Page:Biographical and critical studies by James Thomson ("B.V.").djvu/129

BEN JONSON 113 Milton and Dryden. " That Sir R. Aiton loved him dearly. That Chapman and Fletcher were loved of him. That next himself, only Fletcher and Chapman could make a Mask. That Sir John Roe loved him ; and when they two were ushered by my lord Suffolk from a Mask, Roe wrott a moral Epistle to him, which began, ' That next to playes, the Church and the State were the best. God threateneth Kings, Kings Lords^ as Lords do us.^ — Sir John Roe was an infinite spender, and used to say, when he had no more to spende he could die. He died in his armes of the pest, and he furnished his charges 20 lb. ; which was given him back. — S. W. [Raleigh] heth written the lyfe of Queen Elizabeth, of which ther is copies extant. — He was Master of Arts in both the Universities by their favour, not his studie. — He can set horoscopes, but trusts not in them. He with the consent of a friend cousened a lady, with whom he had made ane appointment to meet ane old Astrologer, in the suburbs, which she keeped ; and it was himself dis- gysed in a longe gowne and a whyte beard at the light of dimm burning candles, up in a little cabinet reached unto by a ledder. — Being at the end of my Lord Salisburie's table with Inigo Jones, and de- manded by my Lord, Why he was not glad ? ' My Lord,' said he, 'yow promised I should dine with yow, bot I doe not,' for he had none of his meate ; he esteemed only that his meate which was of his own dish. — He heth consumed a whole night in lying looking to his great toe, about which he hath seen Tartars and Turks, Romans and Carthaginians, feight in his own imagination. [Col. Cunningham notes : Jonson was a free liver, and loved generous wines. H