Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 5 of 66
Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1600 [1600-1601] (Annals) satire · Children of the Chapel (second) unassigned nearest T12 Olympian gods: Jupiter, Juno, Venus and · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T12: iupiter, saturn, iuno, venus, gods, mars, earth, titan, love, fair.
Who? MERCVRIE? I. Farewell. Stay, CUPID. Not in your company, HERMES, except your hands were riveted at your back. Why so my little rower? Because I know, you ha' not a finger, but is as long as my quiver (cousin MERCVRIE) when you please to extend it. Whence derive you this speech, boy? O! 'tis your best polity to be ignorant. You did never steal MARS his sword out of the sheath, you? nor NEPTUNES trident? nor Apollo's how? no, not you? Alas, your palms (JUPITER knows) they are as tender as the foot of a foundered nag, or a Lady's face new mercuried, they'll touch nothing. Go too (infant) you'll be daring still. Daring? O JANUS! what a word is there? why, my light feather-heeled cousin, what are you? any more than my uncle IOVES pandar, a lackey, that runs on errands for him, and can whisper a light message to a loose wench with some round volubility, wait mannerly at a table with a trencher, and warble upon a crowd a little, fill out nectar, when Ganimed's away, one that sweeps the Gods drinking room every morning, and sets the cushions in order again, which they threw one at another's head overnight, can brush the carpets, call the stools again to their places, play the crier of the court with an audible voice, and take state of a precedent upon you at wrestlings, pleadings, negotiations, etc. Here's the catalogue o' your employments now. O no, I err, you have the marshalling of all the ghosts too, that pass the stygian ferry, and I suspect you for a share with the old sculler there, if the truth were known; but let that scape. One other peculiar virtue you possess, in lifting, or legerdemain, (which few of the house of heaven have else besides) I must confess. But (methinks) that should not make you put that extreme distance twixt yourself and others, that we should be said to overdare in speaking to your nimble deity? So HERCULES might challenge priority of us both, because he can throw the bar farther, or lift more joined stools at the arms end, than we. If this might carry it, than we who have made the whole body of divinity tremble at the twang of our bow, and enforced SATURNIUS himself to lay by his curled front, thunder, and three-forked fires, and put on a masking suit, too light for a reveller of eighteen, to be seen in— How now! my dancing braggart in decimo sexto! charm your skipping tongue, or I'll— What? use the virtue of your snaky tipstaff there upon us? No, boy, but the smart vigour of my palm about your ears. You have forgot since I took your heels up into air (on the very hour I was borne) in sight of all the bench of deities, when the silver-roof of the Olympian palace rung again with applause of the fact.
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)
Who? MERCVRIE? I. Farewell. Stay, CVPID. Not in your companie, HELMES, except your hands were rietted at your backe. Why so my little rower? Because I know, you ha' not a finger, but is as long as my quiuer (cousin MERCVRIE) when you please to extend it. Whence deriue you this speech, boy? O! tis your best politie to be ignorant. You did neuer steale MARS his sword out of the sheath, you? nor NEPTVNES trident? nor APOLLOES how? no, not you? Alas, your palmes (IVPITER knowes) they are as tender as the foot of a foundred nagge, or a ladies face new mercuried, the'ile touch nothing. Goe too (infant) you'le be daring still. Daring? O IANVS! what a word is there? why, my light fether-heel'd couss', what are you? any more then my vncle IOVES pandar, a lacquey, that runnes on errands for him, and can whisper a light message to a loose wench with some round volubilitie, wait mannerly at a table with a trencher, and warble vpon a crowde a little, fill out nectar, when Ganimed's away, one that sweeps the Gods drinking roome euery morning, and sets the cushions in order againe, which they threw one at anothers headouer-night, can brush the carpets, call the stooles againe to their places, play the cryer of the court with an audible voice, and take state of a President vpon you at wrestlings, pleadings, negotiations, &c. Here's the catalogue o' your imploiments now. O no, I erre, you haue the marshalling of all the ghosts too, that passe the stygian ferrie, and I suspect you for a share with the old sculler there, if the truth were known; but let that scape. One other peculiar vertue you possesse, in lifting, or lieger-du-maine, (which few of the house of heau'n haue else besides) I must confesse. But (mee thinkes) that should not make you put that extreme distance twixt your selfe and others, that we should be said to ouerdare in speaking to your nimble deitie? So HERCVLES might challenge prioritie of vs both, because he can throw the barre farther, or lift more ioyn'd stooles at the armes end, then we. If this might carry it, then wee who haue made the whole bodie of diuinitie tremble at the twang of our bow, and enforc'd SATVRNIVS himselfe to lay by his curl'd front, thunder, and three-fork'd fires, and put on a masking sute, too light for a reueller of eighteene, to be seene in— How now! my dancing braggart in dcimo sexto! charme your skipping tongue, or I'le— What? vse the vertue of your snakie tip-staffe there vpon vs? No, boy, but the smart vigor of my palme about your eares. You haue forgot since I tooke your heeles vp into aire (on the very houre I was borne) in sight of all the bench of deities, when the siluerroofe of the Olympi palace rung againe with applause of the fact.