'_Ralph Royster Doyster_, a Comedy, entered on the books of the
Stationers' Company, 1566. London: Printed by F. Marshall, Kenton
St., Brunswick Sq., 1821.' [Editor not known.]
R. Southey's copy, with his autograph, and dated 1 Feb. 1837, is in
the British Museum. Press-mark, 1344-k.
Neither of the above knew that Udall was the author. The editor of
1821 reprint writes, 'The author, whoever he was,' _p._ iv. It was
Mr. Collier who connected Wilson's quotation with _Roister Doister_,
and so proved Udall to be its author. Writing on 14th April 1865; he
thus begins the _Preface_ of his _Bibl. Account of Ear. Eng. Lit._
Ed. 1865.
'During my whole life, now rapidly approaching fourscore, I have
been a diligent reader, and, as far as my means would allow,
a greedy purchaser of all works connected with early English
literature. It is nearly sixty years since I became possessed of my
first really valuable old book of this kind--Wilson's "Art of
Logic," printed by Richard Grafton 1551--from which I ascertained
the not unimportant facts that "Ralph Roister Doister" was an older
play than "Gammer Gurton's Needle," and that it had been written by
Nicholas Udall, Master of Eton School: I thus learned who was the
author of the earliest comedy, properly so called, in our language.
This was my first literary discovery, made several years anterior,
although I had not occasion to render it public, until I printed my
Notes upon "Dodsley's Old Plays," soon after 1820.'*
[Footnote *: _See vol. ii. p. 3. Ed. 1825._]