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.