Cynthia's Revenge, or Maenander's Ecstasy · chunk 66 of 67
Stephens, John · published 1613 · first performed or written 1613 (Annals) tragedy unassigned nearest T5 Christian faith, sin and salvation · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T5: god, christ, david, sin, holy, israel, lord, mercy, sins, faith.
O save my Eunuch, and I will submit My whole revenue, life, and chastity To your disposal. precedent of shame! Shoot (hell) a bonfire of unbounded flame, And may each heavenly star augment his light To make this woman famous; may each night Change foggy darkness to prodigious day, And (by some sign) a subtle whore display To be the miracle of monstrous age Worthy of judgements quill, and nature's stage. Are you the vestal? that religious Nun, Who speak no syllable but Innocence, Sacred devotion, Virgin chastity? Rail at our fleshly sins, concupiscence, Temptations actual, and yet embrace, Nay, hug hell's bosom? creep into the vice (Which you would seem so lively to abhor) Gaping at small occasion? (Madam) know Affection is my servant, Will my slave, Passion my drudge, Temptation is my page And I more easily can command them all, Then may a Turk his tugging Galleyslave: Know, I contemn that courteous venery Which is afforded scotfree; such nice dames Would seem to cover when they covet flames. Of puddle-water no sick patient drinks; A precious odour, cheaply valued, stinks. And, that you may conceive how I esteem Your beauty; thus will I deform— O help. Hark (neighbours) follow, force down locks & bars, Attach the Traitor, Am I then betrayed? Take up the Queen. My wound's not mortal; stay Release that Eunuch. Keep the Traitor safe. Convey him as an Idiot, or Drudge; My Wrong may be accuser, Clerk, and judge. Tilt in my face (Euphorbus) and reclaim The slight opinion of our Deity. Tilt in our face (I say) and thence collect If I be Hermes; make some steady thrust, And call me Sacred, Matchless, Mercury: Believe it (youth) I will disjoin thy neck And shoulders, if thou dost again deny That I am Hermes, Ioues Ambassador, A winged, and impenetrable God: Tilt therefore in my face, tilt speedily; Be thou conjured by laws of sanctity. The fiend (sir) doth oppress my feeble arm. (Caitiff) provoke not my offensive rage lest I deprive thee of all future age. Then I must kill thee (King.) I am a God; Translated by the voice of Parliament Which sits above this cloudy firmament: I am a God Euphorbus; am no King; The Tawny-moor, and Aethiop shall bring Unto my Altars pleasant sacrifice, Fresh Opobalsum; Fawns of paradise; Roebucks and balm to please our Deity. Stab us (thou Atheist) stab us, and believe That I am perfect shadow, am a God; Thrust thy unwilling Poniard through my ribs; And thence perceive our full Divinity; Avoid my wrath (I say) 'tis dangerous, If you refuse, I am unmerciful. Stand to thy fortune (God) my dagger comes: Deep enough dig then: o my small wound smarts My breath is stopped, my Godlike soul departs. So: I now assume the intellectual rob Of Reason; and relinquish Lunacy Which idle scare brought me acquainted with: And (as I hope) the understanding heads, Which rule this commonwealths society; Will construe this an act of Piety.
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)
O saue my Eunuch, and I will submit My whole reuenue, life, and chastity To your disposall. President of shame! Shoote (hell) a bon-fire of vnbounded flame, And may each heau'nly star augment his light To make this woman famous; may each night Change foggy darkenesse to prodigious day, And (by some signe) a subtle whoore display To be the miracle of monstruous age Worthy of iudgements quill, and natures stage. Are you the vestall? that religious Nun, Who speake no sillable but Innocence, Sacred deuotion, Virgin chastity? Raile at our fleshly sinnes, concupisence, Temptations actuall, and yet embrace, Nay, hug hels bosome? creepe into the vice (Which you would seeme so liuely to abhorre) Gaping at small occasion? (Madam) know Affection is my seruant, Will my slaue, Passion my drudge, Temptation is my page And I more easily can command them all, Then may a Turke his tugging Gally-slaue: Know, I contemne that curteous venery Which is affoorded scot-free; such nice dames Would seeme to couer when they couet flames. Of puddle-water no sicke patient drinkes; A pretious odour, cheapely valued, stinkes. And, that you may conceiue how I esteeme Your beauty; thus will I deforme— O helpe. Harke (neighbours) follow, force downe locks & bars, Attach the Traitor, Am I then betrai'd? Take vp the Queene. My wound's not mortall; stay Release that Eunuch. Keepe the Traitor safe. Con-vey him as an Ideot, or Drudge; My Wrong may be accuser, Clearke, and Iudge. Tilt in my face (Euphorbus) and reclaime The slight opinion of our Deity. Tilt in our face (I say) and thence collect If I be Hermes; make some steady thrust, And call mee Sacred, Matchblesse, Mercury: Beleeue it (youth) I will dis-ioine thy necke And shoulders, if thou dost againe deny That I am Hermes, Ioues Embassadour, A winged, and im-penetrable God: Tilt therefore in my face, tilt speedily; Be thou con-iur'd by lawes of sanctity. The fiend (sir) doth oppresse my feeble arme. (Caitife) prouoke not my offensiue rage Least I depriue thee of all future age. Then I must kill thee (King.) I am a God; Translated by the voice of Parliament Which sits aboue this cloudy firmament: I am a God Euphorbus; am no King; The Tawny-more, and Ethiop shall bring Vnto my Altars pleasant sacrifice, Fresh Op-balsum; Fawnes of paradice; Roe-buckes and balme to please our Deity. Stab vs (thou Athiest) stab vs, and beleeue That I am perfect shadow, am a God; Thrust thy vn-willing Poniard through my ribs; And thence perceiue our full Deuinity; Auoide my wrath (I say) 'tis dangerous, If you refuse, I am vnmercifull. Stand to thy fortune (God) my dagger comes: Deep enough dig then: ô my smal wound smarts My breath is stopt, my God-like soule departs. So: I now assume the intellectuall robe Of Reason; and re-linquish Lunacy Which idle scare brought mee acquainted with: And (as I hope) the vnderstanding heads, Which rule this Common-wealths society; Will construe this an act of Piety.