There are, of course, more particulars that a modern reader might wish to know-how exactly the King’s Men acquired the manuscript, the general tenor of their relationship with Marston-but by and large, all our major questions seem to be preemptively answered by the text. 3 The King’s Men then commissioned Marston and John Webster to compose new material, making the play more fitting for a Globe performance, before finally bringing The Malcontent to the outdoor stage.
The King’s Men, angered by what they saw as the theft of a play called Jeronimo-either 1 Jeronimo or The Spanish Tragedy-by the Children of the Queen’s Revels, the boys’ company based at Blackfriars, stole The Malcontent from them as payback for the boys’ transgression. (Ind.72–84)Combined, the title page and Induction appear to provide almost all the information we could wish to have about the two texts. Sooth, not greatly needful only as your sallet to your great feast, to entertain a little more time, and to abridge the not-received custom of music in our theatre.
