The Sun.
London, England, 1830-04-22 00:00:00

MASSINGER'S PLAYS, VoL. I.—Lownox, 1880.

Mr. Murray has opened a new avenue of po-
pularity to his Family Library, by the republica-
tion—with all the objectionable and licentious
passages carefully expunged—of the works of
our old dramatists. Notwithstanding the labours
of the Retrospective Reviewers, the able
lectures of Mr. Hazlitt, and the numerous
masterly analytical criticisms of Charles Lambe,
the dramatic writers of the age of Elizabeth are
but little known to the generality of readers.
Shirley, Fletcher, Beaumont, Jonson, Heywood,
Decker, Ford, and Massinger are great names
but little more. The majority have heard of them,
and that is all. On every account therefore we
rejoice in the republication of Massinger's
plays—a writer whose genius, though far inferior
to Shakspeare, is superior to that of most, if
not all, of his coteraporaries. Not one of the
Elizabethan dramatists excels him in sustained
elegance and power of declamation—in melody
and variety of description--or in natural flow of
versification. His chief, indeed we may almost
say his only defect, is a want of passion. His
characters speak rather than act, and are more
remarkable for habits of reflection than decision.
This is eminently the case with his truly noble
play of The Virgin Martyr, where one
of [the chief personages, on whom a great
portion of the business of the drama is meant
to depend, perpetually encumbers it by his elo-
quent prolixity. Of the works of this sterling
old writer but the first volume as yet is published.
His licentious and immoral passages, the faults
of his age, have, as we observed before, been
carefully expunged ; and he is now, for the first
time, presented to the public, as a candidate for
the applause of the ladies' drawing room as well
as the student's library. The introductory
Memoirs of his Life are neatly written, and the
concluding criticism on his genius, though brief,
is spirited and to the point.

SPANISH ARMADA.—The fate of the In-
vincible Armada, as it was proudly termed, is generally
known. Persecuted by the fury of the elements, and
annoyed by the adventurous gallantry of the English sea-
men, it was driven around the island of Britain, meeting
great loss upon every quarter, and strewing the wild
shores of the Scottish highlands and isles with wreck and
spoil. JAMES, though in arms to resist the Spaniards,
had such resistance been necessary, behaved generously
to considerable numbers whom their misfortunes threw
upon his shores. Their wants were relieved, and
they were safely restored to their own country.—
Tile fate of one body of these unfortunate men is
strikingly told by the Reverend JAMES
whose diary has been lately published. lie describes at
some length the alarm caused by the threatened invasion,
and its effects. " Terrible," Le says, "was the fear,
piercing were the preachings, earnest, zealous, and fervent
were the prayers, sounding were the sighs and sobs, and
abounding were the tears at the fast and general assembly
at Edinburgh, where we were credibly told sometimes of
their landing at Dunbar, sometimes at St. Andrew's, and
again at Aberdeen and Cromarty."—Dr. Lardner's
Cei-
tivat Cyclopadia, Pfr.

HIS MAJESTY'S HEALTH.

(From the Court Circular.)

We have great satisfaction in being enabled
to state, that his M AJEsT Y passed a pretty good
night on Tuesday, and experienced less difficulty
from his complaint yesterday.
Sir HENRY HA LFORD left the Palace at
Windsor about half-past eight o'clock in the
morning, and returned in the evening a little
before seven o'clock.

The Princess AUGUSTA entertained the Duchess of
GLOUCESTER and a select party to dinner yesterday, at her
residence in the King's Palace, St. James's.
A Cabinet Council was held at half-past two o'clock
yesterday afternoon, at the Foreign-office, which was at-
tended by the Loan CHANCELLOR, the Duke of WEL-
LINGTON, Earls BATHURST, ROSSLYN, and ABERDEEN,
Viscount AIELVILLE, Lord ELLENBOROUGH, Mr. secre-
tary PEEL, Sir GEORGE MURRAY, the CHANCELLOR of
the EXCHEQUER, and Mr. HERRIEs.
The Council remained near three hours in deliberation.
Earl BATHURST arrived in town a few minutes before the
meeting of the Council, from Goodend. Sir GEORGE
MURRAY came to town about the same time, from Sun-
ning-hill, to attend the Council.

Mr. Secretary PEEL arrived in town about half-past
one o'clock, from Brighton. The Duke of WELLINGTON
visited the Right Hon. Gentleman soon after his arrival.

The French Ambassador had a conference with the Earl
of ABERDEEN yesterday, at the office of the Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs.
The Neapolitan, the Bavarian, and the Mexican Mini-
sters, transacted business at the Foreign-office yesterday.
Viscount VILLIERS arrived in' town on Tuesday, with
despatches for the Foreign. office, from Berlin.

The Duke of WELLINGTON entertained the Cabinet Mi-
nisters to dinner yesterday, at Apsley-house.
Mr. Dawsort arrived in town on Tuesday, from the
seat of Sir ROBEHT Plat, at Drayton-park, Staffortlithire.