Massinger, Philip

mas'in-jer, Philip (1583-1640), an English dramatist. He was educated at Oxford but left without taking a degree. In 1606 he went to London, where he soon became a well known playwright. He wrote about fifteen plays independently and many others in collaboration with Field, Dekker, Fletcher, and other writers. Among his plays may be mentioned, The Virgin Martyr, The City Madame, The Duke of Milan, and A New Way to Pay Old Debts. In England the last named play kept the stage for 150 years.