M CRITIQDE.
33 lines✦
luellen. Bobadil is a braggart, and maybe openlyseen on the Roman stage, and is more obscurely sha-dowed out in some bye and secret places, where Jon-son knew to look for him. Witness this sketch fromthe fragmcntof Phoenicides: — “ No sooner did I buckle to this business, “ Than straight behold a man of war assailed me: “ He told me of his battles o’er and o’er, “ Shew’d me good stock of scars, but none of cosh j** No, not a doit — but still he vapoured much** Of what a certain prince would do, and talk’d“ Of this and that commission — in the clouds — ” Observer, No. 147 -I can well believe that Jonson kept a sharp andjealous eye upon Shakspeare ; and some unfriendlystrictures are upon record, that do no credit to his can-dour: but though he was not fully able to emulatehim, I think he was far too proud to imitate him ;and when he found he wanted speed to keep pace withhim, he silly struck into another road to avoid theshame of being distanced. In the comedy nowwaiting for the reader’s perusal, the scene in the thirdact, between Kitely and his cashier, smells so strongof the lamp, and is laboured with such care and art,that l can well believe our poet had the situation ofKing John with Hubert in his thoughts, and stroveto shew as much finesse in his hero, as Shakspeatehas displayed in the conduct of his more interestingdilemma. But it is my humble opinion, that Jonson’sscene, though touched with exquisite art, is spun outto a degree of attenuation ; and that the poet of naturecasts his gold in bars, whilst the poet of art draws hisiulo wire.
✦