Gave killing strokes. There were brave men before That Homer brought to Troy; yet none so live, But only poets, rapt with rage divine? And such, or my hopes fail, shall make you shine. Of all Lucina's train, Lucy the bright;" 4 There were brave men before 5 Ajax, or Idomen.] The sentiment is from Horace, lib. iv. 9. Multi; sed omnes illacrymabiles Nocte, carent quia vate sacro. You, and that other star, that purest light WHAL. Of all Lucina's train, Lucy the bright.] This, I presume, was Lucy countess of Bedford, to whom our author hath addressed some epigrams, and who was particularly celebrated by Dr. Donne. If what follows in the succeeding lines must be applied to him, one would imagine some little misunderstanding was then subsisting between him and the poet; though from the verses which Donne and Jonson have mutually wrote to each other, it appears there was always a very friendly correspondence between them. WHAL. No doubt of it but Whalley is mistaken in the person here meant, who is not Donne but Daniel. There is no necessity for wantonly stirring up new enmities, since Jonson is already charged with more than he ever felt; and it is certain that he was at this time, and continued to the end of his life, the affectionate friend and admirer of Donne. That there was no cordiality between our poet and Daniel seems probable, and he here gives the reason of it. Daniel "envied " him. A little retrospect into his history may shew, perhaps, that the assertion (setting aside the undoubted veracity of Jonson) has nothing improbable in it. Daniel was born in 1562. At the age Than which a nobler heaven itself knows not; of seventeen he was admitted a commoner of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, where he continued three years. In 1582 he came to London, and was recommended to the court through the interest of his brother-in-law, "the resolute John Florio." On the death of Spenser, in 1599, he succeeded to the Laureatship; in other words, he became the court poet, and as such, was called on to furnish the complimentary poems, pageants, masques, &c., incidental to the situation. He seems, therefore, not unnaturally, to have experienced some uneasiness when, soon after the accession of James I., Jonson was called upon to prepare the Masques of that gay period. This appears to be the very head and front of our poet's offending, unless it be added, that though he always thought and called Daniel "a good and honest man," he entertained no very lofty opinion of his style of poetry. Daniel, however, numbered among his friends and patrons, the most distinguished characters of both sexes; and it appears that he was not wanting in remonstrating against the attempt to supersede him, nor in using the interest which his talents and virtues had procured, to be permitted to resume what he probably considered as the duties of his office. In the dedication of the Vision of the Twelve Goddesses, 1604, to the countess of Bedford, he expresses his thankfulness “for her preferring him to the queen, for this employment." The dedication is, in itself, sufficiently captious and querulous, and seems pointed, in some measure, at our poet. He was also called on to assist in the solemnity of creating Henry, prince of Wales; when he wrote the masque or rather pageant of Tethys Festival.* But Daniel's spirits were wounded, and he could not apparently brook the rising favour of his younger competitor. About a year I take the earliest opportunity of correcting a mistake respecting this "Solemnitie." It is stated, vol. vii. p. 148, that the Masque of Oberon was performed before the prince on the 5th of June, 1610. I have since been enabled to ascertain, by the kindness of Mr. Cohen, that the masque performed on that day was the Tethys of Daniel, to which therefore the description of the Master of the Ceremonies must be referred. The Masque of Oberon was probably presented, as it is printed, after the Barriers, on the sixth day, or Thursday. The machinery of Tethys was furnished by Inigo Jones, and the accompaniments must have been very splendid. The poet's part was the least important, and consisted of little more than some pretty songs. Or poet, in the court-account, than I, And who doth me, though I not him, envỳ, after the publication of his first Masque, he printed his Philotas, with a dedication, in verse, to prince Henry, of which it is scarcely possible to read without emotion the simple and affecting conclusion: "And I, although among the latter train And least of those that sung unto this land, Distain'd with any loose immodesty, "But still have done the fairest offices To virtue and the time: yet nought prevails, For either favour or our virtue fails. "And therefore since I have outliv'd the date Nor now mistaken by the censuring stage, Which I esteem more than what all the age Or th' earth can give : But years hath done this wrong, He could not be beyond five and forty at this period of despondency he remained, however, about the court for some time longer, probably till about 1615, in which year, Jonson, who was still rising in reputation, obtained a fixed salary for his services, when this amiable man retired to Somersetshire, commenced farmer, and passed the remainder of his days in privacy, piety, and peace. Daniel was highly esteemed by queen Anne, and to this Jonson alludes in the text, while his great patron was James. Still, however, there seems no adequate cause for any hostility against Jonson, if he only made a fair advantage of his superior talents for the drama; for which, it must be confessed, his rival wanted both Of her spent line,] i. e. of queen Elizabeth's. Yet for the timely favours she hath done, I have already used some happy hours, To her remembrance; which when time shall bring For I shall move stocks, stones, no less than he. Your form imprest there: not with tickling rhymes, From brains entranced, and fill'd with extasies; Moods, which the godlike Sidney oft did prove, And your brave friend and mine so well did love. Who, wheresoe'er he be—— The rest is lost. energy and fancy, and which indeed, he laments, just above, that he ever attempted. Then all that have but done my Muse least grace, Shall thronging come.] This intimates a design the poet had of celebrating the ladies of his native country. WHAL. See vol. vii. p. 139. PIS XIII. EPISTLE. TO KATHARINE LADY AUBIGNY." grown almost a danger to speak true Of any good mind, now; there are so few. The bad, by number, are so fortified, As what they have lost t' expect, they dare So both the prais'd and praisers suffer; yet, With sin and vice, though with a throne endued; Such as suspect themselves, and think it fit, Or fear to draw true lines, 'cause others paint: 7 Lady Aubigny.] This lady has been already noticed. She was the daughter and sole heir of sir Gervase Clifton, and was married to lord Aubigny in 1607. The connection with a family so deservedly dear to James I. as the Stewarts, procured a peerage for her father, who was created in the following year, baron Clifton, of Leighton Bromswold, in Nottinghamshire. |