MARSTON, JOHN (1575?-1634)

—Dramatist and satirist, b. at Coventry, was ed. at Oxf. In later life he gave up writing for the stage, took orders, and was incumbent of Christ church, Hants, 1616-31. He began his literary career in 1598 with satire, The Scourge of Villanie and The Metamorphosis of Pygmalion's Image (1598), the latter of which was burned by order of Archbishop Whitgift. In 1602 appeared The History of Antonio and Mellida , and its sequel, Antonio's Revenge , ridiculed by Ben Jonson. In repayment of this M. co-operated with Dekker in attacking Jonson in Sat i rom as tix (a Whip for the Satirist). A reconciliation, however, took place, and his comedy, The Malcontent (1604), was dedicated to J., another, Eastward Ho (1605), was written in collaboration with him and Chapman. Other plays of his are Soph on isba , What You Will (1607), and po ibly The Insatiate Counte (1613). Amid much bombast and verbiage there are many fine pa ages in M.'s dramas, especially where scorn and indignation are the motives. Sombre and caustic, he has been called "a screech-owl among the singing birds."