Mr. Black's Lecture

Last evening in Sever 11, Mr. Black delivered an extremely interesting lecture on Ben Jonson.

He first made some preliminary remarks on the development of the drama to the time of Shakespeare. In the very early times there were only vagrant performances,-wandering musicians going from place to place, and playing and reciting in castle halls. Later the church, seeing that through plays was the most efficient means of approaching the people, appropriated the drama. The performances given by it were allegorical and dull, the devil who worked largely in these moralities, alone giving them any liveliness. This continued till the people wanted something more real and natural, and began to develop the drama themselves. They however neglected the unities of action, place and time of the ancient classic drama, and constructed one for themselves. John Heywood in the time of Henry VIII, was the first to represent real persons and scenes on the stage.

It was in the time of Elizabeth, when the passion for the drama was very marked that the Scotchman Ben Jonson came forward. After his father's death his mother married again. This stepfather sent Jonson to Westminster school, where he studied to great advantage. Rumor says that he afterward went to Cambridge, and was expelled, but the fact remains that when he should have been studying he was off to the army. In 1597 he returned to London, but he always retained a certain coarseness of the soldier. At the age of twenty he married and to support his wife found his life long occupation. Acting but poorly he became a cobbler of old plays. He began and ended his life hard up. Early in his career he killed an actor in a duel and was thrown in prison. There he met a Catholic and was converted from the Protestant faith, and when set free a T was branded on his thumb. Later he returned to the English church.

In 1598 he wrote "Every Man in his Humor" which was directly in opposition to all the romantic teaching. Here as in others of his plays, he takes up the humors of the times, as he calls them and satirizes them most vehemently. This continued till he had almost everybody against him. In King James' reign he brought out three well-known comedies, namely "Volpone," "The Silent Woman" and "The Alchemist." In 1613 Jonson went to France to tutor the son of Walter Raleigh, and after returning to England wrote his comedy "The Devil is an Ass," which was directed very strongly against the mania for speculation.

At the age of forty-five he made his immortal journey to Scotland What took him there no one can tell. After returning to London he was made Poet Lauriet, the first as we know it. Despite his income the wolf came to his door, and his life became one round of drink, debt, and medicancy, except when he shut himself up at his work.

Till the end of his life he was absolutely without a rival in literary circles. All humbled themselves in his presence. In 1637 he was struck with palsey and died and was buried in the north isle in Westminster Abbey.