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sidered Sidney's Arcadia "the most excellent work that, in my Judgement, hath been written in any language that I understand."[1]
On another occasion, Ben told the King plainly that "his master, M. G. Buchanan, had corrupted his eare when young, and learned him to sing verses when he should have read them."[2] One may infer that there had been a discussion of the old question as to whether verse stands by metre or sense, in which the King's position was not so ill-taken as in his remarks on English writers. One of Jonson's epigrams, To King James (No. IV), plays on the familiar theme of his excellence as prince and poet:
"How, best of kings, dost thou a scepter bear ?
How, best of poets, dost thou laurel wear ?
But two things rare the Fates had in their store,
And gave thee both, to show they could no more.
For such a poet, while thy days were green,
Thou wert, as chief of them are said t' have been.
And such a prince thou art, we daily see,
As chief of those still promise they will be.
Whom should my muse then fly to, but the best
Of kings, for grace; of poets, for my test."
Tribute of this sort may be discounted; but it is more significant that the copy of the Poeticall Exercises at vacant houres which Gillies used in preparing his reprint contained the inscription,—
"Tanquam Explorator.
Ben. Jonson."
—and numerous corrections of spelling in the handwriting of the poet.[3] "I am arrived safely," wrote Jonson to Drummond (May 10, 1619) on his return from Scotland, "with a most Catholick Welcome, and my Reports not unacceptable to His Majesty: He professed (I thank God) some Joy to
