Recently I bought this book because of my growing interest in
the authorship of Shakespeare. Born in 1572, his father, a
bricklayer died before he was born. He is the one poet that we
can state with absolute certainty knew Shakespeare. We know
because, among things Shakespeare is listed as an actor in
several of his plays, and there is an interview he gives where
he takls about Shakespeare in this book. He wrote a Eulogy to
him in Shakespeare's First Folio. Jonson is a rather paradoxical
character who could give and take away a completement in the
same breath, or in a different breath. In 1616 he wrote a peoem
called On Poet Ape, sometimes known as Epigram 56, published in
16216 the year of Shakespeare's death. "Poor Poet-Ape that would
be thought our chief, Whose works are e'en the frippery of wit,
From brocage is become so bold a thief, As we the robbed, leave
rage, and pity it. At first he would make low shifts, would pick
and glean, Buy the reversion of old plays; now grown To a little
wealth and credit i