Note 136 — AN ESSAY OF DRAMATIC POESY.
Reading edition
The insolence with which the dry and dogged Jonson used to carp at Shakespeare, is highly illustrative of that jealousy with which he is taxed by Drummond of Hawthornden. The most memorable attack on Shakespeare, on the score mentioned in the text, is the prologue to "Every Man in his Humour."
Though need make many poets, and some such As art and nature have not bettered much; Yet ours, for want, hath not so loved the stage, As he dare serve the ill customs of the age, Or purchase your delight at such a rate, As, for it, he himself must justly hate: To make a child new swaddled, to proceed Man, and then shoot up in one beard and weed, Past threescore years; or with three rusty swords, And help of some few foot, and half-foot words, Fight over York, and Lancaster's long jars, And in the tyring-house bring wounds to scars. He rather prays, you will be pleased to see One such to day, as other plays should be; Where neither chorus wafts you o'er the seas, Nor creaking throne comes down, the boys to please, Nor nimble squib is seen, to make afeard The gentlewomen; nor rolled bullet heard To say, it thunders; nor tempestuous drum Rumbles, to tell you when the storm doth come; But deeds, and language, such as men do use, And persons, such as comedy would chuse; When she would shew an image of the times, And sport with human follies, not with crimes; Except we make them such, by loving still Our popular errors, as you'll all confess, By laughing at them, they deserve no less: Which when you heartily do, there's hope left, then You, that have so graced monsters, may like men.
In "Every Man Out of his Humour," the same sneer is directed against the same quarter:
"Mit. He cannot alter the scene without crossing the seas.
"Cor. He need not, having a whole island to run through, I thinke.
"Mit. No! how comes it then that in some one play we see so many seas, countries, and kingdoms passed over with such admirable dexteritie?
"Cor. O, that but shews how well the authors can travaile in their vocation, and outrun the apprehension of their auditorie."