The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-08-02
From the Kansas city star.

ETNRlNk to me only with Time
eyes. wrote old Ben IOnsOn IN, in
~ a moment of poetic fervor, but
he was talking to the female of the
species when he gave that advice. Per-
sonally Ben did not confne himself to
optic potations but punished the sack,
Malmsey and Canary, with right good
zest, and down at the Mermaid tavern,
where the writing men of the day were
won't to spend long evenings. it was Rare
Ben who was always "the life of the
party as the saying is.
He was the dean of entertainers, the
host by royal right. Where Ben Jonson
sat. there was the head of the table, and
Herrick, writing of his initiation into the
society of London men of letters, declared
that he was sealed of the tribe of Ben"
The flavor of the mans personality sur
wives in affeetionate references to him
which are to be found in the writings of
score of his associates. For Ben was
very fond of them. and always ready with
quick and generous praise. Had a friend
written new masaue, Ben Jonson had
read 1t or seen it performed and was eager
to give il just the sort of discriminating
praise its author Eungered for.
Brought up in the trade of bricklayer by
his stepfather, Bea Jonson ran away from
home, Joined the army and went soldier
ing to the low countries-a general name
for Holland and Belgium. There we are
told he slew champion of the enemy In
single combat and stripped his armor
| III 1.,tt on,
Back in London he began writing for a
living and took to himself a wife-"a
shrew, yet honest" he told his biograpn-
err Drummond of Hawthornden. jon
sons first play. Every Man in His
Humor" first appeared on the stage six
years after his marriage, and shake
speare acted one of tire parts.
There seems to have existed between
Shakespeare and Ben Jonson the firmest
sort of friendship. "Shine forth, thou star
of poets," wrote Jonson, addressing
Shakespeare, and again in his old age:
II loved the man and do honor his
memory, on this eide of idolatry as much
as any"
Which seems to dispose effectually
enough of the theory held by some critics
that Jonson was jealous of the bard of
Avon because he remarked that Shake
speare had small Latin and less Creek
A number of successful comedies fol-
lowed Every Man in His Humor;' then
for while Jonson was in trouble because
he killed an actor named Gabriel Spen-
Ger in a duel For this offense against
the Queens peace and dignity he was inn
prisoned and branded with a T-for Ty-
burn-on his left thumb From various
references to the affair, however, it ap-
pears that nobody seems to have thought
the worse of him for killing Spencer; in
deed, it was regarded as rather COM
mendable thing to do.
There was always about Ben Jonson a
truly British independence. In his plays
he seems to have felt it his duty to re-
buke vice and folly, and when society paid
no attention to the rebukes but demanded
instead to be amused, Jonson stopped
writing plays for a while.
And since our dainty age
Cannot endure reproof,
Make not thyself a page
To that strumpet, the stage,
But sing high and aloof,
Safe from tine VOLTS black jaw
And the dull ass's hoof
Ben, however, was not permitted to
sing high and aloof'' for any length of
time. When James the First came to the
throne he appointed Jonson poet-laureate,
a Job which in those days carried with
1t the duty of writing Mosques to be per-
formed by the court The King was very
fond of these performances. and Jonson
put into them beauty and literary
quality not often found in the evanescent
versifying of court poets.
Yet in spite of his position at court.
Jonson never failed to maintain certain
independent dignity. When King James
wanted to knight him, he told the King
he didn't care for the honor. He was
a welcome guest in the houses of the
richest and most powerful men in Eng
land, but he never allowed himself to be
cut adrift from the literary crowd who
had early been his delight.
Taverns in those days took the place
of clubs today, and in dozen inns Ben
Jonson was always hailed with delight.
Shakespeare, Francis Beaumont, Robert
| f1errick, the poet Chapman. all were his
| friends
Many were the wit combats between
Shakespeare and Ben Jonson,' writes
Fullen. II behold them like Spanish