Jonson, Ben · published 1641 · first performed or written 1618 [Jan 6] (Annals) masque · before the Court unassigned nearest T44 Drinking: wine, ale and taverns · 512 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T44: drink, wine, numps, ale, butler, pot, sing, moy, drunk, win.
DO you hear my friends? to whom did you sing all this now? pardon me only that I ask you, for I do not look for an answer; He answer myself, I know it is now such a time as the Saturnals for all the World, that every man stands under the eaveses of his own hat, and sings what please him; that's the right, and the liberty of it. Now you sing of god Comus here the bellie-god; I say it is well, and I say it is not well: It is well as it is a ballad, and the belly worthy of it; I must needs say, and 'twere forty yards of ballad more, as much ballad as tripe. But when the belly is not edified by it, it is not well; for where did you ever read or hear, that the belly had any ears? Come never pump for an answer, for you are defeated; Our fellow Hunger there that was as ancient a reteiner to the belly as any of us, was turned away for being unseasonable, not unreasonable, but unseasonable; and now is he poor thin-gut, feign to get his living with teaching of Starlings, Magpies, Parrots, and Jacke-dawes, those things he would have taught the belly. Beware of dealing with the belly, the belly will not be talked too, especially when he is full; than there is no venturing upon Venture, he will blow you all up, he will thunder indeed-la: Some in derision call him the father of farts; but I say he was the first inventor of great Ordnance, and taught us to discharge them on Festival days, would we had a fit feast for him i'faith, to show his activity; I would have something now fetched in to please his five senses, the throat, or the two senses the eyes: Pardon me for my two senses, for I that carry Hercules Bowl i'the service, may see double by my place; for I have drunk like a frog to day: I would have a Tun now brought in to dance, and so many bottles about him. Ha! you look as if you would make a problem of this; do you see? do you see? a problem: why bottles? and why a tun? and why a tun? and why bottles to dance? I say that men that drink hard, and serve the belly in any place of quality (as the jovial Tinkers, or the lusty kindred) are living measures of drink, and can transform themselves, and do every day to bottles, or tuns when they please: And when they ha' done all they can, they are as I say again, (for I think I said somewhat like it afore) but moving measures of drink, and there is a piece i'the Cellar can hold more than all they. This will I make good, if it please our new god but to give a nod, for the belly does all by signs; and I am all for the belly, the truest clock i'the world to go by.
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
DOE you heare my friends? to whom did you ſing all this now? pardon me onely that I aske you, for I doe not looke for an anſwere; He anſwer my ſelfe, I know it is now ſuch a time as the Saturnalls for all the World, that every man ſtands under the eaves of his own hat, and ſings what pleaſe him; that's the right, and the liberty of it. Now you ſing of god Comus here the bellie-god; I ſay it is well, and I ſay it is not well: It is well as it is a ballad, and the bellie worthie of it; I muſt needes ſay, and 'twere forty yards of ballad more, as much ballad as tripe. But when the bellie is not edyfied by it, it is not well; for where did you ever read or heare, that the bellie had any eares? Come never pumpe for an anſwer, for you are defeated; Our fellow Hunger there that was as ancient a reteiner to the bellie as any of us, was turned away for being unſeaſonable, not unreaſonable, but unſeaſonable; and now is he poore thin-gut, faine to get his living with teaching of Starlings, Mag-pies, Parrots, and Jacke-dawes, thoſe things he would have taught the bellie. Beware of dealing with the bellie, the bellie will not bee talk'd too, eſpecially when he is full; then there is no venturing upon Venter, he will blow you all up, he will thunder indeed-la: Some in diriſion call him the father of farts; but I ſay he was the firſt inventor of great Ordnance, and taught us to diſcharge them on Feſtivall dayes, would we had a fit feaſt for him y'faith, to ſhew his activity; I would have ſomething now fetcht in to pleaſe his five ſences, the throat, or the two ſences the eyes: Pardon mee for my two ſences, for I that carry Hercules Boule i'the ſervice, may ſee double by my place; for I have drunke like a frog to day: I would have a Tun now brought in to dance, and ſo many bottles about him. Ha! you looke as if you would make a probleme of this; doe you ſee? do you ſee? a probleme: why bottles? and why a tun? and why a tun? and why bottles to dance? I ſay that men that drinke hard, and ſerve the bellie in any place of qualitie (as the joviall Tinkers, or the luſty kindred) are living meaſures of drinke, and can transforme themſelves, and doe every day to bottles, or tuns when they pleaſe: And when they ha' done all they can, they are as I ſay againe, (for I thinke I ſaid ſomewhat like it afore) but moving meaſures of drink, and there is a peece i'the Cellar can hold more than all they. This will I make good, if it pleaſe our new god but to give a nod, for the bellie doe's all by ſignes; and I am all for the bellie, the trueſt clocke i'the world to goe by.