teress; other names are given to Somersett's Lady, Pembrook, the Countesse of Rutland, Lady Wroth. In his first storie, Alkin commeth in mending his broken pipe. Contrary to all other pastoralls, he bringeth the clownes making mirth and foolish sports. He hath intention to writt a fisher or pastorall play, and sett the stage of it in the Lowmond lake.1 That Epithalamium that wants a name in his printed Workes was made at the Earl 1 of Essex's] mariage.2 He is to writt his foot Pilgrimage hither, and to call it a Discoverie.3 "The heart of Scotland, Britaines other eye." A play of his, upon which he was accused, The Divell is ane Ass; according to Comedia Vetus, in England the Divell was brought in either with one Vice or other: the play done the Divel caried away the Vice, he brings in the Divel so overcome with the wickedness of this age that thought himself ane Ass. Iapepyovs is discoursed of the Duke of Drounland: the King desired him to conceal it.5 He hath commented and translated Horace ['s] Art of Poesie:6 it is in Dialogue wayes; by Criticus he understandeth Dr. Done. The old book that goes about, The Art of English Poesie, was done 20 yeers since, and keept long in wrytt as a secret. He had ane intention to have made a play like Plautus['s] Amphitrio, but left it of, for that he could never find two so like others that he could persuade the spectators they were one." 1 Here again is another opening for deep regret. Jonson evidently fully appreciated Highland scenery, thereby upsetting the theory of Macaulay, that the taste for such matters depended on roads, bridges, snug beds, and good dinners. (See Hist. chap. xiii.) After his return to England he wrote to Drummond for some promised particulars concerning Loch Lomond, in communicating which Drummond added, "a map of Inch Merionach, which may by your book be made most famous." See vol. i. pp. xlvi. xlvii. See vol. ii. p. 18. The names were given in the original 4to, but in the interval between 1606 and 1616, when the folio was published, events had occurred which rendered this marriage one of the most memorable for shame and guilt of any recorded in history. * See the Execration upon Vulcan, ante, p. 321, where in enumerating the works destroyed he mentions→→ "" Among The rest my journey into Scotland sung • If this Poem had all been written in the spirit of the single line preserved→ "The heart of Scotland, Britaine's other eye," Edinburgh, on the ex pede Herculem principle, may have lost a poetic tribute not second to any that has been paid to her by the most illustrious of her sons. This is one of the Comedies which Jonson referred as "not in print." The spelling of Divell for Devil is the author's own, and I regret that, in this particular case at least, it was not retained by Gifford. The schemes by which Meercraft proposed to raise Fitzdottrel to the Dukedom of Drowndland are among the richest scenes in Comedy, but some of the details may have given offence to James, or perhaps have made him apprehensive that they might open the eyes of some of the "woodcocks" who helped to replenish his exchequer. See vol. ii. p. 235, &c. Jonson's translation of the Ars Poetica was accompanied by a vast body of notes, forming a critical commentary in a dialogue form, which, judging from the powers displayed in certain portions of The Discoveries, must have been of the very highest value. These all perished in the fire (circa 1623), which destroyed so many of his labours. In his Execration upon Vulcan, he places them in the first rank of his losses, and calls them "I dare not say a body, but some parts There were of search and mastery in the Arts; All the old Venusine, in poetry And lighted by the Stagyrite, could spy, Was there made English." 7 Mr. Laing here says, "If the spectators were so persuaded they could not possibly relish the play." It is absolutely necessary, however, that the performers should be so much alike as to justify to the audience the confusion on which such a plot turns. In our own times there have been two OF HIS JEASTS AND APOTHEGMS. XVII. At what tyme Henry the Fourth turn'd Catholick, Pasquill had in his hand a book, and was asked by Morphorius What it was? he told him, It was gramer. Why doe ye studie gramer, being so old? asked Morphorius. Because, ansuered he, I have found a positive that hath no superlative, and a superlative that wants a positive: The King of Spain is Rex Catholicus, and is not Catholicissimus; and the French King Christianissimus, yett is not Christianus. When they drank on him he cited that of Plinie that they had call'd him Ad prandium, non ad pœnam et notam. And said of that Panagyrist who wrott panagyriques in acrostics, windowes crosses, that he was Homo miserrima patientiæ. He scorned Anagrams; and had ever in his mouth1 "Turpe est difficiles amare nugas Et stultus labor est ineptiarum.' A Cook who was of ane evill lyfe, when a minister told him He would to hell; askt, What torment was there? Being ansuered Fyre. Fire (said he), that is my play-fellow. Á Lord playing at Tenis, and having asked those in the gallerie Whither a strock was Chase or Losse? A Brother of my Lord Northumberland's2 answered, it was Loss. The Lord demanded If he did say it? say it, said he, what are yow? I have played your worth! said the Lord. Ye know not the worth of a gentleman! replyed the other. And it proved so, for ere he died he was greater than the other. Ane other English Lord lossed all his game, if he had seen a face that liked him not he stroke his balls at that gallerie. Ane Englishman who had maintained Democritus' opinion of atomes, being old, wrott a book to his son (who was not then six years of age), in which he left him arguments to maintain, and answer objections, for all that was in his book; only, if they objected obscuritie against his book, he bid him answer, that his Father, above all names in the world, hated most the name of Lucifer, and all open writters were Luciferi. Butlar excommunicat from his table all reporters of long poems, wilfull disputers, tedious discoursers: the best banquets were those wher they mistered no musitians to chase tym. The greatest sport he saw in France was the picture of our Saviour with the Apostles eating the Pascall lamb that was all larded. At a supper wher a gentlewoman had given him unsavoury wild-foul, and therefter, to wash, sweet water; he commended her that shee gave him sweet water, because her flesh stinked. He said to Prince Charles of Inigo Jones, that when he wanted words to express the greatest villaine in the world, he would called him ane Inigo. Jones having accused him for naming him, behind his back, A foole: he denied it ; but, says he, I said, He was ane arrant knave, and I avouch it.3 One who fired a Tobacco pipe with a ballet [ballad] the next day having a sore-head, swoare he had a great singing in his head, and he thought it was the ballet: A Poet should detest a Ballet maker. He saw a picture painted by a bad painter, of Easter, Haman and Assuerus. Haman courting Esther in a bed, after the fashion of ours, was only seen by one leg. Assuerus brothers of the name of Webb, who so closely resembled each other in voice and appearance that when carefully dressed for the purpose it was impossible to distinguish them. This extraordinary likeness led to the revival of the Comedy of Errors, when for perhaps the first and last time the two Dromios were adequately represented. He may have been quizzing Drummond for his Mæliades, i.e., Miles a Deo. But he had himself worked in Charles James Stuart as Claims Arthurs Seate, see ante p. 64 a. I cannot identify this "brother of my Lord Northumberland's.' " It is worth while noting that as early as 1619, Jonson repeated these sarcasms against Inigo Jones. back was turned, with this verse over him, And wilt thou, Haman, be so malitious as to lye with myne own wyfe in myne house? He himselfe being once so taken, the Goodman said, I would not believe yee would abuse my house so. In a profound contemplation a student of Oxeford ran over a man in the fields, and walked 12 miles ere he knew what he was doing. One who wore side hair being asked of ane other who was bald, why he suffered his haire to grow so long, answered, It was to sie if his haire would grow to seed, that he might sow of it on bald pates.1 A Painter who could paint nothing but a rose, when ane Innkeeper had advised with him about ane ensing, said, That a horse was a good one, so was a hare, but a rose was above them all. A little man drinking Prince Henrie's health between two tall fellowes, said, He made up the H. Sir Henry Wotton, befor his Majesties going to England, being disguised at Leith on Sunday, when all the rest were at church, being interrupted of his occupation by ane other wenche who came in at the door, cryed out," Pox on thee, for thou hast hindered the procreation of a chyld," and betrayed himself.2 A Justice of Peace would have commanded a Captaine to sit first at a table, because, sayes he, I am a Justice of Peace; the other drawing his sword comanded him, for, sayeth he, I am a Justice of War. What is that, the more yow cut of it, groweth still the longer?-A Ditch. He used to say, that they who delight to fill men extraordinarie full in their own houses, loved to have their meate againe. A certain Puritain minister would not give the Communion save unto 13 at once: (imitating, as he thought, our Master.) Now, when they were sett, and one bethinking himself that some of them must represent Judas, that it sould not be he returned, and so did all the rest, understanding his thought. A Gentlewoman fell in such a phantasie or phrensie with one Mr. Dod, a puritan preacher, that she requeested her Husband that, for the procreation of ane Angel or Saint, he might lye with her; which having obtained, it was but ane ordinarie birth. Scaliger writtes ane epistle to Casaubone, wher he scorns his [us?] Englishe speaking of Latine, for he thought he had spoken English to him. A Gentleman reading a poem that began with "Wher is the man that never yet did hear Of fair Penelope, Ulysses Queene?" calling his Cook, asked If he had ever heard of her? Who answering, No, demonstrate to him, "Lo, ther the man that never yet did hear Of fair Penelope, Ulysses Queene !" A waiting woman having cockered with muskadel and eggs her mistresse page, for a shee meeting in the dark, his mistress invaded; of whom she would of such boldness have a reason. " Faith, Lady (said hee) I have no reason, save that such was the good pleasure of muskadel and eggs.' A Judge comming along a hall, and being stopped by a throng, cried Dominum cognoscite vestrum. One of them ther said, They would, if he durst say the beginning of that verse (for he had a fair wyfe): Acteon ego sum, cryed he, and went on. A packet of letters which had fallen over board was devored of a fish that was tane 1 In The Staple of News, vol. ii. p. 308 b, mention is made of— "A precept for the wearing of long hair, To run to seed to sow bald pates withal." See Izaak Walton's Life of Sir Henry Wotton for an account of his being sent by the Grand Duke of Florence on a secret mission to Edinburgh. To avoid England he went by way of Norway. See note, ante, p. 486. at Flushing, and the letters were safely delivered to him to whom they were written at London. He scorned that simplicitie of Cardan about the peeble stone of Dover, which he thought had that vertue, keeped betweene one's teeth, as to save him from being sick. A scholar expert in Latine and Greke, but nothing in the English, said of hott broath that he would make the danger of it: for it could not be ill English that was good Latine, facere periculum. A translatour of the Emperours lyves, translated Antonius Pius, Antonie Pye.1 The word Harlott was taken from Arlotte, who was the mother of William the Conquerour; a Rogue from the Latine, Erro, by putting a G to it." Sr Geslaine Piercy asked the Maior of Plimmouth, Whether it was his own beard or the Town's beard that he came to welcome my Lord with? for, he thought, it was so long that he thought every one of the Town had eked some part to it. That he stroke at Sr Hierosme Bowes' breast, and asked him If he was within. "Here lyes a man at a beard's end," &c. He said to the King, his master, M. G. Buchanan, had corrupted his eare when young, and learned him to sing verses when he sould have read them.4 Sr Francis Walsingham said of our King, when he was Ambassadour in Scotland, Hic nunquam regnabit super nos. Of all his Playes he never gained two hundreth pounds. He had oft this verse, though he scorned it: "So long as we may, let us enjoy this breath, For nought doth kill a man so soon as Death." Heywood the Epigrammatist being apparelled in velvet by Queen Mary, with his cap on in the presence, in spight of all the Gentlemen, till the Queen herself asked him what he meaned? and then he asked her, If he was Heywood? for she had made him so brave that he almost had misknowen himself. 5 His Impressa was a compass with one foot in center, the other broken, the word, Deest quod duceret orbem.6 Essex, after his brother's death, Mr. D'Evreux,7 in France, at tilt had a black shield void, the word, Par nulla figura dolori. Ane other tyme, when the Queen was offended at him, a diamond with its own ashes, with which it is cutt, about it the word, Dum formas minuis. 1 This book is well known. But, after all, why is Antony Pye more absurd than Mark Antony? 2 This derivation, which passed current long after Jonson's days, is now altogether exploded. The original form of the word is believed to be horelet, or little hore, as the word was at first spelled, being directly derived from to hire. Rogue is considered to be the past tense of the Anglo-Saxon verb wregan, to conceal, to cloak. Mr. Laing found this epitaph among the Hawthornden MSS "At a beard's end here lies a man, The odds 'tween them was scarce a span; The Scotch practice of elocution still leans, I believe, in this direction. Sir Walter Scott's recitation, and nothing could be more effective, was a notable example in point. John Heywood (d. circ. 1565) was the maternal grandfather of John Donne, the poet and divine (see ante, p. 477). He was a friend of Sir Thomas More, and an inflexible Catholic, which, more than his verse, commended him to Queen Mary. On her death he went into exile, a circumstance which, according to Warton, moved the wonder of Anthony Wood, who could not understand how a poet could have so much principle. Had he been compelled to read his works the cause of wonder might have been removed. 6. The mutual dependence of the legs of a pair of compasses was often in Jonson's mind. ? Walter Devereux was slain at the siege of Rouen. "His father," writes Sir E. Brydges, ❝is said to have originally conceived a higher opinion of his abilities than of those of his elder brother."-Collins' Peerage, vol. vi. p. 9, note. He gave the Prince, Fax gloria mentis honesta.1 He said to me, that I was too good and simple, and that oft a man's modestie made a fool of his witt.2 His armes were three spindles or rhombi; his own word about them, Percunctabor or Perscrutator.3 John Stow had monstrous observations in his Chronicle, and was of his craft a tailour. He and I walking alone, he asked two criples, what they would have to take him to their order. In his Sejanus he hath translated a whole oration of Tacitus: the first four bookes of Tacitus ignorantly done in Englishe.7 J. Selden liveth on his owne, is the Law book of the Judges of England, the bravest man in all languages; his booke "Titles of Honour," written to his chamber-fellow Heyward.8 Tailor was sent along here to scorn him.9 1 This is the motto of the Nova Scotia Baronets, whose order was instituted in 1625. It was probably given to them by Prince Charles. 2 Pace William Gifford, there is some evidence, and every presumption that this is a just estimate of Drummond's character. Mr. Laing states here that "Mr. J. P. Collier is in possession of a title page of a copy of the Diana of Montemayor, which formerly belonged to Ben Jonson, and upon the title page he has written his name, with the addition of the words Tanquam Explorator Mr. Laing says, 'These lines are also found in the Hawth. MSS., with some verbal alterations, entitled B. Johnson, his Epitaph, told to me by himselfe; not made by him.' 5 As represented in the best portrait, Jonson had thin black whiskers, and hardly any beard. The jokes previously recorded against beards had, no doubt, been made by way of repartee. In compensation he had a huge fell of jet black hair, which in his younger days must have given great dignity to his manly and thoughtful face. 6 John Stow was born in 1525, forty-eight years before Jonson. He was also very poor before his death. He seems to have thought that the infirmity of old age and poverty put him on a level with the begging cripples. 7 Jonson's own notes to Sejanus prove the whole tragedy to be a mosaic of translations from, and allusions to the great Roman writers, who had described the events or lashed the vices of that time. Mr. Laing is puzzled to reconcile this disparaging remark on the Translation with what Jonson had previously said about Savile in his Epigram (p. 95). But it is evident that he could never have used the words "first four books" with regard to the History, when there are only four books altogether. He must have spoken here of the Annals of Tacitus, from the "first four books" of which, and not from the History, Jonson drew the materials of his Sejanus, 8 The Titles of Honor, London, 1614, has a long dedication "To my most beloved Friend and Chamberfellow, Master Edward Heyward." This "bravest man in all languages" reciprocated Jonson's admiration. Hear what Taylor himself says on this point. "Reader, these Travailes of mine into Scotland, were not undertaken, neither in imitation, or emulation of any man, but onely devised by myselfe, on purpose to make triall of my friends, both in this kingdome of England, and that of Scotland, and because I would be an eye-witness of divers things, which I had heard of that Country; and whereas many shallow-brained Critickes, doe lay an aspersion on me, that I was set on by others, or that I did undergoe this project, either in malice or mockage of Master BENJAMIN JONSON, I vow by the faith of a Christian that their imaginations are all wide, for he is a Gentleman to whom I am so much obliged for many undeserved courtesies that I have received from him, and from others by his favour, that I durst never to be so impudent or ungratefull, as either to suffer any man's perswasions, or mine own instigation, to incite me to make so bad a requitall for so much goodnesses formerly received." Jonson indeed seems to have altogether acquitted his friend, the Sculler, from understanding |