JONSON, BEN

(1573-1637), Eng. dramatist and poet; 6. London; posthumous son of minister of Scottish extraction; ed. Westminster; for a short time followed his stepfather’s trade of bricklaying, but abandoned it for the army}; served in campaigns in the Netherlands; returned to London and married, 1591-, 92; the union was not happy, and J.) survived his family; became actor playwright, fraternizing and sometimes working in conjunction with Dekker, Porter, and others; was tried for killing a fellow-actor in a duel, pleaded benefit of clergy, escaped death, but suffered branding and confiscation of property, 1598. i His first play, Hverg Man in his: Humour, was staged about 1596, and taken over by Shakespeare in 1598, and produced at the Globe Theatre—a bright play, abounding in variety of interest; | its sequel, Hvery Man out of his Humour | is flat when compared with the original. Then followed several comedies, including Cynthia's Revels, 1600, The Poetaster, 1601, in which his dramatic rivals were satirised, Volpone, 1605, Hpicene, 1609, The Alchemist, 1601, The Magnetic Lady, 1633. Sejanus, 1603, and Catilina, 1611, are two rather dull tragedies. The Alchemist is his masterpiece; Sir Epicure Mammon is a gem of character portrayal, the situations are good, the story absolutely coherent, the minor parts worked out accurately. After the production of this, J.’s work grew inferior in quality. J. wrote about 40 masques, mostly written in collaboration with Inigo Jones; they are charmingly beautiful, and form some of his best work. His poems are many and varied, ranging from graceful lyrics to scurrilous epigrams; they are cla ical in form and phraseology, but are neverthele independent in spirit. The elegies on his eldest son and daughter are characterised by tenderne and affection. Of his songs, ‘Drink to me only with thine eyes’ is still popular. J.’s prose marks a step in advance of Jacobean floridity: it is compre ed and expre ive without ornatene ; his Hnglish Grammar, and Discoveries, a collection of 171 short pieces, are extant. His last years were made unhappy by poverty and disease; his tomb is in Westminster Abbey.