Thomas Dring (died 1668) was a London

publisher Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

and bookseller of the middle seventeenth century. He was in business from 1649 on; his shop (as his title pages indicate) was located "at the sign of the George in Fleet Street, near St. Dunstan's Church."

Drama

Much like his contemporary William Cooke, Thomas Dring specialized in the publication of law books, but also issued works in a range of subjects including English Renaissance drama. In the latter subject, his most significant single project was the ''Five New Plays'' of

1653 Events January–March * January 3 – By the Coonan Cross Oath, the Eastern Church in India cuts itself off from colonial Portuguese tutelage. * January– The Swiss Peasant War begins after magistrates meeting at Lucer ...

, an important collection of the dramas 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'', in ...

that Dring published in partnership with

Humphrey Moseley Humphrey Moseley (died 31 January 1661) was a prominent London publisher and bookseller in the middle seventeenth century. Life Possibly a son of publisher Samuel Moseley, Humphrey Moseley became a "freeman" (a full member) of the Stationers Co ...

and Richard Marriot. Dring also issued first or later editions of other plays of the period: * Walter Montague's

masque The masque was a form of festive courtly entertainment that flourished in 16th- and early 17th-century Europe, though it was developed earlier in Italy, in forms including the intermedio (a public version of the masque was the pageant). A masq ...

The Shepherd's Paradise ''The Shepherd's Paradise'' was a Caroline era masque, written by Walter Montagu and designed by Inigo Jones. Acted in 1633 by Queen Henrietta Maria and her ladies in waiting, it was noteworthy as the first masque in which the Queen and her lad ...

'', 1659 * Sir Robert Stapylton's '' The Slighted Maid'', 1663 *

James Shirley James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 1666) was an English dramatist. He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Charles Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of this period, not so m ...

's ''

Love Tricks ''Love Tricks, or The School of Complement'' is a Caroline stage play by James Shirley, his earliest known work. Performance ''Love Tricks'' was licensed for performance by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels, on 10 February 1625; it w ...

'', 1667 (the 3rd edition) *

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 '' The Changeling'', 1668 (2nd edition) *

Thomas Tomkis Thomas Tomkis (or Tomkys) (c. 1580 – 1634) was an English playwright of the late Elizabethan and the Jacobean eras, and arguably one of the more cryptic figures of English Renaissance drama. Tomkis was the son of a Staffordshire clergyman, J ...

's '' Albumazar'', 1668 (5th edition).

Other works

Beyond the confines of drama, Dring issued volumes of poetry by John Harington, Sir

Edward Sherburne Sir Edward Sherburne (18 September 1618 – 4 November 1702) was an English poet, translator, and royalist of the seventeenth century. Early life Sherburne was born 18 September 1618 in Goldsmith Rents, Cripplegate, London, the son of another Si ...

, and Edward, Lord Herbert. In partnership again with Humphrey Moseley, Dring published Thomas Stanley's important 3-volume ''History of Philosophy'' (1655–61). Independently, Dring issued Stanley's edition of

Claudius Aelianus Claudius Aelianus ( grc, Κλαύδιος Αἰλιανός, Greek transliteration ''Kláudios Ailianós''; c. 175c. 235 AD), commonly Aelian (), born at Praeneste, was a Roman author and teacher of rhetoric who flourished under Septimius Severu ...

(

1665 Events January–March * January 5 – The ''Journal des sçavans'' begins publication of the first scientific journal in France. * February 15 – Molière's comedy '' Dom Juan ou le Festin de pierre'', based on the Spanis ...

). Dring produced other books of serious nonfiction, including the anonymous and rather startlingly-titled ''Modern Policies, Taken from Machiavel, Borgia, and Other Choice Authors'' ( 1652). As was commonly done in his era, Dring sometimes partnered with other stationers for major projects (as with Moseley and Marriot, noted above). For Franz Schott's lavishly-illustrated ''Italy in Its Original Glory'' ( 1660), Dring worked with John Place and Henry Twyford; for César de Rochefort's ''History of the Caribby Islands'' (

1666 This is the first year to be designated as an ''Annus mirabilis'', in John Dryden's 1667 poem so titled, celebrating England's failure to be beaten either by the Dutch or by fire. It is the only year to contain each Roman numeral once in d ...

), Dring shared responsibility with John Starkey. Though he generally maintained a respectable reputation, Dring's career also showed a few of the questionable involvements that were common among the stationers of his era. In 1650 he published Robert Baron's ''Pocula Castalia''. Baron was a notable

plagiarist Plagiarism is the fraudulent representation of another person's language, thoughts, ideas, or expressions as one's own original work.From the 1995 '' Random House Compact Unabridged Dictionary'': use or close imitation of the language and thought ...

; his 1650 verse collection consisted mainly of the work of John Milton. In 1658 Dring published a work by "H. W." called ''The Accomplish'd Courtier'', an unacknowledged translation of Eustache de Refuge's ''Traicté de la Cour'' (

1617 Events January–June * February 27 – The Treaty of Stolbovo ends the Ingrian War between Sweden and Russia. Sweden gains Ingria and Kexholm. * April 14 – Second Battle of Playa Honda: The Spanish navy defeats a Dutch ...

). Dring's date of death is not known; his last will and testament was dated September 12, 1668, and was probated on December 21 of that year. He was survived by two sons, Thomas and Joshua.Henry Robert Plomer, ''A Dictionary of the Booksellers and Printers Who Were at Work in England, Scotland and Ireland from 1641 to 1667'', London, The Bibliographical Society/Blades, East & Blades, 1907; p. 66.

Dring the younger

His son Thomas Dring the younger continued his father's business into the 1680s, "at the sign of the White Lion next Chancery Lane end, in Fleet Street." Like his father, the younger Dring published law books and works on public affairs, plus plays and general literature. In a brief period in the 1670s the younger Dring issued a group of noteworthy play texts: * Aphra Behn's ''The Amorous Prince'', 1671 ** and her ''The Dutch Lover'', 1673 * '' The Rehearsal'', by

George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham, 20th Baron de Ros, (30 January 1628 – 16 April 1687) was an English statesman and poet. Life Early life George was the son of George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham, favourite of James I a ...

and others, 1672 *

Edward Ravenscroft Edward Ravenscroft (c. 1654–1707) was an English dramatist who belonged to an ancient Flintshire family. He was entered at the Middle Temple, but devoted his attention mainly to literature. Ravenscroft was the first critic to posit that Sh ...

's '' The Citizen Turned Gentleman'', 1672 *

Henry Nevil Payne Henry Nevil Payne (died 1710?) was a dramatist and agitator for the Roman Catholic cause in Scotland and England. He wrote '' The Fatal Jealousy'' (1672), ''The Morning Ramble'' (1672), and ''The Siege of Constantinople'' (1675). After he finished ...

's ''The Fatal Journey'', 1673 ** and his ''

The Morning Ramble ''The Morning Ramble'' also known as ''The Mourning Ramble; Or, The Town-humours'' is a 1672 comedy play by the English writer Henry Nevil Payne. It was staged by the Duke's Company at the Dorset Garden Theatre with a cast that included Thomas ...

'', also 1673 *

William Wycherley William Wycherley (baptised 8 April 16411 January 1716) was an English dramatist of the Restoration period, best known for the plays ''The Country Wife'' and ''The Plain Dealer''. Early life Wycherley was born at Clive near Shrewsbury, Shropsh ...

's ''The Gentleman Dancing-Master'', 1673 (partnered with

Henry Herringman Henry Herringman (1628–1704) was a prominent London bookseller and publisher in the second half of the 17th century. He is especially noted for his publications in English Renaissance drama and English Restoration drama; he was the first publis ...

) ** and his '' The Country Wife'', 1675. In non-dramatic literature, the younger Dring's most notable book was arguably the 1673 second edition of Milton's shorter poems.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dring, Thomas Publishers (people) from London English booksellers 1668 deaths Year of birth unknown