A Select Collection of Old Plays Ed. by R. Dodsley

A Select Collection Of Old Plays Ed. By R. Dodsley is a compilation of early English drama assembled for modern readers in Volume IX. This edition gathers several late 16th- and early 17th-century works, including Summers Last Will and Testament and Microcosmus by Thomas Nashe, The Muse’s Looking-Glass by Thomas Nabbes, The City Match by J. M. of Christ Church, Oxford, and The Queen of Arragon (author not specified in this volume). The volume also features prefatory material and biographical/critical notes by Isaac Reed and Octavius Gilchrist, and editorial commentary by the volume editor. The plays presented here mix comedy, tragedy, masque, and satirical verse, often employing allegorical personifications of the seasons and faculties, with a strong strain of moral reflection and social commentary characteristic of early modern English drama. This collection thus provides a valuable window into the era’s theatrical culture, stylistic experimentation, and cultural preoccupations.