A Brazen Face

 Face/Front/Form over Matter - Amorphus/Vere's Heresy

Cynthia's Revels, Jonson

Amorphus:

 ...For, let your Soul be as-
sur'd of this (in any rank, or profession whatever) the
more general, or major part of Opinion goes with the
Face, and (simply) respects nothing else. Therefore,
if that can be made exactly, curiously, exquisitely,
thorowly, it is enough:

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A Curious Front of Brass:

 ...For, let your Soul be as-
sur'd of this (in any rank, or profession whatever) the
more general, or major part of Opinion goes with the
FACE, and (simply) respects nothing else. Therefore,
if that can be made exactly, curiously, exquisitely,
thorowly, it is enough

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Jonson, on the Droeshout Engraving:

THE FIGURE that thou here seest put,

It was for gentle SHAKESPEARE cut,

Wherein the graver had a strife

With nature, to out-do the life:

O could he have but drawn his wit

As well in brass, as he has hit

His FACE; the print would then surpass

All that was ever writ in brass:

But since he cannot, reader, look

Not on his PICTURE, but his book.

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Author: Holland, Abraham, d. 1626.
Title: Naumachia, or Hollands sea-fight Date: 1622

A Caveat to his Muse

(snip)

You deem it a matter of high worth
To have a fame among 'em: New come forth:
And thinke your chiefe felicity is marr'd
If you be not perch't up in Paules Church-yard
Where men a farre may know you in a trice,
By some new-fangled, brasse-cut FRONTispice.
Such book's indeed as now-dayes can passé
Had need to have their FACES made of brasse.(note - see Droeshout engraving)

Is it not then sufficient for you
To stay at home among the residue
Of better sisters: where my dearest Will, (my note - Will Browne?)
And other friends would praise and love thee still:
Him and my other harts-halfes I account
Intire assemblies, and thinke they surmount
A Globe of ADDLE Gallants: I averre
One judging Plato worth a Theater.

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Masque of Pleasure and Virtue

By Ben Jonson (1572–1637) Song II

O more and more, this was so well

As praise wants half his voice to tell.

Again yourselves compose,

And now put all the aptness on

Of figure, that proportion

Or color can disclose:

That, if those silent arts were lost,

Design and Picture, they might boast

From you a newer ground

Instructed by the heightening sense

Of dignity and reverence

In their true motions found.

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William Webbe - Discourse on English Poetry 1586

Chawcer, who for that excellent fame which hee obtayned in his Poetry was alwayes accounted the God of English Poets (such a tytle for honours sake hath beene giuen him), was next after if not equall in time to Gower, and hath left many workes, both for delight and profitable knowledge farre exceeding any other that as yet euer since hys time directed theyr studies that way. Though the manner of hys stile may seeme blunte and course to many fine English eares at these dayes, yet in trueth, if it be equally pondered, and with good iudgment aduised, and confirmed with the time wherein he wrote, a man shall perceiue thereby euen a true PICTURE or perfect shape of a RIGHT POET.

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Droeshout - 2 left arms and a mask (Nabokov) - writing the wrong way.

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...So extream was the folly of those Irregular Heads, who deserved not only to be pointed at for their insufferable Vanity, but likewise to be severely punish't for daring to thrust upon the World at this rate these flat untruths... 
I conceive then the Art of Translating to be like unto that of Portraying. He is a very mean Painter, who can but represent the meer Lineaments, and external Shape of a Mans FACE. The chief Secret of this Art consists in drawing to life the very Soul it self; I mean, in representing the very Air, Temper, Humour and Complection. For a Man is not drawn to Life, unless the most habitual indisposition of his Soul shine in the Piece. 

(A Discourse of Wit, David Abercromby, 1678)

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But since he cannot, reader, look
Not on his PICTURE, but his book. -- Jonson

Origin and Etymology of picture

Middle English, from Latin pictura, from pictus, past participle of pingere to paint — more at PAINT

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 Jonson, Speach According to Horace

(to the Tempestuous Grandlings)

...What love you then? your Whore? what study? Gate,
Carriage, and Dressing. There is up of late
The ACADEMY, where the Gallants meet ——
What to make Legs? yes, and to smell most sweet,
All that they do at Plays. O, but first here
They learn and study; and then practise there.
But why are all these Irons i' the Fire
Of several makings? helps, helps, t' attire
His Lordship. That is for his Band, his Hair
This, and that Box his Beauty to repair;
This other for his Eye-brows; hence, away,
I may no longer on these PICTURES stay,
These Carkasses of Honour; Taylors blocks,
Cover'd with Tissue, whose prosperity mocks
The fate of things: whilst totter'd Vertue holds
Her broken Arms up, to their EMPTY MOULDS. 

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Effrontery:

To the Romans, the shameless were "without forehead," at least figuratively. Effrontery derives from Latin effrons, a word that combines the prefix ex- (meaning "out" or "without") and "frons" (meaning "forehead" or "brow"). The Romans never used "effrons" literally to mean "without forehead," and theorists aren't in full agreement about the connection between the modern meaning of "effrontery" and the literal senses of its roots. Some explain that "frons" can also refer to the capacity for blushing, so a person without "frons" would be "unblushing" or "shameless." Others theorize that since the Romans believed that the brow was the seat of a person's modesty, being without a brow meant being "immodest," or again, "shameless." (Merriam-Webster Dictionary)

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Impudent

1. 1 obsolete :  lacking MODESTY
2. 2 :  marked by contemptuous or cocky boldness or disregard of others : Insolent
   
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Frontlesse/Effrontery/Face of Brasse

Jonson, Timber

It is a quick saying with the Spaniards: Artes inter hæredes non dividi.

Yet these have inherited their fathers lying, and they brag of it. Hee is

an narrow-minded man, that affects a Triumph in any glorious study:

but to TRiUMPh in a lye, and a lye themselves have forg'd, is FRONTLESSE.

Folly often goes beyond her bounds; but IMPUDENCE knowes none.

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 Jonson, Timber

De mollibus & effoemenatis There is nothing valiant, or solid to be hoped for from such, as are always kempt and perfumed; and every day smell of the tailor: the exceedingly curious, that are wholly in mending such an imperfection in the face, in taking away the morphew in the neck; or bleaching their hands at midnight, gumming and bridling their beards; or making the waist small, binding it with hoops, while the mind runs at waste: too much pickedness is not manly. Nor from those that will jest at their own outward imperfections, but hide their ulcers within, their pride, lust, envy, ill nature, with all the art and authority they can. These persons are in danger; for whilst they think to justify their ignorance by IMPUDENCE, and their persons and clothes and outward ornaments; they use but a comission to deceive themselves. Where, if we will look with our understanding, and not our senses, we may behold virtue and beauty (though covered with rags) in their brightness; and vice, and deformity so much the fouler, in having all the splendour of riches to gild them, or the false light of honour and power to help them. Yet this is that, wherewith the world is taken, and runs mad to gaze on: clothes and titles, the birdlime of fools. 

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 The Form of Praise/The Matter of Scorn:

To the Memory of My Beloved the Author, Mr. William Shakespeare- Jonson

...And though thou hadst small Latin and less Greek,

From thence to honour thee, I would not seek

For names; but call forth thund'ring Aeschylus,

Euripides and Sophocles to us;

Pacuvius, Accius, him of Cordova dead,

To life again, to hear thy buskin tread,

And shake a stage; or, when thy socks were on,

Leave thee alone for the comparison

Of all that INSOLENT Greece or HAUGHTY Rome

Sent forth, or since did from their ashes come.

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Jonson, Dedication Epigrams

To  the  great  Example  of  Honour,  and  Vertue , the  most
Noble William, Earl of Pembroke, Lord Chamberlain, &c.

      M Y   L O R D,

W

Hile you cannot change your Merit, I dare not change your Title: It was that

made it, and not I. Under which Name, I here offer to your Lordship the ripest of my Studies, my Epigrams; which, though they carry danger in the sound, do not therefore seek your shelter: For, when I made them, I had nothing in my Conscience, to expressing of which I did need a Cypher. But, if I be fallen into those Times, wherein, for the likeness of Vice, and Facts, every one thinks anothers ill Deeds objected to him; and that in their ignorant and guilty Mouths, the common Voice is (for their security) Beware the Poet, confessing, therein, so much love to their Diseases, as they would rather make a Party for them, than be either rid, or told of them: I must expect, at your Lordship's hand, the protection of Truth, and Liberty, while you are constant to your own Goodness. In thanks whereof, I return you the Honour of leading forth so many good, and great Names (as my Verses mention on the better part) to their remembrance with Posterity. Amongst whom, if I have praised, unfortunately, any one, that doth not deserve; or, if all answer not, in all Numbers, the PICTURES I have made of them: I hope it will be forgiven me, that they are no ill Pieces, though they be not like the Persons. But I foresee a nearer Fate to my Book than this, That the Vices therein will be own'd before the Vertues, (though, there, I have avoided all Particulars, as I have done Names) and some will be so ready to discredit me, as they will have the IMPUDENCE to bely themselves. For, if I meant them not, it is so. Nor, can I hope otherwise. For, why should they remit any thing of their Riot their Pride, their Self-love, and other inherent Graces, to consider Truth or Vertue; but, with the Trade of the World, lend their long Ears against Men they love not: And hold their dear Mountebank, or Jester, in far better Condition than all the Study, or Studiers of Humanity? For such, I would rather know them by their VISARDS, still, than they should publish their FACES, at their peril, in my Theatre, where C A T O, if he liv'd, might enter without scandal.

By your Lordship's most faithfull Honourer,            

B E N.  J O H N S O N.   

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 Jonson, Timber

Veritas proprium hominis.

Truth is mans proper good; and the onely immortall thing, was given

to our mortality to use. No good Christian, or Ethnick, if he be honest,

can misse it: no States-man, or Patriot should. For without truth all the

Actions of man-kind, are craft, malice, or what you will, rather

then Wisdome. Homer sayes, hee hates him worse then hell-mouth,

that utters one thing with his tongue, and keepes another in his brest.

Which high expression was grounded on divine Reason. For a lying mouth

is a stinking pit, and murthers with the contagion it venteth. Beside, no-

thing is lasting that is fain'd; it will have another FACE then it had, ere

long: As Euripides saith, No lye ever growes old.