JONSON, BENJAMIN, was born at Westminster in the year 1574, and educated at Westminster School, where Camden was his master, as he mentions in the dedication of 'Every Man in his Humour.' Jonson's father had died just before his son's birth. His widow about two years afterwards married a second husband, by trade a bricklayer, and when Jenson became of sufficient ago to be employed, he worked at his father-in-law's business. According to Fuller, he soon left it and went to the University of Cambridge, hut was obliged from necessitous circumstances speedily to return, and was employed in the new structure of Lincoln's Inc. According to Wood, souse geutlemeu who saw him working with his father took compassion on him, and he was sent by Camden to Sir Walter Raleigh, whose son he attended on his travels on the Contiuent. On his return ho went to Cambridge. According to another account, before going to Cambridge he served as a soldier in the Low Countries, and the statement seems to be confirmed by one of his own epigrams. The fact is, that the early part of his life is quite uncertain, though it is well known that on leaving Cambridge he betook himself to the stage, where he proved but an indifferent actor and at first an indifferent author. While a retainer to the stage he had the misfortune to kill a man in a duel, and was committed to prison, where the visits of a Roman Catholic priest converted him to the Church of Rome. Twelve years after wards he returned to the Church of England.
It was in the year 1598 that his fame rose hy the production of the comedy of Every Man in his Humour,' at the Globe Theatre, and from this time he adopted the practice of writing a play a year, for several successive years. 'Every Man out of his Humour' was meted at the Globe; ' Cynthia's Revels,' which the author has called not a comedy, but a comical satire, was performed by the children of Queen Elizabeth's chapel, as was also another comical satire, ' The Poetaster.' This last piece was occasioned by a quarrel with Decker, who is satirised cruder the name of Crispinus. Decker retaliated by a play entitled 'Satiromestix; in which Jewett appears under the title of Young Home. JOUSOU'S tragedy of Sejanus ' was produced in 1603, and his noble play of Volpone appeared two years afterwards.
About this time he was committed to prison with Chapman and Marston, the three poets having written the comedy of 'Eastward hoe ' (printed in Dodsley's oollection), which contained some reflections on the Scota. They wore in danger of losing their ears and their noses, but were soon pardoned and released. It is said that Jonson's mother intended to poison herself, if the punishment had been inflicted. Being much occupied with court masques, in the writing of which he had acquired great celebrity, Jenson did not produce another (in the strict sense of the word) till 1609, when his Epiemne' was acted, which is regarded by Dryden as a perfect comedy. The Alchemist' appeared in 1010, and though more deservedly reckoned one of the best of his works, was uo great favourite with the public. Its ill success is ascribed by some to a party raised against him. Dryden has supposed that the 'Alchemist' was written in imitation of a piece called Albumazar ' (in Doehiley'a collection), but the style and general conduct of the two pieces are so very different that there scarcely seems a reason for supposing any imitation other than the mere oiretunstanee that both plays satirise pretended adepts. In 1611 appeared the tragedy of • Catiline,' in which the long speeches translated from Cicero and Sallust called forth animadversions, which were disregarded by the author, as he gloried iu plagiarisms which served to exhibit his learning. After the production of 'Bartholomew Fair' in 1614, and the 'Devil is an Ass' in 1616, he published his works in folio, and soon after retired to live in Christchurch, Oxford, whither lie had been invited by several members. In 1619 he became poet laureate, and received au annual stipend of 1001. and a tierce of Spanish wine. The condemna tion of The New Inn,' which he produced in 1623, nearly disgusted him with the stage, though he afterwards wrote 'The Magnetic Lady' and ' The Tale of a Tub,' which are considered inferior productions. Ile nppears to have suffered much from poverty in the latter part of his life. Ile died on the 6th of August 1637, and was buried three days afterwards in Westminster Abbey. His monument, inscribed "0 Rare Ben Jenson," is familiar to every person who has visited the Abbey.