Will well confess; presenting, limiting Each subtlest passion, with her source, and spring, The several figures, languish in suspense, XXVI. TO THE AUTHOR.1 RUTH is the trial of itself, And needs no other touch ; It is the life and light of love, 1 Taken from the complimentary verses prefixed to The Touchstone of Truth, 12mo. Lond. 1630, by T. Warre. The last nine little pieces are now, for the first time, added to Jonson's works: I have collected them as I could, and placed them together, without regard to the respective dates of their first appearance, which, indeed, it was not always easy to ascertain. They are not given out of respect to any intrinsic merit which they may be thought to possess, though they are not without their value on another account. Jonson has been held forth to the world as the very soul of envy, jealous of all merit in others, unwilling, and, indeed, unable, to bear a rival candidate for fame. But what is the fact? that in the long list of English poets, he is decidedly among the most candid and generous: the most free of his advice and assistance, the most liberal of his praise. This part of Jonson's character was so well established among his contemporaries, that almost every one who meditated the publication of a book applied to him ( It is the warrant of the word, It is the sword that doth divide for a favourable judgment of it. Whence it has happened that there are far more commendatory verses to be met with by our author than by any other writer of those times. This could not escape Dr. Farmer; and to the utter confusion of Steevens and Malone, he has had the honesty to acknowledge it. He calls the verses on Shakspeare, "sparing and invidious" as they appear to those critics, "the warmest panegyrick that ever was penned; and in truth," adds he, "the received opinion of the pride and malignity of Jonson, at least in the earlier part of his life, is absolutely groundless; at this time scarce a play or a poem appeared without Ben's encomium, from the original Shakspeare to the translator of Du Bartas." Essay, &c. p. 12. This passage stands at the opening of the second volume of the Variorum Shakspeare, which, notwithstanding, is filled with abusive ribaldry on the "early malignity of our author. Such is the consistency of the wretched confederacy against his reputation ! But even Dr. Farmer might have spared his "earlier part at least;" for it is altogether certain that Jonson's encomiums were as liberally bestowed in the decline of his life, as at any other period, and that the last productions of his pen were panegyrics on the writings of his contemporaries. In truth, the failings of this poet lay on the side of proneness to commendation, and he was very sensible of it. As early as 1614, he tells the learned Selden, that he had hitherto been too liberal of his applause; but that he would turn a sharper eye upon himself in future, and consider what he wrote, "and vex it many days, Before men got a verse; much less a praise." Such, however, was the kindly warmth of his disposition, that this resolution was broken as soon as made; and he continued to the close of his life to speak with favour of almost every literary work that appeared. His reward for this is an universal outcry on the peculiar malevolence of his nature! This, blessed Warre, thy blessed book A worthy work, and worthy well XXVII. TO EDWARD FILMER,2 ON HIS MUSICAL WORK, DEDICATED TO THE QUEEN. HAT charming peals are these, W That, while they bind the senses, do so please? They are the marriage-rites Of two, the choicest pair of man's delights, French air, and English verse, here wedded lie. Who did this knot compose, Again hath brought the lily to the rose; And, with their chained dance, Re-celebrates the joyful match with France. 2 To Edward Filmer, on his musical work, &c.] This epigram first appeared in the folio of 1640, after the death of our poet. Possibly it might have been prefixed to the work it celebrates, and from thence transcribed into the edition above mentioned. Though no date is set to any of the Epigrams, this excepted, yet circumstances will assist us to guess at the time of those addressed to the greatest persons then living. In general, they were written before 1616, as most of them are contained in the edition of Jonson's works, which was published in that year. WHAL. Here is much ado about nothing. What Whalley means by most of them, and in general, I know not, since, blunders excepted, the second edition of the old folio is a mere transcript of the first, with the reserve of the present lines, which, notwithstanding their date (1629), are absurdly inserted among the Epigrams printed in They are a school to win The fair French daughter to learn English in; To make the language sweet upon her tongue. XXVIII. TO RICHARD BROME, ON HIS COMEDY OF THE NORTHERN LASS.* HAD you for a servant once, Dick Brome, And you perform'd a servant's faithful parts; Now you are got into a nearer room Which I, your master, first did teach the age. 3 To make the language sweet, &c.] From Chaucer. It is a pretty compliment to Henrietta, who had probably encouraged the work, from an attachment to her native tunes. 4 The Northern Lass.] These lines are addressed, "To my faithful servant, and (by his continued virtue) my loving friend, the author of this work, master Richard Brome. 1632." I have already noticed the attempts of Randolph and others to create a feeling of hostility in our poet towards Brome. That they met with no success is evident; for Jonson always remained warmly attached to his old and meritorious servant, and Brome continued no less grateful and affectionate towards his generous master. Even after Jonson's death, the kindness of the latter breaks out in a little poem to the memory of Fletcher : "I knew him, (Fletcher)— I knew him in his strength; even then, when HE, That was the master of his art, and me, Most knowing Jonson, proud to call him son, His very self," &c. You learnt it well, and for it serv'd your time, That knew the crafts they had been bred in right; An honest bilboe-smith would make good blades, And the physician teach men spew and The cobler kept him to his awl; but now, He'll be a poet, scarce can guide a plough. XXIX. A SPEECH AT A TILTING. WO noble knights, whom true desire, and zeal, Hath arm'd at all points, charge me humbly To thee, O king of men, their noblest parts 5 Both learned, and unlearned, all write plays, &c.] "Though this," says the watchful Langbaine, “be an imitation of Horace, yet I doubt not but the reader will pardon Ben for his ingenious application: Navem agere ignarus navis timet: abrotonum ægro Non audet, nisi qui didicit, dare. Quod medicorum est Scribimus indocti doctique poemata passim. 6 This Speech, which was copied from Ashmole's MSS., and kindly transmitted to me by Mr. Bliss, is said to have been "presented to king James at a tilting, in the behalf of the two noble brothers, sir Robert and sir Henry Rich." The lines have no date, but were probably produced on one of those festive occasions to which the attachment of prince Henry to martial exercises gave birth. It was the first appearance, perhaps, of the brothers in arms; and this address of the knight, who presented them to the sovereign, formed a part of the entertainment: for these little tournaments were usually prefaced with some kind of poetical fable. |