CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE. one CHRISTOPHER MARLOWE, of Shakespeare's most eminent predecessors, was born about 1562, at Canterbury. In 1587 he took the degree of A. M. at Cambridge; before this time he had written his play of 'Tamburlaine the Great. His next play was The Life and Death of Dr. Faustus, in which the poet has displayed a great amount of talent, and introduced some scenes of terrific grandeur. This was followed by the Jew of Malta, "The Massacre at Paris' and 'Edward the Second,' of which the last is considered the finest; indeed it is thought in some parts worthy of being compared with Shakespeare's Richard II. He has also written several other dramatic pieces, all possessing a certain amount of merit, beside several small poems of less value. Marlowe died in 1593. THE TRAGICAL HISTORY OF DOC- Or being dead raise men to life again, TOR FAUSTUS. How Faustus fell to the study of magic. born of parents base of stock In Germany, within a town called Rhodes; At riper years to Wirtemberg he went, Whereas his kinsmen chiefly brought him up. So much he profits in Divinity, That shortly he was graced with Doctor's name,' Excelling all, and sweetly can dispute For falling to a devilish exercise, Faustus, in his study, runs through the circle of the end. A greater subject fitteth Faustus' wit. The end of physic is our bodies' health. Why, Faustus, hast thou not attain'd that end? Are not thy bills hung up as monuments, Whereby whole cities have escap'd the plague, And divers desperate maladies been cured? Yet art thou still but Faustus, and a man. Couldst thou make men but live eternally, Then this profession were to be esteem'd. Aye, we must die an everlasting death. O what a world of profit and delight, Are but obey'd in their several provinces; How am I glutted with conceit of this! MARLOWE. For pleasant fruits and princely delicates. brass, And with swift Rhine circle all Wirtemberg: I'll levy soldiers with the coin they bring, And reign sole king of all the provinces; And make me wise with your sage con- Enter Valdes and Cornelius. Say, Wagner, thou hast perused How dost thou like it?, Faust. Valdes, sweet Valdes, and Cor- My life and lasting service for your love. nelius, Know that your words have won me at the last Swarm to my problems, as th'infernal Spirits. Like Almain Rutters with their horsemen's staves, Or Lapland Giants trotting by our sides: Corn. The miracles that magic will per- Will make thee vow to study nothing else. Faust. Berrig, British Auth. Three Scholars enter. Faust. Gramercy, Wagner. [Exit. First Sch. Now, worthy Faustus, methinks your looks are chang'd. Faust. Oh, Gentlemen. Sec. Sch. What ails Faustus? Faust. Ah, my sweet chamber-fellow, had I lived with thee, then had I lived still, but now must die eternally. Look, Sirs, comes he not? comes he not? First Sch. Oh, my dear Faustus, what imports this fear? Sec. Sch. Is all our pleasure turned to melancholy? Third Sch. He is not well with being over solitary. Sec. Sch. If it be so, we will have physicians, and Faustus shall be cured. Third Sch. "Tis but a surfeit, Sir; fear nothing. Faust. A surfeit of a deadly sin that hath damn'd both body and soul. Sec. Sch. Yet, Faustus, look up to heaven, and remember mercy is infinite. Faust. But Faustus' offence can ne'er be pardoned. The serpent that tempted. Eve may be saved, but not Faustus. O Gentlemen, hear me with patience, and tremble not at my speeches. Though my heart pant and quiver to remember that I have been a student here these thirty years. O would I had ne'er seen Wirtemberg, never read book! and what 2 wonders have I done, all Germany can witness, yea, all the world: for which, Faustus hath lost both Germany and the world: yea, heaven itself, heaven the seat of God, the throne of the blessed, the kingdom of joy, and must remain in hell for ever. Hell, O hell, for ever. Sweet friends, what shall become of Faustus being in hell for ever? Sec. Sch. Yet Faustus call on God. Faust. On God whom Faustus hath abjured? on God whom Faustus hath blasphemed? O my God, I would weep but the devil draws in my tears. Gush forth blood instead of tears, yea life and soul. Oh, he stays my tongue: I would lift up my hands, but see, they hold 'em, they hold 'em. Scholars. Who, Faustus? Faust. Why, Lucifer and Mephistophilis. O gentlemen, I gave them my soul for cunning. (1) Scholars. O God forbid. Faust. God forbid it indeed, but Faustus hath done it: for the vain pleasure of four-and-twenty years hath Faustus lost eternal joy and felicity. I writ them a bill with mine own blood, the date is expired: this is the time, and he will fetch me. First Sch. Why did not Faustus tell us of this before, that Divines might have prayed for thee? Faust. Oft have I thought to have done so; but the devil threatened to tear me in pieces if I named God; to fetch me body and soul if I once gave ear to divinity, and now it is too late. Gentlemen, away, lest you perish with me. Sec. Sch. O what may we do to save Faustus? Faust. Talk not of me, but save yourselves and depart. Third Sch. God will strengthen me, I will stay with Faustus. First. Sch. Tempt not God, sweet friend, but let us into the next room and pray for him. Faust. Aye, pray for me, pray for me; and what noise soever you hear, come not unto me, for nothing can rescue me. (1) Knowledge. Fair Nature's eye, rise, rise again, and The devil will come, and Faustus must be damn'd? I will leap to heaven, who pulls me down? See where Christ's blood streams in the firmament: One drop of blood will save me: Oh, my Christ, my Christ. Rend not my heart for naming of Yet will I call on him: O spare me, Lucifer. Where is it now? 'tis gone? And see, a threat'ning arm, and angry Mountains and hills come, come, and fall on me. brow. SHAKESPEARE. It strikes, it strikes; now, body, turn to air, Thunder, and enter the Devils. O mercy heaven, look not so fierce on me. Enter Scholars. First Sch. Come, gentlemen, let us go For such a dreadful night was never seen Pray heaven the Doctor have escaped the Sec. Sch. O help us heavens! see here We'll give his mangled limbs due burial: Shall wait upon his heavy funeral. wits mits. To practise more than heavenly power per WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE. STRATFORD-ON-AVON boasts of having been the birth-place of this hero of English literature. The event of his birth took place in April 1564. The particulars of his life are involved in great obscurity, but it is maintained by many that his father followed the trade of a glover or wool-comber and was in good circamstances. William is said to have attended the grammar-school of his native town, where most probably he aequired his knowledge of Latin and Greek, which Ben Jonson speaks of as having been very limited. Great doubts exist with respect to the manner in which he employed himself after leaving school, but it has been conjectured that he spent some time in a lawyer's office, as all his writings prove him to have been well versed in the terms of law. The London actors often visited Stratford, and therefore we may readily fancy, that Shakespeare had some intercourse with them, which, together with the observation of the lovely scenery around his native town, first awakened that genius which was to delight the world at a future period. Perhaps also, in being a spectator of the plays acted there, he formed an idea of some day making an improvement in dramatic literature. At the age of eighteen he married Ann Hathaway, the daughter of a substantial yeoman,' and soon afterwards left Stratford to try his fortune in London; some say, to avoid the disagreeable consequences of a lampoon he had written apon a gentleman, for having accused him of stealing deer from his estate. In London he became a partner Which then our leisure would not let us 5 hear, Against the Duke of Norfolk, Thomas Mowbray? Gaunt. I have, my liege. K. Rich. Tell me, moreover, hast thou sounded him? If he appeal the duke on ancient malice; Or worthily, as a good subject should, 10 On some known grouud of treachery in him? Gaunt. As near as I could sift him on that argument, On some apparent danger seen in him, Aim'd at your highness, no inveterate malice. K. Rich. Then call them to our presence; face to face, Abbot of Westminster. Lord Marshal; and another Lord. Captain of a Band of Welchmen. Duchess of York. Lady attending on the Queen. | And frowning brow to brow, ourselves will The accuser, and the High-stomach'd are In rage deaf as the they both, and full of ire, sea, hasty as fire. Re-enter Attendants with Bolingbroke and Norfolk. Boling. May many years of happy days befal 20 My gracious sovereign, my most loving liege! Nor. Each day still better other's happi Cousin of Hereford, what dost thou object 30 Boling. First, (Heaven be the record to (1) Band and bond are each the past participle pas- My body shall make good upon this earth, pro |