Gave killing strokes. There were brave men before
Ajax, or Idomen, or all the store

That Homer brought to Troy; yet none so live,
Because they lack'd the sacred pen could give
Like life unto them. Who heav'd Hercules
Unto the stars, or the Tyndarides?
Who placed Jason's Argo in the sky,
Or set bright Ariadne's crown so high?
Who made a lamp of Berenice's hair,
Or lifted Cassiopeia in her chair,

But only poets, rapt with rage divine?

And such, or my hopes fail, shall make you shine.You, and that other star, that purest light,

Of all Lucina's train, Lucy the bright;"

4 -There were brave men before

5

Ajax, or Idomen.] The sentiment is from Horace, lib. iv. 9.
Vixere fortes ante Agamemnona

Multi; sed omnes illacrymabiles
Urgentur, ignotique longa

Nocte, carent quia vate sacro.

You, and that other star, that purest light

WHAL.

Of all Lucina's train, Lucy the bright.] This, I presume, was Lucy countess of Bedford, to whom our author hath addressed some epigrams, and who was particularly celebrated by Dr. Donne. If what follows in the succeeding lines must be applied to him, one would imagine some little misunderstanding was then subsisting between him and the poet; though from the verses which Donne and Jonson have mutually wrote to each other, it appears there was always a very friendly correspondence between them. WHAL.

No doubt of it but Whalley is mistaken in the person here meant, who is not Donne but Daniel. There is no necessity for wantonly stirring up new enmities, since Jonson is already charged with more than he ever felt; and it is certain that he was at this time, and continued to the end of his life, the affectionate friend and admirer of Donne.

That there was no cordiality between our poet and Daniel seems probable, and he here gives the reason of it. Daniel "envied " him. A little retrospect into his history may shew, perhaps, that the assertion (setting aside the undoubted veracity of Jonson) has nothing improbable in it. Daniel was born in 1562. At the age

Than which a nobler heaven itself knows not;
Who, though she have a better verser got,

of seventeen he was admitted a commoner of Magdalen Hall, Oxford, where he continued three years. In 1582 he came to London, and was recommended to the court through the interest of his brother-in-law, "the resolute John Florio." On the death of Spenser, in 1599, he succeeded to the Laureatship; in other words, he became the court poet, and as such, was called on to furnish the complimentary poems, pageants, masques, &c., incidental to the situation. He seems, therefore, not unnaturally, to have experienced some uneasiness when, soon after the accession of James I., Jonson was called upon to prepare the Masques of that gay period. This appears to be the very head and front of our poet's offending, unless it be added, that though he always thought and called Daniel "a good and honest man," he entertained no very lofty opinion of his style of poetry.

Daniel, however, numbered among his friends and patrons, the most distinguished characters of both sexes; and it appears that he was not wanting in remonstrating against the attempt to supersede him, nor in using the interest which his talents and virtues had procured, to be permitted to resume what he probably considered as the duties of his office. In the dedication of the Vision of the Twelve Goddesses, 1604, to the countess of Bedford, he expresses his thankfulness "for her preferring him to the queen, for this employment." The dedication is, in itself, sufficiently captious and querulous, and seems pointed, in some measure, at our poet. He was also called on to assist in the solemnity of creating Henry, prince of Wales; when he wrote the masque or rather pageant of Tethys Festival.*

But Daniel's spirits were wounded, and he could not apparently brook the rising favour of his younger competitor. About a year

* I take the earliest opportunity of correcting a mistake respecting this "Solemnitie." It is stated, vol. vii. p. 148, that the Masque of Oberon was performed before the prince on the 5th of June, 1610. I have since been enabled to ascertain, by the kindness of Mr. Cohen, that the masque performed on that day was the Tethys of Daniel, to which therefore the description of the Master of the Ceremonies must be referred. The Masque of Oberon was probably presented, as it is printed, after the Barriers, on the sixth day, or Thursday. The machinery of Tethys was furnished by Inigo Jones, and the accompaniments must have been very splendid. The poet's part was the least important, and consisted of little more than some pretty songs.

Or poet, in the court-account, than I,
And who doth me, though I not him, envỳ,

after the publication of his first Masque, he printed his Philotas, with a dedication, in verse, to prince Henry, of which it is scarcely possible to read without emotion the simple and affecting conclusion:

"And I, although among the latter train

And least of those that sung unto this land,
Have borne my part, though in an humble strain,
And pleased the gentler that did understand.
"And never had my harmless pen at all
Distain'd with any loose immodesty,
Nor ever noted to be touch'd with gall,
To aggravate the worst man's infamy.
"But still have done the fairest offices

To virtue and the time: yet nought prevails,
And all our labours are without success,

For either favour or our virtue fails.

"And therefore since I have outliv'd the date
Of former grace, acceptance, and delight,
I would my lines late born beyond the fate
Of her spent line,* had never come to light!
"So had I not been tax'd for wishing well,

Nor now mistaken by the censuring stage,
Nor in my fame and reputation fell,

Which I esteem more than what all the age

Or th' earth can give: But years hath done this wrong,
To make me write too much, and live too long."

He could not be beyond five and forty at this period of despondency he remained, however, about the court for some time longer, probably till about 1615, in which year, Jonson, who was still rising in reputation, obtained a fixed salary for his services, when this amiable man retired to Somersetshire, commenced farmer, and passed the remainder of his days in privacy, piety, and peace.

Daniel was highly esteemed by queen Anne, and to this Jonson alludes in the text, while his great patron was James. Still, however, there seems no adequate cause for any hostility against Jonson, if he only made a fair advantage of his superior talents for the drama; for which, it must be confessed, his rival wanted both

* Of her spent line,] i. e. of queen Elizabeth's.

Yet for the timely favours she hath done,
Το my less sanguine muse, wherein she hath won
My grateful soul, the subject of her powers,

I have already used some happy hours,

To her remembrance; which when time shall bring
To curious light, to notes I then shall sing,
Will prove old Orpheus' act no tale to be:

For I shall move stocks, stones, no less than he.
Then all that have but done my Muse least grace,
Shall thronging come, and boast the happy place
They hold in my strange poems, which, as yet,
Had not their form touch'd by an English wit.
There, like a rich and golden pyramed,
Born up by statues, shall I rear your head
Above your under-carved ornaments,
And shew how to the life my soul presents

Your form imprest there: not with tickling rhymes,
Or common-places, filch'd, that take these times,
But high and noble matter, such as flies

From brains entranced, and fill'd with extasies; Moods, which the godlike Sidney oft did prove, And your brave friend and mine so well did love. Who, wheresoe'er he be-

The rest is lost.

energy and fancy, and which indeed, he laments, just above, that he ever attempted.

• Then all that have but done my Muse least grace,

Shall thronging come.] This intimates a design the poet had of celebrating the ladies of his native country. WHAL.

See vol. vii. p. 139.

PIS

XIII.

EPISTLE.

TO KATHARINE LADY AUBIGNY."

grown almost a danger to speak true Of any good mind, now; there are so few. The bad, by number, are so fortified,

As what they have lost t' expect, they dare
deride.

So both the prais'd and praisers suffer; yet,
For others ill ought none their good forget.
I therefore, who profess myself in love
With every virtue, wheresoe'er it move,
And howsoever; as I am at feud

With sin and vice, though with a throne endued;
And, in this name, am given out dangerous
By arts, and practice of the vicious,

Such as suspect themselves, and think it fit,
For their own capital crimes, to indict my wit;
I that have suffer'd this; and though forsook
Of fortune, have not alter'd yet my look,
Or so myself abandon'd, as because
Men are not just, or keep no holy laws
Of nature and society, I should faint;

Or fear to draw true lines, 'cause others paint:
I, madam, am become your praiser; where,
If it may stand with your soft blush, to hear
Yourself but told unto yourself, and see
In my charàcter what your features be,

Lady Aubigny.] This lady has been already noticed. She was the daughter and sole heir of sir Gervase Clifton, and was married to lord Aubigny in 1607. The connection with a family so deservedly dear to James I. as the Stewarts, procured a peerage for her father, who was created in the following year, baron Clifton, of Leighton Bromswold, in Nottinghamshire.