But to wave this digression, and proceed to the Vindication of the Ancients; which that I may the better perform, for the Readers Diversion, and that Mr. Dryden may not tell me, that what I have said is but gratis dictum, I shall set down the Heads of his Depositions against our ancient English Poets, and then endeavour the Defence of those great Men, who certainly deserv'd much better of posterity, than to be disrespectively treated as he has used them. (134)

[Having dealt with Dryden's comments on Shakespeare, and on Fletcher, Langbaine quotes Dryden's 'Defence of the Epilogue' (Literary Record 106) to show how he praises Jonson in one page, and 'wipes it out in another' (p. 136); he defends first Shakespeare and Fletcher, then Jonson.]

To come lastly to Ben Johnson, who (as , Mr. Dryden affirms,   ) has borrow'd more from the Ancients than any: I crave leave to say in his behalf, that our late Laureat has far out-done him in Thefts, proportionable to his Writings: and therefore he is guilty of the highest Arrogance, to accuse another of a Crime, for which he is of most men liable to be arraign'd.

Quis tulerit Gracchos de seditione querenteis?  

I must further alledge that Mr. Johnson in borrowing from the Ancients, has only follow'd the Pattern of the great Men of former Ages, Homer, Virgil, Ovid, Horace, Plautus, Terence, Seneca, &c. all which have imitated the Example of the industrious Bee, which sucks Honey from all sorts of Flowers, and lays it up in a general Repository.

[Describes how all these authors borrowed from their predecessors.]

I could enumerate more Instances, but these are sufficient Precedents to excuse Mr. Johnson.

Permit me to say farther in his behalf, That if in imitation of these illustrious Examples, and Models of Antiquity, he has borrow'd from them, as they from each other; yet that he attempted, and as some think, happily succeeded in his Endeavours of surpassing them: inasmuch that a certain Person of Quality   makes a Question, 'Whether any of the Wit of the Latine Poets be more Terse and Eloquent in their Tongue, than this Great and Learned Poet appears in ours.'

Whether Mr. Dryden, who has likewise succeeded to admiration in this way, or Mr. Johnson have most improv'd, and best advanc'd what they have borrow'd from the Ancients, I shall leave to the decision of the abler Criticks: only this I must say, in behalf of the later, that he has no ways endeavour'd to conceal what he has borrow'd, as the former has generally done. Nay, in his Play call'd Sejanus he has printed in the Margent throughout, the places from whence he borrow'd: the same he has practic'd in several of his Masques, (as the Reader may find in his Works;) a Pattern, which Mr. Dryden would have done well to have copied, and had thereby sav'd me the trouble of these following Annotations.

There is this difference between the Proceedings of these Poets, that Mr. Johnson has by Mr. Dryden's Concession   Design'd his Plots himself, whereas I know not any One Play, whose Plot may be said to be the Product of Mr. Dryden's own Brain. When Mr. Johnson borrow'd, 'twas from the Treasury of the Ancients, which is so far from any diminution of his Worth, that I think it is to his Honor; at least-wise I am sure he is justified by his Son Cartwright in the following Lines...

[Quotes ll. 127-42 from Literary Record 50, Cartwright's elegy in Jonsonus Virbius,, and attacks Dryden for borrowing not only from the ancients but also from the Italians, the Spanish, the French and even from his own countrymen, but reserves detailed comment for his accounts of individual plays.]

…in the mean time, give me leave to say a word, or two, in Defence of Mr. Johnson's way of Wit, which Mr. Dryden calls Clenches. There have been few great Poets which have not propos'd some Eminent Author for their Pattern, (Examples of this would be needless and endless.) Mr. Johnson propos'd Plautus for his Model, and not only borrow'd from him, but imitated his way of Wit in English. There are none who have read him, but are acquainted with his way of playing with Words: I will give one Example for all. which the Reader may find in the very entrance of his Works; I mean the Prologue to Amphitruo.

Nor might this be the sole Reason for Mr. Johnson's Imitation, for possibly 'twas his Compliance with the Age that induc'd him to this way of writing, it being then as Mr. Dryden observes   the Mode of Wit, the Vice of the Age, and not Ben Johnson's: and besides Mr. Dryden's taxing Sir Philip Sidney for playing with his Words, I may add that I find it practis'd by several Drammatick Poets, who were Mr. Johnson's Cotemporaries: and not withstanding the Advantage which this Age claims over the last, we find Mr. Dryden himself as well as Mr. Johnson, not only given to Clinches; but sometimes a Carwichet, a Quarter-Quibble, or a bare Pun serves his turn, as well as his friend Bur in his Wild-Gallant; and therefore he might have spar'd this Reflection, if he had given himself the liberty of Thinking.

As to his Reflections on this Triumvirate in general: I might easily prove, that his Improprieties in Grammar, are equal to theirs: and that He himself has been guilty of Solecisms in Speech, and flaws in Sence, as well as Shakespear, Fletcher, and Johnson: but this would be to waste Paper and Time.... (145-51)

I have already drawn some strokes of this Great Man's Character, in my Defence of him against the Attempts of Mr. Dryden; and therefore shall less need to make a curious and exact Description of all his Excellencies; which otherwise are very Great, Noble, and Various; and have been remark'd in parcells by several Hands, but exceed my small Capacity to collect them into one full View. I shall therefore rather let them lye dispers'd, as Scaliger did Virgil's praises, thro' his whole Book of Poetry; contenting my self at present with giving the Reader an Account of the private occurrences of his Life.

He was a Man of a very free Temper, and withal blunt, and somewhat haughty to those, that were either Rivals in Fame, or Enemies to his Writings: (witness his Poetaster, wherein he falls upon Decker, and his answer to Dr. Gill, who writ against his Magnetic Lady,) otherwise of a good Sociable Humour, when amongst his Sons and Friends in the Apollo: from whose Laws the Reader may possibly judge of his Temper....

[Quotes Jonson's Leges Conviviales; refrains from giving any judgement on Jonson's poetry, since it deserves 'somewhat above what my faint Praise can reach, or describe', referring the reader to Fuller and Anthony à Wood in prose, and Cartwright and Oldham in verse.]

... to the foregoing, I might add Mr. Dryden's Dramatick Essay , which had it been writ after his Postscript to Granada , might have atoned for that unbecoming Character, and had serv'd for a Palinode; but since he has not that I know of thought fit to retract it, give me leave to insert an old Copy of Verses, which seems to wipe off the Accusations of Mr. Johnson's Enemies.

[Quotes Fitzgeffrey's Latin epigram in praise of Jonson. Then after resisting the temptation to retail a 'pleasant Story or two' about Jonson for fear of Dryden's condemnation, Langbaine gives a catalogue of the plays and masques (281-7).]

This Play is still in Vogue on the Stage, and always presented with success. It was so well approv'd of by the judicious Beaumont, that he writ a Copy of Verses in praise of it, which the Reader may find before our Authors Works. Nevertheless I must take notice that Mr. Johnson has borrow'd very much from the Ancients in this Tragedy; as for Instance, part of Sylla's Ghost, in the very Entrance of the Play, is copy'd from the Ghost of Tantalus, in the beginning of Seneca's Thyestes. Thus our Author has translated a great part of Salust's History, (tho' with great judgement and Elegance) and inserted it into his Play. For the Plot, see Salust. Plutarch in the Life of Cicero. Florus Lib. 4 C. I.

(288)

Tho' our Author seldome borrows any part of his Plot; yet in this Play, if I mistake not, Wittipol's giving his cloak to Fitz-dotterel to court his Wife one quarter of an Hour, is founded on a Novel in Boccace, Day 3. Nov 5..

(289)

I must further add, I heartily wish for our Author's Reputation, that he had not been the Agressor in this Quarrel; but being altogether ignorant of the Provocations given him, I must suspend my Judgment, and leave it to better Judges to determine the Controversy. Our Author has adorn'd this play with several Translations from the Ancients, as Ovid Amor. lib. I Eleg. 15. Horatii Sat. lib. I. Sat. 9. lib. 2. Sat. I. Virgilii Aeneid. lib. 4. with others.

(294-5)

Part of this Play is borrow'd from the Ancients, as Act I. Sc. I. part from Ovid de Arte Amandi. Act 2. Sc. 2. part from Juvenal, Sat. 6. Act 2. Sc. 5. part from Plautus's Aulularia Act. 3. Sc. 5. with other passages. Notwithstanding which, this Play is Accounted by all, One of the best Comedies we have extant; and those who would know more, may be amply satisfied by the perusal of the Judicious Examen of this Play made by Mr. Dryden.  

(296)

The Author introduces four Gossips on the Stage, who continue during the Action, and criticise on the Play. This was practised more than once; witness, Every Man out of his Humor, and Magnetick Lady: and herein he was follow'd by Fletcher. in his Knight of the Burning-pestle.

(297)

This Play is writ in Imitation of the Comedy of the Ancients, and the Argument is form'd into an Acrostick, like those of Plautus, which are said to be writ by Priscian, or some other Eminent Grammarian. It is still in vogue at the Theatre in Dorset-Garden, and its value is sufficiently manifested by the verses of Mr. Beaumont, and Dr. Donne.

(297-8)

... a pleasant Comedy .... In this Comedy our Author hath very much made use of Plautus, as the Learned Reader may observe by comparing His Aulularia, and Capteivei, with this Comedy.

(298)

This Ode sufficiently shews what a high Opinion our Author has of his own Performances; and like Aristotle in Philosophy, and Peter Lombard (The Master of the Sentences) in School-Divinity; our Ben. lookt upon himself as the only Master of Poetry; and thought it the Duty of the Age, rather to submit to, than dispute, much less oppose his Judgement. 'Twas great pity, that he that was so great a Master in Poetry, should not retain that old Axiom in Morality, Nosce Teipsum. He had then prevented that sharp reply made by the Ingenious Mr. Feltham: to this Magisterial Ode; and which could not chuse but vex a Person of our Author's Haughty Temper: but he was a Man, and subject to Infirmities, as well as others; tho' abating for his too much abounding in his own Sence, (an Epidemical Distemper belonging to the Fraternity of Parnassus) he had not his Equal in his time for Poetry.

Having presented the Reader with Mr. Johnson's Ode, it may not be improper for me perhaps to transcribe, nor unpleasant to him, to peruse Mr. Feltham's Answer.

[Prints Felltham's 'Answer to the Ode' .]

This Haughty Humour of Mr. Johnson was blam'd, and carpt at by other, as well as Mr. Feltham: amongst the rest, Sir John Suckling, that Neat Facetious Wit, arraign'd him at the Sessions of Poets;   and had a fling at this Play   tho' we may say, compar'd to the former, He did only circum praecordia ludere;   laugh at, and railly his unreasonable Self-opinion; as you may see in the following Lines....

[Quotes them.]