in Technogamia, or The Marriages of the Arts — Holyday, Barten
Metadata
Play
Technogamia, or The Marriages of the Arts
Author
Holyday, Barten
Year (catalogued)
1618
First performance
1618
Decade
1610s
Genre
Academic Comedy
Play type
University
Theater
at University;
Speech prefix(es)
Phyſiog.
Words
466
Characters
2484
Typicality
0.30 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A03496
BritDrama no.
1860
Cluster
Cluster 5 — Romantic leads (high style)
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Yes, i'faith; or if he were sick 'twas more in mind then in body. Faith, neither of us knew him very well; but Cheiromantes has brought some testimonies from him. Faith, Cheiromantes, by the slight of the Hand did it very neatly. Vouchsafe this grace A little space To guard this place. That so since day Is fled, we may Make him our pray. Why, but do you think it's impenetrable? And I know by his looks, if he once settle his of fection upon a wench, hee'll pursue her more swiftly then ever Apollo did Daphne; for hee'll overtake her before her Metam morphosis. Never fear that: I have seriously observed (taking and opportunity the other day to look on her) the whole come posure of her Face; and first for her beauty, I must confess it absolute; for there are the two causes of all beauty; a most exquisite Symmetry, or correspondent commensuration of the parts; and and exact mixture of colours, which adds un to the proportion and incomprehensible pulchritude: since which time, I have taken a Like view of Geographus and Geo metres; now for their heights, Geographus is somewhat lower then she; but Geometres is of her pitch joust; for the lines of proportion in their faces, I must confess, I can hardly judge which is most Like her, well, I hope yet it'll be Geometres, or if Geographus do win her, it'll be by his comely deport meant: in-faith I wish him well, but we must work for them that feel us in the fist. Hold thy Hands there, it's Sanguis, he's of our side, stay a little. How now, Sanguis? why dost thou blush so? Of us? Faith it's true; let us be friends: and since thy Ma ster Medicus has taught thee to Kill, wee'll teach thee to Steal: but honestly, Sanguis, honestly. Nay, stay a little longer now, Sanguis: who comes yonder? do you know his Face? Oh my nose, my nose— Ah you dull rogue, do you kick? Nor we; for the quarrel was not ours. Play off: (Cheiromantes drinks) Well then, I am last, I'll drink to you all; I'll leave never a jot: (He drinks) there, Musicam, there's thy bottle. Oh the side of my face! Troth, and as I was going to bed last night, there stood in the chamber window a lookingglass; and as I came by, chance to lay my hand down there, the candle not stan ding far off, I saw my face in the glass, but in good faith me thought I looked so wanly and so scurvily—and indeed I have herd them often say, it's ill luck to see ones face in a glass by candlelight. Yes, Sir. We scorn to escape this punishment. Exeunt Choler, Physiog. Cheiro.
Plot summary
Plot — Technogamia, or The Marriages of the Arts
Astronomia has several suitors: Geographus (whom her mother dislikes), Geometres (whom her friends favour), and Poeta (who has recently jilted Historia to pursue her). Against her kinsman Polites’ advice, Historia still wants to marry Poeta, consummating the long-standing association between history and the poetic imagination. Poeta quarrels with Grammaticus, and Logicus becomes involved in the ensuing affray. Unsure whether to fight a duel with Poeta or sue him for assault, Logicus sets both courses in train. Hearing that Poeta has been hurt in the fight, Historia sends to Medicus for help, but Magus, who is helping Geometres, sees an opportunity to dispose of one of his client’s rivals, and persuades Medicus to send poison instead. Medicus’ man, Sanguis, delivers the poison, but spots that it isn’t medicine. Poeta infers Historia's treachery, but persuades himself out of absolute misogyny by thinking of Astronomia. To reconcile Poeta with Logicus and Grammaticus, Ethicus arranges a banquet. Several of the wooers use magical help in their suits. Poeta meets two gipsies, who pick his- pocket and foretell that he will marry Astronomia. Using sieve- divination, Magus predicts that Geometres will marry Astronomia, and will achieve this mainly through hypnotism, with a little pharmaceutical help. (Geometres finds the third option, conjuration, too frightening to try.) However, when Astronomia drinks the supposed love philtre at Ethicus’ feast, it poisons her. Meanwhile, Poeta seems reconciled to his former adversaries, but gets drunk and tries to pick fights with Geographus and Grammaticus; Magus charms him to sleep. Causidicus accepts fees from both Logicus and Poeta, so when the case comes to trial, Polites dismisses him and forces the parties to speak for themselves. The trial is adjourned when news arrives that Astronomia, burning up with the poison, has fallen into a coma. Medicus attends her, and cures her by administering an enema. Meanwhile the gipsies and servants indulge themselves in country pastimes: morris dancing, barley-break, and riddles. Polites takes up Geographus’ and Historia’s love- suits: he persuades Astronomia’s mother that Geographus will be a worthy son-in-law, so long as he gets rid of his servant Phantastes, and the couple are married. Polites tries the miscreants, and purges the body politic of dangerous corruption: the gipsies are branded, Magus sentenced to be broken on the wheel, and his wife Astrologia to imprisonment — but,…