20 OCTOBER 1906, Page 13

THE MALONE SOCIETY.

[To THE EDITOR OF TRH " SPECTATOR.")

SIR,—It is possible that some of your readers may be interested in the Malone Society, which has been founded for the purpose of making accessible materials for the study of the early English drama. The publications of the Society, which will be issued to members only, will consist chiefly of accurate reprints of the original editions of old plays, mostly Tudor, and of documents illustrative of the history of the drama and

the stage.

The organisation of the Society has been entrusted to a Com- mittee consisting of five members—namely, F. S. Boas, E. K. Chambers, R. B. 3fclierrow, A. W. Pollard, and W. W. Greg (hon. sec.)—who will report to a meeting to be held in the course of November next. Work is already in hand, and it is hoped that the following plays will be ready for issue early in the new year Wealth and Health, 4th, n.d. ; St. John the Evangelist, 4th, n.d. (both long supposed to have perished, but recently recovered) ; The Battle of Alcazar,4to, 1594 (by G. Peele) ; and Orlando Furioso, 4th, 1594 (by H. Greene). The amount of work which it will be possible to issue will, of course, largely depend upon the number of members (at a subscription of one guinea), but it is hoped that it may be possible to issue each year one play (or its equivalent) for every twenty-five memberg, besides carrying on the ordinary business of the Society and issuing a fly-sheet dealing with matters likely to be of interest to members. The following are among those, both at home and abroad, uhc have promised their support to the scheme : W. Bang (Louvain), R. W. Bond, A. H. Bullen, Henry Bradley, Alois Brandi (Berlin), G. B. Churchill (Amherst), W. J. Craig, W. McN. Dixon, Edward Dowden, Oliver Elton, Ewald Fliigel, T. Gregory Foster, C. M. Gayley (California), Israel Gollancz, E. W. Gosse, H. F. Heath, C. H. Herford, W. P. Ker, Sidney Lee, J. M. Manly (Chicago), Walter Raleigh, Frank Sidgwick, Percy Simpson, George Saints- bury, G. Gregory Smith, G. C. Moore Smith.

All communications should be addressed to—

Park Lodge, Wimbledon.

W. W. GREG,

Provisional Hon. Secretary.