James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 1666) was an English dramatist. He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature, but, in Charles Lamb's words, he "claims a place among the worthies of this period, not so much for any transcendent genius in himself, as that he was the last of a great race, all of whom spoke nearly the same language and had a set of moral feelings and notions in common." His career of play writing extended from 1625 to the suppression of stage plays by

Parliament In modern politics, and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: representing the electorate, making laws, and overseeing the government via hearings and inquiries. Th ...

in 1642.

Biography

Early life

Shirley was born in London and was descended from the Shirleys of Warwick, the oldest knighted family in Warwickshire. He was educated at Merchant Taylors' School, London,

St John's College, Oxford St John's College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford. Founded as a men's college in 1555, it has been coeducational since 1979.Communication from Michael Riordan, college archivist Its founder, Sir Thomas White, intended to pr ...

, and

St Catharine's College, Cambridge St Catharine's College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Founded in 1473 as Katharine Hall, it adopted its current name in 1860. The college is nicknamed "Catz". The college is located in the historic city-centre of Cam ...

, where he took his BA degree in or before 1618. His first poem, ''Echo, or the Unfortunate Lovers'' was published in 1618; no copy of it is known, but it is probably the same as 1646's ''Narcissus''. Oxford biographer Anthony Wood reports that, after earning his MA, Shirley became "a minister of God's word in or near

St Albans St Albans () is a cathedral city in Hertfordshire, England, east of Hemel Hempstead and west of Hatfield, north-west of London, south-west of Welwyn Garden City and south-east of Luton. St Albans was the first major town on the old Roman ...

". He then left this post, apparently due to a conversion to the

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

faith, and was master of St Albans School from 1623 to 1625. His first play, '' Love Tricks,'' seems to have been written while he was teaching at St Albans.

Playwright in London

In 1625 he returned to London, living in

Gray's Inn The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...

. In the following 18 years, he wrote more than 30 regular plays, tragedies, comedies, and tragicomedies. Most of his plays were performed by Queen Henrietta's Men, the playing company for which Shirley served as house dramatist (much as

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

had for the King's Men). Shirley's sympathies were with the King in his disputes with Parliament, and he received marks of special favour from the Queen. He made a bitter attack on

William Prynne William Prynne (1600 – 24 October 1669), an English lawyer, voluble author, polemicist and political figure, was a prominent Puritan opponent of church policy under William Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury (1633–1645). His views were presb ...

, who had attacked the stage in '' Histriomastix'', and, in 1634 he supplied the text for '' The Triumph of Peace'', a masque presented at

Whitehall Whitehall is a road and area in the City of Westminster, Central London. The road forms the first part of the A3212 road from Trafalgar Square to Chelsea. It is the main thoroughfare running south from Trafalgar Square towards Parliament Sq ...

by the gentlemen of the

Inns of Court The Inns of Court in London are the professional associations for barristers in England and Wales. There are four Inns of Court – Gray's Inn, Lincoln's Inn, Inner Temple and Middle Temple. All barristers must belong to one of them. They have ...

as a practical reply to Prynne.

Dublin and return to London

Between 1636 and 1640 Shirley went to Ireland, apparently under the patronage of the Earl of Kildare. Three or four of his plays were produced by his friend

John Ogilby John Ogilby (also ''Ogelby'', ''Oglivie''; November 1600 – 4 September 1676) was a Scottish translator, impresario and cartographer. Best known for publishing the first British road atlas, he was also a successful translator, noted for publ ...

in Dublin's

Werburgh Street Theatre The Werburgh Street Theatre, also the Saint Werbrugh Street Theatre or the New Theatre, was a seventeenth-century theatre in Dublin, Ireland. Scholars and historians of the subject generally identify it as the "first custom-built theatre in the c ...

, the first ever built in Ireland and at the time of Shirley's visit only one year old. During his Dublin stay, Shirley wrote ''

The Doubtful Heir ''The Doubtful Heir,'' also known as ''Rosania, or Love's Victory,'' is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by James Shirley and first published in 1652. The play has been described as "swift of action, exciting of episode, fertile o ...

'', ''

The Royal Master ''The Royal Master'' is a Caroline era stage play, a comedy written by James Shirley, and first published in 1638. The play is "ranked by many critics as Shirley's ablest work in romantic comedy...It is a play notable for well-knit plot, effecti ...

'', ''

The Constant Maid ''The Constant Maid, or Love Will Find Out the Way'' is a Caroline era stage play, a comedy written by James Shirley and first published in 1640. The play is associated with the Irish phase of Shirley's dramatic career (1637–40), and was ...

'', and '' St. Patrick for Ireland''. In 1640 he returned to London, and found that in his absence Queen Henrietta's Men had sold off a dozen of his plays to the stationers, who published them in the late 1630s. As a result, he would no longer work for Queen Henrietta's company, and the final plays of his London career were acted by the King's Men.

Theatre closure and civil war

In 1642, his career as a playwright was stopped by the London theatre closure. On the outbreak of the

English Civil War The English Civil War (1642–1651) was a series of civil wars and political machinations between Parliamentarians (" Roundheads") and Royalists led by Charles I (" Cavaliers"), mainly over the manner of England's governance and issues of r ...

, Shirley seems to have served with the Earl of Newcastle, but when the King's fortunes began to decline he returned to London. He owed something to the kindness of Thomas Stanley, but supported himself chiefly by teaching and publishing some educational works under the

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

. Besides these, he published during the Commonwealth period four small volumes of poems and plays, in 1646, 1653, 1655 and 1659. He "was a drudge" for

in his translations of the ''

Iliad The ''Iliad'' (; grc, Ἰλιάς, Iliás, ; "a poem about Ilium") is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the ''Ody ...

'' and the ''

Odyssey The ''Odyssey'' (; grc, Ὀδύσσεια, Odýsseia, ) is one of two major ancient Greek epic poems attributed to Homer. It is one of the oldest extant works of literature still widely read by modern audiences. As with the '' Iliad'', ...

''.

Late life and death

He survived into the reign of Charles II, but did not again attempt to write for the stage, though some of his comedies were revived. Wood says that Shirley, aged 70, and his second wife died of fright and exposure after the

Great Fire of London The Great Fire of London was a major conflagration that swept through central London from Sunday 2 September to Thursday 6 September 1666, gutting the medieval City of London inside the old Roman city wall, while also extending past th ...

, and were buried at

St Giles in the Fields St Giles in the Fields is the Anglican parish church of the St Giles district of London. It stands within the London Borough of Camden and belongs to the Diocese of London. The church, named for St Giles the Hermit, began as a monastery and ...

on 29 October 1666.

Assessment of writing

The 1911 ''Encyclopædia Britannica'' says of Shirley's works:

Works

The following list includes years of first publication, and of performance if known, and dates of licensing by the

Master of the Revels The Master of the Revels was the holder of a position within the English, and later the British, royal household, heading the "Revels Office" or "Office of the Revels". The Master of the Revels was an executive officer under the Lord Chamberlain ...

where available.

Tragedies

*'' The Maid's Revenge'' (licensed 9 Feb 1626; first printed 1639) *'' The Traitor'' (licensed 4 May 1631; first printed 1635) *''

Love's Cruelty ''Love's Cruelty'' is a Caroline-era stage play, a tragedy written by James Shirley, and first published in 1640. The play was licensed for performance by Sir Henry Herbert, the Master of the Revels, on 14 November 1631. Like the majority of ...

'' (licensed 14 Nov 1631; printed 1640) *'' The Politician'' (acted 1639; printed 1655) *'' The Cardinal'' (licensed 25 Nov 1641; printed 1652). Performed 2017 Southwark Playhouse

City Comedies set in 1630s London

*'' Love Tricks, or the School of Complement'' (licensed 10 Feb 1625; first printed under its subtitle, 1631) *'' The Wedding'' (licensed 1626; first printed 1629) *'' The Witty Fair One'' (licensed 3 Oct 1628; printed 1633) *'' Changes, or Love in a Maze'' (licensed 10 Jan 1632; printed 1632) * ''Hyde Park'' (licensed 20 April 1632; printed 1637) *'' The Ball'' (licensed 16 Nov 1632; printed 1639) *''

The Gamester ''The Gamester'' is a Caroline era stage play, a comedy of manners written by James Shirley, premiered in 1633 and first published in 1637. The play is noteworthy for its realistic and detailed picture of gambling in its era. The play was lic ...

'' (licensed 11 Nov 1633; printed 1637) *''

The Lady of Pleasure ''The Lady of Pleasure'' is a Caroline era comedy of manners written by James Shirley, first published in 1637. It has often been cited as among the best, and sometimes as the single best, the "most brilliant," of the dramatist's comic works. ...

'' (licensed 15 Oct 1635; printed 1637)

Tragicomedies, pastorals and others

*'' The Grateful Servant'' (licensed 3 Nov 1629 as ''The Faithful Servant''; first printed 1630) *'' The Humorous Courtier'' (licensed 17 May 1631; printed 1640). *'' The Bird in a Cage,'' or ''The Beauties'' (licensed 21 Jan 1633; printed 1633) *''

The Young Admiral ''The Young Admiral'' is a Caroline era tragicomedy written by James Shirley, and first published in 1637. It has often been considered Shirley's best tragicomedy, and one of his best plays. The play was licensed for performance by Sir Henry H ...

'' (licensed 3 July 1633; printed 1637) *'' The Example'' (licensed 24 June 1634; printed 1637) *'' The Opportunity'' (licensed 29 Nov 1634; printed 1640) *'' The Coronation'' (licensed 6 Feb 1635 as Shirley's, but printed in 1640 erroneously as a work of John Fletcher) *''

The Duke's Mistress ''The Duke's Mistress'' is a Caroline era stage play, a tragicomedy written by James Shirley and first published in 1638. It was the last of Shirley's plays produced before the major break in his career: with the closing of the London theatres ...

'' (licensed 18 Jan 1636; printed 1638) *''

'' (licensed 23 April 1638; first printed 1638) *'' St. Patrick for Ireland'' (performed ca. 1637–40; first printed 1640) *'' The Gentleman of Venice'' (licensed 30 Oct 1639; printed 1655) *''

'' (licensed 1 June 1640 as ''Rosania,'' or ''Love's Victory''; printed 1652) *''

The Arcadia ''The Countess of Pembroke's Arcadia'', also known simply as the ''Arcadia'', is a long prose pastoral romance by Sir Philip Sidney written towards the end of the 16th century. Having finished one version of his text, Sidney later significantly ...

'' (printed 1640) *'' The Imposture'' (licensed 10 Nov 1640; printed 1652) *'' The Brothers'' (licensed 26 May 1641; printed 1652) *''

, or Love Will Find Out the Way'' (performed ca. 1630–40; first printed 1640) * ''The Sisters'' (licensed 26 April 1642; printed 1653) *'' The Court Secret'' (composed before 1642; printed 1653)

Masques and entertainments

*'' A Contention for Honor and Riches'' (performed ca. 1625–32; printed 1633) *'' The Triumph of Peace'' (licensed 3 Feb 1634; printed 1634) *''

The Triumph of Beauty ''The Triumph of Beauty'' is a Caroline era masque, written by James Shirley and first published in 1646. The masque shows a strong influence of Shakespeare's ''A Midsummer Night's Dream.'' The plot of the masque draws upon one of the most fam ...

'' (ca. 1640; printed 1646) *'' The Contention of Ajax and Ulysses'' ''for the Armour of Achilles'' (performed ca. 1654–58; printed 1659) *'' Cupid and Death'' (performed 26 March 1653; first printed 1653) *'' Honoria and Mammon'' (printed 1659; performed 21 November 2013) In 1633, Shirley revised a play by John Fletcher, possibly called ''The Little Thief'', into '' The Night Walker'', which was acted in 1634 and printed in 1640. In 1634–35, Shirley revised ''

The Tragedy of Chabot, Admiral of France ''The Tragedy of Chabot, Admiral of France'' is an early seventeenth-century play, generally judged to be a work of George Chapman, later revised by James Shirley. The play is the last in Chapman's series of plays on contemporary French politics ...

'', a play that George Chapman had written sometime between 1611 and 1622. The revised version was printed in 1639. Shirley has sometimes been credited as a collaborator with

William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle William Cavendish, 1st Duke of Newcastle upon Tyne, KG, KB, PC (25 December 1676) was an English courtier and supporter of the arts. He was a renowned horse breeder, as well as being patron of the playwright Ben Jonson, and the intellectual gr ...

on Cavendish's plays '' The Country Captain'' and ''The Variety'' (both printed 1649). ''The Ball'', in the publication attributed to George Chapman and James Shirley, was written by Shirley alone. Shirley's ''Poems'' (1646) contained the epyllion ''Narcissus'' and the masque ''The Triumph of Beauty.'' ''A Contention for Honour and Riches'' (1633) appeared in an altered and enlarged form in 1659 as ''Honoria and Mammon.'' His ''Contention of Ajax and Ulysses'' closes with the well-known lyric "The Glories of our Blood and State." In the final pedagogic stage of his career, Shirley published an English grammar written in poetry, titled ''Rudiments of Grammar: The Rules Composed in English Verse for the Greater Benefit and Delight of Young Beginners'' (1656). Eight of Shirley's plays were reprinted in a single quarto volume in 1640; these were ''The Young Admiral, The Duke's Mistress, Hyde Park, Love's Cruelty, The Wedding, The Constant Maid, The Opportunity,'' and ''The Grateful Servant''. In 1653 another collection was published by Humphrey Moseley and

Humphrey Robinson Humphrey Robinson (died 13 November 1670) was a prominent London publisher and bookseller of the middle seventeenth century. Robinson was the son of a Bernard Robinson, a clerk from Carlisle; other members of his family were important clergymen a ...

; titled ''Six New Plays,'' the volume included ''The Brothers, The Sisters, The Doubtful Heir, The Imposture, The Cardinal,'' and ''The Court Secret.'' Shirley's canon presents fewer problems and lost works than the canons of earlier dramatists; yet William Cooke registered a Shirley tragedy titled ''Saint Albans'' on 14 February 1639 – a play that has not survived. The anonymous tragedy ''

Andromana ''Andromana, or The Merchant's Wife'' is a mid-seventeenth-century stage play, a tragedy first published in 1660. It has attracted scholarly attention for the questions of its authorship and the influence of its sources. The play's date of authors ...

'' was assigned to Shirley when it was first published in 1660, though scholars have treated the attribution with scepticism. The standard edition of Shirley's works is ''The Dramatic Works and Poems of James Shirley, with Notes by

William Gifford William Gifford (April 1756 – 31 December 1826) was an English critic, editor and poet, famous as a satirist and controversialist. Life Gifford was born in Ashburton, Devon, to Edward Gifford and Elizabeth Cain. His father, a glazier and ...

, and Additional Notes, and some Account of Shirley and his Writings,'' by

Alexander Dyce Alexander Dyce (30 June 1798 – 15 May 1869) was a Scottish dramatic editor and literary historian. He was born in Edinburgh and received his early education at the high school there, before becoming a student at Exeter College, Oxford, where ...

(6 vols., 1833). A selection of his plays was edited (1888) for the

Mermaid Series The Mermaid Series was a major collection of reprints of texts from English Elizabethan, Jacobean and Restoration drama. It was launched in 1887 by the British publisher Henry Vizetelly and under the general editorship of Havelock Ellis. ...

, with an introduction by

Edmund Gosse Sir Edmund William Gosse (; 21 September 184916 May 1928) was an English poet, author and critic. He was strictly brought up in a small Protestant sect, the Plymouth Brethren, but broke away sharply from that faith. His account of his childhoo ...

. A new ten-volume edition of James Shirley's work is currently being edited for

Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print book ...

. Volume 7 in this series is forthcoming in 2021.

Revivals

Shirley's work has occasionally seen revivals. ''Honoria and Mammon'' was staged in London at Shirley's church, on 21 November 2013. ''The Cardinal'' has seen an adaptation, ''Red Snake'', and a production in London in April 2017. 'The Glories of Our Blood and State' (also known under the later title 'The Glories of Our Birth and State') from ''The Contention of Ajax and Ulysses'' was often set to music, and played at the coronation of

George IV George IV (George Augustus Frederick; 12 August 1762 – 26 June 1830) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and King of Hanover from the death of his father, King George III, on 29 January 1820, until his own death ten y ...

in 1821.

Notes

References

* Adams, Joseph Quincy. ''Shakespeare's Playhouses''. Boston, Houghton Mifflin, 1917. * Logan, Terence P., and Denzell S. Smith, eds. ''The Later Jacobean and Caroline Dramatists: A Survey and Bibliography of Recent Studies in English Renaissance Drama.'' Lincoln, NE, University of Nebraska Press, 1978.

External links

* * *
Dyce edition at Google BooksJames Shirley website at the University of Durham, UKDigitized images of "Hide Parke: a comedie, as it was presented by her Majesties Servants, at the private house in Drury Lane"
housed at the University of Kentucky Libraries Special Collections Research Center * {{DEFAULTSORT:Shirley, James 1596 births 1666 deaths People educated at Merchant Taylors' School, Northwood Alumni of St Catharine's College, Cambridge English Renaissance dramatists 17th-century English male writers 17th-century English dramatists and playwrights English male dramatists and playwrights