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The Works of Ben Jonson, With Notes, and a Biogr. Memoir, by W. Gifford. With Intr. and Appendices by F. Cunningham
The Works of Ben Jonson With Notes and a Biogr Memoir by W Gifford With Intr and Appendices by F Cunningham Author:Ben Jonson General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1875 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: "The Induction to the Staple of News, 1625, contains a sneer at Julius C(esar" " Other passages in Jonson might be mentioned in support of his ridiculing Shakspeare, but being quoted hereafter they are here omitted." p. 542. This is kind! -- but why were all these produced ? Nothing led to it but an overflowing of rancour, for the subject was the date of Henry V. with which none of them have anything to do. -- " But," continues Mr. Malone, " notwithstanding these proofs," (so he calls this medley of absurdity and falsehood,) " Jon- son's malevolence to Shakspeare has been doubted by Mr. Pope and others." Full of amazement at such want of faith, he proceeds to overwhelm their incredulity by the aid of another " proof; " and we have, once more, " the character of Jonson by his intimate friend Mr. Drummond of Hawthornden! " Assurance is thus made doubly sure, and Mr. Malone turns the page. " Ben Jonson has in many places endeavoured to ridicule Shakspeare for representing battles on the stage." p. 561. Again : " he ridicules him in his Silent Woman. ' I would sit out a play that was nothing but fights at sea, drum, trumpet, and target.' p. 562. Well! but the prologue to Henry VIII. mentions the noise of targets. How is this ! Did Shakspeare ridicule himself ? By no means, exclaim the commentators ; for this prologue must have been written after Shak- speare's departure from the stage, by Ben Jonson." Malone to be distinctly pointed at in this passage, happens to be the only writer whom we can positively affirm not to be pointed at. So far from being one of the poets of the Children of the Revels, he w...« less