The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 63 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play T3 Sickness, physic and doctors typicality 0.76 · 423 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T3: doctor, master, cure, disease, pray, physic, physician, mr, sick, lady.
The Age, I pray; How long hath he had it? His age (madam?) marry, I think he is about some three and twenty. For here stands she, who saw him borne, and took him up from his mother's feet. This is not that which I ask thee; Nor do I care to know his age. I ask thee how long he hath been troubled with his toothache? Some eight days (madam) but you would think he had had it a year, he is grown so weak with it, and the greatest ease, and best remedy he hath, is, to take his Vial, whereto he sings so many songs, & in such doleful notes, that I verily believe, they did far exceed those, which that great Emperor and Musician Hadrian composed concerning the soul's departure from the body; the better to endure without dismayment, his approaching death. For though I have but little skill in music, methinks he makes the Vial, when he plays thereon, to speak; and when he sings thereunto, the birds with a better will listen unto him, then to that Musician of old, which made the trees and stones to move. Had he been borne then, Orpheus had lost his prey. Weigh then with yourself (Sweet Lady) if such a poor old woman as I am, have not cause to count myself happy, if I may give life unto him, to whom the heavens have given so many graces? Not a woman that sees him, but praiseth Nature's workmanship, whose hand did draw so perfect a piece; and if it be their hap to talk with him, they are no more mistresses of themselves, but are wholly at his disposing; and of Commanders, desire to be commanded by him. Wherefore, seeing I have so great reason to do for him, conceive (good Lady) my purpose to be fair and honest, my courses commendable, and free from suspicion and jealousy. O how I am fall'n out with mine own impatience! How angry with myself, that he being ignorant, and thou innocent of any intended Ill; thou hast endured the distemperature of my enraged tongue? But the great reason I had for it, frees me from any fault of offence, urged thereunto by thy suspicious speeches: but in requital of thy sufferance, I will forthwith fulfil thy request, and likewise give thee my Girdle. And because I have not leisure to write the charm, till my mother comes home, if this will not serve the turn, come secretly for it tomorrow morning.
nodes 411–415 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 63 of 205 in this edition
Length
423 words · 540 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T3 — Sickness, physic and doctorscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.762 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
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)
The Age, I pray; How long hath hee had it? His age (Madame?) Mary, I thinke hee is about some three and twenty. For heere stands shee, who saw him borne, and tooke him vp from his mothers feet. This is not that which I aske thee; Nor doe I care to know his age. I aske thee how long he hath beene troubled with his tooth-ache? Some eight daies (Madame) but you would thinke he had had it a yeere, hee is growne so weake with it, and the greatest ease, and best remedy he hath, is, to take his Viall, whereto hee sings so many songs, & in such dolefull notes, that I verily beleeue, they did farre exceed those, which that great Emperor and Musician Hadrian composed concerning the soules departure from the body; the better to endure without dismayment, his approaching death. For though I haue but little skill in musicke, me thinks he makes the Viall, when he plaies thereon, to speake; and when hee sings thereunto, the birds with a better will listen vnto him, then to that Musician of old, which made the trees and stones to moue. Had he been borne then, Orpheus had lost his prey. Weigh then with your selfe (Sweet Lady) if such a poore old woman as I am, haue not cause to count my selfe happy, if I may giue life vnto him, to whom the heauens haue giuen so many graces? Not a woman that sees him, but praiseth Natures workemanship, whose hand did draw so perfect a piece; and if it bee their hap to talke with him, they are no more mistresses of themselues, but are wholy at his disposing; and of Commanders, desire to be commanded by him. Wherfore, seeing I haue so great reason to doe for him, conceiue (good Lady) my purpose to be faire and honest, my courses commendable, and free from suspicion and iealousie. O how I am falne out with mine owne impatience! How angry with my selfe, that hee being ignorant, and thou innocent of any intended Ill; thou hast endured the distemperature of my inraged tongue? But the great reason I had for it, frees mee from any fault of offence, vrged thereunto by thy suspicious speaches: but in requitall of thy sufferance, I will forthwith fulfill thy request, and likewise giue thee my Girdle. And because I haue not leysure to write the charme, till my mother comes home, if this will not serue the turne, come secretly for it to morrow morning.