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 ''Parnassus. 1598-1602'' (?)

[MSS.] ''Bodl. Rawlinson MS.'' D. 398. 'The Pilgrimage to Parnassus', 'The Returne from Parnassus'. [1 Parnassus with Prologue; 2 Parnassus with Stagekeeper's speech for Prologue. The cover bears the name of 'Edmunde Rishton, Lancastrensis', who took his M.A. from St. John's, Cambridge, in 1602.]

Halliwell-Phillipps MS. 'The Returne from Pernassus: or The Scourge of Simony.' [3 Parnassus, with induction for Prologue, which says, 'The Pilgrimage to Pernassus, and the returne from Pernassus have stood the honest Stagekeepers in many a Crownes expence for linckes and vizards: this last is the last part of the returne from Pernassus'.]

S. R. 1605, Oct. 16 (Gwyn). 'An Enterlude called The retourne from Pernassus or the scourge of Simony publiquely Acted by the studentes in Sainct Johns College in Cambridg.' John Wright (Arber, iii. 304).

1606. The Returne from Pernassus: Or The Scourge of Simony. Publiquely acted by the Students in Saint Iohns Colledge in Cambridge. G. Eld, for Iohn Wright. [Two issues. 3 Parnassus only.]

Editions of 3 Parnassus by T. Hawkins (1773, O. E. D. iii), W. Scott (1810, A. B. D. i), in Dodsley^4 (1874, ix), by E. Arber (1878) and O. Smeaton (1905, T. D.), and of 1, 2, 3 Parnassus by W. D. Macray (1886) and J. S. Farmer (S. F. T.).—Dissertations: B. Corney (1866, 3 N. Q. ix. 387); J. W. Hales, The Pilgrimage to P. (1887, Academy and Macmillan's Magazine; 1893, Folia Litteraria, 165); W. Lühr, Die drei Cambridger Spiele vom P. in ihren litterarischen Beziehungen (1900, Kiel diss.); E. B. Reed, The College Element in Hamlet (1909, M. P. vi. 453); G. C. Moore Smith, The P. Plays (1915, M. L. R. x. 162).

There are several notes of time and authorship. At the end of 1, which was 'three daies studie' (l. 3), the pilgrimage has lasted '4 yeares' (712). Kinsader's, i.e. Marston's, Satires and Bastard's Epigrams, both of 1598, are mentioned (212). The prologue to 2, which is a 'Christmas toy' (18), deprecates the former courtesy of 'our stage':

Surelie it made our poet a staide man, Kept his proude necke from baser lambskins weare, Had like to have made him senior sophister. He was faine to take his course by Germanie Ere he could gett a silie poore degree. Hee never since durst name a peece of cheese, Thoughe Chessire seems to priviledge his name. His looke was never sanguine since that daye; Nere since he laughte to see a mimick playe.

It is now seven years since the scholars started for Parnassus (62). Gullio has been 'verie latelie in Irelande' and 'scapt knightinge' (878), obviously with Essex in 1599. The Epigrams (1599) of 'one Weaver fellow', i.e. John Weever, are alluded to (982). The prologue to 3, also a 'Christenmas toy' (30), calls it 'an old musty show, that