Ben Jonson
Ben Jonson
Benjamin "Ben" Jonsonwas an English playwright, poet, actor and literary critic of the 17th century, whose artistry exerted a lasting impact upon English poetry and stage comedy. He popularised the comedy of humours. He is best known for the satirical plays Every Man in His Humour, Volpone, or The Foxe, The Alchemistand Bartholomew Fayre: A Comedyand for his lyric poetry; he is generally regarded as the second most important English dramatist, after William Shakespeare, during the reign of James I...
NationalityEnglish
ProfessionPoet
Date of Birth11 June 1572
To speak and to speak well, are two things. A fool may talk, but a wise man speaks.
Heaven prepares good men with crosses; but no ill can happen to a good man.
Good men are the stars, the planets of the ages wherein they live, and illustrate the times.
A good man should and must Sit rather down with loss than rise unjust.
If men will impartially, and not asquint, look toward the offices and function of a poet, they will easily conclude to themselves the impossibility of any man's being a good poet without first being a good man.
Good men but see death, the wicked taste it.
A good man will avoid the spot of any sin. The very aspersion is grievous, which makes him choose his way in his life, as he would in his journey.
Queen and huntress, chaste and fair, / Now the sun is laid to sleep, / Seated in thy silver chair, / State in wonted manner keep: / Hesperus entreats thy light, / Goddess, excellently bright.
The fear of every man that heard him was, lest he should make an end.
It is not growing like a tree / In bulk, doth make men better be.
Such sweet neglect more taketh me, / Than all the adulteries of art; / They strike mine eyes, but not my heart.
And though thou hadst small Latin, and less Greek.
This is the very womb and bed of enormity.
He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master.