Page:Biographical and critical studies by James Thomson ("B.V.").djvu/103

 I BEN JONSON, 87 Set high in spirit with the precious taste Of sweet philosophy; and, which is most, Crowned with the rich traditions of a soul. That hates to have her dignity prophaned With any relish of an earthly thought, Oh ! then how proud a presence doth she bear ! Then is she like herself, fit to be seen Of none but grave and consecrated eyes." In the words of Gifford : " These lines, which were probably written before he had attained his twenty- second [twenty-third] year, do not discredit him ; and let it be added to his honour, that he invariably sup- ported, through every period of his chequered life, the lofty character with which his youthful fancy had invested the Muse." It may be noticed also, with regard to the "sacred invention," poesy's "peculiar food," that he always insisted on this, calling " versers," not poets, such as had not manifested this high faculty, whatever their merits. Keats thought in like manner. When about the same age as Jonson he wrote thus : " Besides, a long poem is a test of Invention, which I take to be the polar- star of poetry, as Fancy is the sails, and Imagination the rudder. . . . This same Invention seems, indeed, of late years to have been forgotten as a poetical excellence." This year, i598,^in which he made his first decisive step towards fame and fortune, had almost brought his career to an abrupt close. He informed Drummond that, " being appealed to the fields, he had killed his adversarie, which had hurt him in the arme, and whose sword was i o inches longer than his ; for the which he was emprissoned, and almost at the gallowes. Then took he his religion by trust, of a priest who visited him in prisson. Thereafter he was 12 yeares