The Lives and Characters of the English Dramatick Poets/Benjamin Johnson
Benjamin Johnson.
WEstminster gave him Birth, and the First Rudiments of his Learning, under Mr. Cambden; which St. John’s-College of Cambridge, and Christ-Church of Oxon finish’d, where he took his Master of Arts Degree; Necessity drove him thence, to follow his Father-in-Law’s Trade of a Bricklayer; working at Lincoln’s-Inn, with a Trowel in his Hand, and Horace in his Pocket, he found a Patron that set him free from that Slavish Employment. He was of an open, free Temper; blunt and haughty to his Antagonists and Criticks; a Jovial and Pleasant Companion; was Poet Laureat to James and Charles the First. He died in the Sixty Third Year of his Age, An. Dom. 1637. and is buried in Westminster-Abby, near the Belfry, with only this Epitaph:
- O RARE BEN. JOHNSON.
His Dramatick Pieces, about Fifty in Number, follow:
The Alchymist, a Comedy, Acted by the King’s Majesty’s Servants, first, 1610. and afterwards printed, viz. 1640. and 1692.
Bartholomew-Fair, a Comedy, Fol. 1640. and 1692. Acted first at the Hope, on the Bank-side, 1614, by the Lady Elizabeth’s Servants, and Dedicated to King James the First; and Acted with good Applause, since King Charles the Second’s Restauration.
Cateline his Conspiracy, a Tragedy, Fol. 1640. and 1692. and in 4 to. 1611. Acted first by the King’s Majesty’s Servants, 1611. and sometimes since the Restauration, with good Applause. Is Dedicated to William, then Earl of Pembrock. Plot from Salust. Hist. Plutarch in Vit. Cit.
Challenge at Tilt, at a Marriage, a Masque, Fol. 1640, and 1692.
Christmas’s Masque, Fol. 1640, and 1692. This was first Presented at Court, 1616.
Cloridïa, or, Rites to Cloris, a Masque, Fol. 1692. presented by the Queen’s Majesty, and her Ladies at Court, at Shrovetide, 1630. Mr. Inigo Jones assisted in the Invention hereof.
Cynthia’s Revels, or, the Fountain of Self-Love; a Comedy, Fol. 1640. and 1692. Acted by the Children of Queen Elizabeth’s Chappel. 1600.
Devil’s an Aß, a Comedy, Fol. 1641. and 1692. Acted by his Majesty’s Servants, 1616. See Boccace’s Novels, Day 3. Nov. 5.
Entertainment at King James the First his Coronation; Fol. 1692. This contains only Gratulatory Speeches at the said Coronation, with a Comment by the Author to illustrate the same.
Entertainment of King James and Queen Ann, at Theobalds; Fol. 1640. and 1692.
Entertainment of the King of England, and the King of Denmark, at Theobalds, July 24, 1606. Fol. 1640. and 1692.
Entertainment of the King and Queen on May-Day, at Sir William Cornwallis’s House at High-gate, 1604. Fol. 1640. and 1692.
Entertainment of the Queen and Prince at Althrop; this was the 25th of June, 1603. at the Lord Spencer’s House there, at their coming First into the Kingdom. Fol. 1640. and 1692.
Every Man in his Humour, a Comedy, Fol. 1640. and 1692. Acted first in the Year 1598. by the then Lord Chamberlain’s Servants, and Dedicated to Mr. Cambden, Clarenceux. It has been reviv’d and Acted since the Restauration, with good Applause, and a new Epilogue writ for the same, part of it spoken by Ben. Johnson’s Ghost.[1]
Every Man out of his Humour, a Comedy, Fol. 1640. and 1692. Acted by the then Lord Chamberlain’s Servants. This was also revived and Acted at the Theatre Royal, 1675. with a new Prologue and Epilogue, writ by Mr. Duffet, and spoken by Joseph Haynes.[2]
Fortunate Isles, a Masque, Fol. 1641. and 1692. design’d for the Court on Twelfth Night, 1626.
Golden Age Restored, a Masque, Fol. 1641. and 1692. This was presented at Court by the Lords and Gentlemen, the King’s Servants 1626.
Hymnæi, or, The Solemnities of a Masque and Barriers at a Marriage, Fol. 1692. See the Learned Marginal Notes, for the Illustration of the Greek and Roman Customs.
Irish Masque at Court Fol. 1692. presented at Court by Gentlemen, the Kings Servants.
King’s Entertainment, at Welbeck, in Nottinghamshire, Fol. 1692. This Entertainment was at the then Earl, since Duke of Newcastle’s House, 1633.
Love freed from Ignorance and Folly, a Masque, Fol. 1692.
Love Restored, a Masque, Fol. 1692. presented at Court by Gentleman the King’s Servants.
Love’s Triumph thro’ Callipolis, a Masque, Fol. 1692, perform’d at Court by his late Majesty King Charles the First, with the Lords and Gentlemen assisting, 1630. Mr. Johnson and Mr. Inigo Jones join’d in the Invention.
Love’s Welcome, an Entertainment for the King and Queen, at the then Earl of 'Newcastle’s at Bolsover, 1634. and Printed Fol. 1692.
Magnetick Lady, or, Humours Reconciled, a Comedy, Fol. 1640. and 1692. Acted at the Black Fryars. This Play occasioned some Difference or Jarring, between Dr. Gill, Master of Paul’s School, and our Author, Ben. as appears by a Satyrical Copy of Verses writ by the former, and as sharp a Repartee by the latter.
Masque at the Lord Hadington’s Marriage, presented at Court on Shrove-Tuesday-Night, 1608. Printed Fol. 1692.
Masque of Augurs, Fol. 1692. This was presented on Twelfth-Night, 1622. with several Anti-masques.
Masque of Owls, at Kenelworth, Fol. 1692. In this Presentation there was the Ghost of Captain Cox, mounted on his Hobby-Horse.
Masque of Queens, celebrated from the House of Fame, by the Queen of Great Britain, with her Ladies, at White-Hall, Feb. 2, 1609. Fol. 1692. See the Marginal Notes. The Author was assisted by Mr. Inigo Jones, in the Invention and Architecture of the Scenes belonging thereto.
Masque at the Lord Hayes House, Fol. 1692. This was presented by divers Noblemen, for the Entertainment of Monsieur Le Baron de Tour, Ambassador Extraordinary from the French King. 1617.
Metamorphosed Gipsies, A Masque, Fol. 1692. presented to King James the First, at Burleigh on the Hill, at Belvoyr, and at Windsor-Castle. 1621.
Mercury Vindicated from the Alchymists at Court, a Masque, Fol. 1692. presented by Gentlemen, the King’s Servants.
Mortimer’s Fall, a Tragedy, Fol. 1640. and 1692. This was not quite finish’d by the Author, but left imperfect, by reason of his Death.
Neptune’s Triumph for the Return of Albion, a Masque, Fol. 1692. presented at Court on Twelfth-Night, 1624.
News from the New World discovered in the Moon, a Masque, Fol. 1692. presented also before King James the First, 1620.
Oberon, the Fairy Prince, a Masque of Prince Henry’s, Fol. 1692. The Author has divers Annotations on this Play.
Pan’s Anniversary, or, The Shepherds Holyday, a Masque, Fol. 1692. This was presented at Court before King James the First. Mr. Inigo Jones assisted our Author in the Decorations.
Pleasure reconciled to Vertue, a Masque, Fol. 1692. This was also presented at Court, before King James the First, 1619. Hereto were some Additions for the Honour of Wales.
Poetaster, or, His Arraignment, a Comedy, Fol. 1692. Acted by the Children of his Majesty’s Chappel, 1601. This Play is adorned with several Translations from the Ancients. See Ovid’s Elegies, Lib. 1. Eleg. 15. Horat. Sat. Lib. 2. Sat. 9. and Lib. 2. Sat. 1, &c.
Queen’s Masque of Blackness, Fol. 1692. This was Personated at the Court at White-Hall, on the Twelfth-Night, 1605.
QueenHer Masque of Beauty, Fol. 1692. This also was presented at the same Court, at White-Hall, on the Sunday-Night after the Twelfth-Night, 1608.
Sad Shepherd, or, A Tale of Robin Hood, a Pastoral, Fol. 1692. This Play has but Two intire Acts, finish’d, and a Third left imperfect.
Sejanus’s Fall, a Tragedy, Fol. 1692, first Acted by the King’s Majesties Servants, 1603. Plot from Tacitus, Suetonius, Seneca, &c. There is an Edition of this Play 4 to. 1605. by the Author’s own Orders, with all the Quotations from whence he borrowed any thing of his Play.
Silent Woman, a Comedy, fol. 1692. Acted First by the Children of her Majesty’s Revels, 1609. Act J. Scene I. borrowed from Ovid de Arte Amandi: Act. II. Scene II. Part from Juvenal, Sat. 6. Act II. Scene V. from Plaut. Auricular, Act 3. Scene 5, &c. This Play has been in good Esteem, and for a farther Commendation you are refer’d to Mr. Dryden’s Examen.[3]
Speeches at Prince Henry’s Barriers, Fol. 1692. These are indeed Printed among his Masques, but cannot be accounted one; only reckoned so in former Catalogues.
Staple of News, a Comedy, Fol. 1692. Acted by his Majesty’s Servants. In this Play Four Gossips appear on the Stage, criticising on the same, during the whole Action.
Tale of a Tub, a Comedy, Fol. 1692.
Time vindicated to himself and his Honors, a Masque, Fol. 1692. This was presented at Court on Twelfth-Night, 1623.
Vision of Delight, a Masque, Fol. 1692. This was also presented at Court in Christmas, 1617.
Vulpone, or, The Fox, a Comedy, Fol. 1692. Acted by the King’s Majesty’s Servants. This is writ in Imitation of the Comedies of the Ancients.
The before mentioned Plays, and other Poems, &c. were formerly printed together in Two Volumes, Fol. 1640. and 1641. but Three other Plays which are there omitted, are hereunder mentioned, and may be found in the late Edition, printed 1692.
The Case is Altered, a Comedy, 4 to. 1609, and fol. 1692. This was sundry times Acted by the Children of the Black Fryars. See Plautus’s Comed., &c.
The Widow, a Comedy, 4 to. 1652. and fol. 1692. Acted at the Private House in Black Fryars, by his late Majesty’s Servants, with good Applause. Fletcher and Middleton joyn’d with the above Author in this Play, which has been reviv’d since the Restauration, at the King’s House, with a new Prologue and Epilogue.[4]
The New-Inn, or, The Light Heart, a Comedy, 8 vo. 1631. This (says our Author’s Title) was never Acted, but most negligently play’d, by some of the King’s Servants, and more squeamishly beheld, and censured by others, the King’s Subjects, 1629. Now at last set at Liberty to the Readers, his Majesty’s Servants and Subjects, to be judged.
These last, with all the beforegoing Plays, Masques, and Entertainments, with an English Grammar, are now published together in one large Volume, fol. 1692.