in Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love — Jonson, Ben
Metadata
Play
Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love
Author
Jonson, Ben
Year (catalogued)
1640
First performance
1600
Decade
1640s
Genre
Satire
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of the Chapel (second)
Speech prefix(es)
ARG.
Words
289
Characters
1509
Typicality
0.36 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A04632.3
BritDrama no.
1269
Cluster
Cluster 4 — Constant hearts & virtuous ladies
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
So would I, for he has left all us in travail with expecta cion of it. Marry, and this may be good for us ladies: for (it seems) 'tis far-fet by their stay. I, I, he. A fellow, that no body so much as looked upon, or re guarded, and she would have had me done him particular grace. Tut, but she shall be no chooser for me. In good faith, I Like the citizens son there, ASOTUS, me thinks, none of them all come near him. HEDON, in troth no. HEDON'S a pretty slight courtier, and he wears his clothes well, and sometime in fashion; Marry, his face is but indifferent, and he has no such excellent body. No, th'other is a most delicate youth, a sweet face, a straight body, a well proportioned leg and foot, a white hand, a tender voice. Well, ladies, jest on: the best of you both would be glad of such a servant. But, will you be constant? Do's your heart speak all this? I require no more, dearest ASOTUS, henceforth let me call you mine, and in remembrance of me, vouchsafe to wear this chain, and this diamond. Nay, these are nothing to the gems I will hourly bestow upon thee: be but faithful, and kind to me, and I will lade thee with my richest bounties: behold, here my bracelets, from mine arms. Take them, wear them: my jewels, chain of pearl, pendants, all I have. Humble. Humble, because they use to be sat upon; beside, if you tie them not up, their property is to fallen down about your heals. Last progress. Last progress. Whither goes my love? Wilt thou forsake me then? Oh. Oh. Oh. Oh, O. Sick.
Plot summary
Plot — Cynthia's Revels, or The Fountain of Self-Love
Cynthia proclaims a revels at which all are welcome. Mercury and Cupid, who is usually banned from her court, go disguised as pages. Resurrected by Mercury, Echo curses the fountain beside which Narcissus died, so that all who drink of it will be afflicted with self-love. Amorphus does so and reports its wonders, so that the water is much in demand. He undertakes to make Asotus, a citizen’s heir, into a courtier, and gives him intensive training in courtly behaviour and the practice of wooing, but Asotus’ plebeian tastes keep betraying him. While the court ladies impatiently await the arrival of the fountain-water, Asotus courts his father’s old love, Argurion. He accepts her gifts, but then gives them away to the other courtiers in an effort to ingratiate himself. Argurion faints, then transfers her affections to the page Morus. The water arrives and is eagerly consumed. Arete brings the courtiers Cynthia’s instructions that they are to prepare an entertainment for her that evening. They 1600 suggest a masque, but are offended when Arete decides to ask the scholar Criticus to write it: they will only be the performers. Cynthia makes her appearance, and the masque is performed: Anteros (played by Cupid ) introduces four virgins, and a page ( played by. Mercury ) introduces four brothers, all of them representing virtues associated with Cynthia. Cupid attermpts to make the masquers fall in love with one another, but his arrows cannot counteract the influence of the fountain- water. The revels ended, Cynthia is annoyed to find that the masquers are people who are not usually welcome in her court, and calls them to account for. usurpin Zz virtues they do not have in their own persons. Criticus sentences them to sing a palinode, and to wash off their self-love in Helicon, the well of knowledge. B-Text Asotus is to prove his skill as a courtier on: the evening of the masque, by challenging all comers to compete with him in courtly behaviour. Mercury persuades Crites to accept the challenge, to punish him and his associates for bringing the name of courtier into disrepute. Posing as a courtly Frenchman, Mercury competes with Amorphus and defeats him. Crites continually bests Asotus until he withdraws from the contest, unable to go on. _