The Reputation of Christopher Marlowe. 367 



And bloody Tyrants rage, should chance appall 



The dead stroke audience, mids the silent rout 



Comes leaping in a selfe-misformed lout, 



And laughes, and grins, and frames his Mimik face, 



And iustles straight into the princes place. 



Then doth the Theatre Eccho all a loud, 



With gladsome noyse of that applauding croud. 



A goodly hock-pock; when vile Russetings, 



Are match't with monarchs, & with mighty kings. 



A goodly grace to sober Tragick Muse, 



When each base clown, his clumbsie fist doth bruise, 



And show his teeth in double rotten row. 



For laughter at his selfe-resembled show. 



'The gencrall welcomes Tamburlain receiu'd. 

 When he arriued last vpon our stage' 



are specifically noted in the prologue to ]\Iarlowe's second part, 

 and also in the prologue to The Troublesome Reign of John 



(1591)- 

 Samuel Rowlands, in TJie Life and Death of John Leydcn 



(1605),^^ summarizes the Scythian conqueror's career in lines 



evidently reminiscent of the play : 



Haue you not heard that Scythian Taiiilnirlainc 



Was earst a Sheepheard ere he play'd the King? 



First Guer Cattell hee began his raigne. 



Then Countries in subiection hee did bring : 



And Fortunes fauours so mayntain'd his side. 



Kings were his Coach-horse, when he pleas'd to ride. 



Bajazet's overthrow is comprehensively reviewed in the first scene 

 of Dekker's Old Fortunatiis (1600) : 



Poor Bajazet, old Turkish Emperor, 



And once the greatest monarch in the East ; 



Fortune herself is sad to view thy fall, 



And grieves to see thee glad to lick up crumbs 



At the proud feet of that great Scythian swain. 



Fortune's best minion, warlike Tamburlaine : 



Yet must thou in a cage of iron be drawn 



In triumph at his heels, and there in grief 



Dash out thy brains. 



Similar retrospects occur in Selimus (1594) : 



For Fortune never shew'd herself so cross 

 To any prince as to poor Bajazet. 



■''^ Hell's Broke Loose, Grosart's ed., vol. i. p. 34. 



