The Works of Christopher Marlowe, Vol. 3 (of 3). Christopher Marlowe

51

Some eds. give "For as she was."

52

A magical figure formed of intersected triangles. It was supposed to preserve the wearer from the assaults of demons. "Disparent would seem to mean that the five points of the ornaments radiated distinctly one from the other."—Cunningham.

53

Old eds. "her."

54

Heated.

55

Old eds. "how."

56

Substance, as opposed to spirit. Cf. note. Vol. i., 203.

57

Cadiz, which was taken in June 21, 1596, by the force under the joint command of Essex and Howard of Effingham.

58

So the Isham copy.—The other old eds. read "townes," for which Dyce gives "town."

59

Within.

60

Vent forth.

61

"Fowl" and "fool" had the same pronunciation. Cf. 3 Henry VI. v. 6:—

"Why, what a peevish fool was he of Crete,That taught his son the office of a fowl!And yet for all his wings the fool was drowned."

The "moorish fool" is explained by the allusion to the lapwing, two lines above. (The lapwing was supposed to draw the searcher from her nest by crying in other places. "The lapwing cries most furthest from her nest."—Ray's Proverbs.)

62

A kind of crape.

63

So the modern editors for an "imitating."

64

Ingenious. Chapman has the form "enginous" in his translation of the Odyssey, i. 452,

"By open force or prospects enginous."

65

Some modern editors unnecessarily give "With crowd of sail."

66

Old eds. "joys."

67

Old eds. "he."

68

Some eds. give "For such a Hero."

69

Command.

70

Picture.

71

"This conceit was suggested to Chapman by a passage in Skelton's Phyllyp Sparowe:

"But whan I was sowing his beke,Methought, my sparow did speke,And opened his prety byll,Saynge, Mayd, ye are in wyllAgayne me for to kyll,Ye prycke me in the head.'—Works, I, 57, ed. Dyce."—Dyce.

72

Affections.

73

"This description of the fisherman, as well as the picture which follows it, are borrowed (with alterations) from the first Idyl of Theocritus."—Dyce.

74

"Eyas" is the name for an unfledged hawk. "Eyas thoughts" would mean "thoughts not yet full-grown,—immature." Dyce thinks the meaning of "eyas" here may be "restless." (Old eds. "yas.")

75

A monosyllable.

76

Some eds. give "them, then they burned as blood."

77

Approaching catastrophe.

78

Some eds. "and."

79

Used transitively.

80

Some eds. "Leanders."

81

Shakespeare uses the verb "slubber" in the sense of "perform in a slovenly manner" (Merchant of Venice, ii. 8, "Slubber not business for my sake").

82

Companions, yoke-mates.

83

Gr. ἡδονη.

84

From Lat. crista?

85

Prune.

86

Gr. λευκοτης.

87

Gr. δαψιλης.

88

Some eds. read "Coyne and impure."

89

From Gr. οικτος?

90

Some eds. "in."

91

"A compound, probably, from ερως and νοσος or νουσος Ionice." Ed. 1821.

92

Some modern editors read "sat."

93

Singer suggested "Alcmaeon."

94

"Chapman has a passage very similar to this in his Widow's Tears, Act iv.:—

'Wine is ordained to raise such hearts as sink:Whom woful stars distemper let him drink.'"—Broughton.

95

"Old eds. 'prayes,' 'praies,' 'preies,' and 'pryes.'"—Dyce.

96

Dyce reads "enthrill'd" (a word that I do not remember to have seen).

97

Did make to spring. Cf. Fourth Sestiad, l. 169.

98

So the Isham copy. All other editions omit the words "the blood."

99

"Valure" is frequently found as a form of "value;" but I suspect, with Dyce, that it is here put (metri causa) for "valour."

100

Plot.

101

Gr. αδολεσχης.

102

Some eds. "price."

103

Gr. ἁγνεια

104

Singer gives a reference to Pausan, x. 5.—Old eds. "Phemonor" and "Phemoner."

105

Comfits.

106

"Other some" is a not uncommon form of expression. See Halliwell's Dict. of Archaic and Provincial Words.

107

Old eds. "their."

108

Old eds. "his."

109

A sudden pettishness or freak of fancy. Cf. Two Noble Kinsmen:—

"The hot horse hot as fireTook toy at this."

110

Former editors have not noticed that Chapman is here closely imitating Catullus' Carmen Nuptiale—

"Virginitas non tota tua est: ex parte parentum est:Tertia pars patri data, pars data tertia matri,Tertia sola tua est: noli pugnare duobus,Qui genero sua jura simul cum dote dederunt."

111

Some eds. "starting." Cf. Julius Cæsar, iv. 3, ll. 278-9—

"Art thou some god, some angel, or some devil,That makest my blood cold and my hair to stare?"

112

"Old eds. 'much-rong,' 'much rongd,' and 'much-wrong'd.'"—Dyce (who reads "much-wrung").

113

It should be binds: i.e., "Leucote flies to the several winds, and, commissioned by the Fates, commands them to restrain their violence." Broughton.