Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2Marlowe, Christopher
History
Tamburlaine the Great — Part 2
Marlowe, Christopher
English drama; Historical drama; Timur, 1336-1405 -- Drama; Tragedies (Drama)
[Footnote 250: Thorough] So the 8vo.--The 4to "Through."]
[Footnote 251: Like to an almond-tree, &c.] This simile in borrowed
from Spenser's FAERIE QUEENE, B. i. C. vii. st. 32;
"Upon the top of all his loftie crest,
A bounch of heares discolourd diversly,
With sprincled pearle and gold full richly drest,
Did shake, and seemd to daunce for iollity;
Like to an almond tree ymounted hye
On top of greene Selinis all alone,
With blossoms brave bedecked daintily;
Whose tender locks do tremble every one
At everie little breath that under heaven is blowne."
The first three books of THE FAERIE QUEENE were originally
printed in 1590, the year in which the present play was first
given to the press: but Spenser's poem, according to the
fashion of the times, had doubtless been circulated in
manuscript, and had obtained many readers, before its
publication. In Abraham Fraunce's ARCADIAN RHETORIKE, 1588,
some lines of the Second Book of THE FAERIE QUEENE are
accurately cited. And see my Acc. of Peele and his Writings,
p. xxxiv, WORKS, ed. 1829.]
[Footnote 252: y-mounted] So both the old eds.--The modern editors print
"mounted"; and the Editor of 1826 even remarks in a note, that
the dramatist, "finding in the fifth line of Spenser's stanza
the word 'y-mounted,' and, probably considering it to be too
obsolete for the stage, dropped the initial letter, leaving only
nine syllables and an unrythmical line"! ! ! In the FIRST PART
of this play (p. 23, first col.) we have,--
"Their limbs more large and of a bigger size
Than all the brats Y-SPRUNG from Typhon's loins:"
but we need not wonder that the Editor just cited did not
recollect the passage, for he had printed, like his predecessor,
"ERE sprung."]
[Footnote 253: ever-green Selinus] Old eds. "EUERY greene Selinus"
and "EUERIE greene," &c.--I may notice that one of the modern
editors silently alters "Selinus" to (Spenser's) "Selinis;"
but, in fact, the former is the correct spelling.]
[Footnote 254: Erycina's] Old eds. "Hericinas."]
[Footnote 255: brows] So the 4to.--The 8vo "bowes."]
[Footnote 256: breath that thorough heaven] So the 8vo.--The 4to "breath
FROM heauen."]
[Footnote 257: chariot] Old eds. "chariots."]
[Footnote 258: out] Old eds. "our."]
[Footnote 259: respect'st thou] Old eds. "RESPECTS thou:" but afterwards,
in this scene, the 8vo has, "Why SEND'ST thou not," and "thou
SIT'ST."]
[Footnote 260: of] So the 8vo.--The 4to "in."]
[Footnote 261: he] So the 4to.--The 8vo "was."]
[Footnote 262: How, &c.] A mutilated line.]
[Footnote 263: eterniz'd] So the 4to.--The 8vo "enternisde."]
[Footnote 264: and] So the 4to.--Omitted in the 8vo.]
[Footnote 265: prest] i.e. ready.]
[Footnote 266: parle] Here the old eds. "parlie": but repeatedly before
they have "parle" (which is used more than once by Shakespeare).]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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