HERO AND LEANDER,

VOL. III.

B

Hero and Leander. By Christopher Marloe. London, Printed by Adam Islip, for Edward Blunt. 1598, 4to.

Hero and Leander: Begunne by Christopher Marlve: Whereunto is added the first booke of Lucan translated line for line by the same Author. Ut Nectar, Ingenium. At London Printed for John Flasket, and are to be solde in Paules Church-yard, at the signe of the Blacke-beare. 1600, 4to.

Hero and Leander: Begunne by Christopher Marloe, and finished by George Chapman. Ut Nectar, Ingenium. At London. Imprinted for John Flasket, and are to be sold in Paules ChurchYard, at the signe of the blacke Beare, 1606. 4to.

Hero and Leander: Begunne by Christopher Marloe, and finished by George Chapman. Ut Nectar, Ingenium. At London. Imprinted for Ed. Blunt and W. Barret, and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard, at the signe of the blacke Beare. 1609. 4to.

Hero and Leander: Begunne by Christopher Marloe, and finished by George Chapman. Ut Nectar, Ingenium. London. Printed by W. Stansby for Ed. Blunt and W. Barret, and are to be sold in Pauls Church-yard, at the signe of the Blacke Beare, 1613, 4to.

Hero and Leander: Begun by Christopher Marloe, and finished by George Chapman. Ut Nectar, Ingenium. London, Printed by A. M. for Richard Hawkins: and are to bee sold at his Shop in Chancerie-Lane, neere Serieants Inne. 1629. 4to.

Hero and Leander: Begun by Christopher Marloe, and finished by George Chapman. Ut Nectar, Ingenium. London: Printed by N. Okes for William Leake, and are to be sold at his shop in Chancery-lane neere the Roules. 1637. 4to.

To the right-worshipful* Sir Thomas Walsingham, knight.

Sir, we think not ourselves discharged of the duty we owe to our friend when we have brought the breathless body to the earth; for, albeit the eye there taketh his ever-farewell of that beloved object, yet the impression of the man that hath been dear unto us, living an after-life in our memory, there putteth us in mind of farther obsequies due unto the deceased; and namely of the performance of whatsoever we may judge shall make to his living credit and to the effecting of his determinations prevented by the stroke of death. By these meditations (as by an intellectual will) I suppose myself executor to the unhappily deceased author of this poem; upon whom knowing that in his lifetime you bestowed many kind favours, entertaining the parts of reckoning and worth which you found in him with good countenance and liberal affection, I cannot but see so far into the will of him dead, that whatsoever

To the right worshipful, &c.] I give this Dedication as it stands in the two earliest 4tos. Some variations, not worth noting, occur in the later 4tos.

issue of his brain should chance to come abroad, that the first breath it should take might be the gentle air of your liking; for, since his self had been accustomed thereunto, it would prove more agreeable and thriving to his right children than any other foster countenance whatsoever. At this time seeing that this unfinished tragedy happens under my hands to be imprinted, of a double duty, the one to yourself, the other to the deceased, I present the same to your most favourable allowance, offering my utmost self now and ever to be ready at your worship's disposing:

EDWARD BLUNT.

HERO AND LEANDER.

THE FIRST SESTIAD.

The Argument of the First Sestiad *.

Hero's description and her love's;
The fane of Venus, where he moves
His worthy love-suit, and attains;
Whose bliss the wrath of Fates restrains
For Cupid's grace to Mercury:
Which tale the author doth imply.

ON Hellespont, guilty of true love's blood,
In view and opposite two cities stood,
Sea-borderers +, disjoin'd by Neptune's might;
The one Abydos, the other Sestos hight.

* The Argument of the First Sestiad, &c.] The Arguments of all the Sestiads are by Chapman; who, when he continued Hero and Leander, divided into the First and Second Sestiad that portion of the poem which was written by Marlowe. See Account of Marlowe and his writings.

The present text of this poem is formed from a collation of seven editions (see p. 2), of which the earliest are by far the most correct. In noting the various readings at the foot of the page, I originally intended to specify the particular editions which exhibited them: but I found that such minuteness of reference (perhaps, after all, wholly uninteresting to the reader) would occupy a much larger portion of the page than was desirable; and I have therefore been content to give the varia lectiones without indicating their sources.

+ Sea-borderers] V. R." Seaborders." hight] i, e. called.