Everand Logo

Welcome to Everand!

  • Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

    Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

    Love's Cruelty: "Death lays his icy hand on kings. Scepter and crown must tumble down"
    Love's Cruelty: "Death lays his icy hand on kings. Scepter and crown must tumble down"
    Love's Cruelty: "Death lays his icy hand on kings. Scepter and crown must tumble down"
    Ebook137 pages1 hour

    Love's Cruelty: "Death lays his icy hand on kings. Scepter and crown must tumble down"

    By James Shirley

    ()

    Read preview

    About this ebook

    James Shirley was born in London in September 1596. His education was through a collection of England’s finest establishments: Merchant Taylors' School, London, St John's College, Oxford, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he took his B.A. degree in approximately 1618. He first published in 1618, a poem entitled Echo, or the Unfortunate Lovers. As with many artists of this period full details of his life and career are not recorded. Sources say that after graduating he became "a minister of God's word in or near St Albans." A conversion to the Catholic faith enabled him to become master of St Albans School from 1623–25. He wrote his first play, Love Tricks, or the School of Complement, which was licensed on February 10th, 1625. From the given date it would seem he wrote this whilst at St Albans but, after its production, he moved to London and to live in Gray’s Inn. For the next two decades, he would write prolifically and with great quality, across a spectrum of thirty plays; through tragedies and comedies to tragicomedies as well as several books of poetry. Unfortunately, his talents were left to wither when Parliament passed the Puritan edict in 1642, forbidding all stage plays and closing the theatres. Most of his early plays were performed by Queen Henrietta's Men, the acting company for which Shirley was engaged as house dramatist. Shirley's sympathies lay with the King in battles with Parliament and he received marks of special favor from the Queen. He made a bitter attack on William Prynne, who had attacked the stage in Histriomastix, and, when in 1634 a special masque was presented at Whitehall by the gentlemen of the Inns of Court as a practical reply to Prynne, Shirley wrote the text—The Triumph of Peace. Shirley spent the years 1636 to 1640 in Ireland, under the patronage of the Earl of Kildare. Several of his plays were produced by his friend John Ogilby in Dublin in the first ever constructed Irish theatre; The Werburgh Street Theatre. During his years in Dublin he wrote The Doubtful Heir, The Royal Master, The Constant Maid, and St. Patrick for Ireland. In his absence from London, Queen Henrietta's Men sold off a dozen of his plays to the stationers, who naturally, enough published them. When Shirley returned to London in 1640, he finished with the Queen Henrietta's company and his final plays in London were acted by the King's Men. On the outbreak of the English Civil War Shirley served with the Earl of Newcastle. However when the King's fortunes began to decline he returned to London. There his friend Thomas Stanley gave him help and thereafter Shirley supported himself in the main by teaching and publishing some educational works under the Commonwealth. In addition to these he published during the period of dramatic eclipse four small volumes of poems and plays, in 1646, 1653, 1655, and 1659. It is said that he was “a drudge” for John Ogilby in his translations of Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey, and survived into the reign of Charles II, but, though some of his comedies were revived, his days as a playwright were over. His death, at age seventy, along with that of his wife, in 1666, is described as one of fright and exposure due to the Great Fire of London which had raged through parts of London from September 2nd to the 5th. He was buried at St Giles in the Fields, in London, on October 29th, 1666.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStage Door
    Release dateJun 1, 2017
    ISBN9781787373570
    Love's Cruelty: "Death lays his icy hand on kings. Scepter and crown must tumble down"

    Read more from James Shirley

    Related to Love's Cruelty

    Related ebooks

    Performing Arts For You

    View More
    View More

    Related podcast episodes

    Related articles

    • Article

      “Caroline Was Besotted With Byron. But, Ungrateful Love Rat That He Was, He Set Off Chasing Others”

      Jun 8, 2023

      Ellie Cawthorne: Why did you want to write a biography of Lamb? What was it about her that intrigued you? Lady Antonia Fraser: During lockdown, I dusted a room that I haven’t dusted for years, which is full of books, like every room in this house. A

      6 min read

    • Article

      I REMEMBER… Barry Humphries

      Mar 15, 2022

      I REMEMBER… Barry Humphries
      5 min read

    • Article

      Dear Tom And Paul

      Jan 8, 2021

      Dear Tom And Paul
      9 min read

    • Article

      Peace Comes With A Smile

      Nov 11, 2019

      Peace Comes With A Smile
      8 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      Sep 8, 2021

      Great Read
      5 min read

    • Article

      From Russia, With Love

      Sep 14, 2022

      From Russia, With Love
      5 min read

    • Article

      Haunted London Tour Guide

      Oct 1, 2020

      HOW DID YOU FIRST GET INTO GIVING GHOST TOURS IN LONDON? As a child, I was an avid reader of ghost stories so I have always had an interest in them. I moved to London from Stoke-on-Trent in the late 1970s and ended up working as a postman in the cit

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Siren’s Call

      Dec 3, 2020

      The Siren’s Call
      4 min read

    • Article

      The William Trevor Reader: “Lovers of Their Time”

      Sep 27, 2022

      Trevor can create scenes and characters of such bleak pathos that they feel airless and bludgeoning. The post The William Trevor Reader: “Lovers of Their Time” appeared first on The Millions.

      3 min read

    • Article

      Great Read

      Sep 8, 2021

      Great Read
      3 min read

    • Article

      Winning Letter

      Sep 30, 2022

      I’m a single mother who struggles financially to get through each month. When my washing machine broke I had no funds to repair it, so I asked my neighbours if I could do my washing at their place. On a Wednesday afternoon my bell rang. At the door w

      5 min read

    • Article

      When Lizzie met Maggie

      Dec 13, 2023

      The Grim Reaper has been having a high old time of late. I've barely had a moment to keep up with my diary, I have been so busy writing letters of condolence, attending funerals and giving addresses at memorial services. I was especially saddened by

      3 min read

    • Article

      Readers’ Letters

      Sep 21, 2022

      Readers’ Letters
      6 min read

    • Article

      In conversation with THE REV RICHARD COLES

      May 31, 2023

      It’s fair to say that the Reverend Richard Coles has had a varied career. Part of 1980s pop duo The Communards, then vicar of Finedon, a radio presenter and regular panellist on TV shows, he now adds writing to his many talents. A Death in the Parish

      2 min read

    • Article

      June’s BOOK CLUB

      Apr 27, 2023

      Mrs Porter Calling by AJ Pearce (£16.99, HB, Picador) Emmy Lake is back in the popular wartime series. In charge of a column at People’s Friend magazine, she’s proud of the part it plays in the war effort. But then entitled socialite Mrs Porter takes

      4 min read

    • Article

      Crazy For Cider

      Aug 25, 2021

      JAMES CROWDEN is a poet, shepherd and total cider nut. In this, at least his third book on the subject, there is no other drink but that it suffers from his passion for cider, apple brandy and cider’s delicate, sweet sister, perry—and almost no momen

      5 min read

    • Article

      Lamport Hall

      Mar 7, 2024

      Lamport Hall
      6 min read

    • Article

      Letters

      Dec 28, 2022

      I was intrigued by the short story in the November issue's Anniversaries section regarding the peaceful transfer of power from Henry III to his son Edward I –the first such occasion in English history. I wanted to know more about why this particular

      4 min read

    • Article

      HUNTER DAVIES Back in the Day

      Jun 1, 2022

      Sceptre £20 Melvyn Bragg is our greatest living Cumbrian – even bigger than haulage king Eddie Stobart. Like Wordsworth, Melvyn is Cumbrian born and bred, and has never really left Lakeland or stopped loving it. He is now a national treasure, loved b

      3 min read

    • Article

      The Art of Fiction No. 251

      Mar 15, 2022

      The Art of Fiction No. 251
      20 min read

    • Article

      Prince Philip And Prince Charles: How The Duke Of Edinburgh Shaped The Future King

      Apr 12, 2021

      When the Prince of Wales paid his moving tribute to his “dear papa”, saying that he and the royal family would miss him enormously, his pain was palpable. Charles said his father was a “much loved and appreciated figure” and a “very special person”.

      5 min read

    • Article

      Chartwell Memories

      Nov 22, 2017

      Chartwell Memories
      5 min read

    Related categories

    Reviews for Love's Cruelty

    0 ratings

    0 ratings0 reviews

    What did you think?

    Tap to rate

    Review must be at least 10 words

      Book preview

      Love's Cruelty - James Shirley

      Loves Cruelty by James Shirley

      A TRAGEDY.   As it was presented by her Majesties Servants, at the private House in Drury Lane.

      James Shirley was born in London in September 1596.

      His education was through a collection of England’s finest establishments: Merchant Taylors' School, London, St John's College, Oxford, and St Catharine's College, Cambridge, where he took his B.A. degree in approximately 1618.

      He first published in 1618, a poem entitled Echo, or the Unfortunate Lovers.

      As with many artists of this period full details of his life and career are not recorded. Sources say that after graduating he became a minister of God's word in or near St Albans. A conversion to the Catholic faith enabled him to become master of St Albans School from 1623–25.

      He wrote his first play, Love Tricks, or the School of Complement, which was licensed on February 10th, 1625.  From the given date it would seem he wrote this whilst at St Albans but, after its production, he moved to London and to live in Gray’s Inn.

      For the next two decades, he would write prolifically and with great quality, across a spectrum of thirty plays; through tragedies and comedies to tragicomedies as well as several books of poetry.  Unfortunately, his talents were left to wither when Parliament passed the Puritan edict in 1642, forbidding all stage plays and closing the theatres. 

      Most of his early plays were performed by Queen Henrietta's Men, the acting company for which Shirley was engaged as house dramatist.

      Shirley's sympathies lay with the King in battles with Parliament and he received marks of special favor from the Queen.

      He made a bitter attack on William Prynne, who had attacked the stage in Histriomastix, and, when in 1634 a special masque was presented at Whitehall by the gentlemen of the Inns of Court as a practical reply to Prynne, Shirley wrote the text—The Triumph of Peace.

      Shirley spent the years 1636 to 1640 in Ireland, under the patronage of the Earl of Kildare. Several of his plays were produced by his friend John Ogilby in Dublin in the first ever constructed Irish theatre; The Werburgh Street Theatre. During his years in Dublin he wrote The Doubtful Heir, The Royal Master, The Constant Maid, and St. Patrick for Ireland.

      In his absence from London, Queen Henrietta's Men sold off a dozen of his plays to the stationers, who naturally, enough published them.  When Shirley returned to London in 1640, he finished with the Queen Henrietta's company and his final plays in London were acted by the King's Men.

      On the outbreak of the English Civil War Shirley served with the Earl of Newcastle.  However when the King's fortunes began to decline he returned to London. There his friend Thomas Stanley gave him help and thereafter Shirley supported himself in the main by teaching and publishing some educational works under the Commonwealth. In addition to these he published during the period of dramatic eclipse four small volumes of poems and plays, in 1646, 1653, 1655, and 1659.

      It is said that he was a drudge for John Ogilby in his translations of Homer’s Iliad and the Odyssey, and survived into the reign of Charles II, but, though some of his comedies were revived, his days as a playwright were over.

      His death, at age seventy, along with that of his wife, in 1666, is described as one of fright and exposure due to the Great Fire of London which had raged through parts of London from September 2nd to the 5th.

      He was buried at St Giles in the Fields, in London, on October 29th, 1666.

      Index of Contents

      To the Hopefull Paire of Nble Brothers, Cornet George Porter and Mr. Charles Porter.

      LOVES CRUELTY

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      SCENE - Ferrara

      LOVES CRUELTY

      ACTUS PRIMUS

      SCENE I - A Room in Clariana’s House

      SCENE II - A Room in the Duke’s Palace.

      ACTUS SECUNDUS

      SCENE I - Hippolito’s Lodgings

      SCENE II - A Room in the Duke’s Palace.

      SCENE III - Hippolito’s Lodgings.

      ACTUS TERTIUS

      SCENE I - A Tavern.

      SCENE II - A Room in Bellamente’s House.

      SCENE III - A Room in the Duke’s Palace.

      SCENE IV - A Room in Bellamente’s House.

      ACTUS QUARTUS

      SCENE I - Clariana’s Chamber.

      SCENE II - A Room in the Palace.

      SCENE III - A Room in Bellamente’s House.

      ACTUS QUINTUS

      SCENE I - Hippolito’s Lodgings.

      SCENE II - A Room in Bellamente’s House.

      JAMES SHIRLEY – A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

      To the Hopefull Paire of Noble Brothers, Cornet George Porter and Mr. Charles Porter

      The knowledge of your growing virtues, have begot in all men love, in me admiration, and a desire to serve the manifold obligations I have to the true Example of worth Captaine Endemion Porter, instructed me to this presentation of my devoted respects to your noble selves, the true Ideas of his virtues. You are so equall in all the attributes of goodnesse, that it were a difficult indeavor for mee to distinguish betweene your perfections: Onely noble Captaine that prioraty which your birth has allowed you, ingages me in the first place to tender my service to your selfe, which I imagin'd could not have beene really accomplish'd, had I not joynd your brother in this act of my gratitude to you. Accept therefore heroicke paire of brothers, this tender of his best devotions to you who has no greater ambition then to be esteemed, the true servant of both your virtues W. A.

      DRAMATIS PERSONAE

      Duke of Ferrara

      Bellamonte, a noble Gentleman

      Bonaldo, an old Courtier

      Hippolito, his son, an attendant on the Duke.

      Sebastian, a private gentleman, enobled by the Duke.

      Page to Hippolito

      Groome to Hippolito

      Courtiers

      Enjoying the preview?
      Page 1 of 1