The Workes of Benjamin Jonson. The second Volume. Containing these
Playes, Viz. 1 Bartholomew Fayre. 2 The Staple of Newes. 3 The Divell is
an Asse. _London, Printed for Richard Meighen,_ 1640.
F^o. (11-1/4 × 7-1/8). F. 8.
Collation: A^6B-Y^42A-2H^42I^6; A-P^4Q^2R-V^4; B-Q^4R^2S-X^4Y^2;
Z-2O^42P^22Q^4; A-K^4L^2M-R^4; paged. Sigs. Z-2Q of third alphabet
misplaced at end of second. The first three plays, those mentioned
on the general titlepage, but in the order 1, 3, 2, each have a
separate titlepage with imprint 'London, Printed by I. B. for
Robert Allot, and are to be sold at the signe of the Beare, in
Pauls Church-yard. 1631.' (2 also has fresh pagination.) These
constitute the first alphabet of sigs., the first leaf of A (?
originally blank) being replaced by the general titlepage. The
second alphabet, with fresh pagination, contains three plays, 'The
Magnetic Lady', 'A Tale of a Tub', 'The Sad Shepherd', each with a
separate titlepage without printer's or stationer's name but dated,
the first two 1640, the third 1641. The third alphabet, with fresh
pagination, contains 'Masques' without separate titlepage,
'Underwoods' and the fragment of 'Mortimer' each with separate
titlepage dated 1640. The last alphabet, again with fresh
pagination, contains 'Horace his Art of Poetry', 'The English
Grammar' and 'Timber or Discoveries', each with separate titlepage,
the first two dated 1640, the last 1641. This is the first edition
of the second volume and is for the most part composed of matter
which had not previously appeared. It was later re-issued without
the general titlepage and with the three 1631 plays replaced by a
reprint dated 1641 of 'The Devil is an Ass' only.