The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 68 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play unassigned nearest T47 Knaves, thieves and bawds · 501 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T47: knave, rogue, money, knaves, thief, rogues, pray, whore, nichol, book.
What, Son? A dozen of points, a hat, or a stone-bow, to go from house to house shooting at birds, aiming at other birds with your eye, that take their standing in windows. I mean pretty wenches (you fool) such birds (you madcap) as have no wings to fly from you: you know my meaning, Sir; for there is no better Bawd, for them, than a bow: under colour whereof, thou mayst enter any house whatsoever, making it thy excuse to seek after some bird thou shoot'st at, &c. It is your only delicate trick you can use. But woe (Sempronio) unto her, who is to uphold and maintain her credit, and begins to grow old, as I now do. O cogging old Hag; O old Bawd, full filled with mischief; O covetous and greedy Cormorant; O ravenous glutton! I perceive she would as willingly cozen me, as I would my Master; and all to enrich herself. But seeing she is so wickedly minded, and cares not who perish, so as she may thrive, I will mar her market; I will look to her water hereafter; I will keep her from fingering any more Crowns; nor will I any longer rent out the gains unto her, which I make of my Master, but reserve the profits for myself: or rather (which is the surer and honester course) seek to save his purse, and play the good husband for him. For he that riseth by lewd and unlawful means, comes tumbling down faster than he clambered up. O! how hard a thing is it to know man? True is that vulgar saying, No manner of merchandise, or beast, is half so hard to be known. Cursed old witch, she is as false as truth is truth; I think the Devil brought me acquainted with her: it had been better for me, to have fled from this venomous Viper, than to put her, as I have done, in my bosom; but it was mine own fault, I can blame nobody but myself: and therefore let her gain what she can gain, be it by right or wrong, I will keep my word with her. What sayst thou Sempronio? Whom dost thou talk to? Goest thou gnawing of my skirts? What is that thou grumblest at? Why comest thou not forward? That which I say (mother Celestina) is this; that I do not marvel that you are mutable: for therein you do, but as others have done before you, following that common track that many more have trod in: you told me, you would defer this business, leading my Master along in a fool's paradise; and now thou runnest headlong without either sense or wit, to tell Calisto of all that hath passed. Know'st thou not, that men esteem those things most, which are most difficult to be achieved? And prize them the more, the more hardly they come by them? Besides, Is not every day of his pain, unto us a double gain?
seed 43: T27 · seed 44: unassigned — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
What, Sonne? A dozen of poynts, a hat, or a stone-bow, to go from house to house shooting at birds, ayming at other birds with your eye, that take their standing in windowes. I meane pretty wenches (you foole) such birds (you mad-cap) as haue no wings to flye from you: you know my meaning, Sir; for there is no better Bawd, for them, then a bow: vnder colour whereof, thou maist enter any house whatsoeuer, making it thy excuse to seeke after some bird thou shootst at, &c. It is your only delicate tricke you can vse. But wo (Sempronio) vnto her, who is to vphold and maintaine her credit, and beginnes to grow old, as I now doe. O cogging old Hagge; O old Bawd, full fill'd with mischiefe; O couetous and greedy Cormorant; O rauenous glutton! I perceiue she would as willingly coozen me, as I would my Master; and all to inrich her selfe. But seeing she is so wickedly minded, and cares not who perish, so as shee may thriue, I will marre her market; I will looke to her water heereafter; I will keepe her from fingring any more Crownes; nor will I any longer rent out the gaines vnto her, which I make of my Master, but reserue the profits for my selfe: or rather (which is the surer and honester course) seek to saue his purse, and play the good husband for him. For he that riseth by lewd and vnlawfull meanes, comes tumbling downe faster then hee clambred vp. O! how hard a thing is it to know man? True is that vulgar saying, No manner of marchandize, or beast, is halfe so hard to be knowne. Cursed old witch, shee is as false as truth is truth; I thinke the Diuell brought mee acquainted with her: it had beene better for mee, to haue fled from this venemous Viper, then to put her, as I haue done, in my bosome; but it was mine owne fault, I can blame no body but my selfe: and thereore let her gaine what she can gaine, be it by right or wrong, I will keepe my word with her. What say'st thou Sempronio? Whom dost thou talke to? Goest thou gnawing of my skirts? What is that thou grumblest at? Why commest thou not forward? That which I say (mother Celestina) is this; that I doe not maruaile that you are mutable: for therein you doe, but as others haue done before you, following that common tracke that many more haue trod in: you told mee, you would deferre this businesse, leadng my Master along in a fooles paradise; and now thou runn'st head-long without either sence or wit, to tell Calisto of all that hath passed. Know'st thou not, that men esteeme those things most, which are most difficult to be atchieued? And prize them the more, the more hardly they come by them? Besides, Is not euery day of his paine, vnto vs a double gaine?