Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love · chunk 62 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 0.84 · 489 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T21: cupid, venus, love, ceres, diana, fair, nymphs, goddess, bow, damon.
No faith, but I have a comedy toward, that would not be lost for a kingdom. In good time, for CUPID will prove the comedy. MERCURY, I am studying how to match them. How to mismatch them were harder. They are the Nymphs must do it, I shall sport myself with their passions above measure. Those Nymphs would be tamed a little indeed, but I fear thou hast not arrows for the purpose. O, yes, here be of all sorts, flights, rovers, and butt-shafts. But I can wound with a brandish, and never draw bow for the matter. I cannot but believe it, my invisible archer, and yet methinks you are tedious. It behoves me to be somewhat circumspect, MERCURY; for if CYNTHIA hear the twang of my bow, she'll go near to whip me with the string: therefore, to prevent that, I thus discharge a brandish upon— it makes no matter which of the couples. PHANTASTE, and AMORPHUS, at you. Will the shaking of a shaft strike 'em into such a fever of affection? As well as the wink of an eye: but I pray thee, hinder me not with thy prattle. JOVE forbid I hinder thee. marry, all that I fear, is Cynthia's presence; which, with the cold of her chastity, casteth such an antiperistasis about the place, that no heat of thine will tarry with the patient. It will tarry the rather, for the antiperistasis will keep it in. I long to see the experiment. Why, their marrow boil already, or they are all turned eunuchs. Nay, and 't be so, I'll give over speaking, and be a spectator only. CYNTHIA (by my bright soul) is a right exquisite, and splendidious lady; yet AMORPHUS, I think, hath seen more fashions, I am sure more countries: but whether I have, or not, what need we gaze on CYNTHIA, that have ourself to admire? O, excellent CYNTHIA! yet if PHANTASTE sat where she does, and had such a tire on her head (for attire can do much) I say no more— but goddesses are goddesses, and PHANTASTE is as she is! I would the revels were done once, I might go to my school of glass, again, and learn to do myself right after all this ruffling. How now, CUPID? here's a wonderful change with your brandish! do you not hear, how they dote? What prodigy is this? no word of love? no mention? no motion? Not a word, my little Ignis fallen, not a word. Are my darts enchanted? Is their vigour gone? is their virtue— What? CUPID turned jealous of himself? ha, ha, ha. Laughs MERCURY? Is CUPID angry? Hath he not cause, when his purpose is so deluded? A rare comedy, it shall be entitled, Cupid's. Do not scorn us, HERMES. Choler, and CUPID, are two fiery things; I scorn 'em not. But I see that come to pass, which I presaged in the beginning.
nodes 1900–1928 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 62 of 66 in this edition
Length
489 words · 705 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T21 — Cupid, Venus and the nymphscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.841 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T21 · seed 44: T24 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
No faith, but I haue a comedie toward, that would not be lost for a kingdome. In good time, for CVPID will proue the comedie. MERCVRY, I am studying how to match them. How to mis-match them were harder. They are the Nymphs must doe it, I shall sport my selfe with their passions aboue measure. Those Nymphs would be tam'd a little indeed, but I feare thou hast not arrowes for the purpose. O, yes, here be of all sorts, flights, rouers, and butt-shafts. But I can wound with a brandish, and neuer draw bow for the matter. I cannot but beleeue it, my inuisible archer, and yet me thinks you are tedious. It behoues me to be somewhat circumspect, MERCVRY; for if CYNTHIA heare the twang of my bow, shee'le goe neere to whip mee with the string: therefore, to preuent that, I thus discharge a brandish vpon— it makes no matter which of the couples. PHANTASTE, and AMORPHVS, at you. Will the shaking of a shaft strike 'hem into such a feuer of affection? As well as the wincke of an eye: but I pray thee, hinder me not with thy prattle. IOVE forbid I hinder thee. Mary, all that I feare, is CYNTHIAS presence; which, with the cold of her chastitie, casteth such an antiperistasis about the place, that no heate of thine will tarry with the patient. It will tarry the rather, for the antiperistasis will keepe it in. I long to see the experiment. Why, their marrow boiles already, or they are all turn'd eunuchs. Nay, and 't bee so, I'le giue ouer speaking, and bee a spectator onely. CYNTHIA (by my bright soule) is a right exquisite, and splendidious lady; yet AMORPHVS, I thinke, hath seene more fashions, I am sure more countries: but whether I haue, or not, what neede wee gaze on CYNTHIA, that haue our selfe to admire? O, excellent CYNTHIA! yet if PHANTASTE sate where shee doo's, and had such a tire on her head (for attire can doe much) I say no more—but goddesses are goddesses, and PHANTASTE is as shee is! I would the reuells were done once, I might goe to my schoole of glase, againe, and learne to doe my selfe right after all this ruffling. How now, CVPID? here's a wonderfull change with your brandish! doe you not heare, how they dote? What prodigie is this? no word of loue? no mention? no motion? Not a word, my little Ignis falne, not a word. Are my darts inchaunted? Is their vigour gone? is their vertue— What? CVPID turn'd iealous of himselfe? ha, ha, ha. Laughs MERCVRY? Is CVPID angrie? Hath he not cause, when his purpose is so deluded? A rare comoedie, it shall be intitled, CVPIDS. Doe not scorne vs, HERMES. Choller, and CVPID, are two fiery things; I scorne 'hem not. But I see that come to passe, which I presag'd in the beginning.