As is the case with many English Renaissance dramatists, little is known about Richard Brome's personal life. It is generally accepted that he was born around 1590 and probably not in London. By 1614 Brome was living in the city, for the induction to Ben Jonson's Bartholomew Fair mentions "his [Jonson's] man, Master Brome, behind the arras." Scholars have suggested Brome came to London after joining an acting company engaged in touring the provinces. What is meant by the phrase "his man" is open to debate. It may be either that Brome was Jonson's servant or that he was an actor in whom Jonson recognized some potential as a dramatist and decided to assist in achieving that goal. Whatever the exact nature of the relationship, Jonson states in his commendatory poem to Brome's play The Northern Lass that he taught his protégé the art of play writing...