"One third of the materials covered in this book were purchased by Henry Clay Folger (1857-1930) the American industrialist and eventual Chairman of the New York Company Standard Oil. The remaining two thirds were collected following his death. Together with his wife Emily Jordan Folger (1858-1936) Mr Folger assembled one of the most important private libraries in the United States of America. Their invaluable collection of books and manuscripts was bequeathed to the American people and is housed in the Folger Shakespeare Library which endures as a monument to their dedication and generosity. Since the library’s opening in April 1932 many further materials have been acquired and today it has the third largest collection of early English prints in the world and the largest collection of Shakespeareana.

Richard Charteris: Richard Charteris is Professor in Historical Musicology at the University of Sydney, and Director of the Centre of Early Venetian Music. He has produced a considerable number of research publications, including musicological studies, critical editions and refereed articles published in Europe, the UK, and the USA.