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Finished reading John Ford's Tis Pity She's a Whore today. I was unimpressed by the action, characterization, and story in general. Incest really isn't my thing, and I can't say it peaks my curiosity. But the play was saved by the excellent quality of the verse. While not as fine as Marlowe or Shakespeare's it was still quite good. The lines were smoother, more natural and flowing than either of the former writer's but without the same power in most cases. I wish I knew more about poetry so I could make a better comparison; but I will say that I look forward to reading more of Ford's work in the future.

Read Marlowe's The Jew of Malta. Noted that elsewhere. An excellent play, dramatic, enjoyable, surprising, at turns humorous and engrossing. He mucked up the ending though, the same as he did in Dido, Queen of Carthage. After what preceded it the finale was anti-climactic. I also got the feeling at certain points that the story was just like Marlowe's Tamburlaine with an accomplished and resourceful man moving from one triumph to the next. There was little by way of opposition to the protagonist. However, that hardly detracts from the many merits I feel in this play.

Finished a book of history too. Rome: Echoes of Imperial Glory. It's from the Lost Civilizations series. A number of excellent color photographs cover the book, but it's a little light on content. It does focus on Emperor Hadrian more than is usual; so I did manage to learn a thing or two.