edition of Horace's Art of Poetry, which he had promised the readers of Sejanus. How all his references to that lost labor make us join in his execration upon Vulcan! In it he spoke "wealthily" on the topics now under discussion. He specifies further, in his address to the readers of Sejanus, some of the things he dealt with in that ill-starred work:

First, if it be objected, that what I publish is no true poem, in the strict laws of time, I confess it: as also in the want of a proper chorus; whose habit and moods are such and so difficult, as not any, whom I have seen, since the ancients, no, not they who have most presently affected laws, have yet come in the way of. Nor is it needful, or almost possible in these our times, and to such auditors as commonly things are presented, to observe the old state and splendor of dramatic poems, with preservation of any popular delight. But of this I shall take more seasonable cause to speak, in my observations upon Horace his Art of Poetry, which, with the text translated, I intend to shortly publish.

How painful to contemplate that we are now compelled to dovetail fragments that were never connected, in an endeavor to get some idea of what the whole would have been, despite the fact that Jonson had taken the trouble to construct that whole for us. In

some respects the loss is more irreparable than in others. For instance, his opinion regarding the propriety of departing from classic models, which is the main topic of the last quotation, is fairly adequately represented by what we have. But how about the question of the function of the drama, which is just touched on near the end of the quotation? On this we have little more than bald conclusions without the discussion of premises, though the problem is the most serious one in esthetic theory. And on this very subject he promised to speak "more wealthily" in his edition of Horace's treatise. But fretting will not advance our subject, so let us leave it off and do the best we can.

In the dedication of The Fox, there is another appropriate passage:

I have labored

to reduce not only the ancient forms, but manners of the scene; the easiness, the propriety, the innocence, and last, the doctrine, which is the principal end of poesy, to inform men in the best reason of living.

When he says that instruction is the principal end of poetry, he implies that there are possible subsidiary ends. In most of his other

pertinent references, delight is coupled with
profit as one of the ends of the drama.
Fox., Prol.:-

In all his poems still hath been this measure:
To mix profit with your pleasure.

Epic., 2nd Prol.:

The ends of all who for the scene do write,
Are, or should be, to profit and delight.

Staple of News., Epil.:

Thus have you seen the maker's double scope, To profit and delight.

Disc. (III. 419b):—

The study of it (if we will trust Aristotle) offers to mankind a certain rule and pattern of living well and happily, disposing us to all civil offices of society. If we will believe Tully, it nourisheth and instructeth our youth, delights our age, adorns our prosperity, comforts our adversity, entertains us at home, keeps us company abroad, travails with us, watches, divides the times of our earnests and sports, shares in our country recesses and recreations; insomuch as the wisest and best learned have thought her the absolute mistress of manners, and nearest of kin to virtue. And whereas they entitle philosophy to be a rigid and austere poesy, they have, on the contrary, styled poesy a dulcet and gentle philosophy, which leads

on and guides us by the hand of action, with a ravishing delight and incredible sweetness.

Alch., Prol.:

But when the wholesome remedies are sweet, And in their working gain and profit meet, He hopes to find no spirit so much diseased, But will with such fair correctives be pleased.

The last quotation entirely, and next to the last in part, imply that the delight was only a means to the end profit; and the impression left by the evidence on this point, as a whole, is that this was Jonson's opinion. Indeed, what I believe to be his last as well as his only other pertinent utterance on the subject leaves no doubt of this. That utterance was made in 1632, and is found in the Induction to The Magnetic Lady (II. 394a) :

Boy.

he is confident it shall superplease judicious spectators, and to them he leaves it to work with the rest, by example or otherwise. Damplay. He may be deceived in that, boy; few follow examples now, especially if they be good.

SATIRE IN THE DRAMA.

In keeping with his didactic attitude, Jonson took for granted the propriety of using the theater to satirize the vices of the times.

In keeping with certain unpleasant traits in his character, he took the liberty to satirize his personal enemies. The result was that he was accused of always hiding personal references in his plays. This charge put him constantly on the defensive, and his protestations occasionally contain a useful remark.

E. M. o. o. h. H., after II. 2:

Cor. Indeed there are a sort of these narrow-eyed decipherers, I confess, that will extort strange and abstruse meanings out of any subject, be it never so conspicuous and innocently delivered.

Satire is the special theme of The Poetaster, hence it would be foolish to try to quote all the relevant passages. A striking one is here given from Act V. (I. 254a) :—

Virgil. 'Tis not the wholesome sharp morality,
Or modest anger of a satiric spirit,
That hurts or wounds the body of a state;
But the sinister application

Of the malicious, ignorant and base
Interpreter; who will distort and strain

The general scope and purpose of an author
To his particular private spleen.

Fox, Dedication:

I would ask of these supercilious politics, what nation, society, or general order or state, I have