Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 32 of 66
Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1600 [1600-1601] (Annals) satire · Children of the Chapel (second) unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
Faith, I cannot (readily) tell you what; But (methinks) I should wish myself all manner of creatures. Now, I would be an empress; and by and by a duchess; then a great lady of state; then one of your miscellany madams; then a waiting-woman; than your citizens wife; then a course country gentlewoman; then a dairy maid; then a shepherds lass; then an empress again, or the queen of fairies: And thus I would prove the vicissitudes, and whirl of pleasures, about, and again. As I were a shepherdess, I would be piped and sung too; as a dairy wench, I would dance at may-poles, and make syllabubs; As a country gentlewoman, keep a good house, and come up to term, to see motions; As a citizens wife, be troubled with a jealous husband, and put to my shifts; (others' miseries should be my pleasures) As a waiting-woman, I would taste my lady's delights to her; As a miscellany madame invent new tires, and go visit courtiers; As a great lady, lie a-bed, and have courtiers visit me; As a duchess, I would keep my state: and as an empress, I'd do any thing. And, in all these shapes, I would ever be followed with th' affections of all that see me. marry, I myself would affect none; or if I did, it should not be heartily, but so as I might save myself in 'em still, and take pride in tormenting the poor wretches. Or, (now I think on't) I would, for one year, wish myself one woman, but the richest, fairest, and delicatest in a kingdom, the very centre of wealth, and beauty, wherein all lines of love should meet; and in that person I would prove all manner of suitors, of all humours, and of all complexions, and never have any two of a sort: I would see how Love (by the power of his object) could work inwardly alike, in a choleric man, and a sanguine; in a melancholic, and a phlegmatic; in a fool, and a wise man; in a clown, and a courtier; in a valiant man, and a coward: and how he could vary outward, by letting this gallant express himself in dumb gaze; another with sighing, and rubbing his fingers; a third, with play-ends, and pitiful verses; a fourth, with stabbing himself, and drinking healths, or writing languishing letters in his blood; a fifth, in coloured ribbons, and good clothes; with this lord to smile, and that lord to court, and the tother lord to dote, and one lord to hang himself. And then, I to have a book made of all this, which I would call the book of humours, and every night read a little piece, ere I slept, and laugh at it. Here comes HEDON. Save you, sweet and clear beauties: By the spirit that moves in me, you are all most pleasingly bestowed, ladies. Only, I can take it for no good omen, to find mine Honour so dejected.
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)
Faith, I cannot (readily) tell you what▪ But (mee thinkes) I should wish my selfe all manner of creatures. Now, I would bee an empresse; and by and by a dutchesse; then a great ladie of state; then one of your miscelany madams; then a waiting-woman; then your cittizens wife; then a course countrey gentlewoman; then a deyrie maide; then a shepheards lasse; then an empresse againe, or the queene of fayries: And thus I would prooue the vicissitudes, and whirle of pleasures, about, and againe. As I were a shepheardesse, I would bee pip'd and sung too; as a deyrie wench, I would dance at may-poles, and make sillabubbes; As a countrey gentlewoman, keep a good house, and come vp to terme, to see motions; As a cittizens wife, bee troubled with a iealous husband, and put to my shifts; (others miseries should bee my pleasures) As a waiting-woman, I would taste my ladies delights to her; As a miscellany madame inuent new tyres, and goe visite courtiers; As a great ladie, lye a bed, and haue courtiers visite mee; As a dutchesse, I would keepe my state: and as an empresse, I'ld doe any thing. And, in all these shapes, I would euer bee follow'd with th' affections of all that see mee. Mary, I my selfe would affect none; or if I did, it should not bee heartily, but so as I might saue my selfe in 'hem still, and take pride in tormenting the poore wretches. Or, (now I thinke on't) I would, for one yeere, wish my selfe one woman, but the richest, fairest, and delicatest in a kingdome, the very center of wealth, and beautie, wherein all lines of loue should meet; and in that person I would prooue all manner of suters, of all humours, and of all complexions, and neuer haue any two of a sort: I would see how Loue (by the power of his object) could worke inwardly alike, in a cholericke man, and a sanguine; in a melancholique, and a phlegmatique; in a foole, and a wise man; in a clowne, and a courtier; in a valiant man, and a coward: and how he could varie outward, by letting this gallant expresse himselfe in dumbe gaze; another with sighing, and rubbing his fingers; a third, with play-ends, and pittifull verses; a fourth, with stabbing himselfe, and drinking healths, or writing languishing letters in his bloud; a fifth, in colour'd ribbands, and good clothes; with this lord to smile, and that lord to court, and the t'other lord to doe, and one lord to hang himselfe. And then, I to haue a booke made of all this, which I would call the booke of humours, and euery night reade a little piece, ere I slept, and laugh at it. Here comes HEDON. SAue you, sweet and cleere beauties: By the spirit that moues in me, you are all most pleasingly bestow'd, ladies. Onely, I can take it for no good omen, to find mine Honor so deiected.