Michael Drayton image
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Born in 1563 / Died in December 23, 1631 / United Kingdom / English

Bibliography

Other info : Furtherreading

  • The Harmonie of the Church. Containing, The Spirituall Songes and holy Hymnes, of godly men (London: Printed by T. Orwin for R. Jhones, 1591).
  • Idea. The Shepheards Garland, Fashioned in nine Eglogs. Rowlands Sacrifice to the Nine Muses (London: Printed by T. Orwin for T. Woodcocke, 1593); revised as Poemes Lyrick and pastorall. Odes, Eglogs, The Man in the Moone (London: Printed by R. Bradock for N. Ling & J. Flasket, 1606).
  • Peirs Gaveston. Earle of Cornwall. His life, death, and fortune (London: Printed by J. Roberts for N. Ling & John Busby, 1594?).
  • Ideas Mirrour. Amours in quatorzains (London: Printed by J. Roberts for N. Linge, 1594).
  • Matilda. The faire and chaste Daughter of the Lord Robert Fitzwater (London: Printed by J. Roberts for N. Ling & J. Busby, 1594).
  • Endimion and Phobe. Ideas Latmus (London: Printed by James Roberts for John Busbie, 1595).
  • Mortimeriados. The Lamentable civell warres of Edward the second and the Barrons (London: Printed by J. Roberts for Mathew Lownes, 1596); revised as The Barrons Wars in the raigne of Edward the Second. With Englands Heroicall Epistles (London: Printed by J. Roberts for N. Ling, 1603).
  • The Tragicall Legend of Robert, Duke of Normandy, With the Legend of Matilda the chast, daughter to the Lord Robert Fitzwater, poysoned by King Iohn. And the Legend of Piers Gaveston, the great Earle of Cornwall: and mighty favorite of king Edward the second. By Michaell Drayton. The latter two, by him newly corrected and augmented (London: Printed by J. Roberts for N. Ling, 1596).
  • Englands Heroicall Epistles (London: Printed by J. Roberts for N. Ling, 1597); revised and enlarged edition [adds five new epistles and deletes dedications to William Parker, fourth Baron Monteagle, and Lord Henry Howard] (London: Printed by P. Short for N. Ling, 1598); revised and enlarged, with Idea [adds Geraldine's reply to Surrey, completing the twenty-four epistles] (London: Printed by J. Roberts for N. Ling, 1599); revised, with Idea [allusions to Robert Devereux, second Earl of Essex, are deleted, especially from the epistles of Richard II and Isabella; sonnets to James VI of Scotland and others appended] (London: Printed by J. Roberts for N. Ling, 1600); revised and enlarged, with Idea [epistles of Edward the Black Prince and Alice, Countess of Salisbury, added] (London: Printed by R. Roberts for N. Ling, 1602).
  • The first part OF the true and honorable historie, of the life of Sir John Old-castle, the good Lord Cobham, by Drayton, Richard Hathway, Anthony Munday, and Robert Wilson (London: Printed by V. Simmes for Thomas Pauier, 1600).
  • To the Maiestie of King James. A gratulatorie Poem (London: Printed by J. Roberts for T. Man & H. Lownes, 1603).
  • The Owle (London: Printed by E. Allde for E. White & N. Ling, 1604).
  • A Pæan Trivmphall. Composed for the Societie of the Goldsmiths of London (London: Printed by F. Kingston for J. Flasket, 1604).
  • Moyses in a Map of his Miracles (London: Printed by H. Lownes, sold by T. Man the younger, 1604).
  • Poems: by Michaell Draiton esquire (London: Printed by V. Simmes for N. Ling, 1605; revised edition, London: Printed by H. Ballard for J. Smethwicke, 1608).
  • The Legend of Great Cromwel (London: Printed by Felix Kyngston, sold by I. Flasket, 1607); republished as The historie of the life and death of the lord Cromwell (London: Printed by F. Kyngston for W. Welby, 1609).
  • Poly-Olbion (London: Printed by H. Lownes for M. Lownes, J. Browne, J. Helme & J. Busbie, 1612).
  • Poems by Michael Drayton Esquyer (London: Printed by W. Stansby for J. Swethwicke, 1619).
  • The Second Part, or a continvance of Poly-Olbion (London: Printed by A. Mathewes for J. Marriott, J. Grismand & T. Dewe, 1622).
  • The Battaile of Agincourt. Fought by Henry the fift of that name, King of England, against the whole power of the French: under the Raigne of their Charles the sixt, Anno Dom. 1415. The Miseries of Queene Margarite, the infortunate Wife, of that most infortunate King Henry the sixt. Nimphidia, the Court of Fayrie. The Quest of Cinthia. The Shepheards Sirena. The Moone-Calfe. Elegies upon Sundry Occasions (London: Printed by A. Mathewes for W. Lee, 1627).
  • The Muses Elizium, Lately discovered, By a New Way Over Parnassus. The passages therein, being the subiect of ten sundry Nymphalls, Leading three Divine Poemes: Noahs Floud. Moses, his Birth and Miracles. David and Golia (London: Printed by Thomas Harper for John Waterson, 1630).
  • Minor Poems of Michael Drayton, edited by Cyril Brett (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1907).
  • Poems of Michael Drayton, 2 volumes, edited by John Buxton (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 1953).
  • The Works of Michael Drayton, 5 volumes, volumes 1-4 edited by William Hebel, volume 5 edited by Hebel, Kathleen Tillotson, and Bernard H. Newdigate (Oxford: Printed at Shakespeare Head Press, and published by Basil Blackwell, 1931-1941; revised edition, 1961).

Play Productions

  • The Famous Wars of Henry I and the Prince of Wales (also known as The Welshman's Prize), by Drayton, Henry Chettle, and Thomas Dekker, London, Rose theater, March 1598.
  • Earl Goodwin and his Three Sons, parts 1 and 2, by Drayton, Chettle, Dekker, and Robert Wilson, London, Rose theater, spring 1598.
  • The Funeral of Richard Coeur-de-Lion, by Drayton, Chettle, Anthony Munday, and Wilson, London, Rose theater, June 1598.
  • Hannibal and Hermes, part 1 (also known as Worse Afeard than Hurt), by Drayton, Dekker, and Wilson, London, Rose theater, July 1598.
  • The Madman's Morris, by Drayton, Dekker, and Wilson, London, Rose theater, July 1598.
  • Pierce of Winchester, by Drayton, Dekker, and Wilson, London, Rose theater, July-August 1598.
  • Worse Afeard than Hurt (presumably part 2 of Hannibal and Hermes), by Drayton and Dekker, London, Rose theater, September 1598.
  • The Civil Wars of France, parts 1, 2, and 3, by Drayton and Dekker, London, Rose theater, autumn 1598.
  • Connan Prince of Cornwall, by Drayton and Dekker, London, Rose theater, October 1598.
  • Chance Medley, by Drayton, Chettle or Dekker, Munday, and Wilson, unknown theater, circa 1598.
  • Mother Redcap, by Drayton and Munday, London, Rose theater, circa 1598.
  • Pierce of Exton, by Drayton, Chettle, Dekker, and Wilson, unknown theater, circa 1598.
  • The first part of the true and honorable historie, of the life of Sir John Old-castle, the good Lord Cobham, by Drayton, Richard Hathway, Munday, and Wilson, London, unknown theater, Company of Earl of Nottingham, Lord High Admiral of England, 1599.
  • William Longsword, by Drayton and others, unknown theater, circa 1599.
  • Fair Constance of Rome, part 1, by Drayton, Dekker, Hathway, Munday, and Wilson, London, Rose theater, June 1600.
  • Fair Constance of Rome, part 2, by Drayton, Hathway, and others, unknown theater, 1600-1601.
  • Sir John Oldcastle, part 2, by Drayton, Hathway, Munday, and Wilson, unknown theater, 1600-1601.
  • Owen Tudor, by Drayton, Hathway, Munday, and Wilson, unknown theater, 1600-1601.
  • The Life and Rising of Cardinal Wolsey, by Drayton, Chettle, Munday, and Wentworth Smith, London, Fortune theater, August-November 1601.
  • Caesar's Fall, or the Two Shapes, by Drayton, Dekker, Thomas Middleton, Munday, and John Webster, London, Fortune theater, May 1602.


One autograph letter to William Drummond of Hawthornden on 22 November 1620 is preserved in the National Library of Scotland (MS 9931, f. 21). Copies of Drayton's poems also appear in manuscript verse miscellanies and song-books; for a complete listing, see Peter Beal, Index of English Literary Manuscripts (1980).