"
Ben Jonson was of a north-country family from the Annan district that
produced Thomas Carlyle.
Ben Jonson was of a north-country family from the Annan district that
produced Thomas Carlyle.
Ben Jonson - Discoveries Made Upon Men, and Some Poems
The Project Gutenberg eBook, Discoveries Made Upon Men and Matter, by Ben
Jonson, Edited by Henry Morley
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www. gutenberg. org
Title: Discoveries Made Upon Men and Matter
and Some Poems
Author: Ben Jonson
Editor: Henry Morley
Release Date: August 14, 2014 [eBook #5134]
[This file was first posted on May 10, 2002]
Language: English
Character set encoding: UTF-8
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISCOVERIES MADE UPON MEN AND
MATTER***
Transcribed from the 1892 Cassell & Company edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf. org
CASSELL'S NATIONAL LIBRARY.
* * * * *
DISCOVERIES
_MADE UPON MEN AND MATTER_
AND
SOME POEMS
BY
BEN JOHNSON.
[Picture: Decorative graphic]
CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED:
_LONDON_, _PARIS & MELBOURNE_.
1892.
INTRODUCTION
BEN JONSON'S "Discoveries" are, as he says in the few Latin words
prefixed to them, "A wood--Sylva--of things and thoughts, in Greek '? ? ? '"
[which has for its first meaning material, but is also applied peculiarly
to kinds of wood, and to a wood], "from the multiplicity and variety of
the material contained in it. For, as we are commonly used to call the
infinite mixed multitude of growing trees a wood, so the ancients gave
the name of Sylvae--Timber Trees--to books of theirs in which small works of
various and diverse matter were promiscuously brought together. "
In this little book we have some of the best thoughts of one of the most
vigorous minds that ever added to the strength of English literature.
The songs added are a part of what Ben Jonson called his "Underwoods.
"
Ben Jonson was of a north-country family from the Annan district that
produced Thomas Carlyle. His father was ruined by religious persecution
in the reign of Mary, became a preacher in Elizabeth's reign, and died a
month before the poet's birth in 1573. Ben Jonson, therefore, was about
nine years younger than Shakespeare, and he survived Shakespeare about
twenty-one years, dying in August, 1637. Next to Shakespeare Ben Jonson
was, in his own different way, the man of most mark in the story of the
English drama. His mother, left poor, married again. Her second husband
was a bricklayer, or small builder, and they lived for a time near
Charing Cross in Hartshorn Lane. Ben Jonson was taught at the parish
school of St. Martin's till he was discovered by William Camden, the
historian. Camden was then second master in Westminster School. He
procured for young Ben an admission into his school, and there laid firm
foundations for that scholarship which the poet extended afterwards by
private study until his learning grew to be sworn-brother to his wit.
Ben Jonson began the world poor. He worked for a very short time in his
step-father's business. He volunteered to the wars in the Low Countries.
He came home again, and joined the players. Before the end of
Elizabeth's reign he had written three or four plays, in which he showed
a young and ardent zeal for setting the world to rights, together with
that high sense of the poet's calling which put lasting force into his
work. He poured contempt on those who frittered life away.
Jonson, Edited by Henry Morley
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www. gutenberg. org
Title: Discoveries Made Upon Men and Matter
and Some Poems
Author: Ben Jonson
Editor: Henry Morley
Release Date: August 14, 2014 [eBook #5134]
[This file was first posted on May 10, 2002]
Language: English
Character set encoding: UTF-8
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK DISCOVERIES MADE UPON MEN AND
MATTER***
Transcribed from the 1892 Cassell & Company edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf. org
CASSELL'S NATIONAL LIBRARY.
* * * * *
DISCOVERIES
_MADE UPON MEN AND MATTER_
AND
SOME POEMS
BY
BEN JOHNSON.
[Picture: Decorative graphic]
CASSELL & COMPANY, LIMITED:
_LONDON_, _PARIS & MELBOURNE_.
1892.
INTRODUCTION
BEN JONSON'S "Discoveries" are, as he says in the few Latin words
prefixed to them, "A wood--Sylva--of things and thoughts, in Greek '? ? ? '"
[which has for its first meaning material, but is also applied peculiarly
to kinds of wood, and to a wood], "from the multiplicity and variety of
the material contained in it. For, as we are commonly used to call the
infinite mixed multitude of growing trees a wood, so the ancients gave
the name of Sylvae--Timber Trees--to books of theirs in which small works of
various and diverse matter were promiscuously brought together. "
In this little book we have some of the best thoughts of one of the most
vigorous minds that ever added to the strength of English literature.
The songs added are a part of what Ben Jonson called his "Underwoods.
"
Ben Jonson was of a north-country family from the Annan district that
produced Thomas Carlyle. His father was ruined by religious persecution
in the reign of Mary, became a preacher in Elizabeth's reign, and died a
month before the poet's birth in 1573. Ben Jonson, therefore, was about
nine years younger than Shakespeare, and he survived Shakespeare about
twenty-one years, dying in August, 1637. Next to Shakespeare Ben Jonson
was, in his own different way, the man of most mark in the story of the
English drama. His mother, left poor, married again. Her second husband
was a bricklayer, or small builder, and they lived for a time near
Charing Cross in Hartshorn Lane. Ben Jonson was taught at the parish
school of St. Martin's till he was discovered by William Camden, the
historian. Camden was then second master in Westminster School. He
procured for young Ben an admission into his school, and there laid firm
foundations for that scholarship which the poet extended afterwards by
private study until his learning grew to be sworn-brother to his wit.
Ben Jonson began the world poor. He worked for a very short time in his
step-father's business. He volunteered to the wars in the Low Countries.
He came home again, and joined the players. Before the end of
Elizabeth's reign he had written three or four plays, in which he showed
a young and ardent zeal for setting the world to rights, together with
that high sense of the poet's calling which put lasting force into his
work. He poured contempt on those who frittered life away.
