The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 57 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play unassigned nearest T48 Addressing a lady: love, desire and inti · 520 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
Good woman; I understand thee not, unless thou deliver thy mind unto me in plain terms. On the one side thou dost anger me, and provoke me to displeasure; on the other thou dost move and stir me to compassion. Neither know I how to return thee a convenient answer, because I have not fully comprehended thy meaning; I should think myself happy, if my words might carry that force, as to save the life of any man, though never so mean. For to do good, is to be like unto the Deity. Besides, he that doth a benefit, receives it when it is done to a person that desires it. And he that can cure one that is sick, not doing it, is guilty of his death; and therefore give not over thy petition, but proceed and fear nothing. All fear fled (fair Lady) in beholding your beauty For, I cannot be persuaded, that Nature did paint in vain one face fairer than another, more enriched with grace and favour, more fashionable, and more beautiful than another; were it not to make them Magazines of virtue, mansions of mercy, houses of compassion and pity, Ministers of her blessings, and dispensers of those good gifts and graces, which in her bounty she hath bestowed upon them, and upon yourself in a more plentiful manner. Besides, sithence we are all mortal, and borne to die; as also, that it is most certain, that he cannot be said truly to be borne, who is only borne for himself; for then should men be like unto bruit beasts, (if not worse;) Amongst which, there are some, that are very pitiful: as your Unicorn, of whom it is reported, that he will humble and prostrate himself at the feet of a Virgin. And your dog, for all his fierceness, and cruelness of nature, when he comes to bite another, if he throw himself down at his feet, he will let him alone, and do him no harm; and this is all out of pity. Again, to come to your birds, and fowls of the air; your Cock eateth not any thing, but he first calleth his Hens about him, and gives them part of his feeding. The pelican, with her beak breaketh up her own breast, that she may give her very bowels and entrails to her young ones to eat. The Storks maintain their aged parents as long in the nest, as they did give them food, when they were young and unable to help themselves. Now, if God and Nature gave such knowledge unto beasts and birds; why should we that are men, be more cruel one to another? Why give we not part of our graces, and of our persons, to our neighbours? Especially when they are involved and afflicted with secret infirmities, and those such, that where the Medicine is, thence was the cause of the malady? For God's love, without any more dilating, tell me who is this sick man, who feeling such great perplexity, hath both his sickness and his cure, flowing from one, and the selfsame Fountain?
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)
Good woman; I vnderstand thee not, vnlesse thou delier thy mind vnto me in plaine termes. On the one side thou dost anger me, and prouoke mee to displeasure; on the other thou doest moue and stirre me to compassion. Neither know I how to returne thee a conuenient answer, because I haue not fully comprehended thy meaning; I should thinke my selfe happy, if my words might carry that force, as to saue the life of any man, though neuer so meane. For to doe good, is to bee like vnto the Deity. Besides, he that doth a benefit, receiues it when it is done to a person that desires it. And he that can cure one that is sicke, not doing it, is guilty of his death; and therefore giue not ouer thy petition, but proceed and feare nothing. All feare fled (faire Lady) in beholding your beauty For, I cannot be perswaded, that Nature did paint in vaine one face fairer then another, more inrich't with grace and fauour, more fashionable, and more beautifull then another; were it not to make them Magazines of vertue, mansions of mercy, houses of compassion and pitie, Ministers of her blessings, and dispensers of those good gifts and graces, which in her bounty shee hath bestowed vpon them, and vpon your selfe in a more plentifull manner. Besides, sithence wee are all mortall, and borne to dye; as also, that it is most certaine, that hee cannot bee said truely to be borne, who is onely borne for himselfe; for then should men be like vnto bruite beasts, (if not worse;) Amongst which, there are some, that are very pitifull: as your Vnicorne, of whom it is reported, that hee will humble and prostrate himselfe at the feet of a Virgin. And your dogge, for all his fiercenesse, and cruelnesse of nature, when hee comes to bite another, if hee throw himselfe downe at his feet, hee will let him alone, and doe him no harme; and this is all out of pitie. Againe, to come to your birds, and fowles of the ayre; your Cocke eateth not any thing, but hee first calleth his Hens about him, and giues them part of his feeding. The Pellicane, with her beake breaketh vp her owne brest, that she may giue her very bowels and intrals to her young ones to eat. The Storkes maintaine their aged parents as long in the nest, as they did giue them food, when they were young and vnable to helpe themselues. Now, if God and Nature gaue such knowledge vnto beasts and birds; why should wee that are men, be more cruell one to another? Why giue we not part of our graces, and of our persons, to our neighbors? Especially when they are inuolued and afflicted with secret infirmities, and those such, that where the Medicine is, thence was the cause of the maladie? For Gods loue, without any more dilating, tell me who is this sicke man, who feeling such great perplexity, hath both his sicknes and his cure, flowing from one, and the selfe-same Fountaine?