Brief Lives, Vol. 2

Ben Jonson (1574-1637).

[38]Mr. Benjamin Johnson[D], Poet Laureat;—I remember when I was a scholar at Trin. Coll. Oxon. 1646, I heard Dr. Ralph Bathurst[E] (now deane of Wells) say that Ben Johnson was a Warwyckshire man—sed quaere. 'Tis agreed that his father was a minister; and by his epistle dedicat.[IV.] of 'Every Man ...' to Mr. William Camden that he was a Westminster scholar and that Mr. W. Camden was his school-master.

[Anthony[39] Wood in his Hist. <et Antiq. Univ. Oxon.>, lib. 2, p. 273, sayes he was borne in Westminster: that (at riper yeares) after he had studied at Cambridge he came of his owne accord to Oxon and there entred himselfe in Ch. Ch. and tooke his Master's degree in Oxon (or conferred on him) anno 1619.]

His mother, after his father's death, maried a brick-layer; and 'tis generally sayd that he wrought sometime with his father-in-lawe[40] (and particularly on the garden-wall of Lincoln's Inne next to Chancery-lane—from old parson <Richard> Hill, of Stretton, Hereff., 1646), and that ... ..., a knight, a bencher, walking thro' and hearing him repeat some Greeke verses out of Homer, discoursing with him, and finding him to have a witt extraordinary, gave him some exhibition to maintaine him at Trinity college in Cambridge, where he was ... ... (quaere).

Then he went into the Lowe-countreys, and spent some time (not very long) in the armie[41], not to the disgrace of ..., as you may find in his Epigrammes.

Then he came over into England, and acted and wrote, but both ill, at the Green Curtaine, a kind of nursery or obscure playhouse, somewhere in the suburbes (I thinke towards Shoreditch or Clarkenwell)—from J. Greenhill.

Then he undertooke againe to write a playe, and did hitt it admirably well, viz. 'Every man ...' which was his first good one.

Serjeant John Hoskins, of Herefordshire, was his father. I remember his sonne (Sir Bennet Hoskins, baronet, who was something poeticall in his youth) told me, that when he desired to be adopted his son: 'No,' sayd he, ''tis honour enough for me to be your brother; I am your father's son, 'twas he that polished me, I doe acknowledge it.'

He was (or rather had been) of a clear and faire skin; his habit was very plaine. I have heard Mr. Lacy, the player, say that he was wont to weare a coate like a coach-man's coate, with slitts under the arme-pitts. He would many times exceed in drinke (Canarie was his beloved liquour): then he would tumble home to bed, and, when he had thoroughly perspired, then to studie. I have seen his studyeing chaire, which was of strawe, such as old woemen used, and as Aulus Gellius is drawen in.

When I was in Oxon, bishop Skinner (of Oxford), who lay at our College, was wont to say that he understood an author as well as any man in England.

He mentions in his Epigrammes a sonne that he had, and his epitaph.

Long since, in King James' time, I have heard my uncle Danvers say (who knew him), that he lived without Temple Barre, at a combe-maker's shop, about the Elephant and Castle. In his later time he lived in Westminster, in the house under which you passe as you goe out of the churchyard into the old palace; where he dyed.

He lies buryed[V.] in the north aisle in the path of square stone (the rest is lozenge), opposite to the scutcheon[42] of Robertus de Ros, with this inscription only on him, in a pavement square, of blew marble, about 14 inches square,

O RARE BENN IOHNSON

which was donne at the chardge of Jack Young (afterwards knighted) who, walking there when the grave was covering,[43] gave the fellow eighteen pence to cutt it.

His motto before his (bought) bookes was, Tanquam Explorator. I remember 'tis in Seneca's Epistles.

He was a favourite of the Lord Chancellor Egerton, as appeares by severall verses to him. In one he begges his lordship to doe a friend of his a favour.

'Twas an ingeniose remarque of my lady Hoskins, that B. J. never writes of love, or if he does, does it not naturally.

He killed Mr. ... Marlow, the poet, on Bunhill, comeing from the Green-Curtain play-house.—From Sir Edward Shirburn.

[45]Ben Johnson:—Ben Jonson had 50 li. per annum for ... yeares together to keepe off Sir W. Wiseman of Essex from being sheriff. At last king James prickt him, and Ben came to his majestie and told him he 'had prickt him to the heart' and then explaynd himselfe (innuendo Sir W. W. being prickt sheriff) and got him struck off.

Vide his Execration against Vulcan. Vide None-such-Charles. When B. J. was dyeing king Charles sent him but X li. Quaere T. Shadwell pro notes of B. J. from the duke of Newcastle; and also quaere Thomas Henshawe (as also de saxis in Hibernia). Quaere my lord Clifford of the gentleman that cutt the grasse under Ben Jonson's feet, of whom he sayd 'Ungratefull man! I showed him Juvenal.'

[46]B. Jonson; one eye[47] lower then t'other and bigger. He tooke a catalogue from Mr. Lacy of the Yorkshire words[48]—his hint to Tale of a Tub for the clownery.

[49]Ben Johnson had one eie lower than t'other, and bigger, like Clun, the player: perhaps he begott Clun. He tooke a catalogue from Mr. Lacy (the player) of the Yorkshire dialect[50]. 'Twas his hint for clownery to his comoedy called The Tale of a Tub. This I had from Mr. Lacy.

[51]King James made him write against the Puritans, who began to be troublesome in his time.

A Grace by Ben Johnson, extempore, before King James.

The king was mighty enquisitive to know who this Raph was. Ben told him 'twas the drawer at the Swanne tavernne, by Charing-crosse, who drew him good Canarie. For this drollery his majestie gave him an hundred poundes.

[52]This account[F] I received from Mr. Isaac Walton (who wrote Dr. John Donne's &c. Life), Decemb. 2, 1680, he being then eighty-seaven years of age. This is his owne hand writing.

[53]Ffor yo^r ffriend's que. this:

I only knew Ben Johnson: but my lord of Winton knew him very well, and says he was in the 6º, that is the vpermost fforme in Westminster scole. At which time his father dyed, and his mother marryed a brickelayer, who made him (much against his will) to help him in his trade. But in a short time, his scole maister, Mr. Camden, got him a better imployment, which was to atend or accompany a son of Sir Walter Rauleyes in his travills. Within a short time after their returne, they parted (I think not in cole bloud) and with a loue sutable to what they had in their travills (not to be comended); and then, Ben began to set up for himselfe in the trade by which he got his subsistance and fame. Of which I nede not giue any account. He got in time to haue a 100 li. a yeare from the king, also a pention from the Cittie, and the like from many of the nobilitie, and some of the gentry, w^h was well payd for loue or fere of his raling in verse or prose, or boeth. My lord of Winton told me, he told him he was (in his long retyrement, and sicknes, when he saw him, which was often) much aflickted that hee had profain'd the scripture, in his playes; and lamented it with horror; yet, that at that time of his long retyrement, his pentions (so much as came yn) was giuen to a woman that gouern'd him, with whome he liud and dyed nere the Abie in West mimster; and that nether he nor she tooke much care for next weike, and wood be sure not to want wine; of which he vsually tooke too much before he went to bed, if not oftner and soner. My lord tells me, he knowes not, but thinks he was borne in Westminster. The question may be put to Mr. Wood very easily vpon what grownds he is positiue as to his being borne their? he is a friendly man and will resolue it. So much for brave Ben. You will not think the rest so tedyus, as I doe this.

Ffor yo^r 2 and 3º que. of Mr. Hill and Bilingsley, I doe nether know, nor can learn any thing worth teling you.

[54]For y^r two remaining que. of Mr. Warner and Mr.

Harriott, this:—Mr. Warner did long and constantly lodg nere the water-stares or market in Woolstable (Woolstable is a place or lane not far from Charing Crosse, and nerer to Northumberland howse). My lord of Winchester tells me he knew him, and that he saide he first fownd out the cerculation of the blood, and discover'd it <to> Do^r Haruie (who said that 'twas he (himselfe) that found it), for which he is so memorably famose. Warner had a pention of 40 li. a yeare from that earle of Northumberland that lay so long a prisner in the Towre, and som alowance from Sir Tho. Alesbery with whome he vsually spent his sumer in Windesor park, and was welcom, for he was harmless and quet. His winter was spent at the Wolstable, where he dyed in the time of the Parliament of 1640, of w^ch, or whome, he was no louer.

Mr. Harriott; my lord tells me, he knew him also: that he was a more gentile man, then Warner. That he had 120 li. a yeare pention from the said earle (who was a louer of ther studyes) and his lodging in Syon howse, where he thinks, or beliues, he dyed.

This is all I know or can learne for yo^r friend; which I wish may be worth the time and treble of reading it.

J. W.

Nou^er. 22, 80.

I forgot to tell, that I heard the sermon preacht for the lady Danuers, and have it: but thanke y^r ffriend.