Most important of all, Ben Jonson is high in the favor of King James and his most powerful courtiers. In July he was disbursed payment of ₤100 from the Lord Buckingham's paymaster for the upcoming Masque Of The Metamorphosed Gipsies to be performed at Burghley-on-the-Hill on August 3rd. The payment was ₤40 more than the customary rate.
On October 5, 1621, Jonson was awarded a reversionary grant for the position of Master of the Revels as reported in the Grant Book. In John Chamberlain's letter to Dudley Carleton, of October 27, the ultimate court insider reported that Jonson's 100 mark annuity was increased to ₤200 together with the reversion.
TO SIR DUDLEY CARLETON.
[S. P. Dom., Jac. I, cxxiii, 62.]
[London, October 27, 1621.]
My very goode Lord:
Sir Dudley Digges came to towne some eight or ten dayes since, but finding your so long promised commissioners not yet arrived is returned home till he heare they be certainly come. I imparted your proposition l unto him who approves and commends yt very much, only he thincks you are somwhat too mild and mannerly with so unreasonable slow and dull cattle. Surely the more I thincke of their courses towards us the more I impute yt to some fatall cause that doth thus disunite and sow so many quarrells between us, when there is most neede of love and concord: and that among so many none shold consider that yf we be stulti, they shold not be insani, and not perceve that while the frogge and the mouse wrestle and wrangle the kite hovers over them to carrie both away. I know not how yt comes to passe but I have heard divers men of goode judgement of opinion that the Venetians are not so wise nor have not men of such sufficiencie as in former times, and so mee thinckes the States do not plie the Spaniard at sea so well as they might, considering their cheife strength and his greatest weaknes lies that way, for yf they continue to vie and revie with him at land, and suffer him to bring home his treasure in safetie, (besides all other hasards) the charge will soone eate them out. But I take too much upon me to meddle with matters above my reach, and perhaps you could soone take me downe with this one word tu si hic sis aliter senties. We heare of a rich carraque taken by the pirates almost in the sight of Lisbone. I had rather the Hollanders had lighted on her for yt wold have stoode them in better steed. Here is order for a gathering for the afflicted French church. I doubt yt comes somwhat unseasonable and will rise to no great matter so soone after so many payments of subsidies, for Bohemia, and the like. And withall I can assure you that monie goes here very low and scant and the opinion of our great wealth is well fallen. All manner of corne rises daylie and we are in feare of want, as well by reason of the yll harvest wherby much graine in many parts is lost for lacke of ripening, as for the bad yeild and yll season to sow for the next yeare. On Tewsday last here was the highest tide that hath ben seene many a yeare, for yt ran all over Westminster-hall, and did great harme in Tems-street, whatsoever yt hath don elswhere. Sir Robert Carre that belongs
to the Prince hath lately maried the young widow Portman, daughter to the earle of Darbie. I must recall what I wrote the last weeke of the death of the Lady of Nottingam, for she is alive and alives-like (as they say) and the report grew only upon her daunger. Here is a copie of the Kings letter to the commissioners in the Lord of Caunterburies cause, wherin they are so dose, that we know litle, nor what to conjecture but only that yt is wholly in the Kings brest, and as he stands affected to him so he may suffer or scape scotfree. For lacke of better newes here is likewise a ballet or song of Ben Johnsons in the play or shew at the Lord Marquis at Burly, and repeated again at Windsor, for which and other goode service there don, he hath his pension from a I00 marks increased to 200li per annum, besides the reversion of the mastership of the revells. There were other songs and devises of baser alay, but because this had the vogue and generall applause at court, I was willing to send yt. So with the remembrance of my best service to my goode Lady I commend you to the protection of the Almighty. From London this 27th of October 1621.
Your Lordships most assuredly
at commaund
JOHN CHAMBERLAIN.
To the right honorable Sir Dudley Carleton knight Lord Ambassador
for his Majestie with the States of the United Provinces at the Hag[ue].
Source: McClure, Norman Egbert. The Letters of John Chamberlain (1939). II.403-5.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
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On Shakespeare's lameness and historical-fiction biography, etc. August 5, 2023. “Those who support Sogliardo of Stratford and other authorship candidates generally stop by from time to time to remark...”
- Shakespeare CSI: Sir Thomas More, Hand-D. April 22, 2023. “What a glory to have an actual hand-written manuscript from the greatest English writer of all time!”
- Robert Greene and the Construction Shakespeare Never Used. August 9, 2022. 'Our first foray “staring intently into” the texts of Robert Greene has noted that his work utilized far fewer feminine endings than Shakespeare’s.'
A 1572 Oxford Letter and the Player’s Speech in Hamlet. August 11, 2020. “The player’s speech has been a source of consternation among Shakespeare scholars for above 200 years. Why was Aeneas’ tale chosen as the subject?”
- Check out the Shakespeare Authorship Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
- Check out the Letters Index: Edward de Vere, 17th Earl of Oxford for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
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