The Brazen Age (The Age of Brass) · chunk 32 of 40
Heywood, Thomas · published 1613 · first performed or written 1611 [1610-1611] (Annals) classical legend or myth · Queen Anne's Men T12 Olympian gods: Jupiter, Juno, Venus and typicality 0.77 · 504 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T12: iupiter, saturn, iuno, venus, gods, mars, earth, titan, love, fair.
God Mars, good words; This is a fight in which you use no swords. You have left your steel behind. Sweet vulcan. No more. Canst thou use Venus thus? Away you whore, I'll keep you fast, and call the Gods to see Your practice, Neptune, Ioue, and Mercury, Phoebus and Iuno, from your spheres look down, And see the cause I wear a forked crown. The Gods are all spectators of our shame, And laugh at us. Oh! I could cry for anger. Sweet Vulcan let me lose. Vulc. When Gods and men Have seen thy shame, but (strumpet) not till then. See how Mars chafes. But Venus weeps for rage Why should Mars fret? if it so tedious be, Good God of war bestow thy place on me. By all the Gods, would she do me that grace, I would fall to't even before Vulcan's face. To Gods and men let it be fully known I am a Cuckold. Vulcan is no less. Now since red shame your cheeks with blood hath died, I am revenged, and see my net's untied. The Gods have laughed their fill, Vulcan's revenged, And now all friends: speak, are we? Mars still frowns, And Venus scarce well pleased. For my part (oh you Gods!) what's past is past, And what is once done, cannot be recalled: If Vulcan in this jest hath pleased the Gods, All his own wrongs he freely can forgive. Venus we are friends, to Lemnos we will haste, And never more record what's done and passed. No fool, before I did offend with fear, My guilt was but suspected, but not proved: And therefore I selected privacy, Closeness of place, and bashfully transgressed; But since both Gods and men now know my sin, Why should I dread to say I love God Mars? What help hast thou in proving thy wife false? Only to make me do with impudence, What I before with fear did, on thyself Brought a most certain shame, where it before Was but suspected. Venus speaks good sense, That's certain now, which was before suspense. Now fare well jealous fool, for my disgrace, Him whom I love, I blushless thus embrace, And may all such as would their wives so take, (Although they might) be served thus for thy sake. I am undone, be warned by me oh men, Although you know your wives false, where and when, Take them not in the manner, though you may: They that with fear before, now blushless stray, Their guilt 'tis better to suspect then know, So you may take some part of that you owe. Where I by seeking her good name to thrall, Have made myself a scorn, and quite left all. To Lemnos then, to make our thunder's fit, Which against mortals we have cause to use, Mars, you to Thrace, Venus in Paphos stay, Or where you please, we to our several spheres. Vulcan, thy moral this good use contrives, None search too far th'offences of their wives.
seed 43: T28 · seed 44: T22 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
God Mars, good words; This is a fight in which you vse no swords. You haue left your steele behinde. Sweet vulcan. No more. Canst thou vse Venus thus? Away you whore, Il'e keepe you fast, and call the Gods to see Your practise, Neptune, Ioue, and Mercury, Phoebus and Iuno, from your spheares looke downe, And see the cause I weare a forked crowne. The Gods are all spectators of our shame, And laugh at vs. Oh! I could cry for anger. Sweet Vulcan let me loose. Vulc. When Gods and men Haue seene thy shame, but (strumpet) not till then. See how Mars chafes. But Venus weeps for rage Why should Mars fret? if it so tedious be, Good God of warre bestow thy place on me. By all the Gods, would she do me that grace, I would fall too't euen before Vulcans face. To Gods and men let it be fully knowne I am a Cuckold. Vulcan is no lesse. Now since red shame your cheeks with bloud hath dy'd, I am reueng'd, and see my net's vnti'd. The Gods haue laught their fill, Vulcan's reueng'd, And now all friends: speake, are we? Mars still frownes, And Venus scarce well pleas'd. For my part (oh you Gods!) what's past is past, And what is once done, cannot be recald: If Vulcan in this ieast hath pleas'd the Gods, All his owne wrongs he freely can forgiue. Venus we are friends, to Lemno we will hast, And neuer more record what's done and past. No foole, before I did offend with feare, My guilt was but suspected, but not prou'd: And therefore I selected priuacy, Closenesse of place, and bashfully transgrest; But since both Gods and men now know my sinne, Why should I dread to say I loue God Mars? What helpe hast thou in prouing thy wife false? Onely to make me doe with impudence, What I before with feare did, on thy selfe Brought a most certaine shame, where it before Was but suspected. Venus speakes good sence, That's certaine now, which was before suspence. Now fare well iealous foole, for my disgrace, Him whom I loue, I blushlesse thus imbrace, And may all such as would their wiues so take, (Although they might) be seru'd thus for thy sake. I am vndone, be warn'd by me oh men, Although you know your wiues false, where and when, Take them not in the manner, though you may: They that with feare before, now blushlesse stray, Their guilt 'tis better to suspect then know, So you may take some part of that you owe. Where I by seeking her good name to thrall, Haue made my selfe a scorne, and quite left all. To Lemnos then, to make our Thunders fit, Which against mortals we haue cause to vse, Mars, you to Thrace, Venus in Paphos stay, Or where you please, we to our seuerall spheares. Vulcan, thy morrall this good vse contriues, None search too farre th'offences of their wiues.