James Shirley

In 1653 another collection was publiJames Shirleyd by Humphrey Moseley and Humphrey Robinson; titled Six New Plays the volume included The Brothers The Sisters The Doubtful Heir The Imposture The Cardinal and The Court Secret. On the outbreak of the English Civil War he seems to have served with the Earl of Newcastle but when the King's fortunes began to decline he returned to London. Three or four of his plays were produced by his friend John Ogilby in Dublin in the Werburgh Street Theatre the first ever built in Ireland and at the time of Shirley's visit only one year old.

James Shirley (or Sherley) (September 1596 – October 1666) was an English dramatist. He belonged to the great period of English dramatic literature but in 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.