Four of the plays in this volume are based on important source materials, so that the relationship of plays to sources looms large in Cyrus Hoy's introductory essays. There is an extensive account of the relation of The Shoemakers' Holiday to Deloney's Gentle Craft. The Introduction to Old Fortunatus relates in detail that play's relationship to the German Volksbuch, and to the German Comoedia von Fortunate und seinem Seckel und Wunschhutlein (1620), a redaction of Dekker's play. The Introduction to Patient Grissil relates Dekker, Chettle and Haughton's play to the tradition of the Griselda...

Companion guide to the second volume of Dekker's plays, with introductions and commentary on The Honest Whore Pt 1, The Honest Whore Pt 2, The Magnificent Entertainment Given to King James, Westward Ho, Northward Ho and The Whore of Babylon.

Companion guide to the third volume of Dekker's plays, with introductions and commentary on The Roaring Girl, If this be Not a Good Play, the Devil is in it, Troia-Nova Triumphans, Match me in London, The Virgin Martyr, The Witch of Edmonton and The Wonder of a Kingdom.

Companion guide to the fourth volume of Dekker's plays, with introductions and commentary on The Sun's Darling, Britannia Honour, London's Tempe, Lust's Dominion, The Noble Spanish Soldier, The Welsh Ambassador.