A Catalogue of Book Advertisements from English Serials: Printed Drama, 1646–1668

Dating early modern books with any precision has long proved a difficult task, particularly when dealing with works printed in England. For example, a title-page, manuscript document, or autograph marginal note might include the year reckoned according to the regnal, legal, or calendar scheme. Complicating matters, England followed the older Julian system, which in the seventeenth century ran ten days ahead of the reformed Gregorian schema used on the continent. Beyond potential confusion due to conflicting calendars, the primary materials consulted by scholars of early modern print culture to establish publication dates all have important weaknesses. The first, and most widely used resource, are the entries made in the Stationers' Registers by printers and booksellers seeking protection from unauthorized reprints of their titles. While a valuable source of information, not all titles were registered with the company, nor did registration necessarily signal imminent publication. Here, McEvilla presents a catalogue of printed drama advertised in English newsbooks and broadsides.