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The devil he carried me up into the sky,
Where I did see how all the world did lie;
I went about the world in eight daies space,
And then return'd unto my native place.

What pleasure I did wish to please my mind
He did perform, as bond and seal did bind ;
The secrets of the stars and planets told,
Of earth and sea, with wonders manifold.

When four and twenty years was almost run,
I thought of all things that was past and done;
How that the devil would soon claim his right,
And carry me to everlasting night.

Then all too late I curst my wicked deed,
The dread whereof doth make my heart to bleed
All daies and hours I mournèd wondrous sore,
Repenting me of all things done before.

I then did wish both sun and moon to stay,
All times and seasons never to decay;
Then had my time nere come to dated end,
Nor soul and body down to hell descend.

At last, when I had but one hour to come,
I turn'd my glass, for my last hour to run,
And call'd in learned men to comfort me ;
But faith was gone, and none could comfort me.

By twelve a clock my glass was almost out :
My grievèd conscience then began to doubt ;
I wisht the students stay in chamber by ;
But, as they staid, they heard a dreadful cry.

Then presently they came into the hall,
Whereas my brains was cast against the wall;
Both arms and legs in pieces torn they see,
My bowels gone: this was an end of me.

You conjurers and damned witches all,
Example take by my unhappy fall :

Give not your souls and bodies unto hell,
See that the smallest hair you do not sell.

But hope that Christ his kingdom you may gain,
Where you shall never fear such mortal pain;
Forsake the devil and all his crafty ways,
Embrace true faith that never more decays.

A NOTE

CONTAYNINGE THE OPINION OF ONE CHRISTOFER MAR

LYE, CONCERNYNGE HIS DAMNABLE OPINIONS AND
JUDGMENT OF RELYGION AND SCORNE OF GODS
WORDE.1

FROM MS. HARL. 6853, FOL. 320.

THAT the Indians and many Authors of Antiquitei have assuredly written of aboue 16 thowsande yeers agone, wher Adam is proved to have leyved within 6 thowsande yeers.

2

He affirmeth That Moyses was but a Juggler, and that one Heriots can do more then hee.

That Moyses made the Jewes to travell fortie yeers in the wildernes (which iorny might have ben don in lesse then one yeer) er they came to the promised lande, to the intente that those who were privei to most of his subtileteis might perish, and so an everlastinge supersticion remayne in the hartes of the people.

That the firste beginnynge of Religion was only to keep men in awe.

That it was an easye matter for Moyses, beinge brought

1 The original title has been partly scored through with a pen, and altered as follows :-A Note delivered on Whitson eve last of the most horreble blasphemes utteryd by Christofer Marly who within iii dayes after came to a soden and fearfull end of his life.

2 The words printed in italics have been scored through in the MS.

NOTE OF CHRISTOFER MARLYE'S OPINION. 429

up in all the artes of the Egiptians, to abvse the Jewes, being a rvde and grosse people.

That Christ was a Bastard, and his mother dishonest.

That he was the sonne of a carpenter, and that, yf the Jewes amonge whome he was borne did crvcifye him, thei best knew him and whence he came.

That Christ deserved better to dye than Barrabas, and that the Jewes made a good choyce, though Barrabas were both a theife and a murtherer.

That yf ther be any God or good Religion, then it is in the Papistes, becavṣe the service of God is performed with more ceremonyes, as elevacion of the masse, organs, singinge men, shaven crownes, &c. That all protestantes ar hipocriticall Asses.

That, yf he wer put to write a new religion, he wolde vndertake both a more excellent and more admirable methode, and that all the new testament is filthely written.

That the Women of Samaria wer whores, and that Christ knew them dishonestlye.

That St. John the Evangelist was bedfellow to Christe, that he leaned alwayes in his bosom, that he vsed him as the synners of Sodome.

That all thei that love not tobacco and boyes are fooles.

That all the Appostells wer fishermen and base fellowes, neither of witt nor worth, that Pawle only had witt, that he was a timerous fellow in biddinge men to be subiect to magistrates against his conscience.

That he had as good right to coyne as the Queen of Englande, and that he was acquainted with one Poole, a brisoner in newgate, whoe hath great skill in mixture of metalls, and havinge learned such thinges of him, he ment, through help of a connynge stampe-maker, to coyne french crownes, pistolettes, and englishe shillinges.

That, yf Christ had instituted the Sacramentes with more cerymonyall reverence, it would have ben had in more admiracion, that it wolde have ben much better beinge administred in a Tobacco pype.

That the Angell Gabriell was Bawde to the holy Ghoste, because he brought the salutation to Marie.

That one Richard Cholmelei hath confessed that he was perswaded by Marloes reason to become an Athieste.

Theis thinges, with many other, shall by good and honest men be proved to be his opinions and common specches, and that this Marloe doth not only holde them himself, but almost in every company he commeth, perswadeth men to Athiesme willinge them not to be afrayed of bugbeares and hobgoblins and vtterly scornynge both God and his ministers, as I Richard Bome [sic] will justify bothe by my othe and the testimony of many honest men, and almost all men with whome he hath conversed any tyme will testefy the same: and, as I thincke, all men in christianitei ought to endevor that the mouth of so dangerous a member may be stopped.

He sayeth moreover that he hath coated a number of contrarieties out of the scriptures, which he hath geeven to some great men, who in convenient tyme shalbe named. When theis thinges shalbe called in question, the witnesses shalbe produced.

(Endorsed)

Copye of Marloes blasphemyes
as sent to her Highness].

RYCHARD BAME.

[I see no reason to question the substantial truth of these accusations. We may set aside the charge of coining, which, with the words about the sacrament in a tobacco pipe, and the Holy Ghost as a bawd, were clearly mere jests; and also the bravado about “boys and tobacco," and again, that about the Jews knowing best what Christ deserved. All the other propositions which Marlowe is here stated to affirm have, without exception, been substantially held, more or less widely, by students of science and of the Bible in our own days. No one has developed the humorous possibilities of the Pentateuch to the same extent as Bishop Colenso, although recent critics regard Moses as a more

1 In the margin are the words "he is layd for," meaning that steps ave been taken to discover him.

NOTE OF CHRISTOFER MARLYE'S OPINION. 431

mythical hero than Marlowe could; but the antiquity of Indian literature, the awe-inspiring functions of religion at certain stages of civilization, the religious superiority of Catholicism to Protestantism, the feeble style of the New Testament and the character of the Apostles, the circumstances surrounding the birth of Jesus, the nature of his intimacy with Mary Magdalene, etc., the connection between the relationship of Jesus and John and those relationships which were common among the noblest of the Greeks, Epaminondas or Socrates—all these are matters concerning which many authorities seem now to side with Marlowe. Such acute and audacious utterances-in part traceable, it may be, to the influence of Francis Kett-are of great assistance in enabling us to realise Marlowe's personality.]

THE END.

BRADBURY, AGNEW, & CO., printers, wHITEFRIARS.

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