would be condemned as an affectation among folk of commoner clay. Setting these objections aside--though they are important, as demonstrating the limited amount of Peele's widely praised dramatic verse--we may offer one general criticism of the verse of both plays. The best lines and passages charm us by their exquisite finish, their seductive rhythm and imagery, not by their thought. Sometimes the warm glow of his patriotism, which was his most sincere emotion, inspired verses that move us; noble lines will be found in _Edward the First_ and _The Battle of Alcazar_, as well as in the better known conclusion to _The Arraignment of Paris_. But we may look in vain through his dramas for lines like those quoted on an earlier page from _Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay_ (beginning, 'Why, thinks King Henry's son'), or these, placed in the mouth of Queen Dorothea, repudiating the idea of revenge: As if they kill not me, who with him fight! As if his breast be touch'd, I am not wounded! As if he wail'd, my joys were not confounded! We are one heart, though rent by hate in twain; One soul, one essence doth our weal contain: What, then, can conquer him, that kills not me?[57] For the sake of comparison with these two passages let us quote the famous piece from _David and Bethsabe_. Now comes my lover tripping like the roe, And brings my longings tangled in her hair. To joy[58] her love I'll build a kingly bower, Seated in hearing of a hundred streams, That, for their homage to her sovereign joys, Shall, as the serpents fold into their nests In oblique turnings, wind their nimble waves About the circles of her curious walks; And with their murmur summon easeful sleep To lay his golden sceptre on her brows. This has the charms of melody and graceful fancy; it is of the poetry of Tennyson's _Lotos Eaters_ without the message. The others have the energy of thought, of passion; they do not soothe the ear as do Peele's verses, but they strike the deeper chords of the human heart. None of the three passages should be taken as fairly representing its author's normal style, but the contrast illustrates the essential nature of the difference between the work of Peele and Greene. The reader who agrees with what has been said above will be prepared to acknowledge that Peele must stand below Greene, at least, in the ranks of dramatists. Strength and individuality are the life-blood of successful drama, and these he lacked. Yet he merits the fame awarded to his group. He was a poet; the refinement, the music, the gentler attributes of his best verse were a valuable contribution to the drama; his sweetness joined hands with Marlowe's energy in helping to drive from the stage, as impossible, the rude irregular lines that had previously satisfied audiences.