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under Marlowe's silent contempt of him and his clique, was fond of venting his spite upon the poet by styling him or by comparing him with a peacock. If Marlowe surrendered at the Walsingham's country-house, the affair was conducted so quietly that even the ferret instincts of Gabriel never enabled him to learn anything of the circumstance. The Privy Council records show that on the 20th of May, two days after the issue of the Star Chamber warrant, 'Christofer Marley of London, gentleman, being sent for by warrant from their Lordships, hath entered his appearance accordingly for his indemnity herein, and is commanded to give his daily attendance on their Lordships until he shall be licensed to the contrary.'

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This concluding injunction, as shown above, was a common one with their Lordships, when satisfied that the person's promise might be relied on, and that the case admitted of such leniency. Had the alleged crime been anything so heinous as that affirmed by Kyd, in the letter referred to, there would have been a very slender chance of Marlowe ever having been released from the clutches of their Lordships. The Privy Council's decision was really tantamount to letting the accused off on his own personal security, and would only have been adopted in cases where there was not sufficient cause to justify his detention. Either there was not enough evidence against him, or the offence with which he was charged was not of sufficient importance to justify his committal to the

custody of the officers of the Council. Marlowe was, doubtless, personally known to Lord Derby and others of the Council present, but no personal knowledge or friendly interest would have permitted any leniency towards him had he been even suspected of atheism, or even have proved to have been a recusant, against which class of offenders much severity just then was being shown.

What Marlowe's offence was is still an enigma. Had he offended by speaking about religious or State matters personally or through his dramatic personages? The most likely cause of his arrest or summons was that he had been carrying on, or aiding and abetting others to, dramatic entertainments in defiance of the Privy Council's order of the 6th of that very month of May, as he had probably done in 1588 of the Corporation's edict, that during the continuance of the plague no plays or interludes should be held in the city of London, for the avoiding of the assembling and the concourse of people in any usual place appointed near the said city and liberties thereof.' 146

At that time there appears to have been several arrests made of persons connected with these forbidden theatricals. Edward Alleyn, the actor, who was touring in the provinces, wrote on the 2nd of May, from Chelmsford, to his wife in London, with reference to a rumour which had reached him of her being concerned in some infringement of the Order against dramatic entertainments in the metropolis

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during the plague: 'They say, that you weare by my lorde maiors officer mad to rid in a cart, you and alle your felowes (actors) which I ame sory to hear.' 147

Doubtless Marlowe, if not a shareholder in one of the licensed companies, had at any rate, with his usual disdain of authority, upheld the players in their attempt to disregard the recent injunction to deprive them for the time being of their only means of obtaining a livelihood; or he had done, or had permitted to be done, or had assisted in doing, something contrary to the Order of the Privy Council, even as Mrs. Alleyn was supposed to have done against the civic edict.

Whatever Marlowe's offence, his appearance ‘accordingly for his indemnity,' was evidently considered satisfactory, and their Lordships allowed him to be released. Free from the environs of the Privy Council, it was necessary to get out of plague-stricken London with all speed, as the terrible pest was carrying off victims by thousands. There was an universal exodus of all persons able to escape, yet for dramatic purposes, it would probably be desirable for Marlowe to be within easy access of the metropolis; accordingly, he seems to have gone to Deptford, where Anthony Marlowe, apparently a relative of his, resided.

Anthony was a man of considerable mercantile importance, and as representative of the all-powerful Muscovy Company, contractor to the Government for very large quantities of Admiralty stores. 148 He was

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married to Elizabeth, daughter of William Gonston, Treasurer of Marine Causes, and was included in the latest visitation amongst those gentlemen entitled to bear arms. As there are good reasons for considering that Anthony Marlowe was interested in and sympathised with dramatic matters, he could not but receive his famous kinsman hospitably.

Lying off Deptford was a vessel nicknamed after the famous sailor, Drake, who had circumnavigated the world in it, The Golden Hind. It was strongly built and, in those days, considered a very large ship. A foreigner who visited it about that time records it as looking 'exceeding fit to undertake so protracted and dangerous a voyage' as Francis Drake had made in it.

'The cabins and armouries,' continues this traveller, who was secretary to the Duke of Wirtemberg, 'are in fine order, as in a well-built castle; in the middle, where the largest cannon are placed, it is eighteen good paces wide; what its length must be in proportion may be easily judged.' 149

This grand old vessel was an object of wonder and curiosity, and large numbers of people came from afar to inspect it. Amongst others, Queen Elizabeth herself paid a visit to it, and being magnificently entertained by 'that old pirate, Francis Drake,' knighted him before her departure, much to the surprise and disgust of certain sober-minded folk.

After the royal visit, The Golden Hind became a popular place of resort for holiday folks of various ranks. The cabin was converted into a banqueting

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