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BEN IONSIANA

Informations be Ben Iohnston

to W.. D. when he came to Scotland upon

1619

Certain Informations and maners of Ben Iohnsons to W. Drumond

i that he had ane intention to perfect ane Epick Poeme intitled Heroologia, of the Worthies of this Country, rowsed by fame, and was to dedidicate it to his Country, it is all in Couplets, for he detesteth all other things, said he had written a discourse of Poesie both against Campion & Daniel especially this Last, wher heproves couplets to be the bravest Sort of Verses, especially when they are broken, like Hexameters and that crosse Rimes and Stanzaes (becaus the purpose would lead him beyond 8 lines to conclude) were all forced

2 He recommended to my reading Quintilian (who (he said) would tell me the faults of my Verses as if he had lived with me) and Horace, Plinius 2dus Epistles, Tacitus, Iuvenall, Martiall, whose Epigrame Vitam quæ faciunt Beatiorem etc. he heth translated.

3. his Censure of the English Poets was this, that Censure Sidney did not keep a Decorum in making every one of speak as well as himself.

Sidney

Spencer

Sam:

Daniel

Spencers stanzaes pleased him not, nor his matter, the meaning of which Allegorie he had delivered in Papers to Sir Walter Raughlie.

Samuel Daniel was a good honest man, had no children, bot no poet.

that Michael Draytons Polyabion (if had performed what he promised to writte the deads of all ye worthies had been excellent his long verses pleased him not.

Silvester that Silvesters translation of Du Bartas was not well done, and that he wrote his Verses befor it err he understood to conferr.

of ye translation of

Homer &

Virgill Harington

Warner

Donne

of

Fletcher

nor that of Fairfax his.

that the translations of Homer and Virgill in Long Alexandrines were but Prose.

that Iohn Haringtones Ariosto, under all translations was the worst that when Sir Iohn Harrington desyred him to tell the truth of his Epigrames, he answered him that he loved not the truth, for they were Narrations and not Epigrames.

that Warner since the Kings comming to England had marred all his Albions England.

that Dones Anniversarie was profane and full of Blasphemies that he told Mr. Donne, if it had been written of ye Virgin Marie it had been something to which he answered that he described

the Idea of a Woman and not as she was. that Done)

& Chap- for not keeping of accent deserved hanging.

man

of Shak

spear

5 that next himself only Fletcher and Chapman could make a Maske

I That Shakspear wanted Arte.

Sharpham
Day &

2 that Sharpham, Day, Dicker were all Rogues and of that Minshew was one. 3 That Abram Francis in his English Hexameters Dicker was a Foole.

Minshew

of

Abram

4 His judgement of Stranger Poets was that he thought not Bartas a Poet but a Verser, because he Francis wrote not Fiction.

of

Bartas of

he cursed Petrarch for redacting Verses to Sonnets, which he said were like that Tirrants bed, wher some Petrarch who were too short were racked, others too long cut short.

of

Guarini

of

that Guarini in his Pastor Fido keept not decorum in making shepherds speek as well as himself could. that Lucan taken in parts was Good divided, read all Lucan togidder merited not the name of a Poet

of

Bone

of

that Bonefonius Virgilium Veneris was excellent
that he told Cardinal deperron at his being in France fonius
anno 1613 who shew him his translations of Virgill Cardinall
that they were naught.

that the best pieces of Ronsard were his Odes.
all this was to no purpose, for he neither doeth
understand French nor Italiannes

5 he read his translation of that ode of Horace
Beatus ille qui procul negotiis etc. & admired it.
of ane Epigrame of Petronius

Foeda et brevis est Veneris Voluptas Concluding it was better to lie still and Kisse then p (illegible)

to me he read the Preface of his arte of Poesie upon Horace Arte of poesie wher he heth ane apologie of a Play of his St Bartholomees faire, by Criticus is understood Done.

Perron

of Ronsard

of

Horace

of Petronius

Censure

of Hauthordens Verses

ther is ane Epigrame of Sir Edward Herberts befor it, the he said he had done in my Lord Aubanies House 10 yeers since anno 1604.

The most common place of his repetition was a dialogue pastoral betueen a shepherd & shipherdesse about singing. another Parabostes Pariane with his Letter, that Epigrame of Gout, my Lady Bedfoords Bucke his verses of Drinking, drinke to me bot with thyne Eyes., swell me a Bowle etc., his verses of a Kisse

bot Kisse me once and Faith I will begone

and I will touch as Harmelesse as the Bee
that doeth bot taste the flower and flee away.

that is but half a one, what sould be done but once,
should be done long.

he read a satyre of a Lady come from the Bath. verses on the Pucelle of the Court Mistriss Boulstred, whose Epitaph Done made.

a satyre telling there was no abuses to writte a satyre
of and which he repeateth all the abuses in England
and the world he insisted in that of Martialls vitam
quæ faciunt Beatiorem

6 his censure of my verses was that they were all
good especiallie my Epitaph of the Prince, save that
they smelled too much of ye schooles and were not
after the fancie of ye time for a child says he may
writte after the fashion of ye Greeks & latine verses
in cunning. yett that he wished to please the King.
that piece of Forth-Feasting had been his owne /
7 he esteemeth Iohn Done the first poet in the
World in some things his verses the Lost Chaine, he

heth by Heart & that passage of the calme, that dust and feathers doe not stirr, all was so quiet. affirmeth Done to have written all his best pieces err he was 25 years old.

Sir Edward Wottons verses of a happie lyfe he hath by Heart, and a peice of Chapmans translation of ye 13 of the Iliads, which he thinketh well done. That Done said to him he wrott that Epitaph on Prince Henry Look to me Fath to match Sir Ed: Herbert in obscurenesse

he hath by Heart some verses of Spensers Calender about wyne betueen Coline & percye.

8 the Conceit of Dones transformation or METEμvXwoię was that he sought the soule of that Aple which Eva pulled, and therafter made it the soule of a Bitch, then of of a sheewolf & so of a woman. his generall purpose was to have brought in all the bodies of the Hereticks from ye soule of Cain & at last left it in ye body of Calvin. of this he never wrotte but one sheet, & now since he was made Doctor repenteth highlie & seeketh to destroy all his poems. per 9 that Petronius, Plinius Secundus, Tacitus speke best Latine, that Quintilianes 6. 7. 8. bookes, were not only to be read but altogither digested. Juvenal, Perse, Horace, Martiall for delight & so was Pindar. for Health Hippocrates.

of their Nation Hookers Ecclesiasticall historie (whose children are now beggars) for church matters. Seldens titles of honour for Antiquities here & ane book of the Gods of ye Gentiles whose Names are in the scripture of Seldens.

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