Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 12 (signor, sal, zelmane, handkerchief, absolon, dissemble…). Matches are highlighted.
humour, I cannot see A fat voluptuous sow with full delight Wallow in dirt, but I do wish my self Transformed into that blessed Epicure. Or when I view the hight salacious sparrow Renew his pleasures with fresh appetite, I wish my self that little bird of Love. A learned Lecture! 'Tis fit such grave and solid arguments Have
Full speech
Oh now for and eternity of eating! Fool was he that wished but a cranes short neck. Give me one, nature, long as is a Cable, Or sounding line, and all the way a palate To ast my meat the longer. I would have My senses feast together, Nature envied us In giving single pleasures; let me have My ears, eyes, palate, nose, and touch, at once Enjoy their happiness; lay me in a bed Made of a summer's cloud; to my embraces Give me a Venus hardly yet fifteen, Fresh, plump, and active; she that Mars enjoyed Is grown too stale: And then at the same instant My Touch is pleased, I would delight my sighed With Pictures of Diana, and her Nymphs, Naked, and bathing drawn by some Apelles; By them some of our fairest Virgins stand; That I may see whither it's Art or nature Which heightens most my blood and appetite. Nor cease I here. Give me the seven Orbs To charm my ears with their celestial lutes, To which the Angels that do move those spheres Shall sing some amorous ditty; nor yet here Fix I my bounds; The sun himself shall fire The Phoenix nest to make me a perfume, While I do eat the Bird, and eternally Quaff of eternal Nectar. These single, are But torments, but together; Oh together! Each is a Paradise. Having God such objects To please the senses, give me senses too Fit to receive those objects: Give me therefore And Eagles eye, a bloodhounds curious smell, A stags quick hearing, let my feeling be As subtle as the spiders, and my taste Sharp as a Squirrils. Then I'll read the Alcoran, And what delights that promises in future I'll practice in the present. Come Brother Stoic be not so melancholy. Come we'll go see a Comedy, that will raise Thy heavy spirits up. Then lets go drink a while. A little Venery Shall recreate thy soul. Why, marry, if your conscience be so tender, As not to do it otherwise; Then it's lawful. I'll see the Jewel; For though to do, most moves my appetite, I love to see, as well as act delight. He cannot see a stock or stone, but presently He wishes to be turned to one of those. I have another humour, I cannot see A fat voluptuous sow with full delight Wallow in dirt, but I do wish my self Transformed into that blessed Epicure. Or when I view the hight salacious sparrow Renew his pleasures with fresh appetite, I wish my self that little bird of Love. A learned Lecture! 'Tis fit such grave and solid arguments Have their reward—here—half of my estate T'invent a pleasure never tasted yet, That I may be the first shall make it stale.
Plot summary
Plot — The Muses' Looking Glass
Bird and Mistress Flowerdew, Puritan residents of Blackfriars, bring their wares to the theatre, but are appalled when Roscius tells them they have been ordered for use as props in a filthy stage play. Roscius argues that they themselves make a living from the vice of vanity, and invites them to see the play before they condemn it; he will give them a running commentary on its moral import. Despite Roscius’ high claims, Comedy and Tragedy seem initially more concerned about the order of their precedence; they agree to spend a year in competition, staging examples of their respective genres, and whichever is adjudged the better will thereafter have the theatre to herself. The play is a series of episodes showing specific virtues to be the mean: an excess or a deficiency constitutes a vice. A lack of courtesy makes Dyscolus churlishly ready to pick quarrels, whereas too much of it makes Colax sycophantic, to such an extent that he hangs around for the rest of the play flattering all the other vices. Aphobus is over-confident and Deilus cowardly, afraid of his own shadow: they have respectively too much fortitude and too little. Temperance is the next example, illustrated by Acolastus the epicure and Anaisthetus the ascetic, followed by liberality, missing in Aneleutherus the miser and carried to excess in Asotus the prodigal. The over-ostentatious Banausus, full of extravagant schemes for public works, overdoes magnificence, whereas Microprepes balks at replacing a church steeple. (The Puritans in the audience 1630 approve.) Chaunus overvalues himself, and seeks inappropriate high offices, whereas Micropsychus thinks himself unsuited to even the meanest position. Meekness is quite absent from quarrelsome Orgylus, who persistently tries to provoke patient Aorgus to a fight, without success. The arrogant Alazon and the modest Eiron deviate from truth: one falsely claims personal qualities he lacks, the other denies those he does have. Philotimia is unduly fastidious about her appearance, whereas her slovenly husband Luparus would rather clothes had never been invented. The impudent bawd Anaiskyntia brings Kataplectus to visit Philotimia, but he is too bashful to speak to her in English. Philotimia appoints him her gentleman usher, and they go off together; it looks as if Luparus is going to be cuckolded, but he doesn’t care. The extremes of justice are next: Nimis is worldly and prone to accept bribes, adjudicating between litigants according to which can…