The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 59 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play T3 Sickness, physic and doctors typicality 0.87 · 506 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T3: doctor, master, cure, disease, pray, physic, physician, mr, sick, lady.
My fear of you (madam) doth interrupt my excuse; but my innocency puts new courage into me: your presence again disheartens me, in seeing you so angry. But that which grieves and troubles me most, is, that I receive displeasure without any reason, and am hardly thought on without a cause. Give me leave (good Lady) to make an end of my speech, and then will you neither blame it, nor condemn me; then will you see, that I rather seek to do good service, then endeavour any dishonest course; and that I do it more to add health to the Patient, then to detract any thing from the fame and worth of the Physician. And had I thought that your Ladyship would so easily have made this bad construction out of your late noxious suspicion, your licence should not have been sufficient warrant to have emboldened me to speak any thing, that might concern Calisto, or any other man living. Let me hear no more of this mad man, name not this fool unto me; this leper over walls; this Hobgoblin; this nightwalker; this fantastical spirit; long-shanked, like a Stork; in shape and proportion, like a picture in Arras, that is ill-wrought; or an ill-favoured fellow in an old suit of hangings; Say no more of him, unless you would have me to fall down dead where I stand. This is he who saw me the other day, and began to court me with I know not what extravagant phrases, as if he had not been well in his wits, professing himself to be a great Gallant. Tell him (good old woman) if he think that I was wholly his, and that he had won the field, because it pleased me rather to consent to his folly, then correct his fault, and yield to his errand, then chastise his error; that I was willing rather to let him go like a fool as he came, than to publish this his presumptuous enterprise. Moreover, advise him, that the next way to have his sickness leave him, is to leave off his loving, and wholly to relinquish his purpose, if he purpose to impart health to himself; which if he refuse to do, tell him from me, that he never bought words all the days of his life at a dearer rate. Besides, I would have him know, that no man is overcome, but he that thinks himself so to be. So shall I live secure, and he contented. But it is evermore the nature of fools, to think other like themselves. Return thou with this very answer unto him; for other answer of me shall he none, nor never hope for any: for it is but in vain to entreat mercy of him, of whom thou canst not have mercy. And for thine own part, thou mayst thank God, that thou scapest hence scot-free; I have heard enough of you heretofore, and of all your good qualities, though it was not my hap to know you.
nodes 394–395 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 59 of 205 in this edition
Length
506 words · 637 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T3 — Sickness, physic and doctorscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.866 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T3 · seed 44: T4 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
My feare of you (Madame) doth interrupt my excuse; but my innocency puts new courage into me: your presence againe disheartens me, in seeing you so angry. But that which grieues and troubles me most, is, that I receiue displeasure without any reason, and am hardly thought on without a cause. Giue mee leaue (good Lady) to make an end of my speach, and then will you neither blame it, nor condemne me; then will you see, that I rather seek to doe good seruice, then indeauour any dishonest course; and that I do it more to adde health to the Patient, then to detract any thing from the fame and worth of the Physician. And had I thought that your Ladiship would so easily haue made this bad construction out of your late noxious suspicion, your licence should not haue beene sufficient warrant to haue imboldened me to speake any thing, that might concerne Calisto, or any other man liuing. Let mee heare no more of this mad man, name not this foole vnto mee; this leaper ouer walls; this Hob-goblin; this night-walker; this phantasticall spirit; long-shanked, like a Stork; in shape and proportion, like a picture in Arras, that is ill-wrought; or an ill-fauour'd fellow in an old sute of hangings; Say no more of him, vnlesse you would haue mee to fall downe dead where I stand. This is hee who saw mee the other day, and beganne to court mee with I know not what extrauagant phrases, as if hee had not beene well in his wits, professing himselfe to be a great Gallant. Tell him (good old woman) if hee thinke that I was wholy his, and that he had wonne the field, because it pleased me rather to consent to his folly, then correct his fault, and yeeld to his errand, then chastise his errour; that I was willing rather to let him goe like a foole as hee came, then to publish this his presumptuous enterprize. Moreouer, aduise him, that the next way to haue his sicknesse leaue him, is to leaue off his louing, and wholy to relinquish his purpose, if he purpose to impart health to himselfe; which if he refuse to doe, tell him from mee, that he neuer bought words all the daies of his life at a dearer rate. Besides, I would haue him know, that no man is ouercome, but he that thinks himselfe so to be. So shall I liue secure, and he contented. But it is euermore the nature of fooles, to thinke other like themselues. Returne thou with this very answer vnto him; for other answer of me shall he none, nor neuer hope for any: for it is but in vaine to intreat mercy of him, of whom thou canst not haue mercy. And for thine owne part, thou maist thanke God, that thou scapest hence scot-free; I haue heard inough of you heeretofore, and of all your good qualities, though it was not my hap to know you.