An edition of The Lady Mother in B.M. Egerton MS. 1994

Thesis

The lady Mother is the ninth of the fifteen plays in British Museum Egerton MS, 1994, occupying fols. 186-211 of the collection. Except that there is no wrapper, the manuscript appears to be complete. There is no matter preliminary to the text of the play. The title is known from William Blagrave's autograph licence dated 15 October 1635 on fol. 210a.

The text begins at the top of fol, 186a and finishes two-thirds of the way down fol. 210a, Blagrave's licence being written out in the remaining space on this page. On fol. 211a is a half-page of additional dialogue, intended for interpolation at a certain point in the play. The versos of the last two folios are blank. Thus the play itself fills just under forty-nine and a half folio pages.

There are two watermarks:

(i) a ‘pot’ watermark appears on fols. 187, 188, 190 and 192. This resembles, to some extent, Briquet's 12803 (St. Pol, 1586), 12804 (Evreux, 1588) and 12806 (Amiens, 1600), but much more closely Heawood's 3584 (England? 1624), and several figures - fig. 78 in particular – illustrating watermarks found in England in the first half of the seventeenth century, reproduced in his article, ‘Papers used in England after 1600’.

(ii) a ‘crozier' watermark appears on fols. 195, 196, 198, 200, 202, 204, 207, 209 and 211. This slightly resembles Briquet's 1349 (Etobon, 1587), and rather more closely Heawood's 1200 (1626).

Continued in thesis ...

Authors: Owtram, P

• Type of award: MLitt
• Level of award: Masters
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: British Library; English drama; Henry Glapthorne; seventeenth century; Lady Mother; manuscript; 17th century; Egerton 1994
• Subjects: British Library. Manuscript. Egerton 1994; English drama -- 17th century -- History and criticism; Glapthorne, Henry