Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 24 of 66
Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1600 [1600-1601] (Annals) satire · Children of the Chapel (second) unassigned nearest T47 Knaves, thieves and bawds · 494 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T47: knave, rogue, money, knaves, thief, rogues, pray, whore, nichol, book.
Fough, he smells all lamp-oil, with studying by candlelight. How confidently he went by us, and carelessly! never moved! nor stirred at any thing! did you observe him? ay, a pox on him, let him go, dormouse: he is in a dream now. He has no other time to sleep, but thus, when he walks abroad, to take the air. God's precious, this afflicts me more than all the rest, that we should so particularly direct our hate, and contempt against him, and he to carry it thus without wound, or passion! 'tis insufferable. 'Slid, (my dear envy) if thou but sayst the word now, I'll undo him eternally for thee. How, sweet ANAIDES? marry half a score of us get him in (one night) and make him pawn his wit for a supper. Away, thou hast such unseasonable jests. By this heaven, I wonder at nothing more than our gentlemen-ushers, that will suffer a piece of serge, or perpetuana, to come into the presence: methinks they should (out of their experience) better distinguish the silken disposition of courtiers, than to let such terrible course rags mix with us, able to fret any smooth or gentile society to the threads with their rubbing devices. Unless 'twere Lent, Ember weeks, or Fasting days, when the place is most penuriously empty of all other good outsides. Damn me, if I should adventure on his company once more, without a suit of buff, to defend my wit; he does nothing but stab the slave: how mischievously he crossed thy device of the prophesy there? And MORIA, she comes without her muff too, and there my invention was lost. Well, I am resolved what I'll do. What, my good spirituous spark? marry, speak all the venom I can of him; and poison his reputation in every place, where I come. 'Fore god, most courtly. And if I chance to be present where any question is made of his sufficiencies, or of any thing he hath done private, or public, I'll censure it slightly, and ridiculously.— At any hand beware of that, so thou mayst draw thine own judgement in suspect. No, I'll instruct thee what thou shalt do, and by a safer means: Approve any thing thou hearest of his, to the received opinion of it; but if it be extraordinary, give it from him to some other, whom thou more particularly affectest. That's the way to plague him, and he shall never come to defend himself. 'sblood, I'll give out, all he does is dictated from other men, and swear it too (if thou'lt ha'mee) and that I know the time, and place where he stole it, though my soul be guilty of no such thing; and that I think, out of my heart, he hates such barren shifts: yet to do thee a pleasure, and him a disgrace, I'll damn myself, or do any thing. Gramercies, my dear devil: we'll put it seriously in practice, i'faith.
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)
Fough, he smels all lamp-oyle, with studying by candle-light. How confidently he went by vs, and carelesly! neuer moou'd! nor stirr'd at any thing! did you obserue him? I, a poxe on him, let him goe, dormouse: he is in a dreame now. He has no other time to sleepe, but thus, when hee walkes abroad, to take the ayre. Gods precious, this afflicts mee more then all the rest, that wee should so particularly direct our hate, and contempt against him, and hee to carrie it thus without wound, or passion! 'tis insufferable. S'lid, (my deare enuie) if thou but saist the word now, Ile vndoe him eternally for thee. How, sweet ANAIDES? Mary halfe a score of vs get him in (one night) and make him pawne his wit for a supper. Away, thou hast such vnseasonable jests. By this heauen, I wonder at nothing more then our gentlemen-vshers, that will suffer a piece of serge, or perpetuana, to come into the presence: mee thinkes they should (out of their experience) better distinguish the silken disposition of courtiers, then to let such terrible coorse ragges mixe with vs, able to fret any smooth or gentile societie to the threeds with their rubbing deuices. Vnlesse 'twere Lent, Ember weekes, or Fasting dayes, when the place is most penuriously emptie of all other good outsides. Dam' mee, if I should aduenture on his companie once more, without a sute of buffe, to defend my wit; he does nothing but stab the slaue: how mischieuously he cross'd thy deuice of the prophesie there? And MORIA, shee comes without her muffe too, and there my inuention was lost. Well, I am resolu'd what Ile doe. What, my good spirituous sparke? Mary, speake all the venome I can of him; and poyson his reputation in euery place, where I come. 'Fore god, most courtly. And if I chance to bee present where any question is made of his sufficiencies, or of any thing he hath done priuate, or publike, Ile censure it slightly, and ridiculously.— At any hand beware of that, so thou maist draw thine owne iudgement in suspect. No, Ile instruct thee what thou shalt doe, and by a safer meanes: Approue any thing thou hearest of his, to the receiu'd opinion of it; but if it bee extraordinarie, giue it from him to some other, whom thou more particularly affect'st. That's the way to plague him, and he shall neuer come to defend himselfe. S'lud, Ile giue out, all he does is dictated from other men, and sweare it too (if thou'lt ha'mee) and that I know the time, and place where he stole it, though my soule bee guiltie of no such thing; and that I thinke, out of my heart, hee hates such barren shifts: yet to doe thee a pleasure, and him a disgrace, I'le dam'my selfe, or doe any thing. Gramercies, my deare deuill: weele put it seriously in practice, ysaith.