It is worth while noticing a few of these versions, because they indicate, somewhat contrary to usual opinion, that Marlowe was a deliberate and conscious workman. Mr. J. G. Robertson has spotted an interesting theft of Marlowe’s from Spenser. Here is Spenser (_Faery Queen_, I. vii. 32): Like to an almond tree y-mounted high On top of green Selinis all alone, With blossoms brave bedeckèd daintily; Whose tender locks do tremble every one At every little breath that under heaven is blown. And here Marlowe (_Tamburlaine_, Part II. Act IV. sc. iii.): Like to an almond tree y-mounted high Upon the lofty and celestial mount Of evergreen Selinus, quaintly deck’d With blooms more white than Erycina’s brows, Whose tender blossoms tremble every one At every little breath that thorough heaven is blown. This is interesting, not only as showing that Marlowe’s talent, like that of most poets, was partly synthetic, but also because it seems to give a clue to some particularly “lyric” effects found in _Tamburlaine_, not in Marlowe’s other plays, and not, I believe, anywhere else. For example, the praise of Zenocrate in Part II. Act. II. sc. iv.: Now walk the angels on the walls of heaven, As sentinels to warn th’ immortal souls To entertain divine Zenocrate: etc. This is not Spenser’s movement, but the influence of Spenser must be present. There had been no great blank verse before Marlowe; but there was the powerful presence of this great master of melody immediately precedent; and the combination produced results which could not be repeated. I do not think that it can be claimed that Peele had any influence here. The passage quoted from Spenser has a further interest. It will be noted that the fourth line: With blooms more white than Erycina’s brows is Marlowe’s contribution. Compare this with these other lines of Marlowe: So looks my love, shadowing in her brows (_Tamburlaine_) Like to the shadows of Pyramides (_Tamburlaine_) and the final and best version: Shadowing more beauty in their airy brows Than have the white breasts of the queen of love. (_Doctor Faustus_) and compare the whole set with Spenser again (_F. Q._): Upon her eyelids many graces sate Under the shadow of her even brows, a passage which Mr. Robertson says Spenser himself used in three other places. This economy is frequent in Marlowe. Within _Tamburlaine_ it occurs in the form of monotony, especially in the facile use of resonant names (_e.g._ the recurrence of “Caspia” or “Caspian” with the same tone effect), a practice in which Marlowe was followed by Milton, but which Marlowe himself outgrew. Again, Zenocrate, lovlier than the love of Jove, Brighter than is the silver Rhodope, is paralleled later by Zenocrate, the lovliest maid alive, Fairer than rocks of pearl and precious stone. One line Marlowe remodels with triumphant success: