The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 5 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 · 561 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T36: hell, earth, gods, death, ghosts, blood, bloody, heaven, night, ghost.
In what, Calisto? Greatness, in giving such power to nature, as to endow thee with so perfect a beauty; goodness, in affording me so great a favour as thy fair presence, and a place so convenient to unsheathe my secret grief; A grace undoubtedly so incomparable, and by many degrees far greater than any service I have performed can merit from above. What inhabitant here below ever saw a more glorious creature than I behold? Certainly, if sublunary bodies can give a celestial reflection or resemblance, I contemplate and find it in thy divine beauty: had it perpetuity, what happiness beyond it? Yet wretch that I am, I must live like another Tantalus; see what I may not enjoy, not touch; and my comfort must be the thinking of thy disdainness, thy pleasing coyness, and the torment which thy absence will inflict upon me. Holdest thou this, Calisto, so great a reward? So great, that if you should give me the greatest good upon earth, I should not hold it so great a happiness. I shall give thee a reward answerable to thy deserts, if thou persevere and go on in this manner. O fortunate ears! which are (though unworthily) admitted to hear so gracious a word, such great and comfortable tidings. But unfortunate, by that time thou hast heard thy doom. For thy payment shall be as foul, as thy presumption was foolish, and thy entertainment as small, at thy intrusion was great. How durst such a one as thou hazard thyself on the virtue of such a one as I? Go wretch, be gone out of my sight, for my patience cannot endure, that so much as a thought should enter into any man's heart, to communicate his mind unto me in illicite love. I go; but as one, who am the only unhappy mark, again whom adverse fortune the extremity of her hate. Sempronio, Sempronio, why Sempronio I say, Where is this accursed Varlet Is't e'en so? Now the devil take thee; misfortune wait on thy heels to thy destruction; mischief light upon thee; let some perpetual intolerable torment seize upon thee in so high a degree, that it may be beyond all comparison, till it bring thee (which shortly I hope to see) to a most painful, miserable and disastrous death. Go, thou unlucky rogue, go I say, and open the chamber door, and make ready my bed. Presently Sir, the bed is ready for you. Shut the windows, and leave darkness to accompany him, whose sad thoughts deserve no light. Oh death! how welcome art thou, to those who outlive their happiness? how welcome, wouldst thou but come when thou art called? O that Hippocrates and Galen, those learned Physicians were now living, and both here, and felt my pain! O heaven, if ye have any pity in you, inspire that Plebeian heart therewith, lest that my soul, helpless of hope, should fall into the like misfortune with Pyramus & Thisbe. What a thing is this? What's the matter with you? Away, get thee gone, do not speak to me unless thou wilt, that these my hands, before thy time be come, cut off thy days by speedy death. Since you will lament all alone, and have none to share with you in your sorrows, I will be gone, Sir. Now the devil go with thee.
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)
In what, Calisto? Greatnesse, in giuing such power to nature, as to endow thee with so perfect a beauty; goodnesse, in affoording me so great a fauour as thy faire presence, and a place so conuenient to vnsheathe my secret griefe; A grace vndoubtedly so incomparable, and by many degrees fargreater than any seruice I haue performed can merit omaboue. What inhabitant heere below euer saw a more glorious creature then I behold? Certainly, if sublunary bodies can giue a celestiall reflection or resemblance, I contemplate and find it in thy diuine beauty: had it perpetuity, what happines beyond it? Yet wretch that I am, I must liue like another Tantalus; see what I may not enjoy, not touch; and my comfort must be the thinking of thy disdainnesse, thy pleasing coynesse, and the torment which thy absence will inflict vpon me. Holdest thou this, Calisto, so great a reward? So great, that if you should giue me the greatest good vpon earth, I should not hold it so great a happinesse. I shall giue thee a reward answerable to thy deserts, if thou perseuere and goe on in this manner. O fortunate eares! which are (though vnworthily) admitted to heare so gracious a word, such great and comfortable tydings. But vnfortunate, by that time thou hast heard thy doome. For thy payment shall be as foule, as thy presumption was foolish, and thy entertainment small, at thy intrusion was great. How durst such a one as thou hazard thy selfe on the vertue of such a one as I? Goe wretch, be gone out of my sight, for my patience cannot endure, that so much as a thought should enter into any mans heart, to communicate his mind vnto me in illicite loue. I goe; but as one, who am the onely vnhappy marke, againe whom aduerse fortune the extremity of her hate. I say, Where is this accursed Is'te'en so? Now the diuell take thee; misfortune waite on thy heeles to thy destruction; mischiefe light vpon thee; let some perpetuall intolerable torment seye vpon thee in so high a degree, that it may be beyond all comparison, till it bring thee (which shortly I hope to see) to a most painfull, miserable and disastrous death. Goe, thou vnlucky rogue, goe I say, and open the chamber doore, and make ready my bed. Presently Sir, the bed is ready for you. Shut the windowes, and leaue darkenesse to accompany him, whose sad thoughts deserue no light. Oh death! how welcome art thou, to those who out-liue their happinesse? how welcome, wouldst thou but come when thou art call'd? O that Hypocrates and Galen, those learned Physicians were now liuing, and both heere, and felt my paine! O heauen, if yee haue any pitty in you, inspire that Pleberian heart therewith, lest that my soule, helplesse of hope, should fall into the like misfortune with Pyrramus & Thisbe. What a thing is this? What's the matter with you? Away, get thee gone, doe not speake to me vnlesse thou wilt, that these my hands, before thy time be come, cut off thy daies by speedy death. Since you will lament all alone, and haue none to share with you in your sorrowes, I will be gone, Sir. Now the diuell goe with thee.