A DUKE and NO DUKE and A FOOL'S PREFERMENT. Two 17th century plays bound together. by TATE, Nahum. DURFEY, Thomas. Music by Henry PURCELL.: - 1685

London, printed for Henry Bonwicke, at the Red Lyon in St. Pauls Church-Yard, 1685.. 2 PLAYS BOUND TOGETHER. A DUKE AND NO DUKE: FIRST EDITION 1685, subtitle: A Farce. As it is acted by Their Majesties Servants.... With the several Songs set to Music, with thorow Basses for the Theorbo, or Basse Viol. Small 4to, approximately 210 x 145, 8¼ x 5¾ inches, pages: (8), 1-51 (1), prelims consist of dedication to Sr. George Hewyt, Preface, Prologue written by a friend of the Author's and the cast list. Bound in half green calf over dark blue boards, gilt dividing lines, gilt rules and gilt lettering for both titles to spine. Pages age-browned, 5 mm (¼") hole in title page partially affecting 2 letters in subtitle, now neatly repaired and hardly noticeable, slight binding crease across title page, no loss, very short closed tear to fore-edge, a few pages trimmed at top just shaving a couple of running titles, 1 or 2 dark spots, not obscuring text, a good copy. Binding slightly worn, small neat repairs to head and tail of spine, boards slightly rubbed, spine gilt slightly worn, armorial bookplate on front pastedown, play titles written in ink on front endpaper. Nahum Tate (1652 1715) was an Irish poet, hymnist and lyricist, who became England's poet laureate in 1692. Tate's farce Duke and no Duke (first printed 1685, but acted earlier at the Theatre Royal) imitated Sir Aston Cockayne's Trappolin suppos'd a Prince. Bound with: A FOOL'S PREFERMENT, or, the Three Dukes of Dunstable. A Comedy. As it was Acted at the Queens Theatre in Dorset-Garden, by Their Majesties Servants. Written by Mr. D'urfey. Together, with all the Songs and Notes to 'em, Excellently Compos'd by Mr. Henry Purcell, 1688. Printed for Jos. Knight, and Fra. Saunders at the Blue Anchor in the Lower Walk of the New Exchange in the Strand, 1688. FIRST EDITION, pages: (8), 1-56, 65-85, (3), 16, jump in pagination present in all copies, prelims consist of title page, dedication to Lord Morpeth, cast list and prologue, page 85 is followed by 2 page Epilogue, 1 page list of plays by Beaumont and Fletcher printed by Henry Herringman, last 16 numbered pages consist of the New Songs sung in The Fool's Preferment with its own title page (printed by E. Jones, for Jos. Knight and Fran. Saunders, ... 1688). Pages lightly age-browned, some upper margins trimmed, not affecting running titles, brief ink note across title page to songs, a very good copy. Henry Purcell's name is printed at the end of 6 of the 8 songs. This play was originally written by Beaumont and Fletcher or possibly Fletcher alone with the title The Noble Gentleman. Like the majority of the plays in Fletcher's canon, The Noble Gentleman was both revived and adapted into new forms during the Restoration era. Thomas D'Urfey's adaptation, called A Fool's Preferment or Three Dukes of Dunstable was licensed on 31 May 1688, though coldly received it is now interesting to the play-collector as preserving Purcell's settings for the songs. See: The Carl H. Pforzheimer Library, English Literature 1475-1700, Volume I, page 330, No. 344; Catalogue of the Famous Library of Henry Huth, Volume II, page 729, No. 2570; ESTC R20236 and R3116 MORE IMAGES ATTACHED TO THIS LISTING, ALL ZOOMABLE. FURTHER IMAGES ON REQUEST. POSTAGE AT COST.