Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1601 (Annals) comedy · Children of the Chapel (second) unassigned nearest T9 Theatre talk: prologues, poets and playe · 498 words · other edition — not in the analysis
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T9: play, stage, poet, prologue, author, wit, plays, muse, scene, players.
LIght, I salute thee, but with wounded nerves: Wishing thy golden splendour, pitchy darkness. What's here? TH'ARRAIGNMENT? I: This, this is it, That our sunk eyes have waked for, all this while: Here will be subject for my snakes, and me. Cling to my neck, and wrists, my loving worms, And cast you round, in soft, and amorous folds, Till I do bid, uncurl: Then, break your knots, Shoot out yourselves at length, as your forced stings Would hide themselves within his maliced sides, To whom I shall apply you. Stay! the shine Of this assembly here offends my sight, I'll darken that first, and outface their grace. Wonder not, if I stare: these fifteen weeks (So long as since the plot was but an embryon) Have I, with burning lights, mixed vigilant thoughts, In expectation of this hated play: To which (at last) I am arrived as Prologue. Nor would I, you should look for other looks, Gesture, or compliment from me, then what Th'infected bulk of envy can afford: For I am risse here with a covetous hope, To blast your pleasures, and destroy your sports, With wrestings, comments, applications, spy-like suggestions, privy whisperings, And thousand such promoting sleights as these. Mark, how I will begin: The Scene is, ha! ROME? ROME? and ROME? Crack eye-strings, and your balls Drop into earth; let me be ever blind. I am prevented; all my hopes are crossed, Checked, and abated; fie, a freezing sweat Flows forth at all my pores, my entrails burn: What should I do? ROME? ROME? O my vexed soul, How might I force this to the present state? Are there no players here? no poet-apes, That come with basilisks eyes, whose forked tongues Are steeped in venom, as their hearts in gall? Either of these would help me; they could wrest, Pervert, and poison all they hear, or see, With senseless glosses, and allusions. Now if you be good devils, fly me not. You know what dear, and ample faculties I have endowed you with: I'll lend you more. Here, take my snakes among you, come, and eat, And while the squeezed juice flows in your black jaws, Help me to damn the Author. Spit it forth Upon his lines, and show your rusty teeth At every word, or accent: or else choose Out of my longest vipers, to stick down In your deep throats; and let the heads come forth At your rank mouths; that he may see you armed With triple malice, to hiss, sting, and tear His work, and him; to forge, and then declaim, Traduce, corrupt, apply, inform, suggest: O, these are gifts wherein your souls are blessed. What? do you hide yourselves? will none appear? None answer? what, doth this calm troop affright you? Nay, than I do despair: down, sink again. This travail is all lost with my dead hopes. If in such bosoms, spite have left to dwell, Envy is not on earth, nor scarce in hell.
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)
LIght, I salute thee, but with wounded nerues: Wishing thy golden splendor, pitchy darknesse. What's here? TH'ARRAIGNMENT? I: This, this is it, That our sunke eyes haue wak't for, all this while: Here will be subiect for my snakes, and me. Cling to my necke, and wrists, my louing wormes, And cast you round, in soft, and amorous foulds, Till I doe bid, vncurle: Then, breake your knots, Shoot out your selues at length, as your forc't stings Would hide themselues within his malic't sides, To whom I shall apply you. Stay! the shine Of this assembly here offends my sight, I'le darken that first, and out-face their grace. Wonder not, if I stare: these fifteene weekes (So long as since the plot was but an embrion) Haue I, with burning lights, mixt vigilant thoughts, In expectation of this hated play: To which (at last) I am arriu'd as Prologue. Nor would I, you should looke for other lookes, Gesture, or complement from me, then what Th'infected bulke of ENVIE can afford: For I am risse here with a couetous hope, To blast your pleasures, and destroy your sports, With wrestings, comments, applications, Spie-like suggestions, priuie whisperings, And thousand such promooting sleights as these. Marke, how I will begin: The Scene is, ha! ROME? ROME? and ROME? Cracke ey-strings, and your balles Drop into earth; let me be euer blind. I am preuented; all my hopes are crost, Checkt, and abated; fie, a freezing sweate Flowes forth at all my pores, my entrailes burne: What should I doe? ROME? ROME? O my vext soule, How might I force this to the present state? Are there no players here? no poet-apes, That come with basiliskes eyes, whose forked tongues Are steept in venome, as their hearts in gall? Eyther of these would helpe me; they could wrest, Peruer, and poyson all they heare, or see, With senselesse glosses, and allusions. Now if you be good deuils, flye me not. You know what deare, and ample faculties I haue indow'd you with: Ile lend you more. Here, take my snakes among you, come, and eate, And while the squeez'd juice flowes in your blacke jawes, Helpe me to damne the Authour. Spit it foorth Vpon his lines, and shew your rustie teeth At euerie word, or accent: or else choose Out of my longest vipers, to sticke downe In your deep throats; and let the heads come forth At your ranke mouthes; that he may see you arm'd With triple malice, to hisse, sting, and teare His worke, and him; to forge, and then declame, Traduce, corrupt, apply, enforme, suggest: O, these are gifts wherein your soules are blest. What? doe you hide your selues? will none appeare? None answere? what, doth this calme troupe affright you? Nay, then I doe despaire: downe, sinke againe. This trauaile is all lost with my dead hopes. If in such bosomes, spight haue left to dwell, Enuie is not on earth, nor scarse in hell.