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from any systematic difbelief of religion. His fcepticism, whatever it might be, was conftrued by the prejudiced and peevish puritans into abfolute atheism: and they took pains to represent the unfortunate catastrophe of his untimely death, as an immediate judgment from heaven upon his execrable impiety. He was in love, and had for his rival, to use the fignificant words of Wood, "A bawdy servingman, one rather fitter to be a pimp, "than an ingenious amoretto, as Marlowe conceived himself to "be"." The confequence was, that an affray enfued; in which the antagonist having by superior agility gained an opportunity of ftrongly grasping Marlow's wrift, plunged his dagger with his own hand into his own bofom. Of this wound he died rather before the year 1593. One of Marlowe's tragedies is, The tragical history of the life and death of doctor John Fauftus. A proof of the credulous ignorance which still prevailed, and a fpecimen of the subjects which then were thought not improper for tragedy. A tale which at the close of the fixteenth century had the poffeffion of the public theatres of our metropolis, now only frightens children at a puppet-how in a country-town. But that the learned John Fauft continued to maintain the character of a conjuror in the fixteenth century even by authority, appears from a "Ballad of the life and death of doctor Fauftus, "the great congerer," which in 1588 was licenced to be printed by the learned Aylmer bishop of London.

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As Marlowe, being now confidered as a translator, and otherwife being generally ranked only as a dramatic poet, will not occur again, I take this opportunity of remarking here, that the delicate fonnet called the PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS Love, falfely attributed to Shakespeare, and which occurs in the third act of THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR, followed by the nymph's Reply, was written by Marlowe. Ifaac Walton in his COMPLEAT ANGLER, a book perhaps compofed about the year 1640, although not published till 1653, has inferted this fonnet, with the reply, under the character of " that smooth fong which was made by Kit Marlowe, now at least fifty years ago: and-an Answer to it which was made by fir "Walter Raleigh in his younger days: old fashioned poetry, "but choicely good." In ENGLAND'S HELICON, a mifcellany of the year 1600, it is printed with Chriftopher Marlowe's name, and followed by the Reply, fubfcribed IGNOTO, Raleigh's conftant fignature. A page or two afterwards, it is imitated by Raleigh. That Marlowe was admirably qualified for what Mr. Mason, with a happy and judicious propriety, calls PURE POETRY, will appear from the following paffage of his forgotten tragedy of EDWARD THE SECOND, Written in the year 1590, and first printed in 1598. The highest entertainments, then in fashion, are contrived for the gratification of the infatuated Edward, by his profligate minion Piers Gaveston.

I must haue wanton poets, pleasant wits,
Musicians, that with touching of a string
May drawe the plyant king which way I please.
Music and poetry are his delight;

Therefore I'll haue Italian mafques by night,

* Sweet speeches, comedies, and pleafing fhewes.
And in the day, when he shall walke abroad,

• See Steevens's SHAKESP. vol. i. p. 297. edit. 1778.

d Signat. P. 4. edit. 1614.

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Like fylvan Nymphs my pages shall be clad,
My men like Satyrs, grazing on the lawnes,
Shall with their goat-feet dance the antick hay.
Sometimes a Louely Boy, in Dian's fhape,
With haire that gildes the water as it glides,
Crownets of pearle about his naked armes,
And in his sportfull handes an oliue-tree,

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Shall bathe him in a spring: and there hard by,
One, lyke Acteon, peeping through the groue,
Shall by the angry goddess be transform'd.-
Such thinges as these best please his maiestie.

It must be allowed that these lines are in Marlowe's beft manner. His chief fault in defcription is an indulgence of the florid style, and an accumulation of conceits, yet resulting from a warm and brilliant fancy. As in the following description of a river.

I walkt along a ftreame, for pureneffe rare,
Brighter than funshine: for it did acquaint
The dulleft fight with all the glorious pray,
That in the pebble-paved chanell lay.

No molten chryftall, but a richer mine;
Euen natvre's rareft alchemie ran there,
Diamonds refolu'd, and fvbftance more diuine;
Through whose bright-gliding current might appeare
A thousand naked Nymphes, whose yuorie shine
Enameling the bankes, made them more deare
Than euer was that gloriovs pallace-gate,
Where the day-shining Sunne in trivmph fate *.

That is, acting the part of Diana.
Pretious.

The description of the palace of the

fun was a favorite paffage in Golding's Ovid.

66

Vpon this brim, the eglantine, and rofe,
The tamariske, oliue, and the almond-tree,
(As kind companions) in one vnion growes,
Folding their twining armes as ofte we see
Turtle-taught louers either other close,
Lending to dullneffe feeling fympathie :
And as a coftly vallance oer a bed,

So did their garland-tops the brooke oerfpred.

Their leaues that differed both in shape and fhowe,
(Though all were greene, yet difference fuch in greene
Like to the checkered bend of Iris' bowe)

Prided, the running maine as it had beene, &c1.

Philips, Milton's nephew, in a work which I think discovers many touches of Milton's hand, calls Marlowe, "A fecond Shakespeare, not only because he rofe like him from an actor "to be a maker of plays, though inferiour both in fame and "merit, but also, because in his begun poem of Hero and "Leander, he feems to have a resemblance of that CLEAR UN"SOPHISTICATED wit, which is natural to that incomparable poet." Criticisms of this kind were not common, after the national taste had been juft corrupted by the false and capricious refinements of the court of Charles the second.

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Ten books of Homer's ILIAD were tranflated from a metrical French version into English by A. H. or Arthur Hall efquire, of Grantham, and a member of parliament', and printed at London by Ralph Newberie, in 1581". This translation has no other merit than that of being the first appearance of a part of the Iliad in an English drefs. I do not find that he used any

h

Canopy. Shakespeare means a rich bed-canopy in SEC. P. HENR. iv. Acтiii. Sc. i.

Under the canopies of coftly state. iSee ENGLAND'S PARNASSUs, Lond. 1600. 12mo. fol. 465.

THEATR. POETAR, MOD. P. p. 24.

edit. 1680.

See a process against Hall, in 1580, for writing a pamphlet printed by Binneman, related by Ames, p. 325.

In quarto. Bl. Lett. Novemb. 25, 1580, H. Binneman is licenced to print 66 tenne bookes of the Iliades of Homer." REGISTR. STATION. B. fol. 175. a.

known

known French verfion. He fometimes confulted the Latin interpretation, where his French copy failed. It is done in the Alexandrine of Sternhold. In the Dedication to fir Thomas Cecil, he compliments the distinguished tranflators of his age, Phaier, Golding, Jasper Heywood, and Googe; together with the worthy workes of lord Buckhurst," and the pretie pythie, "Conceits of M. George Gafcoygne." He adds, that he began this work about 1563, under the advice and encouragement of, Mr. Robert Askame", a familiar acquaintance of Homer." But a complete and regular verfion of Homer was reserved for George Chapman. He began with printing the Shield of Achilles, in 1596. This was followed by feven books of the ILIAD the fame year". Fifteen books were printed in 1600 o. At length appeared without date, an entire translation of the ILIAD' under the following title, "The ILIADS OF HOMER Prince of Poets. "Neuer before in any language truely tranflated. With a com"ment uppon fome of his chief places: Done according to "the Greeke by George Chapman. At London, printed for "Nathaniell Butter." It is dedicated in English heroics to Prince Henry. This circumftance proves that the book was printed at least after the year 1603, in which James the first acceded to the throne'. Then follows an anagram on the name of his gracious Mecenas prince Henry, and a fonnet to the fol empreffe of beautie queen Anne. In a metrical addrefs to the reader he remarks, but with little truth, that the English language, abounding in confonant monofyllables, is eminently adapted

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ninth, and tenth. And that he believed his verfion of the twelve laft to be the best. Butter's edit. ut infr. fol. 14. Meres, who wrote in 1598, mentions " Chapman's in"choate Homer." fol. 285. p. 2. Ubi fupr.

It is an engraved title-page by Wil. liam Hole, with figures of Achilles and Hector, &c. In folio.

I fuppofe, by an entry in the register of the Stationers, in 1611, April 8. REGISTR. C. fol. 207. a.

VOL. III.

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