Mercury Vindicated from the Alchemists at Court · chunk 3 of 5
Jonson, Ben · published 1616 · first performed or written 1616 [Jan 1] (Annals) masque · before the Court unassigned nearest T35 Fools, wit and railing · 569 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T35: fool, wit, aristippus, achilles, wise, fools, patroclus, thersites, master, men.
their oyles, and their tartars, their brines and their vinegers, you might take me out now a sous'd Mercury, now a salted Mercury, now a smoak'd and dri'd Mercury, now a pouldred and pickl'd Mercury: neuer Herring, Oyster, or Coucumer past so many vexations: my whole life with 'hem hath bene an exercise of torture; one, two, three, foure and fiue times an houre ha'they made mee dance the Philosphicall circle, like an Ape through a hoope, or a dogge in a wheele. I am their turne-spit indeed: They eate or smell no rost-meate but in my name. I am their bill of credit still, that passes for their victuals and house-roome. It is through mee, they ha 'got this corner o'the Court to coozen in, where they sharke for a hungry diet below staires, and cheat vpon your vnder-Officers, promising mountaines for their meat, and all vpon Mercuries security. A poore Page o' the Larder, they haue made obstinately beleeue, he shalbe Phisician for the Houshold, next Summer: they will giue him a quantity of the quintessence, shall serue him to cure kibes, or the mormall o'the shinne, take away the pustles i' the nose, and Mercury is ingag'd for it. A child o' the Scullery steales all their coales for 'hem too, and he is bid sleepe secure, hee shall finde a corner o' the Philosophers stone for't, vnder his bolster, one day, and haue the Prouerbe inuerted. Against which, one day I am to deliuer the Buttry in, so many firkins of Aurum potabile, as it deliuers out Bombards of Budge to them, betweene this and that. For the Pantry, they are at a certaintie with mee, and keepe a Tally, An Ingot, a loafe, or a wedge of some fiue pound weight, which is nothing of nothing, a trifle. And so the Blacke guard are pleased with a any lease of life (for some 999.) especially those o' the boyling house, they are to haue Medeas kettle hung vp, that they may souse into it when they will, and come out renew'd like so many strip'd Snakes at their pleasure. But these are petty Engagements, and (as I saide) below the staires; Marry aboue here, Perpetuity of beauty, (doe you heare, Ladies) health, Riches, Honours, a matter of Immortality is nothing. They will calcine you a graue matron (as it might bee a mother o' the maides) and spring vp a yong virgin, out of her ashes, as fresh as a Phoenix: Lay you an old Courtier o' the coales like a sausedge, or a bloat-herring, and after they ha' broil'd him enough, blow a soule into him with a paire of bellowes, till hee start vp into his galliard, that was made when Mounsieur was here. They professe familiarly to melt down all the old sinners o' the suburbes once in halfe a yeere, into fresh gamesters againe. Get all the crack'd maiden-heads, and cast'hem into new Ingots, halfe the wenches o' the towne are Alchymie. See, they begin to muster againe, and draw their forces out against me! The Genius of the place defend me. You that are both the Sol and Iupiter of this spheare Mercury, inuokes your maiesty against the sooty Tribe here; for in your fauour onely, I growe recouer'd and warme. BEgin your charme, sound musique, circle him in, and take him: If he will not obey, bind him.
seed 43: T49 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
their oyles, and their tartars, their brines and their vinegers, you might take me out now a sous'd Mercury, now a salted Mercury, now a smoak'd and dri'd Mercury, now a pouldred and pickl'd Mercury: neuer Herring, Oyster, or Coucumer past so many vexations: my whole life with 'hem hath bene an exercise of torture; one, two, three, foure and fiue times an houre ha'they made mee dance the Philosphicall circle, like an Ape through a hoope, or a dogge in a wheele. I am their turne-spit indeed: They eate or smell no rost-meate but in my name. I am their bill of credit still, that passes for their victuals and house-roome. It is through mee, they ha 'got this corner o'the Court to coozen in, where they sharke for a hungry diet below staires, and cheat vpon your vnder-Officers, promising mountaines for their meat, and all vpon Mercuries security. A poore Page o' the Larder, they haue made obstinately beleeue, he shalbe Phisician for the Houshold, next Summer: they will giue him a quantity of the quintessence, shall serue him to cure kibes, or the mormall o'the shinne, take away the pustles i' the nose, and Mercury is ingag'd for it. A child o' the Scullery steales all their coales for 'hem too, and he is bid sleepe secure, hee shall finde a corner o' the Philosophers stone for't, vnder his bolster, one day, and haue the Prouerbe inuerted. Against which, one day I am to deliuer the Buttry in, so many firkins of Aurum potabile, as it deliuers out Bombards of Budge to them, betweene this and that. For the Pantry, they are at a certaintie with mee, and keepe a Tally, An Ingot, a loafe, or a wedge of some fiue pound weight, which is nothing of nothing, a trifle. And so the Blacke guard are pleased with a any lease of life (for some 999.) especially those o' the boyling house, they are to haue Medeas kettle hung vp, that they may souse into it when they will, and come out renew'd like so many strip'd Snakes at their pleasure. But these are petty Engagements, and (as I saide) below the staires; Marry aboue here, Perpetuity of beauty, (doe you heare, Ladies) health, Riches, Honours, a matter of Immortality is nothing. They will calcine you a graue matron (as it might bee a mother o' the maides) and spring vp a yong virgin, out of her ashes, as fresh as a Phoenix: Lay you an old Courtier o' the coales like a sausedge, or a bloat-herring, and after they ha' broil'd him enough, blow a soule into him with a paire of bellowes, till hee start vp into his galliard, that was made when Mounsieur was here. They professe familiarly to melt down all the old sinners o' the suburbes once in halfe a yeere, into fresh gamesters againe. Get all the crack'd maiden-heads, and cast'hem into new Ingots, halfe the wenches o' the towne are Alchymie. See, they begin to muster againe, and draw their forces out against me! The Genius of the place defend me. You that are both the Sol and Iupiter of this spheare Mercury, inuokes your maiesty against the sooty Tribe here; for in your fauour onely, I growe recouer'd and warme. BEgin your charme, sound musique, circle him in, and take him: If he will not obey, bind him.