The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 66 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 · 531 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
O cruel encounter! O daring and discreet attempt! O great and singular sufferance! O how near had I been to my death, if my much subtlety and cunning craft had not shifted in time the sails of my suit! O braving menaces of a gallant Lady! O angry and enraged Damsel! O thou Devil whom I conjured! O how well hast thou kept thy word with me in all that I desired! I am much bound unto thee; so handsomely hast thou appeased this cruel Dame by thy mighty power, and afforded me so fit a place and opportunity, by reason of her mother's absence, to utter my mind unto her. O thou old Celestina; cheer up thy heart, and think with thyself; that things are half ended, when they are well begun! O thou oil of Serpents! O thou delicate white thread; how have you bestirred yourselves in my business! whose favourable furtherance if I had not found, I would utterly have broken and destroyed all the enchantments which either I have already, or hereafter are to be made; nor would I ever any more have had any belief in herbs, stones, or words. Be merry then (old Stinkard) Frolic with thyself (old wench) for, thou shalt get more by this one suit, then by soldering of fifteen cracked Maidenheads. A pocks upon these long and large playtings in my Petticoats; Fie how they rumple and fold themselves about my legs, hindering my feet from hasting thither, whither I desire my good news should come. O good fortune, what a friend art thou to the valiant! what a foe to those that are fearful! Nor by flying doth the Coward fly death. O how many failed of that which I have effected! How many have struck at, but missed that nail, which myself only have hit on the head! What in so strong and dangerous a strait as this, would these young Graduates in my Art have done! Perhaps have bolted out some foolish word or other to Melibea, whereby they would have lost as much by their prattling, as I have gained by my silence. And therefore it is an old saying; Let him play that hath skill: and that the better Physician is he that hath experience, than he that hath learning; For experience, and frequent warnings, make men Artists in their professions; and it must be such an old woman as I am, who at every little Channel holds up her coats, and treads the streets with leisurely steps, that shall prove a Proficient in her trade. O girdle, my pretty girdle, let me hug thee a little! O how my heart leaps in looking upon thee! If I live, I will make thee bring her to me by force, who is so unwilling to come to me of her own accord, that I had much ado to get a good word from her. Either mine eyes are not matches, or that is Celestina. Now the Devil go with her; how her gown comes dragging on the ground? how the skirts of her coat trouble her? how her mouth goes? Sure, she is muttering something to herself.
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)
O cruell incounter! O daring and discreet attempt! O great and singular sufferance! O how neere had I beene to my death, if my much subtilty and cunning craft had not shifted in time the sailes of my suite! O brauing menaces of a gallant Lady! O angry and inraged Damsell! O thou Diuell whom I coniured! O how well hast thou kept thy word with me in all I that desired! I am much bound vnto thee; so handsomely hast thou appeased this cruell Dame by thy mighty power, and afforded mee so fit a place and opportunity, by reason of her mothers absence, to vtter my minde vnto her. O thou old Celestina; cheere vp thy heart, and thinke with thy selfe; that things are halfe ended, when they are well begunne! O thou oyle of Serpents! O thou delicate white thread; how haue you bestirred your selues in my businesse! whose fauourable furtherance if I had not found, I would vtterly haue broken and destroyed all the inchantments which either I haue already, or heereafter are to be made; nor would I euer any more haue had any beliefe in hearbes, stones, or words. Be merry then (old Stinkard) Frollicke with thy selfe (old wench) for, thou shalt get more by this one suite, then by soldring of fifteene crackt Maidenheads. A pocks vpon these long and large playtings in my Petticoates; Fie how they rumple and fold themselues about my legges, hindring my feete from hasting thither, whither I desire my good newes should come. O good fortune, what a friend art thou to the valiant! what a foe to those that are fearefull! Nor by flying doth the Coward flye death. O how many failed of that which I haue effected! How many haue strucke at, but mist that naile, which my selfe onely haue hit on the head! What in so strong and dangerous a straite as this, would these young Graduates in my Art haue done! Perhaps haue bolted out some foolish word or other to Melibea, whereby they would haue lost as much by their prattling, as I haue gained by my silence. And therefore it is an old saying; Let him play that hath skill: and that the better Physician is hee that hath experience, then hee that hath learning; For experience, and frequent warnings, make men Artists in their professions; and it must be such an old woman as I am, who at euery little Channell holds vp her coates, and treades the streetes with leysurely steps, that shall proue a Proficient in her trade. O girdle, my pretty girdle, let mee hugge thee a little! O how my heart leaps in looking vpon thee! If I liue, I will make thee bring her to mee by force, who is so vnwilling to come to mee of her owne accord, that I had much adoe to get a good word from her. Either mine eyes are not matches, or that is Celestina. Now the Diuell goe with her; how her gowne comes dragging on the ground? how the skirts of her coate trouble her? how her mouth goes? Sure, she is muttring something to her selfe.