Greatness of name in the father… oft-times overwhelms the son; they stand too near one another. The shadow kills the growth: so much, that we see the grandchild come more and oftener to be heir of the first.

This remark comes from Ben Jonson’s posthumously published commonplace-book, *Timber: or, Discoveries Made upon Men and Matter* (1641), a collection of brief essays, maxims, and character observations assembled from his reading and experience. In the section reflecting on reputation and inheritance, Jonson notes a recurring social pattern in which a celebrated father’s renown can impede a son’s ability to establish an independent identity or achievement. Written in the milieu of early Stuart England—where lineage, patronage, and public fame strongly shaped opportunity—Jonson frames the problem as one of proximity: the son is judged against an imposing standard before he can grow into his own stature.

Jonson argues that a celebrated father’s reputation can stifle a son’s development: the son “stands too near” the father, living in the immediate “shadow” of an already-completed greatness. The metaphor suggests that fame functions like a physical obstruction—blocking light and space needed for growth. The paradox is that inheritance of a “great name” may hinder the very excellence it seems to promise. By contrast, the grandchild, at one remove, can inherit the prestige without being constantly measured against the original figure, and thus more readily becomes the true successor. The insight generalizes beyond family: any overwhelming predecessor can inhibit a direct successor’s flourishing.