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- VENUS AND ADONIS 41
discourse of Sir Francis Drakes West Indian Voyage (of 1585–6), with five maps of very high interest.¹ At the same time he acquired Vautrollier’s interest in many interesting undertakings, chief of which was North’s translation of Plutarch; no less than three editions of that work were printed by Field.² Each succeeding year Field’s business career was distinguished by some new venture of importance. In 1591 he produced the first edition of Sir John Harington’s translation of Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, a handsome volume liberally illustrated with copper plates, of which a second edition came from Field’s press in 1607. On February 7, 1592, a young brother, Jasper, came from Stratford to serve him as apprentice.
Field was thus building up a highly valuable and dignified connexion when in the early spring of 1593 he undertook the printing of Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis. The early association of the two men doubtless led Shakespeare to entrust to Field the earliest work that he sent to press. But despite the personal relation between author and printer, there is nothing to show that Shakespeare took a larger control of the publication than was customary with contemporary authors. It is clear that Shakespeare made over to Field all rights in the volume, for what consideration is not
¹ Field printed two editions of this valuable volume in this same year (1589); they are distinguished from one another by the presence on the last page of a line of errata which is present in one and absent from the other. In both editions is this note from Field’s pen, “The reader must understand, that this Discourse was dedicated, and intended to have bene imprinted somewhat before the comming of the Spanish Fleete upon our coast of England: but by casualtie the same was forgotten and slacked for a time of some better leisure.” A third edition of the book of the same year from entirely different type was issued subsequently by another printer, “Roger Ward, dwelling upon Lambard Hill, neere olde Fish-Streete.”
² In 1579 Vautrollier had published the first edition of North’s translation in partnership with J. Wright. The first edition which Field printed was published jointly by him and Bonham Norton in 1595. Field reprinted it with additions in 1603, when he and Thomas Wight published it. In 1612 Field reprinted the book and published it by himself.
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