E have now reached the scene of contention between our poet and Inigo Jones. Till this period they appear to have lived in sufficient harmony. The writer of Jones's life, in the Biographia Britannica, says, that the quarrel broke out soon after 1609, and continued to the death of Jonson; this is the eternal echo and I am weary of repeating that it is utterly false and groundless. The first symptoms of disaffection, on the poet's side, appear in the Tale of a Tub, written in 1633, and from the language there used, it is more than probable that the quarrel originated not with him, but his associate. If the reader has looked through these Masques, he must have noticed the friendly solicitude of Jonson to put forward the talents of this man this was the more important, as the first attempts of Jones had been somewhat unsuccessful. In 1605-6, he was employed on a Masque, prepared for the king's entertainment, at Oxford. "The machinery and stages," (says my author) "were chiefly constructed by one Mr. Jones, a great traveller, who undertook to furnish them with rare devices, but performed very little to what was expected." Lel. Col. vol. ii. 646. He was not more fortunate at Cambridge, where he was employed on the machinery for the representation of Ajax. Till the death of Prince Henry, then, in 1612, nothing but kindness appears on the part of Jonson. In that year, or the next, Jones went abroad, and pursued his studies in Italy for several years; yet Jonson is ridiculously charged with attacking him in Bartholomew Fair, which was brought out in 1614. No mention of his name occurs in any part of our poet's works, (though the Master of the Revels says he was employed in the Prince's Masque,) till 1625, when he joined in the production of Pan's Anniversary. Another interval of five years took place, before he was called upon again, when, as Jonson says, they met by the king's command, and consulted together on the construction of Love's Triumph and Chloridia. During this long period, not a murmur of discontent appears to have escaped Jonson. Why then is it taken for granted that the quarrel which followed the exhibition of the last piece, originated solely with him? Even in the description of the scenery, which evidently proceeded from Jonson, there is a visible anxiety to recommend it to favour. But what, after all, occasioned the breach? Dr. Aikin, in that worthless compilation, the General Biography, is pleased to insinuate 107 that it arose from our author's envy of Inigo's poetry! The only poetry, I believe, of which the architect was ever known to be guilty, is a little piece of five stanzas, written in 1610, and prefixed to the first edition of Coryat's Crudities. I will subjoin the best of them, that the reader may form some idea of the transcendent excellence of those verses which disturbed the tranquillity of Jonson for more than twenty years! "Enough of this; all pens in this doe travell To track thy steps, who, Proteus like, dost varie It seems reasonable to suppose that Chloridia was not so well received as Love's Triumph. Ben's share in it, as a poet, was not very important, nor, to say the truth, very remarkable either for harmony or expression. In the construction of the fable, both took part alike; but Inigo chose to fasten on the verse, and to attribute their want of success solely to its demerits, while he arrogated to himself a more than ordinary portion of applause for his skill in painting the scenery. He had a fair field before him he was rich and popular; his associate was sick, confined to "the bed and boards," and in want of every thing. Jones was, besides, as vain as Jonson was proud; as arrogant as Jonson was overbearing; he was also extremely petulant. Pennant claims him for a countryman on the strength of his "violent passions ;" and we know, from the charges carried up by the Commons to the House of Lords against him, that his language was of the most insolent kind. Jonson, however, bore it for two years, when he wrote, in 1633, the ridiculous Motion of Squire Tub of Totten; and, as this perhaps did not silence his adversary, two years afterwards he drew up, and handed about, in private, the verses which Whalley reprinted among the Epigrams. To prevent the necessity of recurring to this disagreeable subject, I shall give them here. The first notice of them appears in Howel's Letters. "I thank you for the last regalo you gave me at your Museum, and for the good company. I heard you censured2 lately at court, 1 Tour in Wales, vol. ii. p. 150. 2 I heard you censured lately at court.] It might be so; but the validity of the assertion depends upon the character of Howel's informer, a good hand, as he calls him just below. One thing, however, is certain, that the king had listened, some time before, and, as far as appears, without displeasure, to an attack upon Inigo 108 that you have lighted too foul upon sir Inigo, and that you write with a porcupine's quill, dipt in too much gall: excuse me that I am so free with you, it is because I am in no common way of friendship, "May 3, 1635." "Your's, &c. "J. H. This letter, which is directed "to his honoured friend and father, M. Ben Johnson," having failed of effect, he wrote a second, bearing date July 5, 1635, in which he repeats his allusion to the porcupine's quill, and, after deprecating the asperity of the satire on the " royal architect," concludes thus: "If your spirit will not let you retract, yet you shall do well to repress any more copies of the satire; for to deal plainly with you, you have lost some ground at court by it; and as I hear from a good hand, the King, who hath so great a judgment in poetry, (as in all other things else,) is not well pleased therewith. Dispense with this. "Your respectful son and servitor. "J. H." In consequence, perhaps, of this remonstrance, Jonson recalled, and destroyed every copy (as he probably thought) of his satire, for not a line of it was found among his papers: but there is in some minds a perverse passion for perpetuating the memory of enmities, which no sense of propriety can subdue. A copy, most probably secreted by a person of this description, fell into the hands of Mr. Vertue, who communicated it, as a great favour, to Whalley, by whom it was sent to the press. Thus, in despite of the author, this wretched squabble has reached posterity. (Coronel Vitruvius) in a masque prepared solely for his entertainment, and presented by one who would, on no account, have hazarded a word that was likely to give him offence. See p. 134. AN EXPOSTULATION1 WITH INIGO JONES. ASTER Surveyor, you that first began man You are from them leap'd forth an architect, Able to talk of Euclid, and correct Both him and Archimede; damn Archytas, With mistook names, out of Vitruvius; 1 An Expostulation.] That some part of this may have proceeded from Jonson I am not prepared to question; but it has assuredly been much corrupted or interpolated. The fifth line could not be written by our poet, who was much too good a judge of accent to give this for a verse. 2 With mistook names, &c.] A Mr. Webb, related to Jones, published some account of him, in imitation, as it seems to me, of sir Thomas Urquhart's Life of the Admirable Crichton. In this ridiculous rhapsody we are told, that " Mr. Jones was not only proclaimed by public acclamation the Vitruvius of England, but of all Christendom; that his abilities in all human sciences, surpassed most of his age; that he was a perfect master of the mathematics, and had some insight into the two learned languages," &c. &c. The fact is, that he knew scarcely any thing of either. He was a good scene painter, a better machinist, and an incomparable architect. I give Jonson full credit for what he says of his antagonist's mistakes. Vizors, or antics; or it comprehend Why much good do't you; be what part you will, mind; No velvet suit you wear will alter kind. And peering forth of Iris in the shrouds ; And goody Sculpture, brought with much ado 3 Th' ascent of lady Fame, which none could spy, Not they that sided her, dame Poetry.] This alludes to the scenery and decorations of Chloridia. As these were the Surveyor's province, it is possible those here referred to were so injudiciously contrived or ordered, as to occasion the sarcasms of our poet. WHAL. |