445

William Prynne (1600-1669)

Histrio-Mastix. The Players Scourge or Actors Tragaedie.

London: E[lizabeth] A[llde], [Thomas Cotes, Augustine Mathewes,] and [William] I[ones] for Michael Sparke, 1633.
First edition, second issue, with errata printed on *.*4 verso; thick quarto; lacking preliminary blank A1; bound in full contemporary English calf with a worn rebacking; 7 1/2 x 5 3/4 in.

STC 20464a; Pforzheimer 809; ESTC S115316.

"Weighing in at well over a thousand pages, Histrio-Mastix has come to occupy almost monumental status in the history of antitheatrical discourse. [...] Amid a dizzying array of proofs, Histrio-Mastix presents us with a text that is so repetitive in content and so circular in its reasoning that we might be tempted to concur with those critics who have referred to it variously as the work of 'an obsessive mind,' a 'logorrhaeic nightmare,' and an 'exercise in sheer lunacy.' But if Histrio-Mastix was the work of a megalomaniacal madman, then its author, William Prynne, was clearly crazy like a fox, as he was able through this hypergraphic form of expressivity both to attract the publicity he sought and [...] 'to turn the terminology of dramatic structure against its usual practitioners' to make it serve his 'godly' purpose." (Quoted from Lisa Freeman's Antitheatricality and the Body Public, University of Pennsylvania Press, 2017.)

  • Condition: [A]2 (lacking preliminary blank A1), *4, **8, *.*4, B-Zzz4, Aaa*-Kkk*4, 4A-6R4 (5N4 blank & present).

    Please contact us to request a condition report:
    Devon Eastland, Senior Specialist: [email protected]
    Grace Meschery-McCormack, Cataloguer: [email protected]


    Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Upon request, Swann will facilitate the shipping of purchases to out-of-town buyers at an additional charge for packing, shipping and insurance, but will not be responsible for any loss, damage or delay resulting from the packing, handling and shipping thereof. Unless specific instructions are received, Swann is the sole judge of the method to be used for shipment. Packing and shipping costs will be noted on the invoice mailed to successful bidders after the sale, and are based on the actual costs involved. Be advised that a full commercial invoice must accompany any purchase shipped outside the US.

April 23, 2026 10:30 AM EDT
New York, NY, US

Swann Auction Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $100,000:
27.00%
$100,001 - $1,000,000:
22.00%
$1,000,001+:
12.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000