IT is now just ten years since I Collected, Printed, and Published, a Catalogue of all the English Stage-Playes that were ever till then Printed; I then took so great care about it, that now, after a ten years diligent search and enquiry I find no great mistake; I only omitted the Masques and Entertainments in Ben. Johnsons first Volume. There was then in all, 690. several Playes; and there hath been, since that time, just an hundred more Printed; so, in all, the Catalogue now amounts to (those formerly omitted now ad­ded) 806. I really believe there are no more, for I have been these twenty years a Collector of them, and have conversed with, and enquired of those that have been Collecting these fifty years. These, I can assure you, are all in Print, for I have seen them all within ten, and now have them all by me within thirty. Al­though I took care and pains in my last Catalogue to place the Names in some methodical manner, yet I have now proceeded further in a better method, having thus placed them. First, I begin with Shakespear, who hath in all written forty eight. Then Beaumont and Fletcher fifty two, Johnson fifty, Shirley thirty eight, Heywood twenty five, Middleton and Rowley twenty seven, Massenger sixteen, Chapman seventeen, Brome seventeen, and D' Avenant fourteen; so that these ten have written in all, 304. The rest have every one written under ten in number, and therefore I pass them as they were in the old Catalogue, and I place all the new ones last. I have not only seen, but also read all these Playes, and can give some account of every one; but I shall not be so presumptuous, as to give my Opinion, much less, to determine or judge of every, or any mans Writing, and who writ best; but I will acquaint you with some of my Observations, and so conclude. He that was the first Play-writer, I find to be one Heywood, not Thomas, but John Heywood, who writ seven several Playes, which he calls Interludes; and they are very old, being Printed with the first of our English Printing; and he makes notable work with the then Clergy. And indeed, by only reading of Playes, I find that you may be acquainted with the humours of that present Age wherein they were writ­ten. Also by Playes alone you may very well know the Chronicle History of England, and many other Hi­stories. I could enlarge much on this account, having for my own fancy written down all the Historical Playes in a succinct orderly method, as you may do the like; I observe that Playes were not only written by professed Poets, but also by the best Scholars, and Persons of Honour and Eminency; especially, in these last hundred Playes, and not only Male, but Female Writers; there being seven of them in all, four where­of in these last hundred. Although there are but 806. Playes in all Printed, yet I know that many more have been written and Acted, I my self have some quantity in Manuscript; and although I can find but twenty five of Tho. Heywoods in all Printed, yet (as you may reade in an Epistle to a Play of his, called The English Traveller) he hath had an entire hand, or, at least, a main Enger in the writing of 220. and, as I have been informed, he was very laborious; for he not only Acted almost every day, but also obliged himself to write a sheet every day, for several years together; but many of his Playes being composed and written loosely in Taverns, occasions them to be so mean; that except his Loves Mistress, and, next to that, his Ages, I have but small esteem for any others. I could say somewhat more of him, and of all the old Poets, having taken pleasure to converse with those that were acquainted with them, but will conclude thus; that as John Heywood was the first English Play-writer, so in my Opinion, one Thomas Merit [...], who writ two Pamphlets, which he calls Playes, viz. Love and War, and the Wandring Lover, was the worst. And although I dare not be absolute in my Opinion, who is the best of this Age, yet I should be very disingenuous, if I should not conclude, that the English Stage is much improved and adorned with the several Writings of several persons of Honour; but, in my Opinion chiefly with those of the most accomplished Mr. John Dreyden.