Marlowe the Spy

[shaxper]

Nearly every account of Marlowe's life makes a rather large issue of the fact that he may very well have served as an English spy.  This information is based entirely upon one letter written by The Privy Council to Cambridge University in 1587, insisting that Marlowe recieve his MA even though he had been absent for a prolonged period of time, working in Rheis "in matters touching the benefit of his country".   Biographers also point to the fact that he had other prolonged absences in 1581-3.  

Does anyone else find this a bit suspicious?  Marlowe's plays have always shown a blatant disregard (if not contempt) for authority, whether Queen or God, and yet we see him serving as a spy right before he begins his playwriting career?  Isn't it a bit MORE odd that he spent the bulk of 1587 working for the government, yet even though he did not have time to devote to his studies, he found the time to write Tamburlaine in that same year?

Here's a second theory: Marlowe forged the letter.  He was exactly the type to play truant and then find a clever way to cover it up.  After all, if Marlowe had no regard for the Queen or God, why would he treat the university any differently?  I can't speak with any certainty on what he was doing in 1581-3, but it seems pretty obvious that he used that time away in 1587 to write Tamburlaine, and then forged a letter explaining that he was a government spy working in Rheis, which was both funny in its absurdity and easy to pull off since it was common knowledge that England was doing a tremendous amount of spying on the English Catholic Seminar there, which was thought to have been the source of a growing conspiracy.  Marlowe would have been familiar with this situation, and would have recognized that the University would would have been too.  Imagine!  A brilliant prank designed to graduate Marlowe without doing any work and also providing him with a good laugh may have been misleading biographers for centuries.  I think I'm on to something.  How about you?

[Ganymede]

That's a creative deduction, shaxper!  Unfortunately, I don't feel that I know enough about Marlowe to have an educated opinion on his life.  However, your theory seems plausible, especially considering Marlowe's personality as evinced by the wit in his plays.  It would be humourous if he had pulled something like that off, duping intelligent scholars for centuries.  In my opinion, any theory is as good as the next because we'll never have concrete proof, only hints that lead us to assume.    

[nolablue]

I always suspected Marlowe was an agent for the Illuminati, but naturally I have very little evidence for that.

[shaxper]

You know, I'd really like to test this theory further, but I don't have a local research library, and I'd hate to make my way out to a distant one only to find out they have one book on Marlowe (as often happens). Could anyone possibly point me towards a book or online resource that might help me look at this more closely. Or maybe someone could outright dispute it with some facts I'm not aware of. Either way, I'd appreciate some help in exploring this further.

[Ophelia]

Well I don't think I can be much help, but I can say that I would not try to dispute what you've said, which sounds logical given Marlowe's personality and imagination. I'll let you know if I find any info!

[shaxper]

Thanks, Ophelia!

[Ophelia]

You are most welcome, my good man.

[Bardolph]

Do you know if that single letter is extant and if it was handwritten rather than printed by the crown's publisher. If so, it could be compared to any of Marlowe's surviving autograph manuscripts, if any. The writing styles of the period were Secretary Hand, Italic and an early form called Old Round Hand. The clerk of the Privy Council sending to Cambridge would probably have written in Italic being very inclined to write Latin in period legal documents

Even if there is no comparison material available and the letter was printed it might be possible to connect it to whatever printing resources were connected to the office of the Privy Council, or the signatory on the letter.

The forging of a governmental letter was considered especially bad voodoo in that period, particularly for one's benefit. Such a letter would have been enclosed by the wax seal of the Privy Council and would probably have been delivered by a courier. The university staff would have been expected to make some form or written acknowledgement as well. This all suggests authenticity to me.

I read an account where in a man was alleged to have forged a letter detailing a plot against the Queen. He is alleged to have tossed it into the road to be idly discovered under the signature of some relatives with whom he was at odds. He was convicted of forgery. He was sentenced to ride through the streets on a donkey with his face toward the rear and with a sign telling of his crimes affixed to his back. Upon arrival at a public square one of his ears was to be cut off and then placed on a bridge for public viewing. On the next day he was to repeat the ordeal with the removal of his other ear. Punishments like these may have been on the mind of forgers. And although a scamp, Marlowe may have been smart enough to have known all this.

My guess is that the letter is authentic. But a comparison would still be fun. If you find the materials I could make the comparison.