The Beauty and Good Properties of Women (Calisto and Melebea) (Celestina) · chunk 4 of 18
Rastell, John · published 1525 · first performed or written 1527 [c.1527-1530] (Annals) not in BritDrama unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 499 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
It is 〈◊〉 to see their dissembling: their flattering count nann●…●…heyr ingratituding false witnese feigned weeping There vain glory and how they can delude their folysh●…es their ●…anglyng not mewed their lecherous lust and wylenes therefore whychcrafte & charmies to make men to theyr●… lore their enba winning & their unshamefastness their bawdry their suttelte & fresh attiring what trimyng what painting to make fairness their false intent & flykkering smyl●…ng Therefore lo it is an old saying That women be the devil net and head of sin And man's misery in paradise did begin But what thinkest thou by me yet for all this Marry syrye were a man of clear wit whom nature hath endued 〈◊〉 the best gift As beauty & greatness of membres perfit Strength lightness & beyond this yche whit Fortune hath parted with you of her influens For to be able of liberal expense For without good whereof fortwe is lady Noman can have wealth therefore by conjecture you should be beloved of every body But not of Melebea now I am sure And thought thou hadst praised me which out measure And compared me without comparison yet she is above in every condition Behold her nobleness her ancient lineage Her great patrimony her excellent wit Her resplendent virtue high portly courage Her godly grace her suffereyn beauty perfit No tongue is able well to express it But yet I pray the let me speak a while My sel●… to refresh in rehearsing of my style I begin at her hair which is so goodly crisped to her heels tied with fine lace far shining beyond fine gold of araby I trow the son collar to it may give place That who to behold it might have the grace would say incomparison nothing counteruaylys Then is it not like here of ass tails O what foul comparison this fellow raylys Her gay glazing eyen so fair and bright Her brows her nose in a mean no fashion faylys Her mouth ●…per & feat her teeth small & white ●…er lyppis 〈◊〉 her body straight upright Her lyttyll teties to the eye is a pleasure O what joy it is to see such a figure Her skin of whiteness endarkyth the snow with rose colour ennewyd I the ensure Her lyttyll hand in mean manner this is no trow Her fingers small & long with naylys ruddy most pure Of proportion none such in purtrayture without peer worthy to have for fairness The apple that parys gave venus the gods Sir have ye all done. ye marry what than I put case all this ye have said be true yet are ye more noble sith ye be a man wherein. she is unperfect I would ye knew As all women be and of less value Phylozophers say the martyr is less worthy Than the form/ so is woman to man surely I love not to here this alter●…ion Between melebea and me her lover
seed 43: T2 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
¶ It is to se theyre dyssemblyng: Theyre flatteryng counte nann heyr ingratytude fals witnese faynyd wepyng There vayn glory and how they can delude Theyre folyshes theyre anglyng not mewde Theyre lecherous lust and wylenes therfore whychcrafte & charmys to make men to theyr lore ¶ Theyre enba winyng & theyre vnshamfastnes Theyre bawdry theyre suttelte & fresh attyryng what trimyng what payntyng to make fayrnes Theyre fals intente & flykkeryng smylng Therfore lo yt is an old sayeng That women be the dyuelle nette and hed of syn And mannys mysery in paradyse dyd begyn ¶ But what thynkyst thou by me yet for all this Mary syrye were a man of clere wyt whom nature hath indewyd the best gyfte As bewte & gretnes of membres perfyt Strenght lyghtnes & beyond this yche whyt Fortune hath partyd with you of her influens For to be able of lyberall expens ¶ For wythout goode wherof fortuue is lady Noman can haue welth therfore by coniecture yow shuld be belouyd of euery body But not of Melebea now I am sure And thought thou hadst praysyd me wt out mesure And comparyd me without comparison yet she is aboue in euery condicion ¶ Behold her noblenes her auncyon lynage Her gret patrymony her excellent wyt Her resplendent verteu hye portly corage Her godly grace her suffereyn be wte perfyte No tong is able well to expresse it But yet I pray the let me speke a whyle My sel to refresh in rehersyng of my style ¶ I begyn at her herr which is so goodly Crispyd to her helys tyed with fyne lase Farr shynyng beyond fyne gold of araby I trow the son coler to hyt may gyff place That who to behold it myght haue the grace wold say incomparison nothyng coūteruaylys Then is it not lyke here of asse tayles ¶ O what foule comparison this felow raylys Her gay glasyng eyen so fayre and bryght Her browes her nose in a meane no fassyon faylys Her mouth per & feate her teeth small & whyght er lyppis her body streyght vpryght Her lyttyll tetys to the eye is a pleasure O what Ioy it is to se such a fygure ¶ Her skyn of whytnes endarkyth the snow wyth rose colour ennewyd I the ensure Her lyttyll hande in meane maner this is no trow Her fyngers small & long wt naylys ruddy most pure Of proporcyon none such in purtrayture without pere worthy to haue for fayrenes The apple that parys gaue venus the goddes ¶ Sir haue ye all done. ye mary what than I put case all this ye haue sayd be trew yet are ye more noble syth ye be a man wherin. she is vnperfyte I wold ye knew As all women be and of lesse valew Phylozophers say the marter is less worthy Than the forme / so is woman to man surely ¶ I loue not to here this alterion Betwene melebea and me her louer