Ben Jonson, 1573-1637: this great dramatist, who deserves a larger space, was born in London; his father became a Puritan preacher, but after his death, his mother's second husband put the boy at brick-making. His spirit revolted at this, and he ran away, and served as a soldier in the Low Countries. On his return he killed Gabriel Spencer, a fellow-actor, in a duel, and was for some time imprisoned. His first play was a comedy entitled _Every Man in his Humour_, acted in 1598. This was succeeded, the next year, by _Every Man out of his Humour_. He wrote a great number of both tragedies and comedies, among which the principal are _Cynthia's Revels_, _Sejanus_, _Volpone_, _Catiline's Conspiracy_, and _The Alchemist_. In 1616, he received a pension from the crown of one hundred marks, which was increased by Charles I., in 1630, to one hundred pounds. He was the friend of Shakspeare, and had many wit-encounters with him. In these, Fuller compares Jonson to a great Spanish galleon, "built far higher in learning, solid and slow in performance," and Shakspeare to an "English man-of-war, lesser in bulk, but lighter in sailing, could turn with all tides, tack about and take advantage of all winds, by the quickness of his wit and invention." Massinger, 1548-1640: born at Salisbury. Is said to have written thirty-eight plays, of which only eighteen remain. The chief of these is the _Virgin Martyr_, in which he was assisted by Dekker. The best of the others are _The City Madam_ and _A New Way to Pay Old Debts_, _The Fatal Dowry_, _The Unnatural Combat_, and _The Duke of Milan_. _A New Way to Pay Old Debts_ keeps its place upon the modern stage. John Ford, born 1586: author of _The Lover's Melancholy_, _Love's Sacrifice_, _Perkin Warbeck_, and _The Broken Heart_. He was a pathetic delineator of love, especially of unhappy love. Some of his plots are unnatural, and abhorrent to a refined taste. Webster (dates unknown): this author is remarkable for his handling of gloomy and terrible subjects. His best plays are _The Devil's Law Case_, _Appius and Virginia_, _The Duchess of Malfy_, and _The White Devil_. Hazlitt says "his _White Devil_ and _Duchess of Malfy_ come the nearest to Shakspeare of anything we have upon record." Francis Beaumont, 1586-1615, and John Fletcher, 1576-1625: joint authors of plays, numbering fifty-two. A prolific union, in which it is difficult to determine the exact authorship of each. Among the best plays are _The Maid's Tragedy_, _Philaster_, and _Cupid's Revenge_. Many of the plots are licentious, but in monologues they frequently rise to eloquence, and in descriptions are picturesque and graphic.