William Cavendish

A substantial body of Cavendish's prose and verse is preserved among the Portland literary manuscripts in the Hallward Library, University of Nottingham. The collection was given to the University in 1949 by the Duke's descendant William Arthur Cavendish-Bentinck, 7th Duke of Portland, following his decision to abandon Welbeck Abbey as a family home. The four volumes ascribed to Cavendish contain in the region of 450 individual works, at least 39 of which can be classified as drama. The present miscellany edition contains most of these dramatic pieces. They were written between c.1630 and the early years of the Restoration, and include the complete text of 'A Pleasante & merrye Humor off a Roge'; fragments from seven other plays including eight scenes from 'A Debaushte Gallante', two dialogues on the origin of names and 'Progectes...for the good off the Comon welth', and the draft of a scene between Mistress Hood and Mr Furrs in The Humorous Lovers which does not appear in the printed edition; a Christmas masque written shortly before the Civil War for the Duke's household at Welbeck Abbey; a pastoral composed during his exile in Antwerp; and several play songs, including eight 'for the Ende off a Comodye att the mariges' and three from Cavendish's Caroline play The Variety which differ from the versions in the printed text of 1649.
In her introduction the editor gives a detailed account of the manuscripts.