本·琼森的个人作品

琼森写了18部戏剧，除两部罗马历史悲剧《西亚努斯的覆灭》和《卡塔林的阴谋》之外，大都是社会讽刺喜剧。其剧作遵循古典主义原则，并有强烈的道德倾向。剧中对当时社会恶劣风习的尖锐批评曾使他两次被捕入狱。一次是因与T·纳什合写讽刺时事、现已佚失的《狗岛》，此剧的演出还导致了伦敦剧场的暂时关闭 ； 另一次是因与 C· 马斯顿合写《向东方去》 ，剧中批评了詹姆斯一世的政治 。1598年的《人人高兴》 和1599 年的 《人人扫兴》 是琼森根据气质论( 中世纪所谓4种不同气质产生不同性格的生理学学说 )创作的癖性喜剧。后者因戏拟马斯顿的风格导致了剧场之战，其间有几位戏剧家争以写戏相互攻讦，琼森为此又写了《辛西娅的狂欢》和《冒牌诗人》。

琼森最成功的喜剧有《狐狸》、《炼金术士》和《巴托罗缪市集》。

Benjamin Jonson was born 1571 as the posthumous son of a Protestant minister. His mother then moved him to Westminster, where she married a bricklayer. He attended a free parish school as a boy, and thanks to the sponsorship of the headmaster, was able to attend Westminster Grammar School. Unfortunately, Ben lost his scholarship and was forced to take up bricklaying alongside his stepfather. This occupation did not appeal to him, and he left for military duty in Flanders and did not return to England until 1592. He married in 1594, and joined a touring acting company in 1597. Ben Jonson and another playwright then wrote a play called "Isle of Dogs" which was immediately banned on charges of sedition, and he and his friends found themselves in Fleet Prison. He was released after a few months and managed to restart his acting career. In December of 1598 he fought a duel with another actor named Gabriel Spencer; fortunately for Ben, he won, but unfortunately, he was imprisoned on charges of murder and given the death sentence. He managed to escape the gallows and returned to playwriting. He set out on foot in 1618 to visit Scotland and on his return began lecturing on rhetoric at colleges. He died in 1637 and was buried in Westminster Abbey; his epitaph reads: "Oh Rare Ben Jonson!"

风格详见诗Song to Celia：本诗为英国剧作家、诗人本·琼生（Ben Jonson，1572—1637）所作。他的诗的特点在于明快，文字干净，已有后来古典主义诗歌的特点。To Celia 是一首很有名的抒情诗，赞美的是精神爱（Platonic love），曾谱成音乐。Celia女子名。

Song to Celia

Drink to me only with thine eyes2，

And I will pledge3 with mine；

Or leave a kiss but in the cup4

And I'll not look for wine．

The thirst that from the soul doth5 rise

Doth ask a drink divine6；

But might I of Jove's nectar sup7，

I would not change for thine．

I sent thee8 late9 a rosy wreath，

Not so much honouring10 thee

As giving it a hope that there

It could not wither'd be11；

But thou thereon didst only breathe12

And sent'st it back to me；

Since when13 it grows，and smells，I swear，

Not of itself but thee14！