Philipp Massinger

, Son of Phil. Massinger a servant belonging to the Pembrochian family, made his first entry on the stage of this vain world, within the City of Salisbury, was entred a Commoner in St. Albans hall, in the seventeenth year of his age 1601. where, tho incouraged in his studies by the Earl of Pembroke, yet, he applied his mind more to Poetry and Romances for about four years or more, than to Logick and Philosophy, which he ought to have done, and for that end was patronized. Afterwards leaving the University without the honour of a degree, he retired to the great City to improve his fancy and studies by conversation. At length being sufficiently fam’d for several specimens of wit, wrote divers Comedies and Tragedies for the English Stage, (besides other things) much applauded and cryed up in their time, when acted and published. Their names are these.

The Duke of Millaine; a Tragedy. Lond. 1623. qu.

Powerfull Favourite: or the life of Sejanus, a Hist.— Printed 1628. qu.

Roman Actor, Tr. Lond. 1629. qu.

Renegado Picture Tr. co. Lond. 1630. qu.

Virgin Martyr, Tr. Lond. 1631. 1661. qu. In this Trag. he was assisted by Tho. Dekker a high flier of wit, even against Ben Johnson himself in his Com. called The untrussing of The humerous Poet.

Emperour of the East. Maid of Honour. Tr. co. Lond. 1632. qu.

Fatal Dowry, Tr. Lond. 1632. qu. assisted therein by Nathan Field.

New way to pay old debts, Co. Lond. 1633. qu.

Great Duke of Florence. A comical Hist. London 1636. qu.

The Bond-man: An antient story. Lond. 1638. qu.

City Madam, Com. Lond. 1659. qu. published by one, who calls himself Andr. Penniewicke. He was also one of the three (Thom. Middleton and Will. Rowley being the other two) who had a hand in The old Law, Com. Lond. 1656. qu. and was sole author, if a cat. of Plays at the end of The old Law, may be believed, of Virtuous Octavia, Trag. and of Rom Alley, Com. As to this last, there is without doubt a mistake, for all readers of Plays cannot but know that Ram Alley, or merry Tricks, was pen’d by the Lord Barry an Irish man, and that it was acted by the Children of the Kings revels, before 1611. As for our author Ph. Massenger, he made his last exit very suddenly, in his house on the Bank-side in Southwerk, near to then Playhouse, for he went to bed well and was dead before morning. Whereupon his body, being accompanied by Comedians, was buried about the middle of that Ch. yard belonging to S. Saviours Church there, commonly called the Bull-head Church yard, that is, in that, which joyns to the Bull-head Tavern (for there are in all four yards belonging to that Church) on the 18. day of March in sixteen hundred thirty and nine.1639-40. Sir Aston Cockaine Baronet in his Choice Poems of several sorts, &c. Lond. 1658. oct. hath in pag. 186. an Epitaph on Mr. Joh. Fletcher and Mr. Philip Massinger, who, as he saith, lye buried both in one grave in St. Mary Overies Church (alias S. Saviours) in Southwerk. See more in Sir John Beaumont under the year 1628. where you’ll find more of those two persons. One Walt. Messenger or Massenger was a student in S. Alb. hall in the beginning of Queen Elizabeths raign, whom I take to be either Father or Uncle to Philip the Poet.