The Reputation of Christopher Marhn^r. 395 



rary with Shakespeare, which ultimately became an important 

 influence in restoring Marlowe's reputation. Lamb's praise of the 

 death scene in Edward II is, of course, famous. In commenting 

 on Porter's Two Angry Women of Abingdon (in the later 

 Extracts front the Garrick Plays, 1827), he refers to Marlowe as 

 the 'true, though imperfect, father of our tragedy.' Elsewhere 

 he says : 'The sweetest names and which carry a perfume in the 

 mention are Kit JMarlowe, Drayton, Drummond of Hawthornden, 

 and Cowley.' Both in the Specimens, however, and in his later 

 writings. Lamb devotes little attention to Marlowe as compared 

 with other favorite writers. ^"'^ Coleridge hardly mentions him.^^'^ 



Oft sigh'd: "Come, live with me, and be my love"? 



Yet, oh ! be love transformed to deadly hate. 



As freezes memory at Marlow's fate : 



Disastrous bard ! by too much passion warm'd, 



His fervid breast a menial beauty charm'd ; 



Nor, vers'd in arts deceitful woman knows, 



Saw he the prospect of his future woes. 



Vain the soft plaint, that sordid breast to fire 



With warmth refin'd or elegant desire ; 



Vain his melodious magic, to impart 



Affections foreign to th' unfeeling heart; 



In guardless ecstacy's delicious glow, 



He sinks beneath a vassal murd'rer's blow. 



O'er his dread fate my kindred spirit stands 



Smit with commutual wound, and Pity wrings her hands. 



Ah ! had some genial ray of bounty shone 



On talents that but lack'd its aid alone. 



Had .some soft pennon of protection spread 



Its eider plumage o'er that hapless head, 



What emanations of the beauteous mind 



Had deck'd thy works, the marvel of mankind : 



Snatch'd from low-thoughted Care thy stooping soul. 



And plac'd thee radiant on Fame's deathless roll ; 



Where still anneal'd, thy own unequall'd strain 



Shall crown'd by sensibility remain!' 

 in9Q£ 7"(y ,„^ „;./(;, -^^^ Lamb says: 'I had the same difficulty (or rather much 

 more) in culling a few sane lines from this as from the preceding Play [i.e., 

 Lust's Dominion, which is also ascribed to Marlowe]. The lunes of Tam- 

 burlaine are perfect "midsummer madness." Nebuchadnezzar's are mere 

 modest pretensions compared with the thundering vaunts of this Scythian 

 Shepherd . . .' For two flattering remarks on 'old Christopher Marlow' 

 in Lamb's letters, see Lucas's ed. pp. 126 f. and 631. 



'" See, however, Coleridge's Tabic Talk, Feb. 16, 1833. 'Before I had 



