Marston, John · published 1602 · first performed or written 1602 (Annals) comedy · Children of Paul's (second) T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe typicality 0.77 · 447 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
COme sirs, come: the music will sound straight for entrance. Are ye ready, are ye perfect? Faith, we can say our parts: but we are ignorant in what mould we must cast our Actors. Whom do you personate? Duke of Venice. O, ho: then thus frame your exterior shape, To haughty form of elate majesty; As if you held the palsy shaking head Of reeling chance, under your fortune's belt, In strictest vassalage: grow big in thought, As swollen with glory of successful arms. If that be all, fear not, I'll suit it right. Who can not be proud, stroke up the hair, and strut! Truth: such rank custom is grown popular; And now the vulgar fashion strides as wide, And stalks as proud, upon the weakest stilts Of the slightest fortunes, as if Hercules, Or burly Atlas shouldered up their state. Good: but whom act you? The necessity of the play forceth me to act two parts; Andrugio, the distressed Duke of Genoa, and Alberto, a Venetian gentleman, enamoured on the Lady Rossaline: whose fortunes being too weak to sustain the port of her, he proved always disastrous in love: his worth being much underpoised by the uneven scale, that currants all things by the outward stamp of opinion. Well, and what dost thou play? The part of all the world. The part of all the world? What's that? The fool. I in good deed la now, I play Balurdo, a wealthy mountebanking Burgomasco's heir of Venice. Ha, ha: one, whose foppish nature might seem great, only for wise men's recreation; and, like a juiceless bark, to preserve the sap of more strenuous spirits. A servile hound, that loves the scent of forerunning fashion, like an empty hollow vault, still giving an echo to wit: greedily champing what any other well valued judgement had before hand showed. Ha, ha, ha: tolerably good, good faith sweet wag. umh, why tolerably good, good faith sweet wag? Go, go; you flatter me. Right, I but dispose my speech to the habit of my part. Why, what plays he? The wolf, that eats into the breast of Princes; that breeds the Lethargy and falling sickness in honour; makes justice look asquint, and blinks the eye of merited reward from viewing desertful virtue. What's all this Periphrasis? ha? The substance of a supple-chapped flatterer. O, doth he play Forobosco, the Parasite? Good i'faith. Sirrah, you must seem now as glib and straight in outward semblance, as a Lady's busk; though inwardly, as cross as a pair of tailor's legs: having a tongue as nimble as his needle, with servile patches of glavering flattery, to stitch up the bracks of unworthily honoured.
seed 43: T16 · seed 44: T15 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
COme sirs, come: the musique will sounde straight for entrance. Are yee readie, are yee perfect? Faith, we can say our parts: but wee are ignorant in what mould we must cast our Actors. Whome doe you personate? Duke of Venice. O, ho: then thus frame your exterior shape, To hautie forme of elate maiestie; As if you held the palsey shaking head Of reeling chaunce, vnder your fortunes belt, In strictest vassalage: growe big in thought, As swolne with glory of succesfull armes. If that be all, feare not, Ile sute it right. Who can not be proud, stroak vp the haire, and strut! Truth: such ranke custome is growne popular; And now the vulgar fashion strides as wide, And stalkes as proud, vpon the weakest stilts Of the slight'st fortunes, as if Hercules, Or burly Atlas shouldred vp their state. Good: but whome act you? The necessitie of the play forceth me to act two parts; Andrugio, the distressed Duke of Genoa, and Alberto, a Venetian gentleman, enamoured on the Ladie Rossaline: whose fortunes being too weake to sustaine the port of her, he prou'd alwaies desastrous in loue: his worth being much vnderpoised by the vneuen scale, that currants all thinges by the outwarde stamp of opiniō. Wel, and what dost thou play? The part of all the world. The part of all the world? What's that? The foole. in good deede law now, I play Balurdo, a wealthie mountbanking Burgomasco's heire of Venice. Ha, ha: one, whose foppish nature might seem great, only for wise mens recreation; and, like a Iuicelesse barke, to preserue the sap of more strenuous spirits. A seruile hounde, that loues the sent of forerunning fashion, like an emptie hollow vault, still giuing an eccho to wit: greedily champing what any other well valued iudgement had before hand shew'd. Ha, ha, ha: tolerably good, good faith sweet wag. Vmh, why tolerably good, good faith sweet wag? Go, goe; you flatter me. Right, I but dispose my speach to the habit of my part. Why, what plaies he? The wolfe, that eats into the breast of Princes; that breeds the Lethargy and falling sicknesse in honour; makes Iustice looke asquint, and blinks the eye of merited rewarde from viewing desertfull vertue. Whats all this Periphrasis? ha? The substance of a supple-chapt flatterer. O, doth he play Forobosco, the Parasite? Good i-faith. Sirrah, you must seeme now as glib and straight in outward semblance, as a Ladies buske; though inwardly, as crosse as a paire of Tailors legs: hauing a tongue as nimble as his needle, with seruile patches of glauering flattery, to stitch vp the bracks of vnworthily honourd.