CHRISTOPHER MARLOW, a writer of considerable eminence in his time, was, according to Oldys', born in the former part of the reign of Edward the Sixth, and received his education at Cambridge. The place of his birth is unknown, as are the circumstances of his parents, and the reason which induced him to quit the destination for which by the nature of his education he seemed to be intended. After leaving the university, he appeared upon the stage with applause as an actor, and then commenced dramatick writer with no inconsiderable degree of reputation. His character as a man does not appear in a favourable light. He is represented by an author quoted in Wood's Athenæ, p. 338, as "giving too large a swing to his own wit, and suffering his lust to have the full reins, by which means he fell to that outrage and extremity as "Jodelle, a French tragical poet, did (being an Epicure "and Atheist), that he denied God and his Son Christ, "and not only in word blasphemed the Trinity, but 66 2 also, as was credibly reported, wrote divers discourses "against it, affirming our Saviour to be a deceiver, and "Moses to be a conjuror; the holy Bible also to contain only vain and idle sories, and all religion but a device "of policy." A late writer is willing to believe, 1 MS. Additions of Langbaine. 2 Beard's Theatre of God's Judgments. 3 Among the papers of Lord Keeper Puckering, in the British Museum, are some which give an account of Marlow's principles and tenets. Since the account of Marlow was written I, have seen the information of Richard Baine against him, now in the British Museum, Harl. MSS. No. 6853, in which he is charged with the offences mentioned by Beard and many others. In a marginal note it is said to have been delivered on Whitson-eve, and that in three days after Marlow came to a sudden and fearful end of his that the whole of Marlow's offence was daring to reason on matters of religion; than which nothing could be a greater crime, in the opinion of those who did not dare to think for themselves. But the opinion of this Gentleman will have less weight, when the violence of his prejudices against every kind of religious establishment are considered. Marlow was most probably a dissipated, abandoned man; and the circumstances of his death, as related by Wood, sufficiently prove it: "being deeply in love with a certain woman, he had for "his rival a bawdy serving-man, one rather fit to be a "pimp than an ingenious amoretto, as Marlow con"ceived himself to be. Whereupon Marlow, taking it "to be a high affront, rushed in upon, to stab him with "his dagger: but the serving-man, being very quick, so avoided the stroke, that withal catching hold of "Marlow's wrist, he stabbed his own dagger into his "own head, in such sort that, notwithstanding all the "means of surgery that could be wrought, he shortly year 1593."* As a writer, Marlow's character stands in a much fairer light. Langbaine observes, that he was accounted an excellent poet by Jonson; and Heywood, his fellow-actor, stiles him the best of poets. Meres? names him with Sydney, Spenser, Shakspeare, Daniel, 66 "after died of his wound before the 5 6 life. This event probably occasioned there being no proceedings carried on in consequence of the application. S. 4 Berkenhout's Historia Literaria, vol. I. p. 358. * Sir W. Vaughan who wrote it in 1599, though his Golden Grove was not printed till 1608, repeats Beard's story of Marlow's blasphemies, but he had been previously charged with being an Atheist and an upholder of the religion of the Heathen, by Ť. B. who translated the French Academie in 1594. Marlow was then recently dead, and the precise period of this event has been ascer tained very lately by consulting the Burial Registers of St. Nicholas, "Deptford, where the following entry is made : June 1st. 1593, Christopher Marlow, slain by Francis Archer." C. 5 P. 342. 6 Verses to the Memory of Shakspeare. 7 Second Part of Wit's Commonwealth, p. 280. &c. for having mightily enriched and gorgeously invested in rare ornaments, and resplendent habiliments the English tongue. Carew, the Cornish Antiquary, places him along with Shakspeare, where he says, "Would you read Catullus, take Shakspeare and "Marlow's fragments." Nash, speaking of Hero and Leander, says, "Of whom divine Musæus sung, and a "diviner Muse than he, Kit Marlow." The author of The Return from 10 Parnassus characterizes him thus: "Marlowe was happy in his buskin'd Muse, "Alas! unhappy in his life and end: "Pity it is that wit so ill should dwell, "Wit lent from heav'n, but vices sent from hell.” Drayton" in these terms: "Next Marlow, bathed in the Thespian springs, "Which rightly should possess a poet's brain." And George Peele, in The Honour of the Garter, 4to. 1593, or 99, mentions him in this manner : "unhappy in thy end "Marlow, the Muses darling for thy verse, • Excellencies of the English Tongue, p. 13. • Lenten Stuff, 4to. 1599, p. 42. 10 1606, A. 1. S. 2: 11 Epistle to Mr. Henry Reynolds. * Mr. Reed omits part of what Peele says, and spells the name differently. And after thee Why hie they not, unhappy in thine end Peele's expressions are the more interesting, because the ceremony commemorated took place only 26 days after the funeral of Marlow, and Peele published his poem very soon afterwards, and not in 1599, as Mr. Reed thinks possible. This production is in |