Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 47 of 66
Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1600 [1600-1601] (Annals) satire · Children of the Chapel (second) T62 The courtier as a type: fashion, affecta typicality 0.77 · 512 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T62: courtier, shrug, face, court, italian, monsieur, scholar, fashion, french, courtiers.
i'faith, Master, Let's go: nobody comes. Victus, victa, victum; Victi, victae, victi— Let's be retrograde. Stay. That were dispunct to the ladies. Rather, ourself shall be your Encounter. Take your state, up, to the wall: And, lady, may we implore you to stand forth, as first term, or bound to our courtship. 'Fore heaven, 'twill show rarely. Sound a charge. A pox on't. Your vulgar will count this fabulous, and impudent, now: by that candle, they'll ne'er conceit it. Excellent well! Admirable! Peace. Most fashionably, believe it. O, he is a wellspoken gentleman. Now the other. Very good. For a Scholar, Honour. O, 'tis too dutch. He reels too much. This weapon is done. No, we have our two bouts, at every weapon, expect. WHere be these gallants, and their brave prizer here? Who's there? bear back: Keep the door. What are you, sir? By your licence, grandmaster. Come forward, sir. Heart! who let in that rag there, amongst us? put him out, an impecunious creature. Out with him. Come, sir. You must be retrograde. Soft, sir, I am Truchman, and do flourish before this Monsieur, or french-behaved gentleman, here; who is drawn hither by report of your cartels, advanced in court, to prove his fortune with your prizer, so he may have fair play shown him, and the liberty to choose his stickler. Is he a Master? That, sir, he has to show here; and, confirmed under the hands of the most skilful, and cunning complementaries alive: please you read, sir. What shall we do? Death, disgrace this fellow i' the black-stuff, whatever you do. Why, but he comes with the stranger. That's no matter. He is our own countryman. ay, and he is a scholar besides. You may disgrace him here, with authority. Well, see these first. Now shall I be observed by yond scholar, till I sweat again; I would to JOVE, it were over. Sir, this is the wight of worth, that dares you to the encounter. A gentleman of so pleasing, and ridiculous a carriage; as, even standing, carries meat in the mouth, you see; and I assure you, although no bred courtling, yet a most particular man, of goodly havings, well fashioned haviour, and of as hardened, and excellent a bark, as the most naturally-qualified amongst them, informed, reformed, and transformed, from his original criticism, by this elixir, or mere magazine of man. And, for your spectators, you behold them, what they are: The most choice particulars in court: This tells tales well; This provides coaches; This repeats jests; This presents gifts; This holds up the arras; This takes down from horse; This protests by this light; This swears by that candle; This delighteth; This adoreth. Yet, all but three men. Then for your ladies, the most proud witty creatures, all things apprehending, nothing understanding, perpetually laughing, curious maintainers of fools, mercers, and minstrels, costly to be kept, miserably keeping, all disdaining, but their painter, and pothecary, twixt whom and them there is this reciproque commerce, their beauties maintain their painters, and their painters their beauties.
seed 43: T60 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
I faith, Master, Let's goe: no body comes. Victus, victa, victum; Victi, victae, victi—Let's bee retrograde. Stay. That were dispunct to the ladies. Rather, our selfe shall be your Encounter. Take your state, vp, to the wall: And, ladie, may we implore you to stand forth, as first terme, or bound to our courtship. 'Fore heauen, 'twill shew rarely. Sound a charge. A poxe on't. Your vulgar will count this fabulous, and impudent, now: by that candle, they'le ne're conceit it. Excellent well! Admirable! Peace. Most fashionably, beleeue it. O, he is a well-spoken gentleman. Now the other. Very good. For a Scholer, Honor. O, 'tis too dtch. He reeles too much. This weapon is done. No, we haue our two bouts, at euery weapon, expect. WHere be these gallants, and their braue prizer here? Who's there? beare backe: Keepe the dore. What are you, sir? By your licence, grand-master. Come forward, sir. Heart! who lt in that rag there, amongst vs? put him out, an impecunious creature. Out with him. Come, sir. You must be retrograde. Soft, sir, I am Truchman, and doe flourish before this Monsieur, or french-behau'd gentleman, here; who is drawne hither by report of your chartells, aduanced in court, to proue his fortune with your prizer, so he may haue faire play shewne him, and the libertie to choose his stickler. Is he a Master? That, sir, he has to shew here; and, confirmed vnder the hands of the most skilfull, and cunning complementaries aliue: please you reade, sir. What shall we doe? Death, disgrace this fellow i' the blacke-stuffe, what euer you doe. Why, but he comes with the stranger. That's no matter. He is our owne countryman. I, and he is a scholer besides. You may disgrace him here, with authoritie. Well, see these first. Now shall I be obseru'd by yon'd scholer, till I sweat againe; I would to IOVE, it were ouer. Sir, this is the wight of worth, that dares you to the encounter. A gentleman of so pleasing, and ridiculous a carriage; as, euen standing, carries meat in the mouth, you see; and I assure you, although no bred courtling, yet a most particular man, of goodly hauings, well fashion'd hauiour, and of as hard'ned, and excellent a barke, as the most naturally-qualified amongst them, inform'd, reform'd, and transform'd, from his originall citticisme, by this elixi'r, or meere magazine of man. And, for your spectators, you behold them, what they are: The most choice particulars in court: This tels tales well; This prouides coaches; This repeates iests; This presents gifts▪ This holds vp the arras; This takes downe from horse; This protests by this light; This sweares by that candle; This delighteth; This adoreth. Yet, all but three men. Then for your ladies, the most proud wittie creatures, all things apprehending, nothing vnderstanding, perpetually laughing, curious maintayners of fooles, mercers, and minstrels, costly to be kept, miserably keeping, all disdayning, but their painter, and pothecary, twixt whom and them there is this reciprock commerce, their beauties maintaine their painters, and their painters their beauties.