH.3

Raynulph. WHAT Raynulph, monk of Chester, can Raise from his polychronicon,

That raiseth him, as works do men,

To see long-parted light again,

That best may please this round fair ring,
With sparkling diamonds circled in,
I shall produce. If all my powers
Can win the grace of two poor hours,
Well apaid I go to rest.

Ancient stories have been best;
Fashions, that are now call'd new,
Have been worn by more than you;
Elder times have us'd the same,
Though these new ones get the name:
So in story, what's now told

That takes not part with days of old?
Then to approve time's mutual glory,
Join new time's love to old time's story.

[Exit.

Shouts within; then enter VORTIGER. Vortiger. Will that wide-throated beast, the multitude,

3 Raynulph.] Raynulph Higden was the compiler of the Polychronicon, as far as the year 1357, thirty-first of Edward III. It was translated into English by Trevisa, and completed and printed by Caxton in folio, 1482.