...Ben Jonson - though not an uncritical admirer - described him in his Discoveries as being 'honest. and of an open and free nature; had an excellent fancy. brave notions. and gentle expressions'. It seems. though. that Shakespeare was not a great 'company keeper'. which is hardly...

...have been expected to dislike his brilliant rival. Shakespeare, he declared, 'was, indeed, honest, and of an open and free nature: had an excellent Fancy, brave notions and gentle expressions: wherein he flowed with that facility that sometimes it was necessary he should be stopped'....

...blotted out line. My answer hath been, would he had blotted a thousand . . . He was (indeed) honest, and of an open, and free nature: had an excellent fancy; brave notions, and gentle expressions: wherein he flowed with that facility, that sometime it was necessary he should be stopped.26...

...traditionalists more often than I disagree. 'He was indeed honest', Jonson summed up after Shakespeare's death, 'and of an open and free nature; had an excellent fancy, brave notions and gentle expressions.' Like so many other allusions, this one needs to be translated into modern English. Jonson...

...betrayed him into excess. One remembers what Ben Jonson said of Shakespeare : ' He was indeed honest, and of an open and free nature, had an excellent fancy, brave notions, and gentle expressions ; wherein he flowed with that facility that sometimes it was necessary he should be stopped.'...

...that facility' that earned him the reputation of never having blotted a line. 'He was (indeed) honest, and of an open, and free nature-, had an excellent fancy; brave notions, and gentle expressions'.23 'Brave notions' are notions that are finely-dressed, splendid, showy, or handsome....

...be noticed, instantly after, to the more personal attributes of Shakspeare. " He was indeed honest, and of an open and free nature, had an excellent fancy, brave notions, and gentle expressions, wherein heßowrd with that facility that sometimes it was necessary he should be stopped."...

...loved the man, and do honour his memory on this side idolatry as much as any. He was indeed honest, and of an open and free nature ; had an excellent fancy, brave notions, and gentle expressions, wherein he flowed with that facility that sometime it was necessary he should be stopped....

...wrote Jonson, " and do honor his memory, on this side idolatry, as much as any. He was indeed honest, and of an open and free nature ; had an excellent fancy ; brave notions and gentle expressions. . . . There was inore in him to be praised than pardoned." That there were occasional...