I regret that my communication (No. 13. p. 194.), on the subject of
the authorship of _The Taming of a Shrew_, was too late to be
of any avail for the already-published new edition of Marlowe's
works; and, had I been aware of such being the case, I should have
waited until I had had an opportunity of seeing a work whose editor
may entertain views in ignorance of which, to my disadvantage, I am
still writing. It is, perhaps, a still greater disadvantage that I
should appear to depend for proofs upon a bare enumeration of
parallel passages; when I know that the space I should require for
the purposes of stating the case fully and fairly, and, as I think,
conclusively, would be utterly inconsistent with that brevity which
must be with you an essential condition; while, at the same time, I
know of no medium through which I am so likely to enlist the
attention of a "fit audience" as your publication. Premising that my
references are to _The Taming of a Shrew_ in "Six Old Plays,"
1799, and to Marlowe's Works, edit. 1826, I proceed to indicate such
passages as a rapid glance through the respective works, aided by
some previous acquaintance with the subject, and a not very bad
memory, furnished. Some of the parallels will be found identical; in
others, the metaphors will be found to be the same, with the
expression more or less varied; and in others, again, particular
expressions are the same, though the tenor of the phrase be
different. It will be observed that the quotations of Marlowe are
exclusively from _Dr. Faustus_ and _Tamburlaine_. Of the
longer passages I have given merely the first line for reference;
and I have numbered them for the convenience of comparison:--