75

MARLOWE AND HIS INFLUENCE.

Mr. Peattie Lectures Entertainingly
Before the Chautauqua College.

Members of the Chautauqua college
who were so fortunate as to attend the
session of the society at the parlors of
the First Methodist church last night
enjoyed a rare literary treat. The principal
speaker was Mr. Robert B Peattie,
who, for half an hour, held the attention
of the audience to a scholarly
and most interesting lecture, entitled
'Marlowe and Ilis Influence on the Contemporary
Stage"

In his lecture Mr. Peattie showed how
Christopher Marlow influenced the
stage in the time of Elizabeth, and
though he preceded Shakespeare and
lacked that poet a catholic genius, he
held the light which enabled the latter
to put the drama in the front rank of
English literature.

The boldness, the genius, the master
mind of Marlowe were presented. The
lecturer claimed for Marlowe the honor
of introducing blank verse into English
dramatic composition. He gave
numerous illustrations and furnished
suggestions for further study along this
line.

In closing Mr. Peattie had this to say
of Marlowe. If he had lived longer or
had not lived at all are contingencies
which mean much in considering the
Shakespearean drama. He was the
son of mean parents, but managed to
pick up a smattering of university education.
He was a born bohemian and
he was a part of the most interesting
and disreputable life of the period. His
contemporaries and the writers of our
own day have showered upon him posthumous
praise in verse and prose, but
his deathless fame is preserved by the
results of his genius."