Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1599 (Annals) comedy · Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe typicality 0.77 · 469 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
No, I assure you, signor. If those laws you speak of, had been delivered us, ab initio, and in their present virtue and perfection, there had been some reason of obeying their powers: but 'tis extant, that that which we call Comoedia, was at first nothing but a simple, and continued Song, sung by one only person, till SUSARIO invented a second, after him EPICHARMUS a third; PHORMUS, and CHIONIDES devised to have four Actors, with a Prologue and Chorus; to which CRATINUS (long after) added a fift, and sixth; EUPOLIS more; ARISTOPHANES more than they: every man in the dignity of his spirit and judgement, supplied something. And (though that in him this kind of Poem appeared absolute, and fully perfected) yet how is the face of it changed since, in MENANDER, PHILEMON, CECILIUS, PLAUTUS, and the rest; who have utterly excluded the Chorus, altered the property of the persons, their names, and natures, and augmented it with all liberty, according to the elegancy and disposition of those times, wherein they wrote? I see not then, but we should enjoy the same licence, or free power, to illustrate and heighten our invention as they did; and not be tied to those strict and regular forms, which the niceness of a few (who are nothing but form) would thrust upon vs. Well, we will not dispute of this now: but what's his Scene? Marry, Insula Fortunata, Sir. O, the fortunate Island? mass, he has bound himself to a strict law there. Why so? He cannot lightly alter the Scene, without crossing the seas. He needs not, having a whole Island to run through, I think. No? how comes it then, that in some one Play we see so many seas, countries, and kingdoms, passed over with such admirable dexterity? O, that but shows how well the Authors can travail in their vocation, and outrun the apprehension of their auditory. But leaving this, I would they would begin once: this protraction is able to sour the best-settled patience in the Theatre. They have answered your wish Sir: they sound. O, here comes the Prologue: Now sir! if you had stayed a little longer, I meant to have spoke your prologue for you, I faith. Marry, with all my heart, Sir, you shall do it yet, and I thank you. Nay, nay, stay, stay, hear you? You could not have studied to ha' done me a greater benefit at the instant, for I protest to you, I am unperfect, and (had I spoke it) I must of necessity have been out. Why, but do you speak this seriously? Seriously! I (wits my help do I) and esteem myself in debted to your kindness for it. For what? Why, for undertaking the prologue for me. How? did I undertake it for you?
Other edition — placed after the fit, excluded from the main statistics
Position
nodes 244–262 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 5 of 74 in this edition
Length
469 words · 649 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T9 — Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playerscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.765 (cosine to the topic centroid) · placed after the fit (approximate_predict), not counted in the topic statistics
Other seeds
seed 43: T16 · seed 44: T15 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
No, I assure you, Signior. If those lawes you speake of, had beene deliuered vs, ab initio, and in their present vertue and perfection, there had beene some reason of obeying their powers: but 'tis extant, that that which we call Comoedia, was at first nothing but a simple, and continued Song, sung by one only person, till SVSARIO inuented a second, after him EPICHARMVS a third; PHORMVS, and CHIONIDES deuised to haue foure Actors, with a Prologue and Chorus; to which CRATINVS (long after) added a fift, and sixt; EVPOLIS more; ARISTOPHANES more then they: euery man in the dignitie of his spirit and iudgement, supplyed some-thing. And (though that in him this kinde of Poeme appeared absolute, and fully perfected) yet how is the face of it chang'd since, in MENANDER, PHILEMON, CECILIVS, PLAVTVS, and the rest; who haue vtterly excluded the Chorus, altered the property of the persons, their names, and natures, and augmented it with all liberty, according to the elegancie and disposition of those times, wherein they wrote? I see not then, but we should enioy the same licence, or free power, to illustrate and heighten our inuention as they did; and not bee tyed to those strict and regular formes, which the nicenesse of a few (who are nothing but forme) would thrust vpon vs. Well, we will not dispute of this now: but what's his Scene? Marry, Insula Fortunata, Sir. O, the fortunate Iland? masse, he has bound himselfe to a strict law there. Why so? He cannot lightly alter the Scene, without crossing the seas. He needs not, hauing a whole Iland to run through, I thinke. No? how comes it then, that in some one Play we see so many seas, countries, and kingdomes, past ouer with such admirable dexteritie? O, that but shewes how well the Authors can trauaile in their vocation, and out-run the apprehension of their auditorie. But leauing this, I would they would begin once: this protraction is able to sowre the best-settled patience in the Theatre. They haue answered your wish Sir: they sound. O, here comes the Prologue: Now sir! if you had staid a little longer, I meant to haue spoke your prologue for you, I faith. Mary, with all my heart, Sir, you shall doe it yet, and I thanke you. Nay, nay, stay, stay, heare you? You could not haue studied to ha' done me a greater benefit at the instant, for I protest to you, I am vnperfect, and (had I spoke it) I must of necessity haue beene out. Why, but doe you speake this seriously? Seriously! I (wit's my helpe doe I) and esteeme my selfe in debted to your kindnesse for it. For what? Why, for vndertaking the prologue for me. How? did I vndertake it for you?