twenty years of age. He now married, and struggled to support his family by his pen. It was shortly after this that he attracted the notice of Shakespeare in the manner already related, and henceforward there was a generous rivalry between the two dramatists. Every Man in his Humour became very popular, and Jonson acquired a high reputation, and at the same time made numerous enemies among his less successful contemporaries. Marston and Dekker, two of his brother dramatists, were foremost in their assaults upon "the lime and mortar poet." They jeered at his personal appearance, and took every opportunity of annoying him. Jonson, however, in spite of poverty and calumny, pursued the course which he had prescribed for himself. He sought to correct the taste, improve the morals, and reform the judgment of his countrymen; and for this purpose he held up the follies of the age to ridicule and contempt. In 1599, he put on the stage his satirical comedy of Every Man out of his Humour. This met with deserved success, and won the approbation of Queen Elizabeth.

Cynthia's Revels, in which the poet ridicules the fantastic manners and fopperies of the age, was performed, in 1600, by the children of the Queen's chapel, as was also the Poetaster, in which Jonson severely retaliates for the insults heaped upon him by Marston and Dekker. The poet next attempted tragedy, and Sejanus was performed at the Globe theatre in 1603, Shakespeare taking one of the parts. Upon the accession of James, Jonson in conjunction with Dekker was appointed to prepare the pageant for the king's reception. James, whatever might be his foibles, could always appreciate literary ability. He quickly discerned Jonson's merit and took him into favour; and the poet was frequently engaged to write those masques which were so fashionable in the reigns of James and his successor.

The masques seem to have had their origin in the "shows" and "revels" which were presented at Court on great occasions. They resembled the ballet or pantomime rather than the regular drama. The characters were

generally taken from classical mythology, and besides gods, goddesses, and nymphs, there were such personages as Day, Night, Beauty, Peace, and Fortitude. The scenery was often very beautiful, and was always skilfully arranged, and the piece was enlivened with music and dances. Masques were generally prepared for some great occasion, such as a coronation, the birth of a prince, or the marriage of some one connected with the Court. They were generally performed in the hall of the palace, the characters being supported by ladies and gentlemen, and sometimes by members of the royal family. The masque reached the zenith of its glory in the reign of James I. Ben Jonson generally wrote the words; Inigo Jones managed the scenery and stage arrangements; and Henry Lawes provided the music. Above £4000 were lavished on these entertainments in the first six years of James' reign. Jonson composed twenty-three masques, and Dekker and other leading dramatic writers of the time, Shakespeare excepted, were glad to contribute to the pleasures of the Court.

Though there seems occasionally to have been such bitter rivalry between Jonson and his fellow poets, yet the ill-feeling does not appear to have lasted long. We see that Dekker joined with him to write a piece on the king's accession, and some time after we find him engaged with Marston and Chapman in writing Eastward Hoe. This comedy contained some passages reflecting on the Scottish nation, and it gave such offence to the Court, that Marston and Chapman were thrown into prison and threatened with the pillory. Jonson behaved very nobly on this occasion. His share in the piece was inconsiderable, and he was in such favour that he might have escaped unmolested; but he voluntarily joined his companions in prison, and determined to share their danger. Happily the king was not difficult to appease, and they were soon set at liberty.

In 1605, Jonson produced Volpine, which was received with great favour. Four years later appeared Epicone, or the Silent Woman. In the following year came the

Alchemist, considered by some the noblest effort of the author's genius, but neither it nor Cataline, which was published in 1611, was received with much favour. Bartholomew Fair, which was put on the stage in 1614, was very popular. In 1616, the king showed his appreciation of the poet by conferring upon him the title of laureate, and a pension of a hundred marks a-year: this was augmented by Charles I., in 1630, to £100 per annum, and a cask of Spanish wine.

In the summer of 1618, Jonson made a journey to Scotland, and after visiting several persons of note, spent three weeks with Drummond of Hawthornden, the Scotch poet. On his return from Scotland he went to Oxford, where the degree of M.A. was conferred upon him. He had now reached the summit of his fame, and was a welcome guest at the tables of the most distinguished persons. His health, however, began to fail, and his writings, which appear at wider intervals, do not exhibit the vigour of his earlier productions. In 1625 appeared the Staple of News, and, in 1630, the New Inn, but neither received a very favourable reception. It was at this time that the king increased his pension to £100. A quarrel with Inigo Jones, however, deprived him of Court patronage, and the profit of writing the royal masques. Poverty, age, and sickness, now pressed upon him; but gifts of money, and tributes of respect were not wanting. He continued writing to the last, and the Sad Shepherd, which he left unfinished, will bear comparison with the best productions of his youth; indeed, in some respects, it is superior to anything he had previously written.

He died in 1637, and was buried in the north aisle of Westminster Abbey, "standing on his feet." For many a year his only epitaph was that which still clings to his memory, "O Rare Ben Jonson." It was carved for eighteen pence by a stone-cutter at the instance of a friend. A tablet was added a century after his death; and when the grave was rebuilt some years ago, the original stone was taken away, and the present one placed in its stead.

In person, Jonson was large and corpulent, especially in his later years. His features though regular were somewhat coarse, but indicative of intellect and strong passion. He was irascible, impatient of injury, and fierce in conflict; but brave, generous, forgiving, and honest. His enmities were short-lived, while his friendships were durable and sincere. As a dramatic writer he ranks perhaps next to Shakespeare, but his style differs very much from that of the immortal poet. His plays do not so much represent human nature generally, as the particular aspect that mankind presented in Jonson's own time. Hence for modern readers, they have lost very much of their interest, except as a picture of manners three hundred years ago; and even considered in this light, the portraits seem very often exaggerated and unpleasing. His style, generally, is stiff and elaborate, though in Cynthia, Epicone, and the Sad Shepherd, there are many passages of light and graceful fancy. It has been said that his Roman tragedies bear about "the same resemblance to Shakespeare's classic dramas that sculpture does to actual life."

Besides his dramatic pieces he was the author of several poems and prose works. Underwoods is a collection of poems, some of which are singularly beautiful. Timber

is a vast collection of the thoughts and observations of a scholar and shrewd observer. He also wrote an English Grammar, which is said to have been by far the best of its day.

JEREMY TAYLOR.-1613-1667.

He

JEREMY TAYLOR was born at Cambridge in 1613. was descended from an ancient family, but his father followed the humble occupation of a barber. Having attended the Free Grammar School, he was sent to the university, as a sizar, in his thirteenth year, and in 1631 he took his degree. When little more than twenty years

D

of age he was admitted to holy orders, and having removed to London, to deliver some lectures for a college friend at St. Paul's Cathedral, he was fortunate in attracting the notice of Archbishop Laud. The archbishop invited him to preach at Lambeth, and was so pleased with his talents and eloquence that he appointed him his chaplain, and in 1636 obtained for him a fellowship at Oxford. A year or two later, Juxon, bishop of London, presented him to the rectory of Uppingham, in Rutlandshire.

When the Civil War broke out, Taylor embarked his fortunes with the royalists, and in 1644, while accompanying the king's forces as chaplain, he was taken prisoner in a battle fought before Cardigan Castle. He was soon afterwards released, but as the tide of war had now set in decidedly against the royalists, he determined to remain in Wales. He therefore, in conjunction with two friends, Nicholson, bishop of Gloucester, and Wyat, afterwards prebendary of Lincoln, opened a school on the estate of the Earl of Carberry, in Carmarthenshire. While residing here he published The Liberty of Prophesying, in the preface to which he says:—

"In the great storm which dashed the vessel of the Church all in pieces, I had been cast on the coast of Wales, and, in a little boat, thought to have enjoyed that rest and quietness which in England, in a far greater, I could not hope for. Here I cast anchor, and thinking to ride safely, the storm followed me with so impetuous violence, that it broke a cable, and I lost my anchor. And here again I was exposed to the mercy of the sea, and the gentleness of an element that could distinguish neither things nor persons; and, but that He that stilleth the raging of the sea, and the noise of the waves, and the madness of his people, had provided a plank for me, I had been lost to all opportunities of content or study; but I know not whether I have been more preserved by the courtesies of my friends or the gentleness and mercies of a noble enemy.'

The Liberty of Prophesying is a treatise in favour of private judgment in religious matters. The term "prophesying" being used in the sense of preaching or expounding. It has been remarked that this work contains "the first distinct and avowed defence of toleration which had been ventured on in England, perhaps in Christen