Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 22 (broom, tiff, loathsome, snakes, hercles, dismal…). Matches are highlighted.
golden locks, shalt not awake until they be turned to silver hairs: and that chin, on which scarcely appears soft down, shall be filled with brissles as hard as broom: thou shalt sleep out thy youth and flowering time, and become dry hay before thou knewest thy self green grass, & ready by age to step into the graven when ̄ thou
Full speech
Fair Lady, you may imagine that these hoary hears are not void of experience, nor the great name that goes of my c nning to be without cause. I can darken the Sun by my skill, and remove the Moon out of her course; I can restore youth to the aged, and make hills without bottoms; there is nothing that I can not do, but that only which you would have me do, and therein I differ from the Gods, that I am not able to rule hearts, for were it in my power to place affection by appointment, I would make such evil appetites, such inordinate lustest, such cursed desires, as all the world should be filled both with superstitious heats, and ex treame love. This I can, breed slackness in love, though never root it out. What is he whom you love, & what she that he honoureth? Would you have his love, either by absence of sickness aslaked. Would you that Cynthia should mi strust him, or be jealous of him without colour? I will undertake it, and overtake him, that all his love shall be doubted of, and therefore become des perate: but this will wear out with time, that treadeth all things down but truth. I follow. Little dost thon know Endymion when thou shalt wake, for hadst thou placed thy heart as low in love, as thy head lies now in sleep, thou mightest have commanded Tellus, whom now in stead of a Mistress, thou shalt find a tomb. These eyes must I seal up by Art, not Nature, which are to be opened neither by Art nor Nature. Thou that laist down with golden locks, shalt not awake until they be turned to silver hairs: and that chin, on which scarcely appears soft down, shall be filled with brissles as hard as broom: thou shalt sleep out thy youth and flowering time, and become dry hay before thou knewest thy self green grass, & ready by age to step into the graven when ̄ thou wakest, that was youthful in the Court when thou laidst thee down to sleep. The malice of Tellus hath brought this to pass, which if she could not have entreated of me by fair means, she would have commanded by menacing, for from her gather we all our simples to maintain our sorceries. Fan with this hemlock over his face, and sing the enchantment for sleep, while I go in and fi nish those ceremonies that are required in our Art: take heed ye touch not his face, for the Fan is so seasoned that who so it touches with a leaf shall presently die, and over whom the wind of it breathes, he shall sleep for ever. How now, have you finished? Well then let us in, and see that you do not so much as whisper that I did this, for if you do, I will turn thy hairs to Adders, and all thy teeth in thy head to tongues, come away, come away. Madam, things passed may be repented, not recalled: there is nothing so wicked that I have not done, nor any thing so wished for as death. Yet among all the things that I committed, there is nothing so much torments my rented and ransacked thoughts, as that in the prime of my husbands youth, I divorced him by my devilish Art, for which, if to die might be amends, I would not live till to morrow. If to live and still be more miserable would better content him, I would wish of all creatures to be oldest and ugliest. Madam, I renounce both substance and sha dow of that most horrible and hateful trade, vowing to the Gods continual penance, and to your highness oh bedience. And I thee Geron, to whom I will hereafter recite the cause of these my first follies.
Plot summary
Plot — Endymion, the Man in the Moon
Endymion is obsessed with his love for GyHEHI, the moon, and neglects Méllisj who is infatuated with him. She plots to force him to love her, but the enchantress Dipsas is unable to induce love magically. She can, however, make Endymion sleep away his youth, and, with Bag@a’s assistance, casts a spell to that effect. Meanwhile the comic braggart Sir GpHaS falls in love with Dipsas and sleeps too. When Tellus is rude about Endymion, Cynthia banishes her to weave in a desert castle. There she uses her feminine attractiveness to induce her keeper, GGESITES, to move Endymion from where he sleeps, but he is unable to lift the sleeping body. He is pinched asleep by fairies, who magically spot his face and hands. S@mielé is sentenced to a year’s silence as punishment for her spiteful speaking. Cynthia sends courtiers around the world in search of a remedy for Endymion, but the wise men who come are unable to help. However, Eiimenideés finds a magic fountain which will supply any wished-for remedy ifa true lover weeps into it and sees the bottom. Eumenides passes the fidelity test and has to choose whether to satisfy his unrequited love for Semele or wake up Endymion. He chooses Endymion, and is shown in a cryptic prophecy that the sleeper will wake when Cynthia kisses him. It works: Endymion awakes, now an old man, and tells his dreams. Sir Tophas also awakes, seemingly more youthful. Neither gets the girl: Cynthia is chaste and unattainable, while Dipsas turns out to be married to G@fon, the keeper of the magic fountain, who has returned to court with Eumenides. The truth about Endymion’s long sleep emerges after Bagoa reveals the spell; in reprisal, Dipsas turns her into a tree. Tellus is questioned and admits her part in the affair. Cynthia restores Endymion’s youth and learns of his love for her, and of Eumenides’ for Semele. Semele’s initial silence is taken to indicate consent, but when she speaks, Cynthia sentences her to lose her tongue. Eumenides’ offer of his own tongue instead convinces Semele of his sincerity, and she accepts him. Corsites and Tellus are also paired off, and Dipsas, initially sentenced to banishment among the wild beasts, is remitted to the custody of her husband. At the request of Sir Tophas, Cynthia also releases Bagoa from the tree.