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meward the 25 of January > which, he told, lasted him Darnton, which he minded to aine: they were appearing like two dayes he was all excoriate." the way, he promised to send me is Country, hewen as they were.

vidently Epigram viii. In Katum, but it is a "buff . " coule: "

r no buff jerkin hath been oftener worn,

or hath more scrapings, nor more dressings borne."

son says in his Discoveries, ante, p. 150, that in his he could have "repeated all that he had ever made," and ⚫ it so continued till he was past forty. Even in later life he "I can repeat whole books that I have read, and poems of me selected friends, which I have liked to charge my memory with." Donne was one of the chief of his selected friends, and was the author of this epigram. (See his Works, 1669, p. 94.) Jonson was forty-six years old when he visited Drummond.

5 Darnton may be supposed to be Darlington. The name of Tom Coryate must have been a fertile subject of joking. The news of his death at Surat in December, 1617, had most probably not reached Scotland in January, 1619, although it was known in London in that month. See Gerrard to Carleton in Calendar of State Papers.

Had Jonson's Journals reached us, even "hewen as they were," they would no doubt have thrown a flood of light on the

Questioned about English, them, they, those. They is still the nominative, those accusative, them newter; collective, not them men, them trees, but them by itself referred to many. Which, who, be relatives, not that. Flouds, hilles, he would have masculines.

He was better versed, and knew more in Greek and Latin, than all the Poets in England, and quintessence their braines."

He made much of that Epistle of Plinius, wher Ad prandium, non ad notam is; and that other of Marcellinus, who Plinie made to be removed from the table; and of the grosse turbat.

One wrote one epigrame to his father, and vanted he had slain ten, the quantity of decem being false.

have insured his success in any pursuit, and he had such a passion for letters that we may be sure the pen would have been constantly in his hand whatever his profession might have been. He is a great poet certainly, though not of the highest class, but rather one after sir Joshua Reynolds' heart, as being the possessor of great general powers forced in a particular direction. I find the following remark in Coleridge's handwriting in the margin of Charles Lamb's copy of the folio Beaumont and Fletcher, and I transcribe it because it seems to be more applicable to Jonson than to the man whose writings suggested it. "A noble subject for the few noble minds capable of treating it would be this. What are the probable, what the possible defects of Genius, and of each given sort of Genius? and of course what defects are psychologically impossible? This would comprise what semblance of Genius can Talent supply? and what Talent, united with strong feelings for Poetry, aided by Taste and Judgment? And how are the effects to be distinguished from those of Genius? Lastly, what degree of Talent may be produced by an intense desire of the end (ex. gr. to be and to be thought a Poet) without any natural, more than general, aptitude for the means ?”

2 The last part of this remark is somewhat obscure, but there can be little doubt that in the whole line of our poets, from Chaucer to Tennyson, Jonson stands unrivalled in this respect. Gifford, indeed-and he was a most competent judge-was of opinion that in the vastness of range of his learning, no Englishman had gone beyond him.

An other answered the epigrame, telling that decem was false.

S. J. Davies' epigrame of the whoores C. compared to a coule.3

Of all styles he loved most to be named Honest, and hath of that ane hundreth letters so naming him. He had this oft,

"Thy flattering picture, Phrenee, is lyke thee Only in this, that ye both painted be."

In his merry humor he was wont to name himself The Poet.

He went from Lieth homeward the 25 of January 1619, in a pair of shoes which, he told, lasted him since he came from Darnton, which he minded to take back that farr againe: they were appearing like Coriat's the first two dayes he was all excoriate."

If he died by the way, he promised to send me his papers of this Country, hewen as they were."

3 This is evidently Epigram viii. In Katum, but it is a "buff jerkin," not a "coule: "

"For no buff jerkin hath been oftener worn,

Nor hath more scrapings, nor more dressings borne."

4 Jonson says in his Discoveries, ante, p. 150, that in his youth he could have "repeated all that he had ever made," and that it so continued till he was past forty. Even in later life he says, "I can repeat whole books that I have read, and poems of some selected friends, which I have liked to charge my memory with." Donne was one of the chief of his selected friends, and was the author of this epigram. (See his Works, 1669, p. 94.) Jonson was forty-six years old when he visited Drummond.

5 Darnton may be supposed to be Darlington. The name of Tom Coryate must have been a fertile subject of joking. The news of his death at Surat in December, 1617, had most probably not reached Scotland in January, 1619, although it was known in London in that month. See Gerrard to Carleton in Calendar of State Papers.

Had Jonson's Journals reached us, even "hewen as they were," they would no doubt have thrown a flood of light on the

I have to send him descriptions of Edinbrough, Borrow Lawes, of the Lowmond."

That piece of the Pucelle of the Court was stolen out of his pocket by a gentleman who drank him drousie, and given Mistress Boulstraid; which brought him great displeasure.8

XIX.

He sent to me this Madrigal :

"ON A LOVERS DUST, MADE SAND FOR ANE HOURE

GLASSE.9

"Doe but consider this smal dust here running in the glasse

by atomes moved,

Could thou believe that this the bodie ever was of one that loved?

And, in his Mistresse flaming playing like the flye, turned to cinders by her eye?

Yes, and in death, as lyfe unblest

to have it exprest

Even ashes of Lovers find no rest."

Borders and Southern Highlands at the most interesting period of their history, when the clans in both parts had begun to find that harrying, and lifting, and rebellion were no longer to be recognized as honourable and rather engaging pursuits. Among many other points of resemblance between two very great men, no one has mentioned that Ben Jonson was the first distinguished Englishman who visited the Highlands, as Samuel Johnson was to visit the Hebrides.

7 Drummond did not forget his promise, as evidenced by a letter of July 1st, 1619.

8 See ante, p. 372.

9 These verses, in an altered form, will be found, vol. viii. p. 310. It is proper to repeat here the "cordial, respectful, and affectionate" address with which they were prefaced :

And that which is (as he said) a Picture of himselfe.1

I doubt that Love is rather deafe than blinde,

For else it could not bee,

That shee

Whom I adore so much, should so slight mee, And cast my sute behinde :

I'm sure my language to her is as sweet,
And all my closes meet

In numbers of as subtile feete

As makes the youngest hee,

That sits in shadow of Apollo's tree.

"O! but my conscious feares,

That flye my thoughts betweene, Prompt mee that shee hath seene My hundred of gray haires,

Told six and forty yeares,

Read so much waste, as she cannot embrace
My mountaine belly, and my rockye face,

And all these, through her eies, have stop'd her eares."

"To the Honouring Respect
Born

To the Friendship contracted with
The Right Virtuous and Learned
MASTER WILLIAM DRUMMOND,

And the Perpetuating the same by all Offices of
Love Hereafter,

I, Benjamin Jonson,

Whom he hath honoured with the leave to be called his,
Have with my own hand, to satisfy his Request,
Written this imperfect Song,

On a Lover's Dust, made Sand for an

Hour-glass."

66

1 See "My Picture left in Scotland," vol. viii. p. 312. These were headed with the following brief inscription, which may be regarded as a continuation of the longer one in the last note; Yet that love when it is at full may admit heaping, receive another, and this a Picture of myself."

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