How they succeed we shall see.
In addition to his three known mentions of Shakespeare by name (1619,
1623, 1630?), Ben certainly appears to satirise his rival at a much
earlier date; especially as Pantalabus, a playwright in The Poetaster
(1601), and as actor, poet, and plagiarist in an epigram, Poet-Ape,
published in his collected works of 1616; but probably written as
early as 1602. It is well known that in 1598 Shakespeare's company
acted Ben's Every Man in His Humour. It appears that he conceived
some grudge against the actors, and apparently against Shakespeare
and other playwrights, for, in 1601, his Poetaster is a satire both
on playwrights and on actors, whom he calls "apes." The apparent
attacks on Shakespeare are just such as Ben, if angry and envious,
would direct against him; while we know of no other poet-player of
the period to whom they could apply. For example, in The Poetaster,
Histrio, the actor, is advised to ingratiate himself with Pantalabus,
"gent'man parcel-poet, his father was a man of worship, I tell thee."
This is perhaps unmistakably a blow at Shakespeare, who had recently
acquired for his father and himself arms, and the pleasure of writing
himself "gentleman." This "parcel-poet gent'man" "pens lofty, in a
new stalking style,"--he is thus an author, he "pens," and in a high
style. He is called Pantalabus, from the Greek words for "to TAKE UP
ALL," which means that, as poet, he is a plagiarist.
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