Chapter 7

On page 231 we have,--

When the hot lyon's breath Burns up the fields.

Compare _Parliament of Love_, I. 5., Montrose,--

When the hot lion's breath singeth the fields.

A little lower down, "At all parts" occurs in almost every play of Massinger.

On page 232, "This I foresaw," is also very common in similar situations. Among numerous cases I refer to the _Unnatural Combat_, Act III., about the end, and _Maid of Honour_, II. iii., where exactly the same words are used.

Page 233, "Be ne'er remembered," occurs in almost all Massinger's plays. It is the most frequent of his many repetitions.

A little lower down. "And something there I'll do," is a well-known Massingerism, occurring everywhere in his plays.

II. 2, is by Fletcher; 3, and 4, 5, 6, 7 are also probably his.

III. 1, is Fletcher's. On page 250 Barnavelt's hope that the soldiers will regret him because he fed and nursed them, stands in flagrant opposition to what Massinger says of Barnavelt's cashiering the Captain, on page 215.

III. 2, is by Massinger.

Page 252, "But that is not the hazard that I would shun," is one of the commonest Massingerisms. The passage on page 253 has been mentioned already. Massinger is almost the only later dramatist who has a large number of dissyllable "tions." We have here (253),--

Of what condi_ti-on_ soever, we Palliate seditions.

His share of the present play presents many such cases.

III. 3, seems also by Massinger.

III. 4, is by Fletcher. On page 263 there is an unmistakable reminiscence of _Henry VIII_., Wolsey's "Farewell."

III. 5 (also marked 4), is by Massinger. On page 264 occurs, "At no part," one of the commonest Massingerisms; and a little lower down,--

Ever maintained The freedom I was born to.

Compare _Great Duke of Florence_, I. 1-4,--

For I must use the freedom I was born with.

It also occurs in other Massinger plays.

III. 6, is by Fletcher.

IV. 1, is by Fletcher.

IV. 2, is by Fletcher.

IV. 3, is by Fletcher. Here occurs another allusion to _Henry VIII_.,--

And glide away Like a spent exhalation.

Compare _Henry VIII_., III. 2, 226:--

shall fall Like a bright exhalation in the evening.

Fletcher does not repeat himself often, and these two exceptions are important.

IV. 4, is apparently by Massinger, but contains no repetitions.

IV. 5, is by Massinger. There are no clear Massingerisms, but the metrical style, and the allusion to Raleigh already mentioned, make it plain that the Scene is his.

V. 1, is also Massinger's. The end of this Scene I have not seen, as pages 296-305 were missing in the proof-sheets I examined. Nearly all