title: The Gentleman of Venice
variant_description: There are three issues of this edition: Greg 747a(i) was printed in octavo and most likely intended to be included in a reissue of the 1653 Shirley collection (Wing S3486) and was perhaps also issued as a single-play playbook; Greg 747a(ii) was printed from the same setting of type but reimposed in quarto, with altered signatures; it was only issued as a single-play playbook. See also Greg 
title_page_title: THE GENTLEMAN OF VENICE A Tragi-Comedie
title_page_author: <i>Written by</i> J<small>AMES</small> S<small>HIRLEY</small>.
title_page_performance: Presented at the Private house in <i>Salisbury</i> Court by her Majesties Servants.
title_page_imprint: <i>LONDON</i>, Printed for <i>Humphrey Moseley</i> and are to be sold at his Shop at the <i>Princes Armes</i> in St. <i>Pauls</i> Church-yard. 1655.
paratext_dedication: "The Epistle Dedicatory" <i>to</i>: Thomas Nightingale, Baronet; <i>from</i>: James Shirley [A2r]
paratext_charachter_list: "The names with some small Characters of the Persons" [A3r]
stationer_entries_in_register: Jul 9, 1653: Entered to Humphrey Moseley: "a Play called the Gentleman of Venice Written by Iames Shirley."
stationer_additional_notes: Greg writes that this bibliographically independent issue and that of <i>The Politician</i> "were no doubt designed as a supplement to Shirley's <i>Six New Plays</i> of 1653, and were either added to the unsold copies of that volume or issued as a small informal collection by themselves. It is not known whether they were ever sold singly though they are occasionally found so" (<i>Bibliography</i>, 2:857).
transcript_modern_spelling: The gentleman of Venice a tragicomedy presented at the private house in Salisbury court by her majesty's servants written by James Shirley London printed for Humphrey Moseley and are to be sold at his shop at the prince's arms in St. Paul's Churchyard 1655