The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 2 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play unassigned nearest T36 Hell, Furies and the language of punishm · 545 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
times with times do contend; one thing against another, and all against us. We see, that the Summer makes us complain of too much heat; and the Winter, of cold and sharpness of weather. So that this, which seemeth unto us a temporal revolution; this, by which we are bred up, and nourished, and live, if it once begin to pass above its proportion, and to grow to a greater height then usual, it is no better than open war. And how much it ought to be feared, is manifested by those great earthquakes and whirlwinds, by those shipwracks and fires, as well in the air, as the earth; by the source of watercourses, and violence of inundations, by those courses, and recourses, those rackings to and fro of the Clouds, of whose open motions, to know the secret cause from whence they proceed, no less is the dissension of the Philosophers in the schools, then of the waves of the Sea. Besides, among your bruit beasts, there is not any one of them that wants his war; be they Fishes, Birds, Beasts, or Serpents; whereof, every kind persecuteth, and pursueth one another: The Lion, he pursues the Wolf; the Wolf the Kid; the Dog the Hare. And if it might not be thought a fable, or old wife's tale, sitting by the fire side, I should more fully enlarge this Theme. The Elephant, that is so powerful and strong a beast, is afraid, and flies from the sight of a poor silly Mouse; and no sooner hears him coming, but he quakes and trembles for fear. Amongst Serpents, Nature created the Basilisk, so venomous and poisonful, and gave him such a predominant power over all the rest, that only with his hissing, he doth affright them; with his coming, put them to flight, and disperseth some one way, some another, and with his sight, kills and murders them. The Viper, a crawling creature, and venomous Serpent, at the time of engendering, the Male puts his head into the mouth of the Female, and she through the great delight, and sweetness of her pleasure, strains him so hard, that she kills him. And conceiving her young, the eldest, or first of her brood, breaks the bars of his mother's belly, eats out his way thorough her bowels, at which place all the rest issue forth; whereof she dies; he doing this, as a revenger of his father's death. What greater conflict, what greater contention or war can there be, than to conceive that in her body, which shall eat out her Entrails? Again, no less natural dissension can we suppose to be amongst fishes; for most certain it is, that the Sea doth contain as many several sorts of fishes, as the earth and air do nourish boards and beasts; and much more. Aristotle and Pliny do recount wonders of a little fish called Aecheneis; how apt his nature is, and how prone his property for diverse kinds of contentions, especially this one; that if he cling to a shiper carack, he will detain and stop her in her course, though she have the wind in the poop of her, and cut the Seas with never so stiff a gale. Whereof Lucan maketh mention, saying,
seed 43: unassigned · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
times with times doe contend; one thing against another, and all against vs. We see, that the Summer makes vs complaine of too much heate; and the Winter, of cold and sharpenesse of weather. So that this, which seemeth vnto vs a temporall reuolution; this, by which we are bred vp, and nourished, and liue, if it once beginne to passe aboue it's proportion, and to grow to a greater highth then vsuall, it is no better then open warre. And how much it ought to bee feared, is manifested by those great earth-quakes and whirlewinds, by those ship-wrackes and fires, as well in the ayre, as the earth; by the sourse of water-courses, and violence of inundations, by those courses, and recourses, those rackings to and fro of the Clouds, of whose open motions, to know the secret cause from whence they proceed, no lesse is the dissention of the Philosophers in the schooles, then of the waues of the Sea. Besides, among your bruit beasts, there is not any one of them that wants his warre; be they Fishes, Birds, Beasts, or Serpents; whereof, euery kinde persecuteth, and pursueth one another: The Lyon, hee pursues the Wolfe; the Wolfe the Kidde; the Dog the Hare. And if it might not be thought a Iable, or old wifes tale, sitting by the fire side, I should more fully inlarge this Theame. The Elephant, that is so powerfull and strong a beast, is afraide, and flies from the sight of a poore silly Mouse; and no sooner heares him comming, but hee quakes and trembles for feare. Amongst Serpents, Nature created the Basiliske, so venomous and poysonfull, and gaue him such a predominant power ouer all the rest, that onely with his hissing, he doth affright them; with his comming, put them to flight, and disperseth some one way, some another, and with his sight, kills and murders them. The Viper, a crawling creature, and venomous Serpent, at the time of ingendring, the Male puts his head into the mouth of the Female, and shee through the great delight, and sweetnesse of her pleasure, straines him so hard, that she kills him. And conceiuing her young, the eldest, or first of her brood, breakes the barres of his mothers belly, eates out his way thorow her bowels, at which place all the rest issue forth; whereof she dies; hee doing this, as a reuenger of his fathers death. What greater conflict, what greater contention or warre can there be, then to conceiue that in her body, which shall eate out her Intralls? Againe, no lesse naturall dissention can we suppose to be amongst fishes; for most certaine it is, that the Sea doth containe as many seuerall sorts of fishes, as the earth and ayre do nourish bords and beasts; and much more. Aristotle and Pliny doe recount wonders of a little fish called Aecheneis; how apt his nature is, and how prone his propertie for diers kindes of contentions, especially this one; that if hee cling to a shiper Carrack, he will detaine and stop her in her course, though she haue the winde in the poope of her, and cut the Seas with neuer so stiffe a gale. Whereof Lucan maketh mention, saying,