Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 57 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 0.77 · 515 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
But, lady, for the revellers themselves, It would be better (in my poor conceit) That other's were employed: for such as are Unfit to be in Cynthia's court, can seem No less unfit to be in Cynthia's sports. That, CRITES, is not purposed without Particular knowledge of the Goddess mind, (Who holding true intelligence, what follies Had crept into her palace) she resolved, Of sports, and triumphs, under that pretext, To have them muster in their pomp, and fullness: That so she might more strictly, and to root, Effect the reformation she intends. I now conceive her heavenly drift in all, And will apply my spirits, to serve her will. O thou, the very power, by which I am, And but for which, it were in vain to be, Chief next DIANA, virgin, heavenly fair, Admired ARETE (of them admired, Whose souls are not enkindled by the sense) Disdain not my chaste fire, but feed the flame Devoted truly to thy gracious name. Leave to suspect us: CRITES well shall find, As we are now most dear, we'll prove most kind. Hark, I am called. I follow instantly. PHOEBUS APOLLO: if with ancient rites, And due devotions, I have ever hung Elaborate paeans, on thy golden shrine, Or sung thy triumphs in a lofty strain, Fit for a theater of gods to hear; And thou, the other son of mighty JOVE, Cyllenian MERCURY (sweet Maia's joy) If in the busy tumults of the mind, My path thou ever hast illumined, For which, thine altars I have oft perfumed, And decked thy statues with discoloured flowers: Now thrive invention in this glorious court, That not of bounty only, but of right, CYNTHIA may grace, and give it life by sight. queen, and Huntress, chaste, and fair, Now the Sun is laid to sleep, Seated, in thy silver chair, State in wonted manner keep: HESPERUS entreats thy light, Goddess, excellently bright. Earth, let not thy envious shade Dare itself to interpose; Cynthia's shining orb was made Heaven to clear, when day did close: Bless us then with wished sight, Goddess, excellently bright. Lay thy bow of pearl apart, And thy crystal-shining quiver; Give unto the flying heart Space to breath, how short soever: Thou that mak'st a day of night, Goddess, excellently bright. When hath DIANA, like an envious wretch, That glitters only to his soothed self, Denying to the world, the precious use Of hoarded wealth, withheld her friendly aid? Monthly, we spend our still-repaired shine, And not forbid our virgin-waxen torch To burn, and blaze, while nutriment doth last: That once consumed, out of IOVES treasury A new we take, and stick it in our sphere, To give the mutinous kind of wanting men, Their looked— for light. Yet, what is their desert? Bounty is wronged, interpreted as due; Mortals can challenge not a ray, by right, Yet do expect the whole of Cynthia's light. But if that Deities withdrew their gifts, For human follies, what could men deserve But death, and darkness? It behooves the high, For their own sakes, to do things worthily.
nodes 1687–1762 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 57 of 66 in this edition
Length
515 words · 743 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.768 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
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)
But, ladie, for the reuellers themselues, It would be better (in my poore conceit) That others were imploid: for such as are Vnfit to be in CYNTHIAES court, can seeme No lesse vnfit to be in CYNTHIAES sports. That, CRITES, is not purposed without Particular knowledge of the Goddesse mind, (Who holding true intelligence, what follies Had crept into her palace) shee resolu'd, Of sports, and triumphs, vnder that pretext, To haue them muster in their pompe, and fulnesse: That so shee might more strictly, and to roote, Effect the reformation shee intends. I now conceiue her heauenly drift in all, And will apply my spirits, to serue her will. O thou, the very power, by which I am, And but for which, it were in vaine to be, Chiefe next DIANA, virgin, heauenly faire, Admired ARETE (of them admir'd, Whose soules are not enkindled by the sense) Disdaine not my chaste fire, but feede the flame Deuoted truely to thy gracious name. Leaue to suspect vs: CRITES well shall find, As we are now most deare, wee'le proue most kind. Harke, I am call'd. I follow instantly. PHOEBVS APOLLO: if with ancient rites, And due deuotions, I haue euer hung Elaborate pans, on thy golden shrine, Or sung thy triumphs in a loftie straine, Fit for a theater of gods to heare; And thou, the other sonne of mighty IOVE, Cyllenian MERCVRY (sweet MAIAS ioy) If in the busie tumults of the mind, My path thou euer hast illumined, For which, thine altars I haue oft perfum'd, And deckt thy statues with discoloured flowres: Now thrine inuention in this glorious court, That not of bountie only, but of right, CYNTHIA may grace, and giue it life by sight. QVeene, and Huntresse, chaste, and faire, Now the Sunne is laid to sleepe, Seated, in thy siluer chaire, State in wonted manner keepe: HESPERVS intreats thy light, Goddesse, excellently bright. Earth, let not thy enuious shade Dare it selfe to interpose; CYNTHIAS shining orbe was made Heauen to cleere, when day did close: Blesse vs then with wished sight, Goddesse, excellently bright. Lay thy bow of pearle apart, And thy cristall-shining quiuer; Giue vnto the flying hart Space to breathe, how short soeuer: Thou that mak'st a day of night, Goddesse, excellently bright. When hath DIANA, like an enuious wretch, That glitters onely to his soothed selfe, Denying to the world, the precious vse Of hoorded wealth, with-held her friendly aide? Monthly, we spend our still-repaired shine, And not forbid our virgin-waxen torch To burne, and blaze, while nutriment doth last: That once consum'd, out of IOVES treasurie A new we take, and sticke it in our spheare, To giue the mutinous kind of wanting men, Their look't—for light. Yet, what is their desert? "Bountie is wrong'd, interpreted as due; "Mortalls can challenge not a ray, by right, "Yet doe expect the whole of CYNTHIAS light. But if that Deities with-drew their gifts, For humane follies, what could men deserue But death, and darknesse? It behooues the high, For their owne sakes, to doe things worthily.