Cynthia's Revels; Or, The Fountain of Self-LoveJonson, Ben
General
Cynthia's Revels; Or, The Fountain of Self-Love
Jonson, Ben
English drama (Comedy); English drama -- 17th century
PER. O yes, sir, I have an excellent mineral fucus for the
purpose. The gloves are right, sir; you shall bury them in a
muck-hill, a draught, seven years, and take them out and wash them,
they shall still retain their first scent, true Spanish. There's
ambre in the umbre.
MER. Your price, sweet Fig?
PER. Give me what you will, sir; the signior pays me two crowns a
pair; you shall give me your love, sir.
MER. My love! with a pox to you, goodman Sassafras.
PER. I come, sir. There's an excellent diapasm in a chain, too,
if you like it.
AMO. Stay, what are the ingredients to your fucus?
PER. Nought but sublimate and crude mercury, sir, well prepared
and dulcified, with the jaw-bones of a sow, burnt, beaten, and
searced.
AMO. I approve it. Lay it on.
MER. I'll have your chain of pomander, sirrah; what's your price?
PER. We'll agree, monsieur; I'll assure you it was both decocted
and dried where no sun came, and kept in an onyx ever since it was
balled.
MER. Come, invert my mustachio, and we have done.
AMO. 'Tis good.
BAR. Hold still, I pray you, sir.
PER. Nay, the fucus is exorbitant, sir.
MER. Death, dost thou burn me, harlot!
BAR. I beseech you, sir.
MER. Beggar, varlet, poltroon. [BEATS HIM.]
HED. Excellent, excellent!
ANA. Your French beat is the most natural beat of the world.
ASO. O that I had played at this weapon. [A CHARGE.]
PHA. Peace, now they come on; the second part.
AMO. "Madam, your beauties being so attractive, I muse you are
left thus alone."
PHI. "Better be alone, sir, than ill accompanied."
AMO. "Nought can be ill, lady, that can come near your goodness."
MER. "Sweet madam, on what part of you soever a man casts his eye,
he meets with perfection; you are the lively image of Venus
throughout; all the graces smile in your cheeks; your beauty
nourishes as well as delights; you have a tongue steeped in honey,
and a breath like a panther; your breasts and forehead are whiter
than goats' milk, or May blossoms; a cloud is not so soft as your
skin--"
HED. Well strook, monsieur! He charges like a Frenchman indeed,
thick and hotly.
MER. "Your cheeks are Cupid's baths, wherein he uses to steep
himself in milk and nectar: he does light all his torches at your
eyes, and instructs you how to shoot and wound with their beams.
Yet I love nothing in you more than your innocence; you retain so
native a simplicity, so unblamed a behaviour! Methinks, with such
a love, I should find no head, nor foot of my pleasure: you are
the very spirit of a lady."
ANA. Fair play, monsieur, you are too hot on the quarry; give your
competitor audience.
AMO. "Lady, how stirring soever the monsieur's tongue is, he will
lie by your side more dull than your eunuch."
ANA. A good stroke; that mouth was excellently put over.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account