former title by 'Majesty' the latter had been always used, at least officially; nor why a contemporary did not know when Whitsun took place; nor why the spelling is occasionally modern; nor how many other suspicious particulars can be explained? It is singular that Kyd should be so careful to relate all the various circumstances of his own case in writing to the Lord Keeper, who must have been fully conversant with them already; but it is a pity, if the letter be genuine, that he so carefully avoided naming the nobleman for whom he and Marlowe had worked and whose sympathy on his behalf he now wished Puckering to arouse. The most extraordinary thing of all this is that none of the persons referred to by Kyd's letter appears to have been punished or even tried for these allegations.

The more the matter is investigated, the more improbable does the indictment appear: with all the facts, as now set forth before us, can any credence be given (not to the statements of the Baines Libel, for they have all along been regarded as palpably false and absurd) to the belief that these documents were written by the persons alleged and at the period stated?

APPENDIX C

The Marlowe Family

An account of how the poet's relatives fared after his death will not prove uninteresting. The well-preserved records of Canterbury show what happened to them. Mary, the first of the children born to John and Catherine Marlowe, died in 1568. There does not appear to be any further trace of Joan after her marriage to John Moore, in 1585, and she, doubtless, predeceased her parents, as her mother left John Moore 40s. by her will, as well as a wardrobe or press. Apparently, Christopher was the last living son, but his decease in 1593 did not leave his parents childless, as they still had three daughters surviving; all three of whom were married. Dorothy, the youngest, born in 1573, was married in 1594 to Thomas Cradwell, or Graddell, vintner, and freeman of Canterbury; Anne was married the same year to John Crawford, shoemaker, and freeman of the same city; and Margaret to Jorden or Jurden.165

1593 was not only a fatal year for the Marlowes, but for Canterbury, and, indeed, for all England. Upwards of twenty thousand people perished of the plague in England alone, and one of the places most sorely tried was Canterbury. On the 17th August of that year Thomas Arthur, householder, Marlowe's maternal uncle, was carried off by the pestilence; on the 29th of the same month his daughter Joan was buried; on the 6th September Elizabeth, another daughter, followed; his son William was interred the next day; Ursula, his wife, was buried by her husband in St. Dunstan's churchyard on the 13th of the same month, and on the following day their youngest child, little Daniel,

was buried-all victims of the plague, and all within less time than a month. Of all the Arthurs only Dorothy was left, she surviving until August 1597.166

When dying, this last survivor of the unfortunate Arthur family made the following disposition of such property as she possessed:

'THE WILL NUNCUPATIVE OF DOROTHIE ARTHURE of the Parish of Saint Mary Bredman in the Cittie of Canterbury, viz. The said Dorothie uppon the one and twenteth daye of August in the yere of Or Lord God one thowsand fyve hundred nyntie and seaven lying sick in the house of John Marley of the said Prsh but of pfect mynde and remembrance Catherine Marley her Aunte did aske her what shee woulde gyve unto her Aunte Barton meaning the wife of Solomon Barton of Canterbury who was Aunte unto the said Dorothie by the Mothers syde as the said Catherine Marley was by the Fathers syde and the said Dorothie said shee would gyve her nothinge nor would not have her sent for to come to her. Then being demaunded by the said Catherine Marley who should have all her goods yf it should please God to call her the said Dorothie said that shee gave all that shee had unto her said Aunte Catherine Marley. The woords were uttered and spoken in the psence of Margaret Crosse the Wyffe of Nicholas Crosse and Margaret Coxe the Wyffe of John Coxe. Witnesses the mark of Margaret Crosse the mark of Margaret Coxe.

'Proved in the Archdeacons Court of Canterbury 27th August 1597.167

As is seen by the above will, John Marlowe had left the parish of St. George the Martyr, and by 1597 was living in the parish of St. Mary Bredman, where he was Parish Clerk. He still carried on his trade of shoemaker, and continued to receive apprentices, as is shown by the accounts of the Chamberlain of the city. He had also taken up

with another and, probably, somewhat lucrative occupation. He frequently acted as bondsman or security for married couples at the different churches of the diocese. According to Mr. J. Cowper, in his Canterbury Marriage Licenses, certain persons 'were always on hand and ready to give a bond for £40, £100, or £200, according to the period; and that they had degraded what was intended to be a security into a trade.' It is to be assumed that John Marlowe was a responsible person and that his bond was held as good security. His name appears as bondsman over and over again between the years 1588 and 1604.168

John Marlowe's last appearance as a security was on the 11th August 1604, at the church of St. Mary Bredman; a few months later and he was dead. His will was very short

and definite; it reads as follows:

'IN THE NAME OF GOD AMEN. 1604 (i.e. 1605 N.S.) the xxiiird daye of January I John Marlowe beinge sicke of bodye but thankes be to Allmighty God of good and pfect remembraunce doe make constitute and ordeyne this my last Will and Testament in manner and forme followinge. First I give and commend my soule into the hands of Allmighty God my Maker and Redeemer and my bodye to be buryed in the Churchyarde of the Prshe of St. George wthin Canterbury as touchinge my temporall goods my debts and funeralls discharged and paid I geve and bequeath wholly to my Wyfe Katheryne whome I make my sole Executrix. In witness whereof I John Marlowe have to this my last Will and Testament set to my hande and seale the daye and yeare above written the marke of John Marlowe in the presence of us whose names are hereunder named. James Bissell the writer hereof Vincent Huffam Thomas Plesington.

'Proved in the Archdeacons Court of Canterbury the 23rd Feb. 1604 (i.e. 1605 N.S.).169

'A 52,

The fact of this will having the testator's mark instead of his signature must not be regarded as a general inability on the part of John Marlowe to write. In those days people who could write frequently made use of a certain mark, peculiar to themselves or their occupation, but in the present case the testator may be regarded as too 'sicke of bodye' to have been physically able to sign his name. He was buried three days after the execution of his will, that is to say, on the 26th January, in St. George's churchyard, in accordance with his wish.

On the 17th March 1605 the poet's mother, Catherine Marlowe, executed a will, which was proved on the 22nd July following, showing that she had died in the interval. The date of her death cannot be traced, nor the place of her burial, although it will be seen that she stipulated that she should be buried by her husband in the churchyard of St. George. This will is of unique interest, as even apart from its connection with Marlowe, it casts so much light upon the home-life and condition of an English household of the period.

This extremely characteristic will also sets at rest, and for ever, the idle tales about the poet being 'the son of a poor Cobler of Canterbury.' John Marlowe's widow, it is seen, must have been left in fairly comfortable circumstances. She kept a maid 'Marye Maye,' and apparently employed besides 'goodwife Morrice' as a nurse or help; she had a store of bed, table, and christening linen; several rings; a small quantity of silver-plate; various gowns; and a wardrobe or 'joyne presse that standeth in the greate chamber'; and besides this, after leaving certain money legacies, has some property to leave to her son-in-law and executor, John Crawford. The will runs thus:

'IN YE NAME OF GOD AMEN. I Katherine Marlowe widowe of John Marlowe of Canterbury late deceased though sicke in bodye yet in perfect memorye I give God thankes doe ordayne this my last Will and Testament written on the 17 of Marche in the yeare of our Lorde