Preface to Greene's Menaphon/Text with notes

Date of Composition.
In his History of Eng. Dr. Poetry, 1831, iii. 150, Collier says, 'We may conclude that Greene's Menaphon, printed in 1587 … appeared early in that year, because in Greene's Euphues, his Censure to Philautus, of the same date, it is mentioned as already in print'. Unfortunately he does not quote the passage, nor say where it occurs; nor, so far as I am aware, has any one ever found it. On the other hand, in Greene's Epistle to the Readers before Menaphon (Wks., ed. Grosart, vi. 7. 13-15), Euphues his Censure to Philautus is mentioned as not only published but as having been well received. Until some one identifies the passage referred to by Collier it seems not unreasonable to suppose his statement to be a mere error, and the edition of Menaphon published in 1587 to be entirely imaginary. The reference, at 324.27, to the Anatomy of Absurdity (ent. S. R. in 1588) as forthcoming need not disturb us, for that work was not published until 1589, most probably not until the end of the year, or even Feb. or March 1589-90 (see p. i); nor need Grosart's argument (Greene's Wks., i. 104) that 'If Menaphon 1589 had been the first edition, it would have had "Utriusque Acad. in Art. Mag."', a statement which is disposed of by a glance at Mr. Fleay's list of titles in ''Biog. Chron''. i. 253.

In any case, as I have already said (iii. 306, note i), there seems no reason whatever for thinking Nashe's Preface to have been written in 1587, while there are strong reasons for dating it 1589.