Ben Jonson's Patron, Esmé Stuart

Abstract

The entry for Esmé Stuart, brother of Ludovic, Duke of Lennox, in the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography occupies a mere two paragraphs. But who was this person who served James I from 1603 until his death in 1624? This article argues for Esmé's importance and produces evidence to support the claim, beginning with his becoming a Gentleman of the Bedchamber and member of the Privy Council in 1603. Later that year the king granted Esmé a license to export 6,000 tons of “double beer.” This marks just the beginning of the king's exceptional largesse. More grants and privileges flowed Esmé's way, including the title of Earl of March in 1619. Esmé's involvement with the arts, especially drama, has largely been ignored; but he served as patron, performer, and protector of dramatists. He formed his own acting company, he danced in court masques, and he helped dramatists get out of prison. Esmé had a special relationship with Ben Jonson. For five years Jonson even lived in Esmé's household in Blackfriars. He gratefully acknowledged such generosity, claiming in Epigram 127 that Esmé had given him “new life.” In poetry and in the dedication to Sejanus (1616), Jonson cited Esmé's influence and hospitality. This article creates the first full portrait of Esmé: his personal and court life and his interest and participation in the theater.