Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 6 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 0.85 · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
O no, I remember it freshly, and by a particular instance; for my mother VENUS (at the same time) but stooped to embrace you, and (to speak by metaphor) you borrowed a girdle of hers, as you did IOVES sceptre (while he was laughing) and would have done his thunder too, but that 'twas too hot for your itching fingers. 'tis well, sir. I heard, you but looked in at Vulcan's forge the other day, and entreated a pair of his new tongues along with you, for company: 'tis joy on you (i'faith) that you will keep your hooked talons in practice with any thing. 'slight, now you are on earth, we shall have you filch spoons and candlesticks, rather than fail: pray JOVE the perfumed courtiers keep their casting-bottles, picktooths, and shittle-cocks from you; or our more ordinary gallants their tobacco-boxes, for I am strangely jealous of your nails. ne'er trust me, CUPID, but you are turned a most acute gallant of late, the edge of my wit is clear taken off with the fine and subtle stroke of your thin-ground tongue, you fight with too poignant a phrase, for me to deal with. O HERMES, your craft cannot make me confident. I know my own steel to be almost spent, and therefore entreat my peace with you, in time: you are too cunning for me to encounter at length, and I think it my safest ward to close. Well, for once, I'll suffer you to win upon me, wag, but use not these strains too often, they'll stretch my patience. Whither might you march, now? Faith (to recover thy good thoughts) I'll discover my whole project. The Huntress, and Queen of these groves, DIANA (in regard of some black and envious slanders hourly breathed against her, for her divine justice on Actaeon, as she pretends) hath here in the vale of Geography, proclaimed a solemn revels, which (her godhead put off) she will descend to grace, with the full and royal expense of one of her clearest moons: In which time, it shall be lawful for all sorts of ingenuous persons, to visit her palace, to court her nymphs, to exercise all variety of generous and noble pastimes, as well to intimate how far she treads such malicious imputations beneath her, as also to show how clear her beauties are from the least wrinkle of austerity, they may be charged with. But, what is all this to CUPID? Here do I mean to put off the title of a god, and take the habit of a page, in which disguise (during the interim of these revels) I will get to follow some one of Diana's maids, where (if my bow hold, and my shafts fly but with half the willingness, and aim they are directed) I doubt not, but I shall really redeem the minutes I have lost, by their so long and overnice proscription of my deity, from their court. Pursue it (divine CUPID) it will be rare.
nodes 96–105 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 6 of 66 in this edition
Length
501 words · 675 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.845 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T21 · seed 44: T24 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
O no, I remember it freshly, and by a particular instance; for my mother VENVS (at the same time) but stoopt to imbrace you, and (to speake by metaphore) you borrowed a girdle of hers, as you did IOVES scepter (while hee was laughing) and would haue done his thunder too, but that 'twas too hot for your itching fingers. Tis well, sir. I heard, you but look't in at VULCANS forge the other day, and intreated a paire of his new tongs along with you, for companie: Tis ioy on you (yfaith) that you will keepe your hook'd tallons in practice with any thing. Slight, now you are on earth, wee shall haue you silch spoones and candle-sicks, rather then faile: pray IOVE the perfum'd courtiers keepe their casting-bottles, pick-toothes, and shittle-cocks from you; or our more ordinarie gallants their tabacco-boxes, for I am strangely iealous of your nailes. Ne're trust me, CVPID, but you are turn'd a most acute gallant of late, the edge of my wit is cleere taken off with the fe and subtile stroke of your thin-ground tongue, you fight with too poinant a phrase, for me to deale with. O HERMES, your craft cannot make me confident. I know my owne steele to bee almost spent, and therefore intreate my peace with you, in time: you are too cunning for mee to incounter at length▪ and I thinke it my safest ward to close. Well, for once, I'le suffer you to winne vpon mee, wagge, but vse not these straines too often, they'le stretch my patience. Whither might you march, now? Faith (to recouer thy good thoughts) I'le discouer my whole proiect. The Huntresse, and Queene of these groues, DIANA (in regard of some black and enuious slanders hourely breath'd against her, for her diuine iustice on ACTEON, as shee pretends) hath here in the vale of Gargaphy, proclaim'd a solemne reuells, which (her god-head put off) shee will descend to grace, with the full and royall expence of one of her cleerest moones: In which time, it shall bee lawfull for all sorts of ingenuous persons, to visit her palace, to court her NYMPHES, to exercise all varietie of generous and noble pastimes, as well to intimate how farre shee treads such malicious imputations beneath her, as also to shew how cleere her beauties are from the least wrinckle of austerity, they may be charg'd with. But, what is all this to CVPID? Here doe I meane to put off the title of a god, and take the habite of a page, in which disguise (during the interim of these reuells) I will get to follow some one of DIANAES maides, where (if my bow hold, and my shafts flie but with halfe the willingnesse, and aime they are directed) I doubt not, but I shall really redeeme the minutes I haue lost, by their so long and ouer-nice proscription of my deitie, from their court. Pursue it (diuine CVPID) it will be rare.