such presumptuous blunderers as Warburton and such formal prigs as Gifford, to deny our Laureate the possession of those ethereal attributes of invention and fancy which play about the creations of Shakspeare, and constitute their exquisite charm. This arbitrary comparison of Jonson and Shakspeare has, in fact, been the bane of the former's reputation. Those who have never read the masques argue, that, as "very little Latin and less Greek," in truth no learning of any traceable description, went to the creation of _Ariel_ and _Caliban_, _Oberon_ and _Puck_, the possession of Latin, Greek, and learning generally, incapacitates the proprietor for the same happy exercise of the finer and more gracious faculties of wit and fancy. Of this nonsense Jonson's masques are the best refutation. Marvels of ingenuity in plot and construction, they abound in "dainty invention," animated dialogue, and some of the finest lyric passages to be found in dramatic literature. They are the Laureate's true laurels. Had he left nothing else, the "rare arch-poet" would have held, by virtue of these alone, the elevated rank which his contemporaries, and our own, freely assign him. Lamb, whose appreciation of the old dramatists was extremely acute, remarks,--"A thousand beautiful passages from his 'New Inn,' and from those numerous court masques and entertainments which he was in the daily habit of furnishing, might be adduced to show the poetical fancy and elegance of mind of the supposed rugged old bard." [12] And in excess of admiration at one of the Laureate's most successful pageants, Herrick breaks forth,-- "Thou hadst the wreath before, now take the tree, That henceforth none be laurel-crowned but thee." [13] An aspiration fortunately unrealized. It was not long before the death of Ben, that John Suckling, one of his boon companions "At those lyric feasts, Made at 'The Sun,' 'The Dog,' 'The Triple Tun,' Where they such clusters had As made them nobly wild, not mad," [14] handed about among the courtiers his "Session of the Poets," where an imaginary contest for the laurel presented an opportunity for characterizing the wits of the day in a series of capital strokes, as remarkable for justice as shrewd wit. Jonson is thus introduced:-- "The first that broke silence was good old Ben, Prepared with Canary wine, And he told them plainly he deserved the bays, For his were called works, while others' were but plays; "And bid them remember how he had purged the stage Of errors that had lasted many an age; And he hoped they did not think 'The Silent Woman,' 'The Fox,' and 'The Alchymist' outdone by no man. "Apollo stopt him there, and bid him not go on; 'Twas merit, he said, and not presumption, Must carry it; at which Ben turned about, And in great choler offered to go out;