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Jonson, Ben, 1573-1637

"Cynthia's Revels"

And what of all these now? what are you the better?
Tut, it is the sorting, and the dividing, and the mixing, and the
tempering, and the searching, and the decocting, that makes the
fumigation and the suffumigation.
AMO. Well, indue me with it.
PER. I will, sir.
HED. An excellent confection.
CRI. And most worthy a true voluptuary, Jove! what a coil these
musk-worms take to purchase another's delight? for themselves, who
bear the odours, have ever the least sense of them. Yet I do like
better the prodigality of jewels and clothes, whereof one passeth
to a man's heirs; the other at least wears out time. This
presently expires, and, without continual riot in reparation, is
lost: which whoso strives to keep, it is one special argument to
me, that, affecting to smell better than other men, he doth indeed
smell far worse.
MER. I know you will say, it sits well, sir.
TAI. Good faith, if it do not, sir, let your mistress be judge.
MER. By heaven, if my mistress do not like it, I'll make no more
conscience to undo thee, than to undo an oyster.
TAI. Believe it, there's ne'er a mistress in the world can mislike
it.
MER. No, not goodwife tailor, your mistress; that has only the
judgment to heat your pressing-tool.


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