Philip Massinger

The Copie of a Letter written upon occasion to the Earle of Pembrooke Lo: Chamberlaine

My Lord

p. 554

Soe subiect to the worser fame

Are even the best that clayme a Poets name:

Especially poore they that serve the stage

Though worthily in this Verse-halting Age.

[pg 209] And that dread curse soe heavie yet doth lie

Wch the wrong'd Fates falne out wth Mercurie

Pronounc'd for ever to attend upon

All such as onely dreame of Helicon.

That durst I sweare cheated by selfe opinion

I were Apolloes or the Muses Mynion 10

Reason would yet assure me, 'tis decreed

Such as are Poets borne, are borne to need.

If the most worthy then, whose pay's but praise

Or a few spriggs from the now withering bayes

Grone underneath their wants what hope have I

Scarce yet allowed one of the Company- 16

p. 555

When584 thou sighst, thou sigh'st not wind, but sigh'st my soule away

When thou weep'st unkindly kind, my lifes blud doth decay

It cannot bee

That thou lov'est mee as thou sai'est, if in thine my life thou wast,

Thou art the best of mee.585

[pg 210] In some high mynded Ladies grace to stand

Ever provided that her liberall hand 30

Pay for the Vertues they bestow upon her

And soe long shees the miracle and the honor

Of her whole Sex, and has forsooth more worth

Then was in any Sparta e're brought forth

But when the Bounty failes a change is neare

And shee's not then what once shee did appeare

For the new Giver shee dead must inherit

What was by purchase gott and not by merit

Lett them write well that doo this and in grace

I would not for a pension or A place 40

Part soe wth myne owne Candor, lett me rather p. 556

Live poorely on those toyes I would not father

Not knowne beyond A Player or A Man

That does pursue the course that I have ran

Ere soe grow famous: yet wth any paine

Or honest industry could I obteyne

A noble Favorer, I might write and doo

Like others of more name and gett one too

Or els my Genius is false. I know

That Johnson much of what he has does owe 50

To you and to your familie, and is never

Slow to professe it, nor had Fletcher ever

Such Reputation, and credit nonne

But by his honord Patron, Huntington

Unimitable Spencer ne're had been

Soe famous for his matchlesse Fairie Queene

Had he not found a Spencer Sydney to preferr [sic]

His plaine way in his Shepheards Calender

Nay Virgills selfe (or Martiall does lye)

Could hardly frame a poore Gnatts Elegie 60

Before Mec?nas cherisht him; and then

He streight conceiv'd ?neas and the men

That found out Italic Those are Presidents586

I cite wth reverence: my lowe intents

Looke not soe high, yet some worke I might frame

[pg 211] That should nor wrong my duty nor your Name. p. 557

Were but your Lopp pleas'd to cast an eye

Of favour on my trodd downe povertie

How ever I confesse myselfe to be

Ever most bound for your best charitie 70

To others that feed on it, and will pay

My prayers wth theirs that as yu doe yu may

Live long, belov'd and honor'd doubtles then

Soe cleere a life will find a worthier Penn.

For me I rest assur'd besides the glory

T'wold make a Poet but to write your story. 76

Phill: Messinger.

p. 557

A New yeares Guift presented to my

Lady and M:rs the then Lady

Katherine Stanhop now Countesse

of Chesterfield.

By Phill: Messinger.

Madame

Before I ow'd to you the name

Of Servant, to your birth, your worth your fame

I was soe, and t'was fitt since all stand bound

To honour Vertue in meane persons found

Much more in you, that as borne great, are good

Wch is more then to come of noble blood

Or be A Hastings; it being too well knowne

p. 558

An Empresse cannot challenge as her oune

Her Grandsires glories; And too many staine

Wth their bad Actions the noble straine 10

From whence they come. But as in you to be

A branch to add fresh honor to the tree

By vertue planted, and adorne it new

Is graunted unto none or very few

[pg 212] To speake you further would appeare in me

Presumption or a servants flattery

But there may be a tyme when I shall dare

To tell the world and boldly what yu are

Nor sleight it Madame, since what some in me

Esteeme a blemish, is a guift as free 20

As their best fortunes, this tooke from the grave

Penelopies chastitie, and to it gave

Still living Honors; this made Aiax strong

Ulisses wise: such power lies in a Song

Wch Phaebus smiles on, wch can find noe Urne

While the Sea his course, or starrs observe their turne

Yet 'tis not in the power of tinckling Rime

That587 takes rash iudgments and deceive the tyme

Wth Mountebanke showes a worke that shold indure

Must have a genius in it, strong, as pure 30

But you beginne to smile, as wondring why

I should write thus much to yu now since I

Have heretofore been silent may yu please

To know

To know the course it is noe new disease p. 559

Groune in my iudgment, nor am I of those

That thinke good wishes cannot thrive in prose

As well as Verse: but that this New yeares day

All in their loves and duties, what they may

Present unto you; though perhaps some burne

Wth expectation of a glad returne 40

Of what they venture for. But such I leave

To their deceiptfull guifts given to deceive

What I give I am rich in, and can spare

Nor part for hope wth ought deserves my care

He that hath little and gives nought at all

To them that have is truly liberall. 46

[pg 213]

* * *

Appendix XVIII. Alliteration In Massinger

The art with which Massinger employs alliteration escapes all but the most careful perusal; but once noticed, it attracts attention as one of his favourite expedients. Perhaps the best way to exemplify its use is to give a complete collection of instances from one of the plays: I take for this purpose The Unnatural Combat.

I., 1, 150: Impartial judges, and not sway'd with spleen.

" 158: Not lustful fires, but fair and lawful flames.

" 189: Our goods made prize, our sailors sold for slaves.

" 217: He that leaves

To follow as you lead, will lose himself.

" 286: Their lives, their liberties.

" 308: Both what and when to do, but makes against you.

" 309: For had your care and courage been the same.

" 342: He may have leave and liberty to decide it.

II., 1, 14: With my best curiousness and care observed him.

" 23: A sudden flash of fury did dry up.

" 94: But dare and do, as they derive their courage.

" 143: In a moment raz'd and ruin'd.

" 157: In one short syllable yield satisfaction.

" 170: With scorn on death and danger.

" 177: But what is weak and womanish, thine own.

" 183: As a serpent swoll'n with poison.

" 226: Marseilles owes the freedom of her fears.

" 241: That will vouchsafe not one sad sigh or tear.

" 267: And with all circumstance and ceremony.

II., 3, 67: Nor should you with more curiousness and care.

III., 1, 10: It being a serious and solemn meeting.

" 17: I'll undertake to stand at push of pike.

" 21: When the dresser, the cook's drum, thunders,

Come on!

[pg 214] III., 1, 23: As tall a trencher-man.

" 32: The only drilling is to eat devoutly

And to be ever drinking.

" 57: Delay is dangerous.

" 88: Continue constant

To this one suit.

" 90: Every cast commander.

" 100: And so by consequence grow contemptible.

" 117: For his own sake, shift a shirt!

III., 2, 46: The colonels, commissioners, and captains.

" 78: That losing her own servile shape and name.

" 85: Believe my black brood swans.

" 95: As I have heard, loved the lobby.

" 150: Of her fair features, that, should we defer it.

" 160: And serves as a perpetual preface to.

III., 3, 43: The curiousness and cost on Trajan's birthday.

" 78: I've charged through fire that would have singed your sables.

" 82: Such only are admired that come adorn'd.

" 93: Does make your cupboards crack.

" 114: For want of means shall, in their present payment.

" 149: With my son, her servant.

III., 4, 89: And he shall find and feel, if he excuse not.

IV., 1, 53: And liked and loath'd with your eyes, I beseech you.

" 91: A loathsome leprosy had spread itself.

" 101: Sir, you have liked and loved them, and oft forc'd.

" 119: My ranks of reason.

" 132: Thy virtues vices.

" 133: Far worse than stubborn sullenness and pride.

" 206: In your fame and fortunes.

IV., 2, 47: Against my oath, being a cashier'd captain.

" 68: Your lords

Of dirt and dunghills.

" 118: My corslet to a cradle.

" 120: Or to sell my sword and spurs, for soap and candles?

[pg 215] IV., 2. 135: Fair France is proud of.

" 148: Such as have power to punish.

V., 2, 35: Or our later laws forbid.

" 38: And solemn superstitious fools prescribe.

" 57: Into some close cave or desert.

" 58: Our lusts and lives together.

" 165: But to have power to punish, and yet pardon,

Peculiar to princes.

" 248: Accuse or argue with me.

" 307: To season my silks.

Appendix XIX

By the kindness of Mr. Edmund Gosse I have been enabled to examine and collate the manuscript notes in copies of the first quartos of the following plays in his possession: The Duke of Milan, The Bondman, The Roman Actor, The Renegado, The Picture, The Fatal Dowry, The Emperor of the East, The Maid of Honour. The dates of these quartos range from 1623 to 1632. The poet Swinburne had no doubt that the manuscript notes were due to Massinger himself; the resemblance of the handwriting is certainly indubitable, but as we have no other evidence than that of the corrections themselves, we are forced to be content with the conclusion that the insertions are of a contemporary date. I take the plays in the above order.

The Duke of Milan

I., 1, 23.-This, the last line on the page, has suffered from the binding, and is written in the margin.588

I., 1, 56.-The same thing has happened here.

In both cases the writing resembles that of the poet. It may be argued, on the other hand, that it is unlikely that the play should have suffered so soon from binding; it is, however, [pg 216] of course not impossible that the eight plays were bound up together shortly after the year 1632.

V., 2, 203.-Forza. S. inserted before F. (So infra, 218, 234, 256.)

At the end of the play occurs a symbol M which might represent the poet's initial.

The Bondman

I., 1: Timagorus bis in stage-directions, us corrected to as

and also in

I., 1,5

I., 1, 37: I love live

I., 2, 2: I cannot brooke with this

gadding

I., 3, 83: As to the supreame Magistrates Sicilie

surely tenders

" 161: And yet the chu rl added

" 181: made glorious by Achon Action

" 182: gave warrant to her ailes added

couns

" 183: hand heard

" 206: nor defence noe

" 295: ? at end ? deleted

" 319: of slaves our

II., 1, 71: fam'd fann'd

" 87: vayle y deleted

" 144: loose both sent and th inserted after

beauty "loose," and c in

"sent"

" 153: owe awe

II., 2, 16: manners; yet this morning for

" 57: cunning co?inge

" 62: ? added

III., 3, 99: too too large second "too" deleted

" 135: leave her off stand her of

" 165: during daring

III., 4, 29: Timandra Timag

" 51: cares feares

[pg 217] IV., 1, 21: still you

IV., 2, 128: when where

" 140: "Pray you, leave mee"

added at end to complete

the line

IV., 3, 145: tempter second t deleted

V., 3, 9: not be deni'de to inserted before "be"

" 38: howsoere the fortune thy

" 103: gods and fautors his

" 193: ) inserted after devices

" 245: Gra. inserted at beginning

of line, (i.e.,

Graccho)

All these corrections are manifestly right, except possibly III., 3, 135 and IV., 1, 21. The addition in IV., 2, 140, though not especially appropriate to the situation, presents us with a type of line much favoured by Massinger.

The Roman Actor

I., 1, 6: stocke socc (i.e., sock)

" 25: parenthesis inserted

after "vice"

" 37: gald l

" 44: The Catta and the Dacie Catti ... Daci

" 46: Jove hasten it ? added

" 49: we obey you full stop added

" 51: the sceane Scaene

" 79: is to eb589 guilty bee

" 115: grieve greive ("give" is required

by the sense)

I., 2: Enter Domitia and Parthenius "with a letter" added

I., 2, 33: for to be thankfull I woulde

" 44: his plea its

" 86: new workes that dare not Monarches. Pa: added,

do (i.e., Parthenius)

" 88: Parth. Will you dispute Parth. deleted and ?

added.

I., 3, 44: ( ) added

[pg 218] I., 3, 53-4: ( ) added

" 67: condemne condemnd

" 78: which with

" 78: redde (i.e., read) ) added

" 86: Cancillus Camillus

I., 4, 13: Fulcinius and prisoners "and" deleted

led by him

II., 1, 4: yours ; added

" 16: though ( added

" 21: purple ! added

" 22: my heyre ? added

" 182-3: ( ) added

" 217: promped prompted

" 372: ( ) added

" 386: ( ) added

III., 1, 30: words swordes

" 52: retch reach

" 58: the mortall powers i?ortall

" 78: tyrannie tyrant

" 163: steepie steep

" 205: ! added

IV., 1, 8: I thinke not "not" deleted, and

added after "respects"

in 9

" 95: compliant complaint

" 149: ? added

IV., 2, 12: lesse; ; deleted

" 27: pe bee

" 28: you command to me ever you co?and me

" 39: tremele tremble

" 44: geeat great

" 70: Hypollitus one l substituted

" 123: express thee stop added

" 127: To render me that was ( ) added before

before I hugg'd thee "that" and

An adder in my bosome "before," and after

"thee" and

"bosome"

[pg 219] IV., 2, 130: Thy pomp and pride- 163 Perpetual vexation

shall not fall.

Note at top of p. 31b: "This page follows the

later."

Note at top of p. 32a: "This page misplac'd."

" 182: would coulde

" 190: the iu ice st inverted inserted

here between "iu"

and "ice"

" 191: had with h inverted had

" 196: if yf

" 229: act are

" 242: grim death "grim" deleted

" 295: ( ) added

V., 1, 115: assure as sure

" 142: still'd stil'd

" 228: pinn'd pinion'd

V., 2, 22: iumpe impe

" 78: this murther 'tis

" 85: to sentence her inserted after "to"

I have compared the Malone quarto in the Bodleian Library and find that the mistakes are identical. In other words, The Roman Actor was carelessly printed. Nearly all the corrections made, alike of sense and punctuation, are improvements. The emendation at IV., 2, 28 reads like one made by the author. On the other hand, a careful study of IV., 2, 127 will reveal the fact that the writer's sense has been mistaken, and the omission of "grim" in IV., 2, 242 spoils the rhythm. The curious thing is that the play is full of misprints, which have not been corrected-e.g., III., 2, 143, Anaxerete (and in several other lines); line 154, "Epethite," for "epithet"; 258, Heccuba. Take again IV., 2, 181: An e is inverted and not corrected; 188, "bttchered" stands for "butchered"; and 189, "lacriledge" for "sacrilege."

The Renegado

I., 3, 159: receive least losse "the" inserted after

"least." It spoils the

metre

[pg 220] II., 5, 46: up to the bre a c breache

" ? added

III., 3, 1: I will 'Twill

" 89: like a neighing gennet to mare to her proud

her stallion stallion

III., 5, 114: well made galley mann'd

IV., 1, 114: witnesse of my change "of" deleted: "good"

inserted after "my"

V., 2, 79: Franci. inserted (=

Francisco)

V., 3, 111: Vitelli inserted

III., 3, 89 reads like an author's emendation. On the other hand, the alteration in IV., 1, 114 is not in Massinger's style.

The Picture

Line 37, Poem by T. Jay:

of to heare or

" 38: write neere writ

" 40: admir'd admire

I., 1, 31: satisfie satietie

" 40: ( ) added

" 53: If I am so rich or Sir

" 120: wone him o inserted after "o"

" 154: wracke w deleted

" 190: ere the fight begun s added after "fight"

(=is)

I., 2, 13: bravel ye added

" 71: but deleted and added

again in margin

" 170: examp le added

II., 1, 82: A post. deleted

" 83: "Aside. A Post."

added in margin

II., 2, 98: "In one here" printed "In one here" deleted

in a separate line after (vide Gifford)

this line

" 103: resolve s added

[pg 221] II., 2, 103: lords of her, like acres

" 174: fierce dame n inserted before "m."

dame=dam

" 255: solder soldier

" 260: tosses trifles

Here it will be noted that two good emendations are made-I., 1, 53 and II., 2, 103. On the other hand, no notes are made on the last three acts: such a misprint as "ijgobobs" in V., 3, 161 escaping comment.

The Fatal Dowry

Nil.

The Emperor of the East

I., 1, 83: musicke? ? deleted, and "Sir?"

added

I., 2, 169: too to

" 178: Constantinople courte

" 242: them feare their

" 291: care feare

" 323: Nimph Umph

" 347: wooned d deleted

II., 1, 114: in knowledge "the" inserted after

"in"

III., 2, 62: ( ) added

" 93: heaven is most gratious "to you" deleted

to you, madam

" 111: with a kinde impotence "of" inserted after

"kinde"

" 138: I speak it ) added

" 139: I I (so III., 4, 145, 163;

IV., 1, 13)

" 199: ransone m

III., 4, 19: how .sister: !! added

" 29: str stirre

" 44: beg pardon a inserted after "beg"

" 60: my pity t added above "t"

" 80: ? added

[pg 222] III., 4, 132: observe handle

" 146: royall sir comma added

IV., 1, 14: Princesse Empresse

IV., 3, 36: they hee

" 43: fraide defray'd

" 62: camer cancer

" 132: this admiration thie

V., 3, 47: flights s deleted

" 85: niggle iuggle

" 111: I fever if ever

" 190: my grace on all cancelled

The corrections in this play are nearly all good: thus the metre is restored at I., 2, 178, and III., 2, 93, and improved in III., 4, 132. V., 3, 85 is an excellent emendation. On the other hand, I do not think the author would have made such a stupid mistake as the one found at IV., 1, 14, for Chrysapius is there addressing the Empress, about Pulcheria.

The Maid of Honour

Nil.

Note by Mr. Edmund Gosse.

In 1877, when he was breaking up his home at Clifton, and disposing of his books, John Addington Symonds gave Mr. Edmund Gosse a thick volume containing eight first editions of plays by Massinger. The book was bound in worn old calf of the period, and had stamped on the back the author's name. Symonds, in giving the book to Mr. Gosse, called his attention to the contemporary corrections in ink, and said there was "a tradition" that they were in the handwriting of Massinger himself. Mr. Gosse, unfortunately, broke up the volume and had the eight plays separately bound, but the old binding had contained no further indication. In 1882 Swinburne made a careful examination of the corrections, and again in 1883, when he urged that they should be published. He became persuaded that they were made by Massinger himself. Nothing, however, has until now been done [pg 223] with them. The volume came from the Harbord library at Gunton in Norfolk, and was sold, with other old books, at the death of the fourth Lord Suffield in 1853. Symonds bought it of an Oxford bookseller when he was an undergraduate.

Appendix XX. Bibliography

W. Archer: "The Elizabethan Stage" (Quarterly Review, No. 415, April, 1908).

R. Boyle: Dictionary of National Biography: "Massinger."

" Englische Studien (Heilbronn): "On Beaumont, Fletcher, and Massinger," v. 74, vii, 66, viii. 39, ix. 209, x. 383.

" New Shakespeare Society Transactions, part ii., 1880-85, xviii., pp. 371-399: "Massinger and The Two Noble Kinsmen." (Cf. Discussion on March 9, 1883, p. 66.)

" New Shakespeare Society Transactions, 1880-86, xxi., pp. 443-488: "Henry the Eighth."

" New Shakespeare Society Transactions, 1886, xxvi., pp. 579-628.

A. C. Bradley: Oxford Lectures on Poetry: "Shakespeare the Man, and Shakespeare's Theatre and Audience."

A. H. Bullen: Dictionary of National Biography: "Fletcher."

H. Coleridge: Preface to Massinger and Ford. 1840.

S. T. Coleridge: Lectures on Shakespeare and the Poets (T. Ashe, 1883), pp. 403-407, 427, 432, 437, 534, 540.

W. T. Courthope: History of English Poetry, vol. iv., pp. 348-369.

T. Coxeter: The dramatic works of P. Massinger: 1761.

Lieut.-Col. F. Cunningham: The plays of P. Massinger: Chatto and Windus: 1870.

Downes: Roscius Anglicanus.

Edinburgh Review, No. 23, 1808. (Review of Gifford's edition.)

F. G. Fleay: Biographical Chronicle of the English Drama.

" Chronicle History of the London Stage, 1559-1642.

[pg 224] F. G. Fleay: Chronicle History of W. Shakespeare.

" New Shakespeare Society Transactions, 1874, vol. i., No. 2: "On Metrical Tests as applied to Dramatic Poetry" (Fletcher, Beaumont, Massinger.)

" Shakespeare Manual.

Gardiner: "The Political Element in Massinger." (Contemporary Review, August, 1876): reprinted in New Shakespeare Society Transactions, 1875, No. xi., pp. 314-332. (Cf. also History of England, 1884, vol. vii., pp. 327 and 337)

Garnett and Gosse: English Literature: an Illustrated Record. Heinemann.

Gayley and Brander Matthews: Representative English Comedies, vol. iii. New York, 1914.

W. Gifford: 1805. Second edition, 1813.

W. W. Greg: Henslowe's Diary, vol. ii., pp. 165, 171, 224. 1904-08.

" Henslowe Papers, pp. 66, 70, 74, 85. 1907.

" List of English Plays written before 1643 and printed before 1700. Bibliographical Society, 1900.

Hallam: Literature of Europe, part iii., chap. vi.

Hazlitt: Lectures on Elizabethan Literature, pp. 131-136.

E. Koeppel: Cambridge History of English Literature, vol. vi., chap, vi.: "Massinger."

" Quellen Studien zu den Dramen George Chapman's, Philip Massinger's, und John Ford's.

G. C. Macaulay: Cambridge History of English Literature, vol. vi., chap. v.: "Beaumont and Fletcher."

J. Monck Mason: Dramatic Works, 1779.

E. H. C. Oliphant: Englische Studien, xiv., xv., xvi.

" Modern Language Review, iii., 337-355; iv., 190-199, 342-351.

" Problems of Authorship in the Elizabethan Drama. Chicago, 1911.

[pg 225] J. Phelan: Dissertation (Halle), 1878. This careful performance contains information about Massinger's family. (Cf., however, Furnivall's Protest in Anglia, ii., p. 504.)

J. M. Robertson: The Baconian Heresy, chap. iii.

G. Saintsbury: Cambridge History of English Literature, vol. v., chap, viii.: "Shakespeare."

Schelling: Elizabethan Drama, 1908.

Shakespeare's England: Oxford University Press, 1916.