Edition by C. W. Stork (1910). The epistle says that the play was still often acted, and 'as Plaies were then, some twenty yeares agone, it was in the fashion'. This dating and the mention of the Red Bull justify us in regarding it as an early play for Queen Anne's men.
A New Wonder, A Woman Never Vexed (?) S. R. 1631, Nov. 24 (Herbert). 'A booke called A new wonder or a woman neuer vext (a Comedy) by William Rowley.' Constable (Arber, iv. 266). 1632. A new Wonder, A Woman never vext. A pleasant conceited Comedy: sundry times Acted: never before printed. Written by William Rowley, one of his Maiesties Servants. G. P. for Francis Constable. Fleay, ii, 102, and Greg (H. ii. 177) suggest revision by Rowley of the Admiral's Wonder of a Woman (1595), perhaps by Heywood (q.v.); Stork, 26, early work for Queen Anne's men, under Heywood's influence.
A Match at Midnight (?) S. R. 1633, Jan. 15 (Herbert). 'A Play called A Match at midnight.' William Sheares (Arber, iv. 291). 1633. A Match at Midnight A Pleasant Comœdie: As it hath been Acted by the Children of the Revells. Written by W. R. Aug. Mathewes for William Sheares.
Fleay, 203 and ii. 95, treats the play, without discussion, as written
by Middleton and Rowley for the Queen's Revels c. 1607. Bullen, Middleton, i. lxxxix, and Stork, 17, concur as to the date, the former regarding it as Middleton's revised c. 1622 by Rowley, the latter as practically all Rowley's. These views are evidently influenced by the mention of the Children of the Revels on the title-page. Wiggin, 7, noting allusions to the battle of Prague in 1620 and Reynard the Fox (1621), thinks it alternatively possible that Rowley wrote it under Middletonian influence for one of the later Revels companies c. 1622. There was no doubt a company of Children of the Revels in 1622-3 (Murray, i. 198), but the name on a t.p. of 1633 would naturally refer to the still later company of 1629-37 (Murray, i. 279).
The Birth of Merlin (?) 1662. The Birth of Merlin: Or, The Childe hath found his Father. As it hath been several times Acted with great Applause. Written by William Shakespear, and William Rowley. Tho. Johnson for Francis Kirkman and Henry Marsh.
Editions by T. E. Jacob (1889), J. S. Farmer (1910, T. F. T.), and with Sh. Apocrypha.—Dissertations: F. A. Howe, The Authorship of the B. of M. (1906, M. P. iv. 193); W. Wells, The B. of M. (1921, M. L. R. xvi. 129).
Kirkman's attribution to Shakespeare and Rowley was first made in his play-list of 1661 (Greg, Masques, liii). It is generally accepted for Rowley, but not for Shakespeare. But Fleay, Shakespeare, 289,
