﻿PLAGiAEis:\[ a:\[OXG eltzabethax pamphleteers 



167 



As rims a thiefe from uoise of hue and crie : 



Nor live tliey on the sweat of others browes. 



But hcive their trades to get their living: with. 



Htmting and conie-catching. two line artes : 



Yea. there be of them, as there be of men. 



Of everie occtipation more or lesse : 



Some cariers, and they fetch : some watermen. 



And they will dive and swimme when yoti bid them : 



Some bntchers. and they worrie sheep by night : 



Some cookes. and they do nothing bnt tttrue spits." 



Before proceeding to the very last sections of ' ' Greenes Ghost, 

 about which this paper has little to say. two instances of Eowlands " 

 plagiarism outside of this pamphlet will be given. The first of 

 these is a borrowing in "]\Iartin ]\Iark-all : " " the second is taken 

 from "The Letting of Humours Blood." Both examples are of 

 intrinsic interest. 



That Rowlands in "Martin Mark-all" borrows from "The De- 

 fence ' * has not, I think, been pointed out before. To a sympathetic 

 reader it is a real disappointment to know that "]\Iartin Mark-all" 

 is not entirely Eowlands' own. Besides, it is almost unbelievable 

 that he should crib in a pamplilet designed to advertise Dekker's 

 pilferings. That he takes such a strange risk will be shown by th ' 

 following extracts. 



Martin MarJ^-all: 



Corijoral Fize to the Bel-man: 

 But you good sir, like a Spider 

 to entrappe onely the smallest flies, 

 suffer the great ones to file through. 

 3'ou scowre the ditch of a company 

 of croaking frogs, when you leave 

 behinde you an infinite number of 

 ^'enomous Toades. yoti decypher and 

 paint out a poore Rogue, or a Doxie 

 that steale and rob hedges of a fe^^' 

 ragged clothes (which you can 

 make but petit larciney.) .Vnd 

 'n.over si>eake of those Vultures that 

 ruine whole Lordships, and infecr 

 the common wealth, by their vil- 

 lainous living to the discredit <>f 

 some, and the ill example to all. 



Sir reverence on your Mastership, 

 good Mas Bel-man, had. you such a 

 moate in your eie, that you could not 

 see those Fox-furd gentlemen, that 



Tlie Dtff^ nee : 



('utlilnrt 11 ini !i-riit<-]} er to mai-'<- 

 ter R. (Jr.: But you play like the 

 Spider that makes her webbe to in- 

 trap and snare litle Fiyes. but 

 weaves it so slenderly, that the 

 gieat ones breake through without 

 any dammage. You straine Gnats 

 and passe over Elephants ; yon 

 scoure the ponde of a fewe croak- 

 yng Frogges, and leave behinde an 

 intinite number of most venemous 

 Scorpions. You decyper poore Con- 

 riy-catchers. that i>erhaps with a 

 iricke at cardes. winne fortie shill- 

 iugs from a churle that can spare 

 it. and never talke of those Gater- 

 pillers that tmdoo the poore. ruine 

 whole Lordships, infect the com- 

 mon-wealth, and delight in nothing 

 but wrong-full extorting and pur- 

 lojming of pelfe, whenas such be the 



