Aubrey also gives the following personal characteristics of Bacon which are interesting:

His Lordship would many times have music in the next roome where he meditated. Every meale, according to the season of the yeare, he had his table strewed with sweet herbes and flowers, which he sayd did refresh his spirits and memorie. He would often drinke a good draught of strong beer to-bed-wards, to lay his working fancy asleep; which otherwise would keepe him from sleeping great part of the night. He had a delicate, lively hazel eie; Dr. Harvey told me it was like the eie of a viper.

BEN JONSON.

BEN JONSON was born in 1573, and was therefore nine years younger than Shakspere, to whom he stood nearest of all his fellows in poetical genius, though still so unlike him and so inferior.

He was born in London, but his father and grandfather were men of Annandale, the region which Thomas Carlyle's name has ennobled. The little Benjamin was sent to Westminster School, where Camden, the famous antiquary, was one of the masters, and the poet gratefully makes mention of him

Camden! most reverend head, to whom I owe

All that I am in arts, all that I know;

and this is no slight praise, for not more than one or two English poets have been equally learned with Jonson, or have made equally good use of their learning.

From school he went, as some think, to Cambridge for a short time; but this is very doubtful. Others think that he helped his stepfather (Ben's own father died a

month before the boy was born), who was a bricklayer or builder living in St. Martin's Lane. But it is certain that he soon afterwards enlisted as a soldier and went to the wars in the Netherlands, and in after years he boasted of the deeds of valour he performed there.

At the age of nineteen or twenty he was again in London, and married, and, like Shakspere, he became an actor, and a writer of plays, or perhaps at first only a mender of old plays. His chief paymaster was Henslowe, who, with Edward Alleyn, was proprietor of the Fortune,' the Rose,' and other theatres.

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In 1598 Jonson quarrelled with a fellow-actor and killed him in a duel in Hoxton Fields, and narrowly escaped hanging in consequence. Henslowe in anger cast him off, but he was kindly received by the Lord Chamberlain's men, and his first great play, 'Every Man in His Humour,' was brought out at the Blackfriars' or the Globe,' and Shakspere himself was one of the actors.

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This incident affords a pleasing example of Shakspere's genial and generous nature, for the plan of the new play was not such as he could himself approve. The romantic drama, with its disregard of the unities, with its rapid transitions to distant times and places, was condemned by Jonson, and in each of his chief plays the time of the action is limited to a few hours, and there is but slight change of scene.

In the prologue to 'Every Man in His Humour' Jonson does not hesitate to say that his own plan is the best. He will not, even to gain the applause of the audience,

Make a child, now swadled, to proceede

Man, and then shoote up, in one beard, and weede
Past three-score yeeres: or, with three rustie swords,
And helpe of some few foot-and-halfe foote words
Fight over Yorke and Lancasters long jarres;
And in the tyring-house bring wounds to scarres.
He rather prayes you will be pleased to see
One such, to-day, as other playes should be.
Where neither chorus waftes you ore the seas;

Nor creaking throne comes downe, the boyes to please;
Nor nimble squibbe is seene, to make afear'd
The gentlewomen; nor roul'd bullet heard
To say it thunders; nor tempestuous drumme
Rumbles, to tell you when the storme doth come;
But deedes, and language, such as men doe use;
And persons, such as Comœdie would chuse,
When she would shew an image of the times,

And sport with humane follies, not with crimes.

The characters in the play are well drawn, and together they form a very amusing company. There is Edward Knowell the elder, a grave and worthy gentleman living at Hoxton, busied in gardening, and proud of his apricots, but feeling over-anxious about his son, the young Edward, who, with Wellbred, another wild youth, is too fond of a frolic in the taverns of the Old Jewry.

Then there is Master Stephen, a country gull or simpleton, a cousin of Knowell's, who is taken to task by the old gentleman for his foolish behaviour: What would you ha' me do?' says poor empty-headed Stephen

What would I have you doe? I'll tell you, kinsman :
Learne to be wise, and practise how to thrive,
That would I have you doe; and not to spend

Your coyne on every bable, that you phansie,
Or every foolish braine, that humors you.
I would not have you to invade each place,
Nor thrust yourselfe on all societies,

Till men's affections, or your owne desert,
Should worthily invite you to youre ranke.
Nor would I, you should melt away your selfe
In flashing brav'rie, least while you affect
To make a blaze of gentrie to the world,
A little puffe of scorne extinguish it,
And you be left, like an unsav'rie snuffe,
Whose propertie is only to offend.

Nor stand so much on your gentilitie,

Which is an aërie, and meere borrow'd thing

From dead men's dust and bones, and none of yours
Except you make or hold it.

The most amusing character in the play is Captain Bobadill, a needy braggart whose mouth is full of strange oaths-' By the foot of Pharaoh!' and the like—and who is greatly admired by Master Stephen, the country gull, and by Master Matthew, the town gull. Master Matthew seeks out the Captain in his dingy lodging, and after some talk the hero says:

Come put on your cloke, and wee'll goe to some private place, where you are acquainted-some taverne or so--and have a bit. What money ha' you about you, Master Matthew?

Matt. Faith I ha' not past a two shillings, or so.

Bob. 'Tis somewhat with the least; but, come. We will have a bunch of redish, and salt to tast our wine; and a pipe of tabacco to close the orifice of the stomach.

Then when they have reached the Wind-mill' tavern, and his heart is warmed with wine, his bragging is wonderful

O Lord, sir, by St. George, I was the first man that entred the breach and had I not effected it with resolution, I had beene slaine if I had had a million of lives. They had planted mee three demi-cul. verings just in the mouth of the breach; now, sir (as wee were to goe on), their master gunner (a man of no meane skille and marke, you must think) confronts mee with his linstock, readie to give fire: I spying his intendment, discharg'd my petrionel in his bosome, and with these

single armes, my poore rapier, ranne violently upon the Moores that guarded the ordnance, and put 'hem pell-mell to the sword.

Bobadill is a great consumer of tobacco.

Body o' me! here's the remainder of seven pounds since yesterday was seven night. 'Tis your right Trinidado: did you never take any, Master Stephen?

Stephen. No, truly, sir; but I'le learne to take it now, commend it so.

since you

Bobadill. Sir, beleeve mee, upon my relation for what I tell you, the world shal not reprove. I have been in the Indies where this herb growes, where neither myselfe, nor a dozen gentlemen more (of my knowledge), have received the tast of any other nutriment in the world, for the space of one and twentie weekes but the fume of this simple onely; therefore, it cannot be, but 'tis most divine.

Later in the play, while walking through the Moorfields, the Captain boasts of his skill in fencing, and of the fierce envy and hatred which he has excited in the breasts of less skilful swordsmen

They have assaulted me some three, foure, five, six of them together, as I have walkt alone in divers skirts i' the towne as Turnebull, White. chapell, Shoreditch, which were then my quarters; and since, upon the Exchange, at my lodging, and at my ordinarie; where I have driven them afore me the whole length of a street, in the open view of all our gallants, pitying to hurt them, beleeve me.

Then he explains how he might serve the nation if only the Queen knew his worth-

Were I knowne to her Majestie and the Lords-observe me--I would undertake, upon this poore head and life, for the publique benefit of the State, not only to spare the intire lives of her subjects in generall, but to save the one halfe, nay, three parts of her yeerely charge in holding warre, and against what enemie soever. And how would I doe it, think you?

Knowell. Nay, I know not, nor can I conceive.

Bobadill. Why thus, sir. I would select nineteene more to myselfe, throughout the land; gentlemen they should bee of good spirit, strong and able constitution; I would choose them by an instinct, a character