The Reputation of Christopher Marlozve. 393 



Christopher Marlowe was of Bennet College in Cambridge, where he took 

 the degree of B. A. in 1583, and of M. A. in 1587. He is said to have 

 soon after gone on the stage; but I never could find any higher authority 

 for this, than that of Philips in his Theatnim Poctanuii 8'"°. 1675 ; who 

 appears to have been inaccurate in many instances. Neither Drayton, nor 

 Decker, nor the author of tlie Return from Parnassus, nor B. Jonson, nor 

 Heywood in his prologue to the Jciu of Malta, mention Marlowe as an 

 Actor; tho' M'". Warton in his Hist, of Poetry Vol. III. p. 436 (note t) 

 says the contrary; but he certainly is mistaken. 



Oldys in one of his A-tss. .says, Marlowe was born about the beginning of 

 the reign of Edward VI. ; but he was certainly born in the time of Elizabeth, 

 probably in 1565, the year next to that which gave Shakspeare birth, for we 

 cannot well suppose that he was more than 19 when he took his Bachelor's 

 degree in 1583-4. S^- Henry Wotton took the degree of Master of Arts in 

 1578, at the age of twenty. 



The earliest authority I have found for the manner of his death is that of 

 Francis Meres, in his Palladis Ta'iiia, Wits Treasury &c. 8™. 1598: [quota^ 

 tion follows]. 



This circumstance is likewise related by Beard in his Theatre of God's 

 Judgment, lib. I. ch. 25, and by A. Wood in his Athen. Oxon. The latter 

 says it happened in a brothel some time before the year 1593. I imagine it 

 was on Whitsun Tuesday in 1592 (See the paper below). Peele in a poem 

 published in June, 1593, mentions his unhappy end. 



The following curious account of our author's tenets is preserved in the 

 British Museum, Mss. Harl. 6853-80. fol. 320: [The Baines libel tran- 

 scribed in full]. 



This Richard Bame or Banes was hanged at Tyburn, on the 6''^- of Dec'"- 

 1594. See the Stationers' Register Book B. p. 316. 



It is obvious to remark upon this testimony, that it is not upon oath — that 

 it contains some declarations which it is utterlj- incredible that Marlowe 

 should have made (as that concerning his intention to coin, which he must 

 have known to be penal) ; that Bame does not appear to have been con- 

 fronted with the person accused, or cross examined by him or any other 

 person ; and that the whole rests upon his single assertion. This paper, 

 however, may derive some support from the verses quoted at the other side 

 from the Returne from Parnassus, which was written about 10 years after 

 Marlowe's death. 



Malone then adds a list of 'Testimonies concerning C. Alarlowe,' 

 consisting of quotations from Meres, Peele, Nashe {Lenten Stujf) , 

 Petowe, The Return from Parnassus, Drayton, Jonson, and 

 Phillips. 



An unpuljlished document among the Windham Papers in the 

 British Aluseum (Additional AISS. 37, 854, fif. 156, 157) exhibits 

 Malone's painstaking methods of research, though in this case he 

 was following a false scent in assuming that ]\Iarlowe mav have 



