Philosophaster is a Latin satirical comedy by Robert Burton. He began writing the play in 1606 and completed it by 1615.[1] It was performed by students in the Hall of Christ Church, Oxford on 16 February 1618 (New Style[2]). The play was not published in Burton's lifetime, and it remained in manuscript till 1862 when it was edited by William Edward Buckley and published by the Roxburghe Club. It was first translated into English by Paul Jordan-Smith and published by Stanford University Press, California in 1931.[3]
Since the play is about someone who pretends to be a philosopher, the term itself has been used in more recent times to refer to a pretender to philosophy.
The original manuscript as well sides used by the actors in the 1618 production are at the Harvard Theatre Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard University.
- ^ According to the title page of Burton's manuscript. Burton originally wrote 'Inchoata 1606' (begun) and changed the 'Inchoata' to 'Scripta' (written) later. See page xi of William E. Buckley's preface to his Roxburghe Club publication of Philosophaster, comoedia, nunc primum in lucem producta. Poemata, antehac sparsim edita, nunc in unum collecta / auctore Roberto Burtono 1862.
- ^ The dates in the manuscripts of the play are in 'Old Style' in which the year ends on 24 March.
- ^ Holbrook Jackson in his Introduction to Burton’s Anatomy of Melancholy, London: J.M. Dent & Sons Ltd., 1972, p. vi and footnote.