LIFE OF BEN JONSON.
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EN Jonson was a great scholar, and one of themost considerable dramatic poets of his time, bothwith respect to the merit and number of his produc-tions. He was horn at Westminster, in June 1574,and educated at the public school there, under the greatCamden. He was descended from a Scots family. Hisfather, who lost his estate under queen Mary, dyingbefore our poet was born, and his mother marrying abricklayer for her second husband, Ben was taken fromschool to work at his father-in-law’s trade. Disgustedwith this employment, he went into the Low Coun-tries, and distinguished himself in a military capacity. On his return to England he entered himself at St.John’s College, Cambridge; but how long he conti-nued there, we are not informed. On quitting theuniversity he applied to the stage for a maintenance,and became a member of an obscure company, whichperformed at the Curtain in Shoreditch. At the sametime he turned his thoughts to composition ; but itis generally supposed he was unsuccessful in his firstattempts. His performances as an actor met withvery little more applause ; and to complete his misery,he had the misfortune in a duel to kill his opponent,for which he was committed to prison, but how longhe remained there, or by what methods he obtainedhis liberty, we have no account. It was, however,while in custody for this offence, that he was made aconvert to the church of Rome, in whose communionhe steadily persevered for twelve years. It is supposed, that about this time he became ac-quainted with Shakspeare, who, according to tradi-tion, assisted him in some of his dramatic attempts,and considerably promoted his interest, though hecould not, by means of it, secure himself from thevirulence of Jonson's pen. For many years fromthis period, he produced some piece annually,for the most part with applause, and established hisreputation with the public as one of the supports ofthe English stage.
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