Author: BREWER (Thomas):
Title: The Life and Death of the Merry Deuill of Edmonton. With the Pleasant Pranks of Smug the Smith, Sir John, and Mine Host of the George, about the Stealing of Venison. By T. B.
Description: London: Printed in the Black Letter, by T. P., for Francis Faulkner Dwelling over Against St. Margaret's Hill in Southwark, 1631. Reprinyed for W. R., by J. Nichols and Son, Red Lion Passage, Fleet Street. 1819 Tall 8vo, 216 x 130 mms., pp. iv, 52, vignette on title-page, later binding in blue boards, paper label on spine, which is slightly faded. Little is known about Thomas Brewer (fl. 1605 - 1640), and as ODNB notes, this was the "first of his literary works, a prose tract entitled The life and death of the merry devill of Edmonton, with the pleasant prancks of Smug the smith, Sir John and mine host of the George about the stealing of venison, appeared in 1631. This piece was written and probably printed at a much earlier date for on 5 April 1608 'a booke called the lyfe and deathe of the Merry Devill of Edmonton, &c., by T. B.' was entered in the Stationers' register. Brewer's text, reprinted in 1657, related 'the many excellent jeasts' (Brewer, sig. [A4] ll. 2–3) of Peter Fabell and the trickery orchestrated by Smug the Smith and was doubtless influenced by the popular anonymous drama The Merry Devill of Edmonton, which was reissued five times between 1608 and 1631 and was acted at the court, the Globe, and the Cockpit." I say, chaps, what merry japes.

Keywords: humour jests literature


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