Volpone, key quotes (AO2) Flashcards
Good morning…my saint
Good morning to the day; and next, my gold:
Open the shrine, that I may see my Saint.
O thou son of Sol…in this blessed room
O thou son of Sol,
But brighter than thy father, let me kiss,
With adoration, thee, and every relick
Of sacred treasure, in this blessed room.
I glory more…glad posession
I glory
More in the cunning purchase of my wealth,
Than in the glad possession
You know the use of riches…me, your poor observer
You know the use of riches, and dare give now
From that bright heap, to me, your poor observer,
What should I do…fortune calls me to?
What should I do,
But cocker up my genius, and live free
To all delights my fortune calls me to?
Letting the cherry knock….how now!
Letting the cherry knock against their lips,
And draw it by their mouths, and back again.—
How now!
Vulture….carcase, now they come
Vulture, kite,
Raven, and gorcrow, all my birds of prey,
That think me turning carcase, now they come;
Men of your large profession…provoking gold
Men of your large profession, that could speak
To every cause, and things mere contraries,
….
Give forked counsel; take provoking gold
Excellent, Excellent!….a score of years
Excellent, excellent! sure I shall outlast him:
This makes me young again, a score of years.
I have brought a bag of bright…if not potabile
I have brought a bag of bright chequines,
Will quite weigh down his plate…‘Tis aurum palpabile, if not potabile.
‘Tis true,…to itself!
‘Tis true, ‘tis true. What a rare punishment
Is avarice to itself!
O, stop it up - …Do as you will: but I’ll begone
MOS: O, stop it up—
CORV: By no means. MOS: 'Pray you, let me. Faith I could stifle him, rarely with a pillow, As well as any woman that should keep him. CORV: Do as you will: but I'll begone.
I wonder at the desperate valour…Their wives to all encounters
I wonder at the desperate valour
Of the bold English, that they dare let loose
Their wives to all encounters! - Volpone
This fellow… trow, or is gull’d?
PER [ASIDE.]: This fellow,
Does he gull me, trow? or is gull’d?
Yes, sir; the spider…from one flower
SIR P: Yes, sir; the spider and the bee, ofttimes,
Suck from one flower.
This sir Pol will….you know all?
This sir Pol will be ignorant of nothing.
—It seems, sir, you know all?
These turdy-facy-nasty-patsy…better language sir?
These turdy-facy-nasty-paty-lousy-fartical rogues….Excellent! have you heard better language, sir? (Per/Volp)
‘tis this blessed unguento…cold,moist, or windy causes
‘tis this blessed unguento, this rare extraction, that hath
only power to disperse all malignant humours, that proceed
either of hot, cold, moist, or windy causes—
Signor flamno, will you down….but mine? but mine?
Signior Flaminio, will you down, sir? down?
What, is my wife your Franciscina, sir?
No windows on the whole Piazza, here,
To make your properties, but mine? but mine?
But angry Cupid, bolting from…he flings about his burning heat
But angry Cupid, bolting from her eyes,
Hath shot himself into me like a flame;
Where, now, he flings about his burning heat,
Death (…) honour
CORV: Death of mine honour,
You whore!..upon with goatish eyes?
Your whore!…
I should strike
This steel into thee, with as many stabs,
As thou wert gaz’d upon with goatish eyes?
In the point…wife and daughter
In the point of honour,
The cases are all one of wife and daughter.
you have cut…taking a possession!
you have cut all their throats.
Why! ‘tis directly taking a possession!
Come, I am not…unprofitable humour
- Long*
- Multiple characters*
Come, I am not jealous.
CEL: No! CORV: Faith I am not I, nor never was; It is a poor unprofitable humour.
We are invited…from jealously or fear
We are invited to a solemn feast,
At old Volpone’s, where it shall appear
How far I am free from jealousy or fear.
O! your parasite…here on earth
O! your parasite
Is a most precious thing, dropt from above,
Not bred ‘mongst clods, and clodpoles, here on earth.
nor those, with court dog…like an arrow
long
nor those,
With their court dog-tricks, that can fawn and fleer,
….
But your fine elegant rascal, that can rise,
And stoop, almost together, like an arrow;
Present to any humour…swifter than a thought
Present to any humour, all occasion;
And change a visor, swifter than a thought!
Courteous sir, Scorn not…to hate thy baseness
MOS: Courteous sir,
Scorn not my poverty.
BON: Not I, by heaven; But thou shalt give me leave to hate thy baseness.
I am fain to spin out my own poor….Let me here perish, in all hope of goodness
Long
I am fain to spin mine own poor raiment
Out of my mere observance, being not born
To a free fortune: but that I have done
Base offices… but would not rather
Prove the most rugged, and laborious course,
That might redeem my present estimation,
Let me here perish, in all hope of goodness.
Whether of us three…claim the precedency can?
whether of us three,
Being all the known delicates of a rich man,
In pleasing him, claim the precedency can?
- Nano
I would have A lady…Our sex’s chiefest ornament
I would have
A lady, indeed, to have all, letters, and arts,
Be able to discourse, to write, to paint,
But principal, as Plato holds, your music,
And, so does wise Pythagoras, I take it,
Is your true rapture: when there is concent
In face, in voice, and clothes: and is, indeed,
Our sex’s chiefest ornament.
Resolve upon it…That might deny me
Resolve upon it: I have so decreed.
It must be done. Nor would I move’t, afore,
Because I would avoid all shifts and tricks,
That might deny me.
Go to…and a wife
Go to, shew yourself
Obedient, and a wife.
What the physicians…respect my venture
Long
What the physicians have set down; how much
It may concern me; what my engagements are;
My means; and the necessity of those means,
For my recovery: wherefore, if you be
Loyal, and mine, be won, respect my venture.
AN old decrepit…this man hurt you
An old decrepit wretch,
That has no sense,….And, what can this man hurt you?
Before your honour…to awe fools
Before your honour?
CORV: Honour! tut, a breath: There's no such thing, in nature: a mere term Invented to awe fools.
.Is that, which ever…made, for money?
Is that, which ever was a cause of life,
Now placed beneath the basest circumstance,
And modesty an exile made, for money?
.Why droops my…A worthy lover
VOLP: Why droops my Celia?
Thou hast, in place of a base husband, found
A worthy lover:
If you have…hear me, Celia
If you have conscience—
VOLP: 'Tis the beggar's virtue, If thou hast wisdom, hear me, Celia.
Death…honour (short)
CORV: Death of mine honour,
You whore!….upon with goatish eyes?
Your whore!…
I should strike
This steel into thee, with as many stabs,
As thou wert gaz’d upon with goatish eyes?
In the point of…of wife and daughter
In the point of honour,
The cases are all one of wife and daughter.
You have cut all their…taking a possession!
you have cut all their throats.
Why! ‘tis directly taking a possession!
I am not jealous…is a poor, unprofitable humour.
Come, I am not jealous.
CEL: No! CORV: Faith I am not I, nor never was; It is a poor unprofitable humour.
We are invited to a solemn….free from jealousy or fear.
We are invited to a solemn feast,
At old Volpone’s, where it shall appear
How far I am free from jealousy or fear.
O! your parasite….here on earth
O! your parasite
Is a most precious thing, dropt from above,
Not bred ‘mongst clods, and clodpoles, here on earth.
Nor those, with their court dog….like an arrow
nor those,
With their court dog-tricks, that can fawn and fleer,
Make their revenue out of legs and faces,
Echo my lord, and lick away a moth:
But your fine elegant rascal, that can rise,
And stoop, almost together, like an arrow;
Present to any humour…but doth practice it
Present to any humour, all occasion;
And change a visor, swifter than a thought!
This is the creature had the art born with him;
Toils not to learn it, but doth practise it
Courteous sir, Scorn not…hate thy baseness
MOS: Courteous sir,
Scorn not my poverty.
BON: Not I, by heaven; But thou shalt give me leave to hate thy baseness.
I am fain to spin out my own….Let me here perish, in all hope of goodness.
(Long)
I am fain to spin mine own poor raiment
Out of my mere observance, being not born
To a free fortune: but that I have done
Base offices, in rending friends asunder,
Dividing families, betraying counsels,
Whispering false lies, or mining men with praises,
Train’d their credulity with perjuries,
Corrupted chastity, or am in love
With mine own tender ease, but would not rather
Prove the most rugged, and laborious course,
That might redeem my present estimation,
Let me here perish, in all hope of goodness.
Whether of us three…the precedency can?
whether of us three,
Being all the known delicates of a rich man,
In pleasing him, claim the precedency can?
- Nano
Besides you seeing what….imputation to our country:
Besides you seeing what a curious nation
The Italians are, what will they say of me?
“The English lady cannot dress herself.”
Here’s a fine imputation to our country:
I would have, A lady….Our sex’s chiefest ornament
Long
I would have
A lady, indeed, to have all, letters, and arts,
Be able to discourse, to write, to paint,
But principal, as Plato holds, your music,
And, so does wise Pythagoras, I take it,
Is your true rapture: when there is concent
In face, in voice, and clothes: and is, indeed,
Our sex’s chiefest ornament.
Resolve upon it: I…That might deny me.
Resolve upon it: I have so decreed.
It must be done. Nor would I move’t, afore,
Because I would avoid all shifts and tricks,
That might deny me.
Go, shew yourself…and a wife
Go to, shew yourself
Obedient, and a wife.
What the physicians have set down…be won, respect my venture.
What the physicians have set down; how much
It may concern me; what my engagements are;
My means; and the necessity of those means,
For my recovery: wherefore, if you be
Loyal, and mine, be won, respect my venture.
An old decrepid wretch,…what can this man hurt you?
An old decrepit wretch,
That has no sense,….And, what can this man hurt you?
Lord! what spirit….blind or stupid?
Lord! what spirit
Is this hath enter’d him?…
CEL: Are heaven and saints then nothing?
Will they be blind or stupid?
Is that, which ever was a cause…., for money?
Is that, which ever was a cause of life,
Now placed beneath the basest circumstance,
And modesty an exile made, for money?
Why droops my Celia?…A worthy lover:
VOLP: Why droops my Celia?
Thou hast, in place of a base husband, found
A worthy lover:
If thou hast…with Cretan wines
Long
If thou hast wisdom, hear me, Celia.
Thy baths shall be the juice of July-flowers,
Spirit of roses, and of violets,
The milk of unicorns, and panthers’ breath
Gather’d in bags, and mixt with Cretan wines.
I should have…I’ll force thee
I should have done the act, and then have parley’d.
Yield, or I’ll force thee.
Is all I can think wealthy…if you have conscience
Is all I can think wealthy, or worth th’ enjoying,
And which, once lost, I have nought to lose beyond it,
Cannot be taken with these sensual baits:
If you have conscience—
Fall on me, roof….to beggary, to infamy
VOLP: Fall on me, roof, and bury me in ruin!
Become my grave, that wert my shelter! O!
I am unmask’d, unspirited, undone,
Betray’d to beggary, to infamy—
.I had thought the….chiefly, their own ladies
Long
I had thought the odour, sir, of your good name,
Had been more precious to you; that you would not
Have done this dire massacre on your honour;
One of your gravity and rank besides!
But knights, I see, care little for the oath
They make to ladies; chiefly, their own ladies.
Then know, most honour’d…the state of Venice
Long
Then know, most honour’d fathers, I must now
Discover to your strangely abused ears,
The most prodigious and most frontless piece
Of solid impudence, and treachery,
That ever vicious nature yet brought forth
To shame the state of Venice.
This lewd woman…a close adulteress
This lewd woman,
That wants no artificial looks or tears
To help the vizor she has now put on,
Hath long been known a close adulteress,
Enter’d Volpone’s huse…foul, felonious intent!
Long
Enter’d Volpone’s house, (who was the man,
Your fatherhoods must understand, design’d
For the inheritance,) there sought his father:—
But with what purpose sought he him, my lords?
I tremble to pronounce it, that a son
Unto a father, and to such a father,
Should have so foul, felonious intent!
Most honoured fathers…man’s mercenary tounge
BON: Most honoured fathers,
I humbly crave there be no credit given
To this man’s mercenary tongue.
I wil not…Speak not, thou viper
CORB: I will not hear thee,
Monster of men, swine, goat, wolf, parricide!
Speak not, thou viper.
Sir, I will sit…authority of a father
BON: Sir, I will sit down,
And rather wish my innocence should suffer,
Then I resist the authority of a father.
See here, grave fathers…Perhaps he doth dissemble!
Long
See here, grave fathers, here’s the ravisher,
The rider on men’s wives, the great impostor,
The grand voluptuary! Do you not think
These limbs should affect venery? or these eyes
Covet a concubine? pray you mark these hands;
Are they not fit to stroke a lady’s breasts?—
Perhaps he doth dissemble!
I shall have instantly…and full of expectation
VOLP: O,
I shall have instantly my Vulture, Crow,
Raven, come flying hither, on the news,
To peck for carrion, my she-wolfe, and all,
Greedy, and full of expectation—
I know you an ass…this pearl, you say…but thank you
Long
I know you an ass,
And that you would most fain have been a wittol,
If fortune would have let you? that you are
A declared cuckold, on good terms? This pearl,
You’ll say, was yours? right: this diamond?
I’ll not deny’t, but thank you.
- Mosca to Corvino
Go home…and stink
Go home, and die, and stink.
I am cozen’d…hast gull’d me
CORB: I am cozen’d, cheated, by a parasite slave;
Harlot, thou hast gull’d me.
.O, my recovery…still at every turn!
VOLP: O, my recovery shall recover all.
That I could now but think on some disguise
To meet them in, and ask them questions:
How I would vex them still at every turn!
Do so, my Fox…his borrow’d case
MOS: Do so. My Fox
Is out of his hole, and ere he shall re-enter,
I’ll make him languish in his borrow’d case,
To cozen him…the Fox trap
To cozen him of all, were but a cheat
Well placed; no man would construe it a sin:
Let his sport pay for it, this is call’d the Fox-trap.
O lord, sir!…distracked cuckold .
VOLP: O lord, sir! I were a wise man,
Would stand the fury of a distracted cuckold.
For which, now struck…for pardon…own noose
- Multiple speakers*
- Long*
VOLT: For which, now struck in conscience, here, I prostate
Myself at your offended feet, for pardon.
1, 2 AVOC: Arise. CEL: O heaven, how just thou art! VOLP [ASIDE.]: I am caught In mine own noose—
To make a snare for mine…Mosca gave it second
VOLP: To make a snare for mine own neck! and run
My head into it, wilfully! with laughter!
When I had newly ‘scaped, was free, and clear,
Out of mere wantonness! O, the dull devil
Was in this brain of mine, when I devised it,
And Mosca gave it second;
.They will be allied…shall not come alone
Multiple speakers
VOLP: They will be allied anon; I must be resolute:
The Fox shall here uncase.
[THROWS OFF HIS DISGUISE.]
MOS: Patron! VOLP: Nay, now, My ruins shall not come alone;
You appear T’have been the…prisoner in our gallies
You appear
T’have been the chiefest minister, if not plotter,
In all these lewd impostures; and now, lastly,
Have with your impudence abused the court,
And habit of a gentleman of Venice,
Being a fellow of no birth or blood:
For which our sentence is, first, thou be whipt;
Then live perpetual prisoner in our gallies.
By blood and rank a…Remove him
By blood and rank a gentleman, canst not fall
Under like censure; but our judgment on thee
Is, that thy substance all be straight confiscate
To the hospital of the Incurabili:
….
Thou art to lie in prison, cramp’d with irons,
Till thou be’st sick, and lame indeed.—Remove him.
.Thou, Voltore…and our state
1 AVOC: Thou, Voltore, to take away the scandal
Thou hast given all worthy men of thy profession,
Art banish’d from their fellowship, and our state.
Corbaccio! - bring him near…learn’d to die well
Corbaccio!—bring him near—We here possess
Thy son of all thy state, and confine thee
To the monastery of San Spirito;
Where, since thou knewest not how to live well here,
Thou shalt be learn’d to die well.
Let all that see…and then they bleed
Let all that see these vices thus rewarded,
Take heart and love to study ‘em! Mischiefs feed
Like beasts, till they be fat, and then they bleed.
The seasoning of the play…‘gainst you
The seasoning of a play, is the applause.
Now, though the Fox be punish’d by the laws,
He yet doth hope, there is no suffering due,
For any fact which he hath done ‘gainst you;
Oh son of…sacred treasure…blessed room
Oh, thou son of Sol (But brighter than thy father) let me kiss, With adoration, thee, and every relic Of sacred treasure in this blessed room.
See here, a rope….May put out both eyes of our…And wear, and lose ‘em…and this whole state
long
Volpone’s apotheosis
See, here, a rope of pearl… Dissolve, and drink ‘em. See, a carbuncle, May put out both the eyes of our St. Mark; A diamond would have bought Lollia Paulina, …. take these, And wear, and lose ‘em: yet remains an ear-ring To purchase them again, and this whole state.
- Volpone
I cannot live, except thou…but a heap of cinders.
I cannot live, except thou help me, Mosca;
My liver melts, and I, without the hope
Of some soft air, from her refreshing breath,
Am but a heap of cinders.
Which of your poets? … I have read them all
LADY P: Which of your poets? Petrarch, or Tasso, or Dante?
Guarini? Ariosto? Aretine?
Cieco di Hadria? I have read them all.
Ah me, I have taken…wing
Ah me, I have ta’en a grass-hopper by the wing!
Before I fain’d…I have one
VOLP [ASIDE.]: She’s in again!
Before I fain’d diseases, now I have one.
