singer's hand is traceable in the first two acts, and Tourneur's in the last three. Tourneur in the ‘Revenger's Tragedy’ and Massinger in the ‘Duke of Milan’ have situations similar to the painting of the lady's corpse in this play. The underplot is taken from Cervantes's ‘Curious Impertinent,’ and in the first two acts, which are ascribed to Massinger, there are passages literally taken from the novel. The play must have been written after the execution of Ravaillac, 27 May 1610, to which an allusion is made. A manuscript copy in a scribe's hand is extant in the Lansdowne collection (from the Warburton MSS.). The title suggests that Massinger and his coadjutor were emulating the success of Beaumont and Fletcher's ‘Maid's Tragedy.’
22. ‘Love's Cure, or the Martial Maid,’ fol. 1647. The date must be after 1622, from the allusion to the Muscovite ambassador and the renewal of the war between Holland and Spain, 1622. Massinger's share is i., iv., v. 1, 2. Fleay supposes this play to be an alteration from an old one by Beaumont and Fletcher. There is no trace of Fletcher in the play, nor is there anything in it reminding us of Beaumont. Mr. A. H. Bullen suggests Middleton as the probable coadjutor of Massinger, but in 1623 these dramatists were writing for different companies.
23. ‘The Fatal Dowry,’ 4to, 1632, by Field and Massinger. The latter's share is i., iii. (down to ‘Enter Noval Junior’), iv. 2, 3, 4, v. 1, 2. The date is with all probability supposed to be before Richard Burbage's death in 1619, when Field retired from the stage. Rowe plundered this play in his ‘Fair Penitent,’ which was acted with much success by Betterton in 1703 (Genest, ii. 281–290), and gave up his original intention of editing Massinger in order that his theft might not be discovered.
24. ‘The Virgin Martyr,’ 4to, 1621; licensed 6 Oct. 1620 by Sir George Buck. Massinger's share is i., iii. 1, 2, iv. 3, v. 2; the rest is Dekker's. Partly founded on the story of the martyr Dorothea. It was revived at Drury Lane 27 Feb. 1668, and at Richmond in 1715 in an altered version by Griffin.
In 1656 there was published, as the joint work of Massinger, Middleton, and Rowley, an excellent comedy called ‘The Old Law.’ The fact that 1599, when Massinger was fifteen, has been plausibly argued to be the date of its composition, renders Massinger's responsibility for it doubtful. Internal evidence gives no support to Massinger's claim to part authorship, and it is probable that he merely gave it very slight revision at a late revival (see Middleton, Thomas; and Middleton, Works, ed. Bullen, vol. i. p. xv).
III. Plays alleged to be lost.—Many plays in which Massinger was solely or jointly concerned are lost, several of them being destroyed in manuscript by the carelessness of Warburton's cook. In a few cases the titles of the pieces suggest that they were identical with extant plays known by other names. The titles (those destroyed by Warburton's cook being distinguished by an asterisk) are as follows: 1. ‘The Forced Lady,’ given in Warburton's list with a second title as ‘Minerva's Sacrifice.’ It was licensed 23 Nov. 1629, and entered on the ‘Stationers' Registers,’ 9 Sept. 1653. This play may possibly be identical with the extant ‘Queen of Corinth.’ 2. ‘The Noble Choice, or the Orator.’ A play was licensed as ‘The Orator’ 10 Jan. 1635, and there is an entry in the ‘Stationers' Registers,’ 9 Sept. 1653, ‘The Noble Choice, or the Orator.’ This may be the ‘Elder Brother.’ 3. ‘The Wandering Lovers;’ licensed for the king's men 6 Dec. 1623, is probably the original form of ‘Cleander,’ licensed 9 May 1634, which is in all likelihood the folio play of the ‘Lovers' Progress.’ 4.* ‘Philengo and Hippolito;’ entered on the ‘Stationers' Registers’ 9 Sept. 1653. 5.* ‘Antonio and Vallia;’ entered on the ‘Stationers' Registers’ 29 June 1660. 6. ‘The Tyrant,’ entered on the ‘Stationers' Registers,’ 1660, has been supposed to be another title for the ‘Second Maiden's Tragedy.’ It has also been identified with the ‘King and Subject,’ licensed 5 June 1638, in which King Charles marked a passage as ‘too insolent, and to be changed.’ Fleay identifies this play with the ‘Double Marriage,’ for which he has two further titles, the ‘Unfortunate Piety,’ or the ‘Italian Nightpiece,’ licensed 13 June 1631. 7.* ‘The Woman's Plot,’ acted at court 1621–2; entered on the ‘Stationers' Registers,’ 9 Sept. 1653, as ‘The Very Woman, or the Woman's Plot.’ 8.* ‘The Spanish Viceroy’ was acted without license in 1624. It is probably the same play as the ‘Honour of Women,’ licensed 6 May 1628. Both this and the preceding piece may possibly be drafts of the extant piece, ‘A Very Woman’ (see above). 9. ‘The Judge;’ licensed 6 June 1627. Mr. Fleay supposes this to be a recast of the ‘Fatal Dowry.’ 10. ‘Alexius, or the Chaste Lover;’ licensed 25 Sept. 1639. In Warburton's list the title is ‘Alexius, or the Chaste Gallant.’ 11.* ‘The Fair Anchoress of Pausilippo;’ licensed 26 Jan. 1640; entered on the ‘Stationers' Registers,’ 9 Sept. 1653, as ‘The Prisoner, or the Fair Anchoress.’
Poole, in his ‘English Parnassus,’ notes that he has used Massinger's ‘Secretary’ for purposes of quotation. No such work is now known. It may have been either a play or a
