The Works of Christopher Marlowe Volume II Part 74

Live, false aeneas; truest Dido dies; _Sic,_[565] _sic iuvat ire sub umbras_.

[_Throws herself into the flames._

_Re-enter_ ANNA.

_Anna._ O, help, Iarbas! Dido in these flames Hath burnt herself! ay me, unhappy me!

_Re-enter_ IARBAS, _running_.

_Iar._ Cursed Iarbas, die to expiate The grief that tires[566] upon thine inward soul!-- Dido, I come to thee.--Ay me, aeneas! [_Stabs himself and dies._

_Anna._ What can my tears or cries prevail[567] me now Dido is dead! 320 Iarbas slain, Iarbas my dear love!

O sweet Iarbas, Anna's sole delight!

What fatal destiny envies me thus, To see my sweet Iarbas slay himself?

But Anna now shall honour thee in death, And mix her blood with thine; this shall I do, That G.o.ds and men may pity this my death, And rue our ends, senseless of life or breath: Now, sweet Iarbas, stay! I come to thee.

[_Stabs herself, and dies._

=END OF VOL II.=

FOOTNOTES FOR: "THE JEW OF MALTA"

[1] Heywood dedicated to Thomas Hammon the _Second Part_ of the _Fair Maid of the West_ (1631), and the _First Part_ of _The Iron Age_ (1632).

[2] "Marlo." Marginal note in the old copy.

[3] "Allin." Marginal note in the old copy. In the (old) Shakespeare Society's publications there is a memoir by J. P. Collier of the celebrated actor, the founder of Dulwich College, Edward Alleyn.

[4] "Perkins." Marginal note in the old copy. Richard Perkins was an actor of great ability. At the end of the _White Devil_ Webster speaks of the "well-approved industry of my friend Master Perkins," and adds that "the worth of his action did crown both the beginning and end." He took the part of Capt. Goodlack in Heywood's _Fair Maid of the West_, of Sir John Belfare in s.h.i.+rley's _Wedding_, of Hanno in Nabbes' _Hannibal and Scipio_, and of Fitzwater in Davenport's _King John and Matilda_.

From Wright's _Historia Histrionica_ we learn that he died "some years before the Restoration."

[5] "A metaphor borrowed from the fencing-school, prizes being played for certain degrees in the schools where the Art of Defence was taught,--degrees, it appears, of Master, Provost, and Scholar."--Dyce's _Shakespeare Glossary_.

[6] A friend of Alleyn's backed him for a wager to excel George Peele in acting any part that had been sustained by Knell or Bentley. See Dyce's _Greene and Peele_ (ed. 1861, pp. 330, 331). In the _Introduction_ to the _Knight of the Burning Pestle_ the Citizen says that his prentice Ralph "should have played Jeronimo with a shoemaker for a wager."

[7] The Duc de Guise, who organised the Ma.s.sacre of St. Bartholomew. He was a.s.sa.s.sinated in 1588.

[8] This is Dyce's correction for "empire."

[9] Old ed. "the Drancus."

[10] As a word is required to complete the verse, I have followed Cunningham in inserting "but."

[11] All the editions give "Britain." For the sake of the metre I read "Britainy"--a form found in _Edward II._, ii. 2, l. 42.

[12] Old ed. "Samintes," for which the modern editors give "Samnites."

Between the "Samnites" and the "men of Uz" there can be no possible connection. My emendation suits the context. We have Saba for Sabaea in _Faustus_, xii. 25, &c.

[13] Old ed. "silverbings." Dyce observes that the word "silverling"

occurs in _Isaiah_ (vii. 23):--"A thousand vines at a thousand silverlings."

[14] It was a common belief that a stuffed halcyon (_i.e._, kingfisher), suspended by the bill, showed from what quarter the wind blew.

Shakespeare alludes to the superst.i.tion in _Lear_, ii. 2,--

"Renege, affirm, and turn their _halcyon beaks_ With every gale and vary of their master."

Sir Thomas Browne, who discusses the subject in _Vulgar Errors_ (iii.

10), says that "the eldest custom of hanging up these birds was founded upon a tradition that they would renew their feathers every year as though they were alive."

[15] Pay the duty on them.

[16] Old ed. "By" (which might perhaps be defended, as meaning "good-bye." Cf. s.h.i.+rley's _Constant Maid_, i. 1,--"_Buoy_, Close, _buoy_, honest Close: we are blanks, blanks.")

[17] A recognised form of "scrambled." Cf. _Henry V._ i. 1:--

"But that the _scambling_ and unquiet time Did push it out of farther question."

[18] The scene is s.h.i.+fted to the Exchange.

[19] Old ed. "_Iew._ Doe so; Farewell, Zaareth," &c. Dyce is doubtless right in considering that "doe so" is a stage direction (= _Exeunt Merchants_), which has crept into the text.

[20] A misquotation from Terence's _Andria_, iv. 1. 12, "Proximus sum egomet mihi."

[21] Scene: the Senate-house.

[22] Old ed. "governours."

[23] Old ed. "governours."

[24] Convert. The word occurs in _As You Like It_, _King John_, &c.

[25] Old ed. "governours."

[26] In the 4to. this line is given to the Officer.

[27] Probably we should read--"You, ne'er possessed," etc.

[28] Dyce proposed "redress."

[29] Portuguese gold coins.

[30] Steevens (on _2 Henry IV._ ii. 4, l. 42) quotes several pa.s.sages where "sect" is used for "s.e.x."

[31] The pa.s.sage is no doubt corrupt. Cunningham reads "unforeseen," and explains the meaning to be "a steady consistent piece of acting is better than having to put on the hypocrite at a moment's warning."

[32] Old ed. "Enter three Fryars and two Nuns."