Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 1 of 66
Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1600 [1600-1601] (Annals) satire · Children of the Chapel (second) T21 Cupid, Venus and the nymphs typicality 0.73 · 599 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
PRay you away; why fellows? God's so? what do you mean? marry that you shall not speak the Prologue, sir. Why? do you hope to speak it? ay, and I think I have most right to it: I am sure I studied it first. That's all one, if the Author think I can speak it better. I plead possession of the cloak: Gentles, your suffrages I pray you. Why Children are you not ashamed? come in there. 'Slid, I'll play nothing i' the Play: unless I speak it. Why, will you stand to most voices of the gentlemen! let that decide it. O no, sir gallant; you presume to have the start of us there, and that makes you offer so prodigally. No, would I were whipped, if I had any such thought: try it by lots either. Faith, I dare tempt my fortune in a greater venture than this. Well said, resolute Jack, I am content too: so we draw first. Make the cuts. But will you not snatch my cloak, while I am stooping? No, we scorn treachery. Which cut shall speak it? The shortest. Agreed. The shortest is come to the shortest. Fortune was not altogether blind in this. Now, sir, I hope I shall go forward without your envy. A spite of all mischievous luck! I was once plucking at the other. Stay, Jack: Slid, I'll do somewhat now afore I go in, though it be nothing but to revenge myself on the Author: since I speak not his Prologue. I'll go tell all the argument of his play aforehand, and so stole his invention to the auditory before it come forth. O, do not so. By no means. First, the title of his play is Cynthia's Revels, as any man (that hath hope to be saved by his book) can witness; the Scene, gargaphy: which I do vehemently suspect for some fustian country, but let that vanish. Here, is the court of CYNTHIA, whither he brings CUPID (travailing on foot) resolved to turn page. By the way, CUPID meets with MERCVRIE, (as that's a thing to be noted, take any of our playbooks without a CUPID, or a MERCURY in it, and burn it for an heretic in Poetry)— Pray thee let me alone. MERCURY, he (in the nature of a conjurer) raises up echo, who weeps over her love, or Daffodil, NARCISSUS, a little; sings; curses the spring wherein the pretty foolish gentleman melted himself away: and there's an end of her.— Now I am to inform you, that CUPID, and MERCURY do both become pages. CUPID attends on PHILAUTIA, or self-love, a court-lady MERCURY follows HEDON, the voluptuous, and a courtier; one that ranks himself even with ANAIDES, or the impudent, a gallant, (and that's my part:) one that keeps laughter, GELAIA the daughter of folly, (a wench in boys' attire) to wait on him— These, in the court, meet with AMORPHUS, or the deformed; a travailer that hath drunk of the fountain, and there tells the wonders of the water. They presently dispatch away their pages with bottles to fetch of it, and themselves go to visit the ladies. But I should have told you— (Look, these emmets put me out here) that with this AMORPHUS, there comes along a citizen's heir, ASOTUS, or the prodigal, who (in imitation of the traveler, who hath the whetstone following him) entertains the beggar, to be his attendant.— Now, the Nymphs who are mistresses to these gallants, are PHILAUTIA, self-love; PHANTASTE, a light wittiness; ARGURION money; and their Guardian, mother MORIA; or mistress folly.—
nodes 0–23 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 1 of 66 in this edition
Length
599 words · 877 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.730 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T21 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
PRay you away; why fellowes? Gods so? what doe you meane? Mary that you shall not speake the Prologue, sir. Why? doe you hope to speake it? I, and I thinke I haue most right to it: I am sure I studied it first. That's all one, if the Authour thinke I can speake it better. I pleade possession of the cloake: Gentles, your suffrages I pray you. ¶ Why Children are you not asham'd? come in there. Slid, I'le play nothing i' the Play: vnlesse I speake it. Why, will you stand to most voices of the gentlemen! let that decide it. O no, sir gallant; you presume to haue the start of vs there, and that makes you offer so prodigally. No, would I were whipt, if I had any such thought: trie it by lots either. Faith, I dare tempt my fortune in a greater venter then this. Well said, resolute Iacke, I am content too: so wee draw first. Make the cuts. But will you not snatch my cloake, while I am stooping? No, we scorne treacherie. Which cut shall speake it? The shortest. Agreed. The shortest is come to the shortest. Fortune was not altogether blind in this. Now, sir, I hope I shall goe forward without your enuie. A spite of all mischieuous lucke! I was once plucking at the other. Stay, Iacke: Slid, I'le doe somewhat now afore I goe in, though it be nothing but to reuenge my selfe on the Authour: since I speake not his Prologue. Ile goe tell all the argument of his play aforehand, and so stale his inuention to the auditorie before it come forth. O, doe not so. By no meanes. First, the title of his play is CYNTHIAS Reuels, as any man (that hath hope to bee saued by his booke) can witnesse; the Scene, GARGAPHIE: which I doe vehemently suspect for some sustian countrie, but let that vanish. Here, is the court of CYNTHIA, whither hee brings CVPID (trauailing on foot) resolu'd to turne page. By the way, CVPID meetes with MERCVRIE, (as that's a thing to be noted, take anie of our play-bookes without a CVPID, or a MERCVRY in it, and burne it for an heretique in Poetrie)— Pray thee let me alone. MERCVRY, he (in the nature of a conjurer) raises vp ECCHO, who weepes ouer her loue, or Daffodill, NARCISSVS, a little; sings; curses the spring wherein the prettie foolish gentleman melted himselfe away: and ther's an end of her.—Now I am to informe you, that CVPID, and MERCVRY doe both become pages. CVPID attends on PHILAVTIA, or selfe-Loue, a court-ladie MERCVRY followes HEDON, the voluptuous, and a courtier; one that rankes himselfe euen with ANAIDES, or the impudent, a gallant, (and that's my part:) one that keepes laughter, GELAIA the daughter of folly, (a wench in boyes attire) to waite on him—These, in the court, meet with AMORPHVS, or the deformed; a trauailer that hath drunke of the fountaine, and there tels the wonders of the water. They presently dispatch away their pages with bottles to fetch of it, and themselues goe to visite the ladies. But I should haue told you— (Looke, these emets put me out here) that with this AMORPHVS, there comes along a citizens heire, ASOTVS, or the prodigall, who (in imitation of the traueller, who hath the whetstone following him) entertaines the begger, to be his attendant.—Now, the Nymphs who are mistresses to these gallants, are PHILAVTIA, selfe-Loue; PHANTASTE, a light wittinesse; ARGVRION monie; and their Guardian, mother MORIA; or mistresse folly.—