thors were sentenced to imprisonment. In time, Jonson contacted enough people to help secure his release by claiming Marsten, who fled to avoid imprisonment, had written the offensive lines himself (Ben Jonson).In 1610, after being a devout Catholic for over a decade, Jonson converted back to Anglicanism (The Life of Ben Jonson). As one could see Jonson continually experienced tragedy throughout his life. It was then in 1616, Jonsons comedy, The Devil is an Ass, opened to wide criticism causing Johnson to become very discouraged. Jonson was discouraged to the point that it took him nine years to write and produce another play. Although Jonson would not write for some time, he was appointed as poet laureate and received a substantial pension (The Life of Ben Jonson). At 45 years old, Jonson began a yearlong journey to Scotland entirely by foot (The Life of Ben Jonson). During his journey, William Drummond of Hawthorden recorded conversations between himself and Jonson. Drummond remarked about Jonson He is a great lover and praise of himself; a condemned and scorner of others; given rather then to loose a friend than jest;he is Passionately kind and angry; careless either to gain or keep vindictive, but, if he will be answered, at himself; oppressed with fantasy, which hath ever mastered his reason(qtd in The Life)Upon his return from Scotland, Ben Jonson was presented with an honorary Master of Arts from Oxford University, and subsequently given the opportunity to lecture on rhetoric at Gresham College in London (The Life of Ben Jonson). It was then is 1625 that Jonsons dry spell ended with the play The Staple of News. Then in 1628 Jonsons life took a turn for the worse. He started out the year by being appointed Chronologer for the city of London, but within a few months of receiving this honor he suffered a severe stroke which left his paralyzed and confined (Barish, 57).During his confinement, Jonson was well cared for by his...
