a tesmoigné estre extrèmement irrité contre ces maraults-là, et a commandé qu'ilz soient chastiez et surtout qu'on eust à faire diligence de trouver le compositeur. Mesme il a fait deffense que l'on n'eust plus à jouer de Comédies dedans Londres, pour lever laquelle deffense quatre autres compagnies qui y sont encore, offrent desja cent mille francs, lesquels pourront bien leur en redonner la permission; mais pour le moins sera-ce à condition qu'ilz ne représenteront plus aucune histoire moderne ni ne parleront des choses du temps à peine de la vie. Si j'eusse creu qu'il y eust eu de la suggestion en ce qu'avoient dit lesdits comédiens, j'en eusse fait du bruit davantage; mais ayant tout subjet d'estimer le contraire, j'ay pensay que le meilleur estoit de ne point le remuer davantage, et laisser audit Roy la vengeance de son fait mesme. Touttefois si vous jugez delà, Monsieur; que je n'y aye fait assez, il est encore temps.'
In M. L. Review, iv. 158, I reprinted a less good text from Ambassades de M. De La Boderie (1750), iii. 196. The letter is often dated 1605 and ascribed to De La Boderie's predecessor, M. de Beaumont, on the strength of a summary in F. L. G. von Raumer, History of the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries, ii. 219. The text has been ruthlessly censored; in particular the peccant scene has been cut out of Act II of Part ii, and most of Act IV of Part i, dealing with Byron's visit to England, has been suppressed or altered. The Epistle offers 'these poor dismembered poems', and they are probably the subject of two undated and unsigned letters printed by Dobell in Ath. (1901), i. 433. The first, to one Mr. Crane, secretary to the Duke of Lennox, inquires whether the writer can leave a 'shelter' to which 'the austeritie of this offended time' has sent him. The other is by 'the poor subject of your office' and evidently addressed to the Master of the Revels, and complains of his strictness in revising for the press what the Council had passed for presentment. Worcester's men had an anonymous play of Byron (Burone or Berowne) in 1602, and Greg (Henslowe, ii. 231) thinks that to this Chapman's may have borne some relation. But Chapman's source was Grimeston, General Inventorie of the History of France (1607).
The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois. c. 1610
S. R. 1612, Apr. 17 (Buck). 'Twoo play bookes, th' one called, The revenge of Bussy D'Amboys, beinge a tragedy, thother called, The wydowes teares, beinge a Comedy, bothe written by George Chapman.' Browne (Arber, iii. 481). [Only a 6d. fee charged for the two.]
1613. The Revenge of Bussy D'Ambois. A Tragedie. As it hath beene often presented at the priuate Play-house in the White-Fryers. Written by George Chapman, Gentleman. T. S., sold by Iohn Helme. [Epistle to Sir Thomas Howard, signed 'Geo. Chapman'.]
Edition by F. S. Boas (1905, B. L.).
Boas has shown that Chapman used Grimeston, General Inventorie of the History of France (1607). Probably the play was written for the Queen's Revels to accompany Bussy. But whether it was first produced at Whitefriars in 1609-12, or at Blackfriars in 1608-9, can hardly be settled. The title-page and the probability that the
