1 (return) 2 (return) 3 (return) The "Account of Marlowe and His Writings," is the introduction to this book of 'The Works of Christopher Marlowe.' That is, the book from which this play has been transcribed. The following is from pages xvi and xvii of that introduction. "This tragedy, which was entered in the Stationers' Books, 14th August, 1590,[a] and printed during the same year, has not come down to us in its original fulness; and probably we have no cause to lament the curtailments which it suffered from the publisher of the first edition. "I have purposely," he says, "omitted and left out some fond and frivolous gestures, digressing, and, in my poor opinion, far unmeet for the matter, which I thought might seem more tedious unto the wise than any way else to be regarded, though haply they have been of some vain-conceited fondlings greatly gaped at, what time they were shewed upon the stage in their graced deformities: nevertheless now to be mixtured in print with such matter of worth, it would prove a great disgrace to so honourable and stately a history."[b] By the words, "fond and frivolous gestures," we are to understand those of the "clown;" who very frequently figured, with more or less prominence, even in the most serious dramas of the time. The introduction of such buffooneries into tragedy[c] is censured by Hall towards the conclusion of a passage which, as it mentions "the Turkish Tamberlaine," would seem to be partly levelled at Marlowe:[d] "One higher-pitch'd doth set his soaring thought On crowned kings that Fortune hath low brought, Or some vpreared high-aspiring swaine, As it might be THE TURKISH TAMBERLAINE. Then weeneth he his base drink-drowned spright Rapt to the three-fold loft of heauen hight, When he conceiues vpon his fained stage The stalking steps of his greate personage, Graced with huf-cap termes and thundring threats, That his poore hearers' hayre quite vpright sets. * * * * * * * * * NOW, LEAST SUCH FRIGHTFULL SHOWES OF FORTUNE'S FALL AND BLOUDY TYRANTS' RAGE SHOULD CHANCE APALL THE DEAD-STROKE AUDIENCE, MIDST THE SILENT ROUT COMES LEAPING IN A SELFE-MISFORMED LOUT, AND LAUGHES, AND GRINS, AND FRAMES HIS MIMIK FACE, AND IUSTLES STRAIGHT INTO THE PRINCE'S PLACE: THEN DOTH THE THEATRE ECCHO ALL ALOUD WITH GLADSOME NOYSE OF THAT APPLAUDING CROWD: A GOODLY HOCH-POCH, WHEN VILE RUSSETTINGS ARE MATCH['D] WITH MONARCHS AND WITH MIGHTIE KINGS!"[e] But Hall's taste was more refined and classical than that of his age; and the success of TAMBURLAINE, in which the celebrated Alleyn represented the hero,[f] was adequate to the most sanguine expectations which its author could have formed.] [a] "A ballad entituled the storye of Tamburlayne the greate," &c. (founded, I suppose, on Marlowe's play) was entered in the Stationers' Books, 5th Nov. 1594. [b] P. 4 of the present volume. [c] In Italy, at the commencement of the 18th century (and probably much later), it was not unusual to introduce "the Doctor," "Harlequin," "Pantalone," and "Coviello," into deep tragedies. "I have seen," says Addison, "a translation of THE CID acted at Bolonia, which would never have taken, had they not found a place in it for these buffoons." REMARKS ON SEVERAL PARTS OF ITALY, &C. IN THE YEARS 1701, 1702, 1703, p. 68, ed. 1745. [d] Perhaps I ought to add, that Marlowe was dead when (in 1597) the satire, from which these lines are quoted, was first given to the press. [e] Hall's VIRGID. Lib. I. Sat. iii., ed. 1602. [f] See Heywood's Prol. to our author's JEW OF MALTA, p. 142 of the present volume.[See the Project Gutenberg E-Text of 'The Jew of Malta.' "] 4 (return) 5 (return) 6 (return) 7 (return) 8 (return) 9 (return) 10 (return) 11 (return) 12 (return) 13 (return) 14 (return) 15 (return) 16 (return) 17 (return) 18 (return) 19 (return) 20 (return) 21 (return) 22 (return) 23 (return) 24 (return) 25 (return) 26 (return) 27 (return) 28 (return) 29 (return) 30 (return) 31 (return) but in ed. 1617 "injury" is altered to "iniure."] 32 (return) 33 (return) 34 (return) 35 (return) 36 (return) 37 (return) 38 (return) 39 (return) 40 (return) 41 (return) 42 (return) 43 (return) 44 (return) 45 (return) 46 (return) 47 (return) 48 (return) 49 (return) "As we descend into the infernal VAULTS."] 50 (return) 51 (return) 52 (return) "Of Constantines great towne RENOUM'D in vaine." Verses to King James, prefixed to Lord Stirling's MONARCHICKE TRAGEDIES, ed. 1607.] 53 (return) 54 (return) 55 (return) 56 (return) 57 (return) 58 (return) 59 (return) 60 (return) 61 (return) 62 (return) 63 (return) 64 (return) 65 (return) 66 (return) 67 (return) "His armes long, HIS fingers SNOWY-WHITE."!! (and so the line used to stand in Lamb's SPEC. OF DRAM. POETS, till I made the necessary alteration in Mr. Moxon's recent ed. of that selection.)] 68 (return) 69 (return) "Nature and Fortune join'd to make thee great"? KING JOHN, act iii. sc. 1.] 70 (return) 71 (return) 72 (return) "I'll feast you, lodge you, give you FAIR words, And, after that," &c.] 73 (return) 74 (return) 75 (return) 76 (return) 77 (return) 78 (return) 79 (return) 80 (return) 81 (return) [Page 18, First Column, Line 3, This Play: "For he was never sprung[118: of human race,"] 82 (return) 83 (return) 84 (return) 85 (return) 86 (return) 87 (return) 88 (return) 89 (return) 90 (return) 91 (return) 92 (return) 93 (return) 94 (return) 95 (return) 96 (return) 97 (return) 98 (return) 99 (return) 100 (return) Our crown the pin, &c. CLOUT means the white mark in the butts; PIN, the peg in the centre, which fastened it.] 101 (return) 102 (return) 103 (return) 104 (return) 105 (return) 106 (return) 107 (return) 108 (return) 109 (return) 110 (return) 111 (return) 112 (return) 113 (return) 114 (return) 115 (return) 116 (return) 117 (return) 118 (return) 119 (return) 120 (return) 121 (return) Page 12, Second Column, This Play: "TAMBURLAINE. . . . . Until our bodies turn to elements, And both our souls aspire celestial thrones.—" etc.]] 122 (return) 123 (return) "Hid in the vaines and ARTIERS of the earthe." SHAKESPEARE SOC. PAPERS, vol. i. 19. The word indeed was variously written of old: "The ARTER strynge is the conduyt of the lyfe spiryte." Hormanni VULGARIA, sig. G iii. ed. 1530. "Riche treasures serue for th'ARTERS of the war." Lord Stirling's DARIUS, act ii. Sig. C 2. ed. 1604. "Onelye the extrauagant ARTIRE of my arme is brused." EVERIE WOMAN IN HER HUMOR, 1609, sig. D 4. "And from the veines some bloud each ARTIRE draines." Davies's MICROCOSMOS, 1611, p. 56.] 124 (return) 125 (return) 126 (return) 127 (return) 128 (return) 129 (return) 130 (return) 131 (return) but the old text is right; among many passages that might be cited, compare the following; "And that Ydole is the God of false Cristene, that han RENEYED hire FEYTHE." THE VOIAGE AND TRAVAILE OF SIR JOHN MAUNDEVILE, p. 209. ed. 1725. "For that thou should'st RENY THY FAITH, and her thereby possesse. The Soldan did capitulat in vaine: the more thy blesse." Warner's ALBIONS ENGLAND, B. XI. Ch. 68. p. 287. ed. 1596.] 132 (return) 133 (return) 134 (return) 135 (return) 136 (return) 137 (return) 138 (return) 139 (return) 140 (return) 141 (return) 142 (return) 143 (return) 144 (return) 145 (return) 146 (return) 147 (return) 148 (return) 149 (return) (Page 10, Second Column, Line 9, This Play: "Where her betrothed lord, Alcidamus,")] 150 (return) 151 (return) 152 (return) 153 (return) 154 (return) 155 (return) 156 (return) 157 (return) 158 (return) 159 (return) 160 (return) 161 (return) 162 (return) 163 (return) 164 (return) 165 (return) 166 (return) 167 (return) 168 (return) 169 (return) 170 (return) 171 (return) 172 (return) 173 (return) 174 (return) 175 (return) 176 (return) (the last word being, perhaps, in the 8vo "lute.") Here "light" is a very questionable reading: qy. "air"? (though the third line above ends with that word).)] 177 (return) 178 (return) 179 (return) 180 (return) "Bajazeth flies, and he pursues him. The battell short (Qto. is short), and they enter, Bajazeth is ouercome." This not very intelligible stage-direction means perhaps that, after Bajazeth and Tamburlaine had entered, a short combat was to take place between them.] 181 (return) 182 (return) 183 (return) 184 (return) 185 (return) 186 (return) 187 (return) 188 (return) 189 (return) 190 (return) 191 (return) 192 (return) (Page 10, Second Column, Line 9, This Play: "Where her betrothed lord, Alcidamus,")] 193 (return) 194 (return) 195 (return) 196 (return) 197 (return) 198 (return) 199 (return) 200 (return) 201 (return) 202 (return) 203 (return) 204 (return) 205 (return) "rather on Nilus' mud Lay me STARK NAK'D, and let the water-flies Blow me into abhorring!" Shakespeare's ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, act v. sc. 2. (where the modern editors print "naked.")] 206 (return) 207 (return) 208 (return) 209 (return) 210 (return) "And here will I set up her STATURE." and, among many passages that might be cited from our early authors, compare the following; "The STATURES huge, of Porphyrie and costlier matters made." Warner's ALBIONS ENGLAND, p. 303. ed. 1596. "By them shal Isis STATURE gently stand." Chapman's BLIND BEGGER OF ALEXANDRIA, 1598, sig. A 3. "Was not Anubis with his long nose of gold preferred before Neptune, whose STATURE was but brasse?" Lyly's MIDAS, sig. A 2. ed. 1592.] 211 (return) 212 (return) 213 (return) 214 (return) (Page 10, Second Column, Line 9, This Play: "Where her betrothed lord, Alcidamus,")] 215 (return) 216 (return) 217 (return) 218 (return) 219 (return) "The golden stature of their feather'd bird, That spreads her wings upon the city-walls"; and it is well known to have been a sacred bird among the Egyptians (see Cicero DE NAT. DEORUM, I. 36). Compare the old play of THE TAMING OF A SHREW; "Father, I SWEARE BY IBIS' GOLDEN BEAKE, More faire and radiente is my bonie Kate Then siluer Zanthus," &c. p. 22. ed. Shakespeare Soc. In the passage of our text the modern editors substitute "Isis'" for "Ibis'."] 220 (return) 221 (return) 222 (return) 223 (return) 224 (return) 225 (return) 226 (return) 227 (return) 228 (return) 229 (return) 230 (return) 231 (return) 232 (return) 233 (return) 234 (return) 235 (return) 236 (return) 237 (return) 238 (return) 239 (return) 240 (return) 241 (return) 242 (return) 243 (return) 244 (return) 245 (return) 246 (return) 247 (return) 248 (return) 249 (return) 250 (return) 251 (return) 252 (return) 253 (return) 254 (return) 255 (return) 256 (return) 257 (return) 258 (return) 259 (return) 260 (return) 261 (return) 262 (return) 263 (return) 264 (return) 265 (return) 266 (return) 267 (return) 268 (return) i.e. I thus feeling, and also subduing, the power of Beauty, which has drawn down the chiefest of the gods even from, &c. The 8vo has, "I thus conceiuing and subduing both. That which hath STOPT the TEMPEST of the Gods, Euen from the fiery spangled vaile of heauen, To feele the louely warmth of shepheards flames, And MARTCH in cottages of strowed WEEDS," &c. The 4to has, "I thus concieuing and subduing both, That which hath STOPT the TEMPEST of the Gods, Euen from the SPANGLED FIRIE vaile of heauen, To feele the louely warmth of Shepheardes flames, And MARCH in COATCHES of strowed WEEDES," &c. The alterations which I have made in this corrupted passage are supported by the following lines of the play; "See now, ye slaves, my children STOOP YOUR PRIDE (i.e. make your pride to stoop), And lead your bodies sheep-like to the sword." Part Second,—act iv. sc. 1. "The chiefest god, FIRST MOVER OF THAT SPHERE", &c. Part First,—act iv. sc. 2. "Jove SOMETIME masked IN A SHEPHERD'S WEED", &c. Part First,—act i. sc. 2. Perhaps in the third line of the present passage "fiery-spangled" should be "FIRE-YSPANGLED."] 269 (return) 270 (return) 271 (return) 272 (return) 273 (return) 274 (return) 275 (return) 276 (return) 277 (return) 278 (return) 279 (return) 280 (return) 281 (return) 282 (return) 283 (return) 284 (return) 285 (return) 286 (return) 287 (return) 288 (return) 289 (return) 290 (return) 291 (return) 292 (return) 293 (return) 294 (return) 295 (return) 296 (return) 297 (return) 298 (return) 299 (return) [Page 10, Second Column, Line 9, This Play: "Where her betrothed lord, Alcidamus,"] 300 (return) 301 (return) 302 (return) 303 (return) 304 (return) 305 (return) 306 (return) 307 (return) 308 (return) 309 (return) 310 (return) 311 (return) 312 (return) 313 (return) 314 (return) 315 (return) 316 (return) 317 (return) 318 (return) |