‘34 ROSLTN, HAWTHORNDEN,
that built the more modern portion of the mansion as we now see it,
repairing or renewing the more ancient house that stood on. the same rock and
fragments of which still remain, Hawthornden, in short, is a kind of minor
Abbotsford, much nearer Edinburgh, and much more antique than the greater
one; and it is this’ that makes it an object of curiosity, and invests all its
accessories with a precise human interest.’ 1
Perhaps the most interesting fact in Drummond’s life was the visit paid to
him by Ben Jonson, who had walked from London into Scotland. He had
not come, qs is generally stated, on purpose to see Drummond; but he had
known Drummond by reputation for some time, and was very glad to make
his acquaintance personally. Accordingly, after having met Drummond in
Edinburgh (where Jonson, as a celebrity from ‘London, was received with
great distinction by all classes of people, and even presented with the
freedom of the city at a banquet in his honour),‘he accepted Drummond’s
invitation to stay a week or two with him in Hawthornden House. The time
was about the Christmas of 1618 or the New Year’s Day of 1619 ; and the visit
has been sketched as follows :-
‘Retter than most myths of the kind is the myth which would tell us
exactly how the visit began, Drummond, it says, was sitting under the great
sycamore-tree in front of his house, expecting his visitor, when at length,
descending the well-hedged avenue from the public road to the house, the
bulky hero hove in sight. Rising, and stepping forth to meet him, Drummond
saluted him with “Welcome, welcome, royal Ben !” to which Jonson replied
Thank ye, thank ye, Hawthornden IJJ and they laughed, fraternised, tmd went
in together.
‘ For two or three weeks, at all events, Drummond had Ben Jonson all to
himself. There would, doubtless, be friends from Edinburgh, perhaps Scot
of Scotstarvet and two or three more, asked out every other day to make
dinnercompany for the great man ; and again, once or twice, Drummond and
Ben may have trudged into Edinburgh together in the forenoon, or walked
together by cross-roads to the house of some neighbour of Drummond’s.
(Carriages were not then much in fashion near Edinburgh, and I do not think
Drummond kept one, or had a horse fit for a rider of Ben’s size.) But then,
even when there’were other guests at Drummond’s table, Ben would be the
1 This and the following extracts are taken from Professor Masson‘s Drammond of fiaw
thorn&# : Tiu Story of his Ltyc and Writings.
