Note

THE ORIGINAL manuscript of Drummond's Notes has never been discovered. A copy, however, was made by Sir Robert Sibbald some time late in the seventeenth century and is now in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, bound with other papers in a volume marked Adversaria (Advocates MS. 33.3.19). This copy was unearthed by the late David Laing and edited by him for the Shakespeare Society in 1842. A new and independent transcript of Sibbald's manuscript has been made for our reprint by Miss B. B. Hutchen, which is here printed without any emendation.

I should like to express my warm thanks to Mr. W. K. Dickson, Librarian of the Advocates' Library, for his help in the preparation of the Transcript.

G. B. H.

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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.

of

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

Sidney

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

Sam:
Daniel

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

& Chap

man

of

Shak

spear

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
for not keeping of accent deserved hanging.

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

I That Shakspear wanted Arte.

of Sharpham Day &

2 that Sharpham, Day, Dicker were all Rogues and 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 Hau

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 thordens 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