Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 3 of 66
Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1600 [1600-1601] (Annals) satire · Children of the Chapel (second) T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe typicality 0.83 · 518 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
Excellent: give me my cloak. Stay; you shall see me do another now: but a more sober, or better-gathered gallant; that is (as it may be thought) some friend, or wellwisher to the house: And here I enter. What? upon the stage, too? Yes: and I step forth like one of the children, and ask you, Would you have a stool, sir? A stool, boy? ay, sir, if you'll give me six pence, I'll fetch you one. For what I pray thee? what shall I do with it? O lord, sir! will you betray your ignorance so much? why throne yourself in state on the stage, as other gentlemen use, sir. Away, wag, what, wouldst thou make an implement of me? Slid the boy takes me for a piece of perspective (I hold my life) or some silk curtain, come to hang the stage here! sir crack, I am none of your fresh pictures, that use to beautify the decayed dead arras, in a public theatre. 'tis a sign, sir, you put not that confidence in your good clothes, and your better face, that a gentleman should do, sir. But I pray you sir, let me be a suitor to you, that you will quit our stage then, and take a place, the play is instantly to begin. Most willingly, my good wag: but I would speak with your Author, where's he? Not this way, I assure you, sir: we are not so officiously befriended by him, as to have his presence in the tiring-house, to prompt us aloud, stamp at the book-holder, swear for our properties, curse the poor tireman, rail the music out of tune, and sweat for every venial trespass we commit, as some Author would, if he had such fine angles as we. Well, 'tis but our hard fortune. Nay, crack, be not disheartened. Not I, sir, but if you please to confer with our Author, by attorney, you may, sir: our proper self here, stands for him. Troth, I have no such serious affair to negotiate with him, but what may very safely be turned upon thy trust. It is in the general behalf of this fair society here, that I am to speak, at least the more judicious part of it, which seems much distasted with the immodest and obscene writing of many, in their plays. Besides, they could wish, your Poets would leave to be promoters of other men's jests, and to waylay all the stale apothegms, or old books, they can hear of (in print, or otherwise) to farce their Scenes withal. That they would not so penuriously glean wit, from every laundress, or hackneyman, or derive their best grace (with servile imitation) from common stages, or observation of the company they converse with; as if their invention lived wholly upon another man's trencher. Again, that feeding their friends with nothing of their own, but what they have twice or thrice cooked, they should not want only give out, how soon they had dressed it; nor how many coaches came to carry away the broken-meat, besides hobby-horses, and foot-cloth nags.
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)
Excellent: giue mee my cloake. Stay; you shall see me doe another now: but a more sober, or better-gather'd gallant; that is (as it may bee thought) some friend, or welwisher to the house: And here I enter. What? vpon the stage, too? Yes: and I step forth like one of the children, and aske you, Would you haue a stoole, sir? A stoole, boy? I, sir, if youle giue me six pence, Ile fetch you one. For what I pray thee? what shall I doe with it? O lord, sir! will you betraie your ignorance so much? why throne your selfe in state on the stage, as other gentlemen vse, sir. Away, wagge, what, would'st thou make an implement of me? Slid the boy takes me for a piece of perspectiue (I hold my life) or some silke cortaine, come to hang the stage here! sir cracke, I am none of your fresh pictures, that vse to beautifie the decaied dead arras, in a publike theatre. T'is a signe, sir, you put not that confidence in your good clothes, and your better face, that a gentleman should doe, sir. But I pray you sir, let mee bee a suter to you, that you will quit our stage then, and take a place, the play is instantly to beginne. Most willingly, my good wag: but I would speake with your Authour, where's he? Not this way, I assure you, sir: wee are not so officiously befriended by him, as to haue his presence in the tiringhouse, to prompt vs aloud, stampe at the booke-holder, sweare for our properties, curse the poore tire-man, raile the musicke out of tune, and sweat for euerie veniall trespasse we commit, as some Authour would, if he had such fine engles as we. Well, tis but our hard fortune. Nay, cracke, be not dis-heartned. Not I, sir, but if you please to conferre with our Author, by atturney, you may, sir: our proper selfe here, stands for him. Troth, I haue no such serious affaire to negotiate with him, but what may verie safely bee turn'd vpon thy trust. It is in the generall behalfe of this faire societie here, that I am to speake, at least the more iudicious part of it, which seemes much distasted with the immodest and obscene writing of manie, in their playes. Besides, they could wish, your Poets would leaue to bee promoters of other mens iests, and to way-lay all the stale apothegmes, or olde bookes, they can heare of (in print, or otherwise) to farce their Scenes withall. That they would not so penuriously gleane wit, from euerie laundresse, or hackney-man, or deriue their best grace (with seruile imitation) from common stages, or obseruation of the companie they conuerse with; as if their inuention liu'd wholy vpon another mans trencher. Againe, that feeding their friends with nothing of their owne, but what they haue twice or thrice cook'd, they should not want only giue out, how soone they had drest it; nor how manie coaches came to carrie away the broken-meat, besides hobbie-horses, and footcloth nags.