Page:Biographical and critical studies by James Thomson ("B.V.").djvu/251

 BEN JONSON 235 anent this play, in the " Specimens," he says, with his usual rich appreciation : — "The old poets, when they introduce a miser, make him address his gold as his mistress ; as something to be seen, felt, and hugged ; as capable of satisfying two of the senses at least. The substitution of a thin, unsatisfying medium in the place of the good old tangible metal has made avarice quite a Platonic affection in comparison with the seeing, touching, and hand- ling pleasures of the old Chrysophilites. A banknote can no more satisfy the touch of a true sensualist in this passion than Creusa could return her husband's embrace in the shades. See the ' Cave of Mammon,' in Spenser ; Barabas's contemplation of his wealth, in the ' Rich Jew of Malta ' [Marlowe] ; Luke's raptures in the ' City Madam ' [Massinger] ; the idolatry and absolute gold-worship of the miser Jaques in this early comic production of Ben Jonson's. Above all, hear Guzman, in that excellent old translation of the ' Spanish Rogue,' expatiate on the ' ruddy cheeks of your golden ruddocks, your Spanish pis- tolets, your plump and full-faced Portuguese, and your clear- skinned pieces of eight of Castile,' which he and his fellows the beggars kept secret to themselves, and did privately enjoy in a plentiful manner. ' For to have them to pay them away is not to enjoy them ; to enjoy them is to have them lying by us, having no other need of them than to use them for the clearing of the eyesight and the comforting of our senses. These we did carry about with us, sewing them in some patches of our doublets near unto the heart, and as close to the skin as we could hand- somely quilt them in, holding them to be restorative.' " But our most exquisite and genial of critics has nearly made me disremember his "Plant divine, of rarest virtue," for whose sake he was ready to do anything but die. It is only once mentioned (Act ii., Sc. 3). Aurelia the sprightly rallies her melancholy sister, Phcenixella — " Sister, i' faith you take too much tobacco. It makes you black within as you are without. What, true-stitch, sister ! both your sides alike 1 "