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From a scarce Print, by Marshall, prefixed to his "Recreations with the Muses."

WILLIAM EARL OF STIRLING, author of "Recreations with the Muses," composed divers tragedies in rhyme, and one of those "divine" poems which were formerly so often indited, called "Domesday, or the great Day of the Lord's Judgement." It is not easy to conceive how the following lines from the noble author's tragedy of "Julius Cæsar" could have been written fifty years after Shakspeare's drama, and with the example of that great poet before him. It is the account of Cæsar dying under the blows of the conspirators:

"As of so great ingratitude ashamed,

He with his gowne when covered first o'er all,
As one who neither sought, nor wished reliefe,

Not wronging majestie, in state did fall,

No sigh consenting to betray his grief.

Yet, (if by chance or force, I cannot tell)

Even at the place where Pompey's stature stood,
(As if to crave him pardon)-Cæsar fell!"

Shakspeare's account of this is not in his best style, but it is much better, and more to the purpose, at least, than this.

There is an air of vraisemblance, and a national character in the countenance of Lord Stirling, which the reader will not fail to perceive.

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No. 33. PHILIP MASSINGER.

From a Print, by Cross, prefixed to his "Dramatic Works."

THIS likeness of MASSINGER is the only one, we believe, that is known to exist. It certainly looks very little like either a high poet, or an intelligent man. There is something cramped and diminutive about it; and yet withal, it has the look of a portrait, and with that, we (and the reader also) must perforce be satisfied. Massinger was a good dramatist, notwithstanding his picture. His "Fatal Dowry," and "Duke of Milan,"

-his "Unnatural Combat,"--and, above all, his Sir Giles Over-reach, in the well-known play of " A New Way to pay Old Debts," are enough to justify a great portion of the renown which he now possesses. He is a little over-rated perhaps, at present, owing to the exertions of his editor, (and we confess that we are not inclined to quarrel with that sort of partizanship; it is better than letting one's author "go down the wind," as some editors have done :) but he will find his level eventually, and it will not be a low one. We cannot rate him equally with Ben Jonson in any way, nor with Fletcher as a writer of poetry. He has neither the richness of the one, nor the fluent elegance of the other. Yet we should be exceedingly perplexed to find in any of their plays, a character so complete, one which went on so manfully and straightforward to his purposes, from beginning to

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