BEN JONSON.

Every Man in His Humour was first presented by the Lord Chamberlain's Servants in 1598. From the entries in Henslowe's diary, it is evident that the play enjoyed great popularity. It was revived by the Duke of York's Company when the theatres opened after the Restoration. In still later days Garrick in the ròle of Kitely produced it with a powerful cast at Drury Lane, in 1800. Cooke appeared in the usurer's part, as, subsequently, did Edmund Kean and Charles Young. This was the first play chosen by that famous company of amateurs headed by Charles Dickens, who handled the character of Bobadill with splendid effect. Since then- 1845-this earliest and one of the best of Jonson's comedies has been left to the quiet hour in the study. Tradition says that the play was first accepted on Shakspere's advice, and that in this way began the acquaintance which matured in the firm friendship of later years.

In the prologue Jonson sets forth the scheme of the play:

"... deeds, and language, such as men do use,
And persons, such as comedy would choose,
When she would shew an image of the times,
And sport with human follies, not with crimes."

There is no great complexity of plot; interest is centred in character and people, not in incident. The classic Jonson follows Aristotle, and claims both comedy and tragedy as the poet's right. Jonson there

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fore presents a far more faithful picture of Elizabethan times than Shakspere does. He sees the vices, follies, fashions, foibles, in short, the "humours" of his day, and reveals them in the action of his play.

Jonson, born in 1573, was the posthumous son of a London clergyman. He went to Westminster School at the expense of "Master Camden," to whom the present play is dedicated, and later entered St. John's College, Cambridge. It is not, however, probable that he was ever in attendance, though "by their favors " he was subsequently made Master of Arts by both universities. He became a tradesman, then soldier in the Low Countries, next a London actor, and finally, by accident, a playwright. This profession once assumed, he followed assiduously until his death in 1635. In his lifetime he was highly honored and became the literary dictator of the greatest age our literature has known. To-day he is ranked next to Shakspere as a dramatic genius.

And famous Jonson, though his learned pen
Be dipt in Castaly, is still but Ben.

- Hierarchie of the Blessed Angels,

Ah Ben!

THOMAS HEYWOOD.

Say how, or when
Shall we thy guests
Meet at those lyric feasts,

Made at the Sun,

The Dog, the Triple Tun?
Where we such clusters had

As made us wholly wild, not mad;

And yet each verse of thine

Outdid the meat, outdid the frolic wine.