Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 26 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 0.76 · 504 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
He passed, appears some mincing marmoset Made all of clothes, and face; his limbs so set As if they had some voluntary act Without man's motion, and must move just so In spite of their creation: one that weighs His breath between his teeth, and dares not smile Beyond a point, for fear t'unstarch his look; Hath travelled to make legs, and seen the cringe Of several courts, and courtiers; knows the time Of giving titles, and of taking walls; Hath read court-common-places; made them his: Studied the grammar of state, and all the rules Each formal usher in that politic school, Can teach a man. A third comes giving nods To his repenting creditors, protests To weeping suitors, takes the coming gold Of insolent, and base ambition, That hourly rubs his dry, and itchy palms: Which gripped, like burning coals, he hurls away Into the laps of bawds, and buffoons mouths. With him there meets some subtle PROTEUS, one Can change, and vary with all forms he sees; Be any thing but honest; serves the time; Hovers betwixt two factions, and explores The drifts of both; which (with cross face) he bears To the divided heads, and is received With mutual grace of either: one that dares Do deeds worthy the hurdle, or the wheel, To be thought somebody; and is (in sooth) Such as the Satirist points truly forth, That only to his crimes owes all his worth. You tell us wonders, CRITES. This is nothing. There stands a Neophyte glazing of his face, Pruning his clothes, perfuming of his hair, Against his idol enters; and repeats (Like an unperfect prologue, at third music) His part of speeches, and confederate jests, In passion to himself. Another swears His Scene of courtship over; bids, believe him, twenty times, ere they will; anon, doth seem As he would kiss away his hand in kindness; Then walks of melancholic, and stands wreathed, As he were pinned up to the arras, thus. A third is most in action, swims, and frisks, Plays with his mistress paps, salutes her pumps, Adores her hems, her skirts, her knots, her curls, Will spend his patrimony for a garter, Or the least feather in her bounteous fan. A fourth, he only comes in for a mute: Divides the act with a dumb show, and exit. Then must the ladies laugh, straight comes their Scene, A sixth times worse confusion than the rest. Where you shall hear one talk of this man's eye; Another, of his lip; a third, his nose; A fourth commend his leg; a fift his foot; A sixth his hand; and every one a limb: That you would think the poor distorted gallant Must there expire. Then fall they in discourse Of tires, and fashions, how they must take place, Where they may kiss, and whom, when to sit down, And with what grace to rise; if they salute, What curtsy they must use: such cobweb stuff, As would enforce the commonest sense abhor Th' Arachnean workers.
seed 43: T16 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
He past, appeares some mincing marmoset Made all of clothes, and face; his limbes so set As if they had some voluntarie act Without mans motion, and must mooue iust so In spite of their creation: one that weighes His breath betweene his teeth, and dares not smile Beyond a point, for feare t'vnstarch his looke; Hath trauell'd to make legs, and seene the cringe Of seuerall courts, and courtiers; knowes the time Of giuing titles, and of taking wals; Hath read court-common-places; made them his: Studied the grammar of state, and all the rules Each formall vsher in that politike schoole, Can teach a man. A third comes giuing nods To his repenting creditors, protests To weeping sutors, takes the comming gold Of insolent, and base ambition, That hourely rubs his dry, and itchie palmes: Which grip't, like burning coales, he hurles away Into the laps of bawdes, and buffons mouthes. With him there meets some subtle PROTEVS, one Can change, and varie with all formes he sees; Be any thing but honest; serues the time; Houers betwixt two factions, and explores The drifts of both; which (with crosse face) he beares To the diuided heads, and is receiu'd With mutuall grace of eyther: one that dares Doe deeds worthie the hurdle, or the wheele, To be thought some bodie; and is (in sooth) Such as the Satyrist points truly forth, That onely to his crimes owes all his worth. You tell vs wonders, CRITES. This is nothing. There stands a Neophyte glazing of his face, Pruning his clothes, perfuming of his haire, Against his idoll enters; and repeates (Like an vnperfect prologue, at third musike) His part of speeches, and confederate iests, In passion to himselfe. Another sweares His Scene of courtship ouer; bids, beleeue him, Twentie times, re they will; anon, doth seeme As he would kisse away his hand in kindnesse; Then walkes of melancholike, and stands wreath'd, As he were pinn'd vp to the arras, thus. A third is most in action, swimmes, and friskes, Playes with his mistresse pappes, salutes her pumps, Adores her hems, her skirts, her knots, her curles, Will spend his patrimonie for a garter, Or the least feather in her bounteous fanne. A fourth, he onely comes in for a mute: Diuides the act with a dumbe shew, and exit. Then must the ladies laugh, straight comes their Scene, A sixt times worse confusion then the rest. Where you shall heare one talke of this mans eye; Another, of his lip; a third, his nose; A fourth commend his legge; a fift his foot; A sixt his hand; and euery one a limme: That you would thinke the poore distorted gallant Must there expire. Then fall they in discourse Of tires, and fashions, how they must take place, Where they may kisse, and whom, when to sit downe, And with what grace to rise; if they salute, What curt'sie they must vse: such cob-web stuffe, As would enforce the common'st sense abhorre Th' Arachnean workers.