Such mild proceedings in a Government
New settled, whose main power had its dependence
Upon the power of some particular men,
Might be given way to, but in ours it were
Unsafe and scandalous.
Vandort, the speaker here, is opposing the idea of mercy to Barnavelt. The language is very mild, but receives a peculiar shade of meaning when read in connexion with the following passage by Massinger from the Virgin Martyr, I. 1, 236:—
In all growing empires
Even cruelty is useful; some must suffer
And be set up examples to strike terror
In others, though far off: but when a state
Is raised to her perfection, and her bases
Too firm to shrink, or yield, we may use mercy
And do't with safety.
The Virgin Martyr is noticed October 6th, 1620, as newly reformed. It was probably written not long before. The two passages above mentioned would seem to bring the two plays into connexion. But, it may be asked, what proof have we that it was a production of Massinger and Fletcher? As for the latter, there can be no doubt. His double endings are sufficient proof. As for the Massinger part, there is first the probability of his being Fletcher's partner, as the play belongs to a period when we know they were working together; secondly, the metrical style could belong to nobody else; thirdly, according to his well-known manner, he has allusions to and repetitions of expressions in his other plays. As I have gone through Massinger with a view to these repetitions, I propose to notice those that occur in the present play. When I allude to a play going under the name of Beaumont and Fletcher as partly Massinger's, I am supported either by Mr. Fleay's tables, published in the Transactions of the New Shakspere Society, or to my own extension of these tables published in the Eng. Studien, a German periodical for English literature and philology.
Act I. The First Scene is by Massinger, who almost always begins the joint plays. On page 210 we have—
When I should pass with glory to my rest.
Compare Virgin Martyr, V. 2. 319.
When thou shouldst pass with honour to thy rest.
On page 211,
And end that race
You have so long run strongly, like a child,