Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 06.djvu/406

 Brome create an hostility on Jonson's part towards his disciple was made by Randolph and others. After the failure of Jonson's 'New Inn,' 1629, the angry poet shook the dust of the stage off his heels in an angry 'Ode [to Himself].' To this several of the younger poets replied from various points of view, among them Randolph in a parody full of homage, which contains these lines


 * Till they be taught to blush,
 * Like what they will, and more contented be
 * With what Brome swept from thee.

And, in a 12mo edition of Jonson's minor poems, published about three years after his death, the 'Ode [to Himself]' was reprinted with certain new readings foisted in ; among the rest, in the lines


 * As the best-ordered meal,

the alteration 'Brome's sweepings' was introduced. Gifford states that very shortly after the condemnation of the 'New Inn' Brome had brought out a successful piece, now lost; and it is certain that not long afterwards he produced the very successful 'Northern Lass,' which, as has been seen, Jonson hailed with unstinted praise (see 's Works, ed. Gifford, v. 449). Brome's earliest dramatic attempt, or one of his earliest, was a comedy called 'A Fault in Friendship,' written by him in conjunction with Jonson's eldest son, Benjamin, and acted at the Curtain Theatre in 1623 (, 95).

His connection with Jonson made Brome what he was. Frequent allusion to it is made by other writers (see Shirley's and John Hall's lines on the 'Jovial Crew,' and 'C. G.'s' on the 'Antipodes'), and Brome himself refers to it with pride (see prologue to the 'City Wit'), and speaks with reverence of Jonson himself (see, besides the lines in memory of Fletcher, those to the Earl of Newcastle on his play called 'The Variety,' prefixed to the 'Weeding of the Covent Garden'). But, if we may judge chiefly from the commendatory verses accompanying several of his plays, Brome was likewise on good terms with other more or less eminent dramatists. Among the verses prefixed to the works of Beaumont and Fletcher is a lengthy copy by Brome, in which he describes himself as having known Fletcher


 * That was the master of his art and me,
 * Most knowing Jonson (proud to call him son),

declared himself surpassed by the younger writer (, Beaumont and Fletcher, 8vo, i. lxiii-lxv). Thomas Dekker, notwithstanding his quarrel with Jonson, addresses verses 'to my sonne Broom and his Lasse ;' John Ford, on the occasion of the same play, writes as 'the author's very friend ;' Shirley praises the 'Jovial Crew,' characteristically insisting that something besides university learning goes to the making of a good play. Of the younger dramatic writers Sir Aston Cokaine (see his præludium to Mr. Richard Brome's 'Five New Playes,' 1653), John Tatham (verses on the 'Jovial Crew'), Robert Chamberlain (on the 'Antipodes'), and T[homas] S[hadwell] (To Alexander Brome on Richard Brome's 'Five New Playes,' 1659) do honour to him or to his memory. Nor, to judge from the dedications of his plays, was he without patrons ; to the celebrated Earl (afterwards Duke) of Newcastle, whom he complimented on his play called 'The Variety,' he dedicated the 'Sparagus Garden;' to the Earl of Hertford (afterwards Duke of Somerset, who succeeded Newcastle as governor to the Prince of Wales) the 'Antipodes ;' and other plays to the learned Thomas Stanley and a gentleman of the name of Richard Holford. Evidently, however, he courted the applause of the general public rather than the favour of particular individuals, and had too genuine a dislike of dilettantism in play-writing to be a hanger-on upon great people who dabbled in the art like Newcastle or loved a book above all exercises like Hertford. Among the theatres for which he wrote were the Globe and Blackfriars (the king's company), and the Cockpit in Drury Lane and Salisbury Court in Fleet Street (the queen's players). For William Beeston, who, about the time of the production of Brome's 'Antipodes' at Salisbury Court, began to play with a company of boys at the Cockpit, Brome seems to have had a special regard (see the envoi at the end of the 'Antipodes,' and the curious passage in the epilogue to the 'Court Beggar,' which we cannot, with Mr. J. A. Symonds, interpret as referring to Jonson ; cf., Annals of the Stage, new edition, ii. 16 seq.. and iii. 138-9).

Of Richard Brome's personal character we learn hardly more than what is implied in Jonson's praise. Alexander Brome, in his 'Verses to the Stationer' on the 'Five New Playes' (1653), informs us that Richard was a devout believer. This will not be thought unreconcilable with his hatred of Scotch presbyterians (see the 'Court Beggar') and of puritans in general (see 'Covent Garden weeded'). He appears to have acquired a certain amount of learning, for he makes some show of classical knowledge (see the