CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE: 1563-1593.

Marlowe, the greatest of Shakspeare's precursors in the drama, after graduating at Cambridge became an actor and a writer for the stage. He produced eight plays and a number of miscellaneous poems. His plays, of which the more important are The Life and Death of Doctor Faustus and Edward II., contain many passages of the highest poetic excellence.

THE MURDER OF EDWARD II. From Edward II.

SCENE.-Berkeley Castle. The KING is left alone with LIGHTBORN,
a murderer.

Edw. Who's there? what light is that? wherefore com'st thou ?
Light. To comfort you, and bring you joyful news.

Edw. Small comfort finds poor Edward in thy looks.

Villain, I know thou com'st to murder me.

Light. To murder you, my most gracious lord!

Far is it from my heart to do you harm.

The queen sent me to see how you were used,
For she relents at this your misery :

And what eyes can refrain from shedding tears,
To see a king in this most piteous state?

Edw. Weep'st thou already? list a while to me,
And then thy heart, were it as Gurney's1 is,
Or as Matrevis',1 hewn from the Caucasus,
Yet will it melt, ere I have done my tale.
This dungeon where they keep me is a sink
Wherein the filth of all the castle falls.
Light. O villains!

Edw. And there, in mire and puddle have I stood
This ten days' space; and lest that I should sleep,
One plays continually upon a drum.

They give me bread and water, being a king;
So that, for want of sleep and sustenance,
My mind's distempered, and my body's numbed,
And whether I have limbs or no, I know not.
O would my blood drop out from every vein,
As doth this water from my tattered robes!
Tell Isabel the queen, I looked not thus,

1 His keepers.

When for her sake I ran at tilt in France,
And there unhorsed the Duke of Cleremont.
Light. O speak no more, my lord! this breaks
Lie on this bed, and rest yourself a while.

my heart.

Edw. These looks of thine can harbour nought but death: I see my tragedy written in thy brows.

Yet stay a while, forbear thy bloody hand,
And let me see the stroke before it comes,

That even then when I shall lose my life,
My mind may be more steadfast on my God.

Light. What means your highness to mistrust me thus ?
Edw. What mean'st thou to dissemble with me thus ?

Light. These hands were never stained with innocent blood.

Nor shall they now be tainted with a king's.

Edw. Forgive my thought, for having such a thought.

One jewel have I left, receive thou this.

Still fear I, and I know not what's the cause,

But every joint shakes as I give it thee.

Oh, if thou harbour'st murder in thy heart,

Let the gift change thy mind, and save thy soul.
Know that I am a king: Oh, at that name

I feel a hell of grief. Where is my crown?
Gone, gone; and do I still remain alive?

Light. You're overwatched my lord; lie down and rest.
Edw. But that grief keeps me waking, I should sleep;
For not these ten days have these eyelids closed.

Now as I speak they fall, and yet with fear

Open again. O wherefore sitt'st thou here?

Light. If you mistrust me, I'll be gone, my lord.
Edw. No, no; for if thou mean'st to murder me,

Thou wilt return again; and therefore stay.

Light. He sleeps.

Edw. O let me not die; yet stay, O stay a while.
Light. How now, my lord?

Edw. Something still buzzeth in mine ears,
And tells me if I sleep, I never wake;

This fear is that which makes me tremble thus.
And therefore tell me wherefore art thou come?
Light. To rid thee of thy life; Matrevis, come.
Edw. I am too weak and feeble to resist :
Assist me, sweet God, and receive my soul.

The shepherd-swains shall dance and sing,
For thy delight each May-morning :
If these delights thy mind may move,
Then live with me, and be my love.

THE REPLY. By Sir Walter Raleigh.1
If all the world and love were young,
And truth in every shepherd's tongue,
These pretty pleasures might me move
To live with thee, and be thy love.

But time drives flocks from field to fold,
When rivers rage, and rocks grow cold ;
Then Philomel becometh dumb,
And age complains of care to come.

The flowers do fade, and wanton fields
To wayward winter reckoning yields:
A honey tongue, a heart of gall,

Is fancy's spring, but sorrow's fall.

Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses,
Thy cap, thy kirtle, and thy posies,
Soon break, soon wither, soon forgotten,
In folly ripe, in reason rotten.

the nightingale

Thy belt of straw and ivy-buds,
Thy coral clasps and amber studs,
All these in me no means can move,
To come to thee, and be thy love.
What should we talk of dainties then,
Of better meat than 's fit for men?
These are but vain; that's only good
Which God hath blest, and sent for food.
But could youth last, and love still breed,
Had joys no date, nor age no need ;
Then those delights my mind might move,
To live with thee, and be thy love.

1 Raleigh's early years were spent in foreign wars. In 1580 he gained the favour of Queen Elizabeth by his prompt suppression of a rebellion in Ireland. He conducted several important nautical expeditions, some of which were designed for the colonisation of Virginia. On the accession of James I., he was unjustly condemned for high treason, and confined in the Tower for fourteen years, during which time he wrote his famous History of the World. Having designed an expedition to South America, he was allowed to proceed upon it. It proved a failure, and Raleigh on his return was beheaded. Raleigh wrote several short poems, some of which have been lost, and considerable doubt hangs over many of those ascribed to him. (For specimen of Raleigh's prose, see Readings in English Prose, p. 19.)

WILLIAM SHAKSPEARE: 1564-1616.

William Shakspeare was born at Stratford-on-Avon. When little more than twenty years of age he went to London and became a player, and afterwards began to compose plays for the company to which he belonged. After having lived for some years as a player, he became the manager of a theatre and company, and appears to have given up acting. In 1614, finding himself possessed of a small competency, he retired to his native town, where he died two years after, and was buried in Stratford church. The works of Shakspeare consist of thirty-seven plays-tragedies, comedies, and historical dramas; the poems, Venus and Adonis and Lucrece; and a collection of sonnets. 'The name of Shakspeare is the greatest in our literature-it is the greatest in all literature. No man ever came near him in the creative powers of the mind; no man ever had such strength at once and such variety of imagination.'—Hallam.

FROM THE MERCHANT OF VENICE.

THE TRIAL SCENE. Act IV. Sc. i.-Abridged.

[Antonio, The Merchant of Venice,' had become surety for his friend Bassanio in the sum of three thousand ducats borrowed from Shylock, a Jew, who, ‘in a merry sport,' as he termed it, lent the money on condition that, in case of failure to repay the sum at the time specified, Antonio should forfeit to Shylock a pound of flesh to be cut from his body. A bond to this effect was duly signed. Losses come upon Antonio which render him unable to pay the sum when due, on which Shylock insists upon the fulfilment of his bond, and the case is tried before the Duke of Venice.]

SCENE.-Venice. A Court of Justice.

Enter the DUKE, the Magnificoes; ANTONIO, BASSANIO,
GRATIANO, SALARINO, SOLANIO, and others.

Duke. What, is Antonio here?

Ant. Ready, so please your grace.

Duke. I am sorry for thee; thou art come to answer

A stony adversary, an inhuman wretch

Uncapable of pity, void and empty

From any dram of mercy.

Your grace hath ta'en great pains to qualify

His rigorous course; but since he stands obdurate,
And that no lawful means can carry me

Out of his envy's reach, I do oppose

My patience to his fury; and am armed