Jonson, Ben · published 1602 · first performed or written 1601 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (second) · Blackfriars T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe typicality 0.83 · 507 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
No Sir. Yes Sir. I hear of a Tragedy of yours coming forth for the common Players there, called Medea. By my household gods, if I come to the acting of it, I'll add one tragic part, more than is yet expected, to it: believe me when I promise it. What? shall I have my son a Stager now? an Ingle for Players? a Gull? a Rook? a Shot-clog? to make suppers, and be laughed at? Publius, I will set thee on the funeral pile first. Sir, I beseech you to have patience. Nay, this 'tis to have your ears damned up to good counsel. I did augur all this to him afore hand, without poring into an ox's paunch for the matter, and yet he would not be scrupulous. How now, good man slave? what, Roll Powle? all rivals, Rascal? why my Knight of worship, dost hear? Are these thy best projects? is this thy designs and thy discipline, to suffer knaves to be competitors with Commanders and Gentmen? are we parallels, rascal? are we parallels? Sirrah, go get my horses ready. You'll still be prating. Do, you perpetual Stinkard, do: go, talk to Tapsters and Ostlers you slave: they are i'your element, go: here be the emperors captains, you Raggamussin Rascal; and not your Comrades. Indeed, Sir Marcus Ovid, these Players are an idle Generation, & do much harm in a State, corrupt young gentry very much, I know it: I have not been a Tribune thus long and observed nothing: beside, they will rob us, us, that are Magistrates, of our respect, bring us upon their Stages, & make us ridiculous to the Plebeians; they will play you, or me, the wisest men they can come by still; me: only to bring us in contempt with the vulgar, and make us cheap. thou'rt in the right, my venerable Cropshin, they will indeed: the tongue of the Oracle never twanged truer. Your Courtier cannot kiss his mistress Slippers, in quiet, for 'em, nor your white innocent Gallant pawn his reveling suit, to make his Punk a supper. An honest decayed Commander, cannot skelder, cheat, nor be seen in a bawdy house, but he shall be strait in one of their wormwood Comedies. They are grown licentious, the Rogues; Libertines, flat Libertines. They forget they are i'the Statute, the Rascals, they are blazoned there, there they are tricked, they and their Pedigrees: they need no other Heralds Iwisse. Me thinks if nothing else, yet this alone; the very reading of the public Edicts should fright thee from Commerce with them; and give thee distaste enough of their actions. But this betrays what a Student you are: this argues your proficiency in the Law. They wrong me sir, and do abuse you more, That blow your ears with these untrue reports. I am not known unto the open Stage, Nor do I traffic in their theatres. Indeed, I do acknowledge, at request Of some near friends, and honourable Romans', I have begun a Poem of that nature.
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)
No Sir. Yes Sir. I heare of a Tragedie of yours comming foorth for the cōmon Players there, call'd Medea. By my houſholde gods, if I come to the acting of it, Ile adde one tragicke parte, more then is yet expected, to it: beleeue me when I promiſe it. What? ſhal I haue my ſon a Stager now? an Enghle for Players? a Gull? a Rooke? a Shot-clog? to make ſuppers, and bee laught at? Publius, I wil ſet thee on the funeral pile firſt. Sir, I beſeech you to haue patience. Nay, this tis to haue your eares damm'd vp to good coū ſell. I did augure all this to him afore hand, without poring into an oxes paunch for the matter, and yet he would not be ſcrupulous. How now, good man ſlaue? what, Rowle Powle? all riuals, Raſcal? why my Knight of worſhippe, do'ſt heare? Are theſe thy beſt proiectes? is this thy deſſeignes and thy diſcipline, to ſuffer knaues to be competitors with Commaunders and Gentmen? are we paralels, raſcall? are we paralels? Sirrah, goe get my horſes readie. You'll ſtill be prating. Doe, you perpetuall Stinkard, doe: goe, talke to Tapſters and Oſtlers you ſlaue: they are i'your element, go: here be the Emperours captaines, you Raggamuſſin Raſcal; and not your Comrades. Indeede, Sir Marcus Ouid, theſe Players are an idle Generation, & doe much harme in a State, corrupt young gentrie very much, I knowe it: I haue not been a Tribune thus long and obſeru'd nothing: beſides, they will robbe vs, vs, that are Magiſtrates, of our reſpect, bring vs vpon their Stages, & make vs ridiculous to the Plebeians; they will play you, or me, the wiſeſt men they can come by ſtill; me: onely to bring vs in contempt with the vulgar, and make vs cheape. Th'art in the right, my venerable Cropſhin, they wil indeede: the tongue of the Oracle neuer twangd truer. Your Courtier cannot kiſſe his miſtreſſe Slippers, in quiet, for 'hem, nor your white innocent Gallant pawne his reuelling ſuit, to make his Punque a ſupper. An honeſt decayed Commaunder, cannot skelder, cheat, nor be ſeene in a baudie houſe, but he ſhal be ſtraight in one of their wormewod Comedies. They are growne licentious, the Rogues; Libertines, flat Libertines. They forget they are i'the Statute, the Raſcals, they are blazond there, there they are trickt, they and their Pedigrees: they neede no other Heralds Iwiſſe. Me thinkes if nothing elſe, yet this alone; the verie reading of the publike Edictes ſhould fright thee from Commerce with them; and giue thee diſtaſte enough of their actions. But this betrayes what a Student you are: this argues your proficiencie in the Law. They wrong me ſir, and doe abuſe you more, That blowe your eares with theſe vntrue reports. I am not knowne vnto the open Stage, Nor doe I trafique in their Theaters. Indeede, I doe acknowledge, at requeſt Of ſome neare friends, and honorable Romaines, I haue begunne a Poeme of that nature.