No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Why do you stop? go on. Your Crown of Gold Is but the wreathe of wealth; It's mine of Laurel Is virtues Diadem: This grew green and flourished, When nature pitying poor mortality, Hid thine within the bowels of the earth: Men looking up to heaven found this thats mine, Digging to find out hell they li't on thine. Beside my Birthright Gives me the first possession. Yes sister, Birthright: and a Crown beside, Put on before the Altar of Apollo By his deer Priest Phenomoe, she that first Full of her God raged in Heroic numbers. My reward Came after, my deserts went before yours. I before that time Did chant out Hymns in praise of great Apollo The shepherd's Deity, whom they reverence Under the name of Nomius, in remembrance How with them once he kept Admetus sheep. And because you urge my poverty, what were you? Till Sophocles laid gilded upon your Buskin's You had no ornaments, no robes of state, No rich and glorious Scene; your first Benefactors Who were they, but the reeling Priests of Bacchus; For which a Goat gave you reward and name? Let age alone, merit must plead our Title. Inferior persons, and the lighter vanities, (Of which this age I fear is grown too fruitful,) Yield Subject's various enough to move Plentiful laughter. Yes, Laughter is my object: 'tis a property In man essential to his reason. I were unworthy if I should Appeal from his tribunal; Be it so: I doubt not but his censure runs with me: Never may any thing that's sad and tragical Dare to approach his Presence; let him be So happy as to think no man is wretched, Or that there is a thing called misery. It's agreed. Mime, let it be your office to prepare The Masque which we intended: You move with fear, I work as much with shame, A thing more powerful in a generous breast. Who sees and eating Parasite abused; A covetous Bawd laughed at; and ignorant Gull Cheated; a glorious Soldier knocked, and baflle'd; A crafty servant whipped; a niggard Churl Hoarding up dicing-moneys for his son; A spruce fantastic Courtier, a mad roarer, A jealous Tradesman, and overweening Lady, Or corrupt Lawyer rightly personated, But (if he have a blush), will blush and shame As well to act those follies as to own them.
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…