PREFAC E HE number of occasions fo r entertainment in the r- l in li o ur Uni r i i ll eve deve op g fe of ve s t es, Co eges , and l r a a an fo r ui a l la o r Schoo s, c e tes dem d s t b e p ys n which h as no t m t i r Wi an a ua sce es, e h the to th deq te u l s pp y . ’ n l r la The Elder Brother i wa Joh F etche s p y , wh ch s first rin in 1 6 ll a a for uCh p ted 37, seems we d pted s a i n for ll in r a n . occ s o s, the fo ow g e so s ( I) Th e gist of the play 15 to commend and praise learning by showing the character of A SCHOLAR as being no t only consistent With patriotic and military prowess b ut as actually more favourable to these than ra r a r ur i r or in a Al u the cha cte of me e co t e pop j y . tho gh n la is ur un r n is the to e of the p y p e comedy, the de to e of wi l r a r c weightier matter. It l be pe h ps some e om mendat ion a n is lai in ran a un r th t the sce e d F ce, co t y r an r ni o ur o wn r n i r mo e th eve k t to by ece t h sto y, and no English audience will b e likely to miss the friendly allusion to the University of Louvain in A Se I . ct II , . (2) Th e characters of most importance are full li and ar l i wit and are u as of fe sp k e w th , s ch seem to ‘ ’ ut a iri u in r in n nial p sp t of yo th eve yth g, co ge to the occasions above mentioned . la ra n r is r uir and a (3) No e bo te sce e y eq ed ; , wh t is n r a n i ra i n it is i l a r ia ofte of g e t co s de t o , poss b e to bb ev te the play and choose a few effective scenes and dialogues without entirely mutilating the general purpose of the whole . vi PREPAC E There is only o ne woman character that h as much sa Her to y and she is full of charm and good sense . ai l ia is a r il h er i r b ut is m d Sy v ve y good fo to m st ess, al r in r i r togethe of m o mpo tance . hn Fl r was a n Ri ar Fl r Bi Jo etche so of ch d etche , shop of London ( 1 594 andit was to him andhis brother Nathaniel] that the Bishop bequeathed all his books ‘ ’ de b to be vyded etweene them eq uallie . Though his name is inseparably linked with that of Francis Beaumont it is a generally accepted fact that the present play was entirely the work of Fletcher himself. Th e lin in ri inal di i n r in as r l ue es, the o g e t o , se v g p o og A I as ll as i r il u to ct , we those wh ch fo m the ep og e, testify to the great reputation in which the author was l and la i l was t e - rin e in 1 6 1 he d, the p y tse f p t d 5 , ‘ 1 661 1 6 8 in i ar it is ri as no w in , 7 , wh ch ye desc bed be g ' ’ ’ a at Th cted the eatre Ro yal by His Majesty s Servants . ’ Th e Editor s thanks are due to His Grace the Duke of Portland for permission to reproduce the interesting r rai o f l r now at l and Bi po t t F etche We beck, to the shop of London for leave to photograph the monograms of ’ Fletcher s father at Fulham . W . H . D . 1 january 1 9 5 . ILLUSTRATIONS JOH N FLE TC HE R Frontispiece ’ L R ARM S OF R IC HA RD F ETC HE , THE POE T S ATH E R to ace i F f p . v N OTE NG N BY THE RE V . C . A . ALI TO , Headmaster of Shrewsbury V ERYONE who is interested in acting at Public Schools or Universities must have suffered from the dearth of suitable plays ; and this fact alone should be enough to j ustify the re - publishing of this play by h r Jo n Fletche . Besides this general merit it seems to me to have th e special advantages clai med for it : the plot is i l and ire c ara r l arl rawn and s mp e d ct , the h cte s c e y d the lan ua re ar a l r r difii cult g ge m k b y f ee f om y. We are often told that our countrymen despise learnin and imi ain ain a li g, pess sts m t th t the home fe of the pre sent day h as degenerated from the beauty of a T i la r i a l an i e the p st . h s p y p ov des cheerfu t dot to both complai nts : it s moral is that of th e supremacy of learnin r ru r a li n —a e i w i g ove de ccomp shme ts, th s s h ch academic listeners mus t surely applaud : while if they are led to a comparison of modern domestic relations with those of the XV IIth century the result must r ainl n n ce t y be to se d them home co tent . C . A . A . 1 1 january 9 5 . THE ARGUMENT A r ain L r L i in it is i hi s un ce t o d , ew s , th ks t me yo g au r An lina was arri and n h er d ghte ge m ed , comme ds to a n i n n his n i ur Bris ac a n l tte t o the two so s of e ghbo , ge t e man and u i P a l r is J st ce of the e ce , the e de of whom arl a lar and u i u l r and Ch es, scho st d o s ove of books, the un r Eu a a ol i r r un r ain ain yo ge st ce, s d e of fo t e with ce t v ll B n l ur for ri n . ris ac is o ar a fe ows f e ds , who scho , f vo s h is un r s on Eu a b ut his r r ira n yo ge st ce , b othe M mo t , a l r l arnin a ur arle in his ui i ove of e g, f vo s Ch s s t w th ’ An lina in i is r n l ai arl ge , wh ch he st o g y ded by Ch es ai ul a An r An lina a r u o b ser f thf serv nt d ew . ge fte m ch vation prefers Charles and awakens in him a generous T r u n Eu a and hi ri n ai passion . he e po st ce s f e ds ded by Brisac t r a arl i n a a hi s in ritan y to m ke Ch es s g w y he ce, b ut he boldly refuses and challenges Eustace to decide i Eu a is their cla ms by the sword . st ce so moved by ’ admiration for his brother s courage that he resigns his lai An lina wh o in end is c m to ge , the wedded to Charles . On a i n r it is n e ar r n N ate . occ s o s whe e ec ss y to p ese t l a r i n la ll in u i n on y po t o of the p y, the fo ow g s ggest o s for abbreviation are offered . A I Sc . 1 and 2 . S H M A . C E E ct , ‘ ’ a in. A Sc . 2 a ct III , , to Get me my books g ’ i i him . Sc . u ar a t 4, to I m st p t ke w th ‘ ll 1 d a c . r A V Se . an r S 2 ct , , p t of , f om We ' overtaken to end. ‘ i Sc . r S r n A I e 1 . S . 2 u SC HEM E B . ct , , f om , my yo g e l i e d masters ar new y al ghted to n .