The Countesse of Mountgomeries Urania (1621) title page

Augustine Matthews ( fl. 1615 – 1637) was a printer in London in the Jacobean and

Caroline Caroline may refer to: People * Caroline (given name), a feminine given name * J. C. Caroline (born 1933), American college and National Football League player * Jordan Caroline (born 1996), American (men's) basketball player Places Antarctica * ...

eras. Among a wide variety of other work, Matthews printed notable texts in English Renaissance drama. Matthews became a freedman (a full member) of the

Stationers Company The Worshipful Company of Stationers and Newspaper Makers (until 1937 the Worshipful Company of Stationers), usually known as the Stationers' Company, is one of the livery company, livery companies of the City of London. The Stationers' Compan ...

on 9 May 1615. By 1619 he was established in his own business (in Cow Lane), and for the next two decades he produced a range of literature for many of the booksellers of his generation. In the field of drama, Matthews printed these editions of these plays: * Q2 of

Thomas Middleton Thomas Middleton (baptised 18 April 1580 – July 1627; also spelt ''Midleton'') was an English Jacobean playwright and poet. He, with John Fletcher and Ben Jonson, was among the most successful and prolific of playwrights at work in the Jac ...

and

William Rowley William Rowley (c. 1585 – February 1626) was an English Jacobean dramatist, best known for works written in collaboration with more successful writers. His date of birth is estimated to have been c. 1585; he was buried on 11 February 1626 in ...

's ''

A Fair Quarrel ''A Fair Quarrel'' is a Jacobean tragicomedy, a collaboration between Thomas Middleton and William Rowley that was first published in 1617. Performance and Publication The play was written sometime between 1612 and 1617, and probably after Oct ...

'', 1622 * Q3 of ''

The Troublesome Reign of King John ''The Troublesome Reign of John, King of England'', commonly called ''The Troublesome Reign of King John'' (c. 1589) is an Elizabethan history play, probably by George Peele, that is generally accepted by scholars as the source and model that W ...

'', 1622 * Q1 of

John Webster John Webster (c. 1580 – c. 1632) was an English Jacobean dramatist best known for his tragedies '' The White Devil'' and ''The Duchess of Malfi'', which are often seen as masterpieces of the early 17th-century English stage. His life and car ...

's ''

The Devil's Law Case ''The Devil's Law Case'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy written by John Webster, and first published in 1623. Date The play's date of authorship and early performance history is unknown. The events upon which the play is based occu ...

'', 1623 * Q1 of the anonymous ''Tragedy of Nero'', 1624 (with printer John Norton) * Q2 of

Beaumont and Fletcher Beaumont and Fletcher were the English dramatists Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, who collaborated in their writing during the reign of James I (1603–25). They became known as a team early in their association, so much so that their jo ...

's ''

The Scornful Lady ''The Scornful Lady'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a comedy written by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, and first published in 1616, the year of Beaumont's death. It was one of the pair's most popular, often revived, and frequently reprin ...

'', 1625 ** Q4 of the same play, 1635 * Q3 of Beaumont and Fletcher's ''

Philaster Philaster may refer to: * Philastrius (died 390s), bishop of Brescia in the fourth century * ''Philaster'' (play), play by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher, published in 1620 * ''Philaster'' (genus), a genus of ciliates in the family Philasterid ...

'', 1628 * Q3 of

George Wilkins George Wilkins (died 1618) was an English dramatist and pamphleteer best known for his probable collaboration with William Shakespeare on the play ''Pericles, Prince of Tyre''. By profession he was an inn-keeper, but he was also apparently invol ...

's ''

The Miseries of Enforced Marriage ''The Miseries of Enforced Marriage'' is a play written by George Wilkins which was published in London in 1607. The play is a fictionalised treatment of the real life case of murderer Walter Calverley whose marriage was an arranged one. It rel ...

'', 1629 * Q2 of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Othello ''Othello'' (full title: ''The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice'') is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare, probably in 1603, set in the contemporary Ottoman–Venetian War (1570–1573) fought for the control of the Island of Cypru ...

'', 1630 * Q1 of

Philip Massinger Philip Massinger (1583 – 17 March 1640) was an English dramatist. His finely plotted plays, including ''A New Way to Pay Old Debts'', ''The City Madam'', and '' The Roman Actor'', are noted for their satire and realism, and their politi ...

's ''

The Renegado ''The Renegado, or The Gentleman of Venice'' is a late Literature in English#Jacobean literature, Jacobean stage play, a tragicomedy written by Philip Massinger and first published in 1630 in literature, 1630. The play has attracted critical atte ...

'', 1630 * Q1 of Sir

William Davenant Sir William Davenant (baptised 3 March 1606 – 7 April 1668), also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned bot ...

's ''

The Cruel Brother "The Cruel Brother" ( Child 11, Roud 26) is a folk song. Synopsis A knight (or lord) courts a lady. She tells him he must win the consent of her kin. He neglects that of her brother John. John mortally stabs her on her wedding day. She live ...

'', 1630 * Q1 of

Thomas Drue Thomas Drue or Drewe (c.1586–1627) was an English Protestant playwright. He wrote ''The Life of the Duchess of Suffolk''. It has also been suggested that he wrote '' The Bloody Banquet'' (By T. D.,’ 1620, 4to)., However others have attributed ...

's '' The Duchess of Suffolk'', 1631 * Q3 of Beaumont and Fletcher's ''

A King and No King ''A King and No King'' is a Jacobean era stage play, a tragicomedy written by Francis Beaumont and John Fletcher and first published in 1619. It has traditionally been among the most highly praised and popular works in the canon of Fletcher a ...

'', 1631 * Q3 of William Haughton's '' Englishmen for My Money'', 1631 * Q1 of

Richard Brome Richard Brome ; (c. 1590? – 24 September 1652) was an English dramatist of the Caroline era. Life Virtually nothing is known about Brome's private life. Repeated allusions in contemporary works, like Ben Jonson's ''Bartholomew Fair'', ind ...

's ''

The Northern Lass ''The Northern Lass'' is a Caroline era stage play, a comedy by Richard Brome that premiered onstage in 1629 and was first printed in 1632. A popular hit with its audience, and one of his earliest successes, the play provided a foundation for Br ...

'', 1632 * Q1 of the anonymous ''The Costly Whore'', 1633 * Q1 of

Thomas May Thomas May (1594/95 – 13 November 1650) was an English poet, dramatist and historian of the Renaissance era. Early life and career until 1630 May was born in Mayfield, Sussex, the son of Sir Thomas May, a minor courtier. He matriculated a ...

's ''The Heir'', 1633 * Q1 of

Shackerley Marmion Shackerley Marmion (January 1603 – 1639), also Shakerley, Shakerly, Schackerley, Marmyon, Marmyun, or Mermion, was an early 17th-century dramatist, often classed among the Sons of Ben, the followers of Ben Jonson who continued his style of ...

's ''

A Fine Companion ''A Fine Companion'' is a Caroline era stage play, a comedy written by Shackerley Marmion that was first printed in 1633. It is one of only three surviving plays by Marmion. The play was published in 1633 in a quarto printed by Augustine Matthe ...

'', 1633 * Q3 of John Fletcher's ''

The Faithful Shepherdess ''The Faithful Shepherdess'' is a Jacobean era stage play, the work that inaugurated the playwriting career of John Fletcher. Though the initial production was a failure with its audience, the printed text that followed proved significant, in t ...

'', 1634. In the standard practice in his era, Matthews the printer generally worked for booksellers functioning as publishers. Matthews printed the second quarto of ''Othello'' for stationer

Richard Hawkins Admiral Sir Richard Hawkins (or Hawkyns) (c. 1562 – 17 April 1622) was a 17th-century English seaman, explorer and privateer. He was the son of Admiral Sir John Hawkins. Biography He was from his earlier days familiar with ships and the s ...

; he printed the 1622 third edition of ''The Troublesome Reign'' for Thomas Dewes — a controversial text, since its title page attributed that play to Shakespeare. The 1635 fourth edition of ''The Scornful Lady'' was a rare instance in which Matthews acted as both printer and publisher. Printers in Matthews's era were sometimes identified by name, sometimes by initials, and sometimes not at all. Bibliographers have worked to assign responsibility for specific texts to specific printers. Matthews is thought to have been one of the London printers, along with

Edward Allde Edward Allde (''Alde'', ''Alldee'', or ''Alday''; born c. 1560, died 1627) was an English printer in London during the Elizabethan and Jacobean eras. He was responsible for a number of significant texts in English Renaissance drama, includin ...

and

Nicholas Okes Nicholas Okes (died 1645) was an English printer in London of the Jacobean and Caroline eras, remembered for printing works of English Renaissance drama. He was responsible for early editions of works by many of the playwrights of the period, i ...

, who produced the early quartos of Middleton's ''

A Game at Chess ''A Game at Chess'' is a comic satirical play by Thomas Middleton, first staged in August 1624 by the King's Men at the Globe Theatre. The play is notable for its political content, dramatizing a conflict between Spain and England. The plot ...

''. Matthews printed a wide range of work beyond the confines of drama. He was an important printer of the works of

John Donne John Donne ( ; 22 January 1572 – 31 March 1631) was an English poet, scholar, soldier and secretary born into a recusant family, who later became a clergy, cleric in the Church of England. Under royal patronage, he was made Dean of St Paul's ...

, and printed some of the work of the poet

George Wither George Wither (11 June 1588 O.S. (21 June 1588 NS) – 2 May 1667 O.S. (12 May 1667 NS)) was a prolific English poet, pamphleteer, satirist and writer of hymns. Wither's long life spanned one of the most tumultuous periods in the history of En ...

. In 1621 he printed the first edition of

Lady Mary Wroth Lady Mary Wroth (née Sidney; 18 October 1587 – 1651/3) was an English noblewoman and a poet of the English Renaissance. A member of a distinguished literary family, Lady Wroth was among the first female English writers to have achieved an en ...

's controversial ''Urania'' for John Marriot and John Grismand. (The project was a rush job; the text ends in the middle of a sentence.) He also printed items in the religious literature that was so abundant in the early seventeenth century. Two examples: Matthews printed a pair of collections of

Thomas Adams Thomas Adams may refer to: Politicians * Thomas Adams (MP), Member of Parliament for Bedford *Sir Thomas Adams, 1st Baronet (1586–1667/68), Lord Mayor of London * Thomas Adams (politician) (1730–1788), Virginia delegate to the Continental Cong ...

's sermons, ''The Soldier's Honour'' (1629) and ''Erienopolis, the City of Peace'' (1630), both for John Grismand. As was common for printers and booksellers of his historical period, Matthews had recurring problems with the authorities. In 1629, he,

Nathaniel Butter Nathaniel Butter (died 22 February 1664) was a London publisher of the early 17th century. The publisher of the first edition of Shakespeare's ''King Lear'' in 1608, he has also been regarded as one of the first publishers of a newspaper in Englis ...

, and two others were accused of publishing unlicensed books. At other times in his career, Matthews got into trouble for running too many presses, and for having too many apprentices.David McKitterick, ''A History of Cambridge University Press'', Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 1998; p. 166.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Matthews, Augustine English printers 17th-century English businesspeople Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown