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Jonson, Ben, 1573-1637

"Cynthia's Revels"

Odoriferous.
PHI. Popular.
ARG. Humble.
ANA. White-liver'd.
HED. Barbarous.
AMO. Pythagorical.
HED. Yours, signior.
ASO. What must I do, sir?
AMO. Give forth your adjective with the rest; as prosperous, good,
fair, sweet, well --
HED. Anything that hath not been spoken.
ASO. Yes, sir, well-spoken shall be mine.
PHA. What, have you all done?
ALL. Ay.
PHA. Then the substantive is Breeches. Why "odoriferous"
breeches, guardian?
MOR. Odoriferous, -- because odoriferous: that which contains most
variety of savour and smell we say is most odoriferous; now
breeches, I presume, are incident to that variety, and therefore
odoriferous breeches.
PHA. Well, we must take it howsoever. Who's next? Philautia?
PHI. Popular.
PHA. Why "popular" breeches?
PHA. Marry, that is, when they are not content to be generally
noted in court, but will press forth on common stages and brokers'
stalls, to the public view of the world.
PHA. Good. Why "humble" breeches, Argurion?
ARG. Humble! because they use to be sat upon; besides, if you tie
them not up, their property is to fall down about your heels.
MER. She has worn the breeches, it seems, which have done so.


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