The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 72 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint typicality 0.80 · 561 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
Some evil fire consume thee: for thou speakest prejudicially of all; but I offend no man. Let some intolerable mortal disease, or some pestilent plague seize upon thee, and consume thee; Thou quarrelsome, contentious, envious, and accursed Caitiff; Is this thy friendship, this the amity thou hast contracted with Celestina and me? Go with the devil's name, if this be thy love. If thou wilt not (thou that art sole Queen, and sovereign of my life) that I die desperate, and that my soul go condemned from hence to perpetual pain (so impatient am I of hearing these things) delay me no longer, but certify me briefly, whether thy glorious demand had a happy end, or no? As also whether that cruel and stern look of that impious face, whose frowns murder as many as they are bent against, sorted to a gentle entertaining of thy suit? For all that I have heard hitherto, are rather tokens of hate, then of love. The greatest glory, which is given to that secret office of the Bee, which little creature of nature, the discreeter sort ought to imitate, is, that whatsoever be toucheth, he converteth it into a better substance, then in itself it was. In like manner hath it so befallen me, with those coy and squeamish speeches of Melibea, and all other her scornful and disdainful behaviours; all her sour looks and words I turned into honey; her anger into mildness; her fury into gentleness; and her running from me, into running to me. Tell me, man, What didst thou think Celestina went thither for? What would she make there, whom you have already rewarded beyond her desert, unless it were to pacify her fury, to oppose myself to all accidents, to be your shield and buckler in your absence, to receive upon my mantle all the blows that were struck at you, to endure those revilings, bitter tauntings, and those disdainful terms, which, such as she is, usually make show of, when they are first sued unto for their love. And why forsooth do they this? Only to the end, That what they give, may the better be esteemed; and therefore, they still speak worst of him, whom they love best; and make a show of most dislike, where they like most. Which if it should not be so, there would be no difference between the love of a common whore, and an honest Damsel that sta● is upon her honour; if every one should say yea, as soon as she is asked. And therefore, when they see a man loves them (though themselves burn, and fry in the liveliest flames of love) yet for modesties's sake, they will outwardly show a coldness of affection, a sober countenance, a pleasing kind of strangeness, a constant mind, a chaste intent, and pour forth words as sharp as Vinegar, that their own tongues wonder at this their great sufferance, making them forcibly to confess that with their mouths, whose contrary is contained in their hearts. But because I would have thee have some ease of thy sorrows, and take some repose, whilst I relate at large unto thee all the words that passed between her and me, and by what means I made my first entrance into Melibea's house; Know for thy comfort, that the end of her discourse was very good.
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)
Some euill fire consume thee: for thou speakest prediudicially of all; but I offend no man. Let some intolerable mortall disease, or some pestilent plague seaze vpon thee, and consume thee; Thou quarrelsome, contentious, enuious, and accursed Caytiffe; Is this thy friendship, this the amity thou hast contracted with Celestina and me? Goe with the Diuels name, if this be thy loue. If thou wilt not (thou that art sole Queene, and soueraigne of my life) that I dye desperate, and that my soule goe condemned from hence to perpetuall paine (so impatient am I of hearing these things) delay mee no longer, but certifie mee briefely, whether thy glorious demand had a happy end, or no? As also whether that cruell and sterne looke of that impious face, whose frownes murder as many as they are bent against, sorted to a gentle intertaining of thy suite? For all that I haue heard hitherto, are rather tokens of hate, then of loue. The greatest glory, which is giuen to that secret office of the Bee, which little creature of nature, the discreeter sort ought to imitate, is, that whatsoeuer be toucheth, he conuerteth it into a better substance, then in it selfe it was. In like manner hath it so befalne mee, with those coy and squeamish speeches of Melibea, and all other her scornefull and disdainefull behauiours; all her sowre looks and words I turned into honey; her anger into mildenesse; her fury into gentlenesse; and her running from me, into running to mee. Tell me, man, What didst thou thinke Celestina went thither for? What would she make there, whom you haue already rewarded beyond her desert, vnlesse it were to pacifie her fury, to oppose my selfe to all accidents, to be your shield and buckler in your absence, to receiue vpon my mantle all the blowes that were strucke at you, to endure those reuilings, bitter tauntings, and those disdainfull termes, which, such as she is, vsually make show of, when they are first sued vnto for their loue. And why forsooth doe they this? Onely to the end, That what they giue, may the better be estemed; and therefore, they still speake worst of him, whom they loue best; and make a show of most dislike, where they like most. Which if it should not be so, there would be no difference between the loue of a common whore, and an honest Damsell that sta is vpon her honour; if euery one should say yea, as soone as she is asked. And therefore, when they see a man loues them (though themselues burne, and fry in the liueliest flames of loue) yet for moesties sake, they will outwardly show a coldnesse of affection, a sober countenance, a pleasing kinde of strangenesse, a constant minde, a chaste intent, and powre forth words as sharpe as Vineger, that their owne tongues wonder at this their great sufferance, making them forcibly to confesse that with their mouthes, whose contrary is contained in their hearts. But because I would haue thee haue some ease of thy sorrowes, and take some repose, whilst I relate at large vnto thee all the words that passed betweene her and mee, and by what meanes I made my first entrance into Melibea's house; Know for thy comfort, that the end of her discourse was very good.