366 Tucker Brooke, 



The Troublesome Reign of John, The Battle of Alcazar, and The 

 Wars of Cyrus are perhaps the best examples of the contemporary 

 effort to share by pure imitation in the scenic triumph of 

 Tamburlaine. 



The tremendous figure which Alleyn made when he played the 

 title-role was long remembered. The Black Book's comparison 

 (1604) of the spindle-shank spiders stalking over Nashe's head 

 'as if they had been conning of Tainburlaine' is pictorial enough.^"* 

 Hall, speaking of the corruption of the Muses and the prevalence 

 of bastard poetry (Virgidemiarmn lib. i, sat. iii, 1597), pictures 

 both the ranting actor and the intrusive clownage against which the 

 printer of Tamburlaine protests : 



One higher pitch'd doth set his soaring thought 



On crowned kings that Fortune hath low brought : 



Or some A'preared, high-aspiring swaine 



As it might be the Turkish Taiiibcrlainc. 



Then weeneth he his base drink-drowned spright, 



Rapt to the threefold loft of heauens hight, 



When he conceiues vpon his fained stage 



The stalking steps of his great personage, 



Graced with huf-cap termes, and thundring threats, 



That his poore hearers hayre quite vpright sets. 



Such soone, as some braue-minded hungry youth. 



Sees fitly frame to his wide-strained mouth. 



He vaunts his voyce vpon an hyred stage, 



With high-set steps, and princely carriage : 



Now soouping (sic) in side robes of Royalty, 



That erst did skrub in lowsie brokery. 



There if he can with termes Italianate, 



Big-sounding sentences, and words of state, 



Faire patch me vp his pure lambick verse. 



He rauishes the gazing Scaffolders : 



Then certes was the famous Cordnban 



Neuer but halfe so high Tragedian. 



Now, least such frightfull showes of Fortunes fall, 



for the life of Tamliuclin {sic) to wrappe vp his sweete powders in those 

 vnsauorie papers.' It was, however, far from true that editions of Tambur- 

 laine sold ill. A direct hit at Marlowe is found in Greene's Mcnaphon 

 (1589: Grosart vi. 84): 'I read that mighty Tamberlaine, after his wife 

 Zenocrate (the worlds fair eye) past out of the Theatre of this mortall life, 

 he chose stigmaticall trulls to please his humorous fancy.' (Compare the 

 second part of Marlowe's play, 1. 2570: 'Now, bright Zenocrate, the worlds 

 faire eie.') 

 '° Bullen, Works of Middleton, vol. viii, p. 25. 



