TJic Reputation of Christopher Marloxve 353 



Greenes booke, stroke out what then in conscience I thought he in 

 some displeasure writ, or, had it beene true, yet to pubHsh it was 

 intollerable, him I would wish to vse me no worse than I deserue.' 



From the last sentence it appears that the discretionary power 

 which Chettle allowed himself with Greene's posthumous produc- 

 tion may have deprived us of some specific scandal regarding 

 Marlowe, but it is unlikely that we have lost anything possessing 

 evidential value. It is to be observed that Greene charges Marlowe 

 in 1588 and again in 1592 with Machiavellian or atheistic principles 

 and with nothing further. Such seems to be the sole moral 

 accusation against him prior to his death, save that the indictment 

 of the informant Baines adds that Marlowe spoke in approval of 

 paederastic indulgence and of the counterfeiting of coinage. 

 There is perhaps ground for doubting whether this testimony is 

 fair to the poet; but even if accepted at its face value, it charges 

 him only with vicious opinions. Vicious life (as distinct from 

 opinions) seems not to have been imputed to him while he lived. 

 Gabriel Harvey's Nciv Letter of Notable Contents (dated Sept. 

 16, 1593) emphasizes the point in a neat antithesis: 'Though 

 Greene were a lulian, and Marlozv a Lucian : yet I would be loth, 

 He (i. e., Nashe) should be an Aretin.'^ 



Kyd, writing like Harvey shortly after the poet's death, and 

 when he was much put to it to discredit the idea that he was under 

 Marlowe's influence, adds some new ungracious touches. Not only 

 was Marlowe irreligious, he says, but cause why he should be 

 loved 'neither was in him for p(er)son, quallities or honestie, 

 besides he was intemp(er)ate & of a cruel hart.'* Naturally, 



^ How far Marlowe really was a Lucian, i. e., a total disbeliever in religion, 

 was later debated by Warton and Ritson. See page 392. 



In Pierces Supererogation (1593), Harvey refers to 'no Religion, but 

 precise Marlowisme.' For other allusions by Harvey to Marlowe see 

 Grosart's Harvey, i. 292 {'Greene, and Marlow might admonish other to 

 aduise themselues') ; ii. 115 ('Marlowes brauados') ; ii. 322 (Nashe 'odiously 

 misuseth euery frend, or acquaintance as he hath serued . . . Greene, Mar- 

 low, Chettle, and whom not?'). For Nashe's vindication of his friendship 

 for Marlowe, and his censure of Harvey's dispraise of the latter, see 

 below, p. 359, note 11. 



* In his later letter, recently printed by Mr. F. K. Brown {Tidics Liter- 

 ary Supplement, June 2, 1921), Kyd blames both Marlowe's rash talk and 

 'his other rashnes in attempting soden pryvie iniuries to men.' The impres- 



