The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 82 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 · 465 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
Not knowing her? They were my neighbours for four years together; I dealt with them; I conversed with them; I talked with them; and laughed together with them day and night. O! how merry we have been! Her mother, why she knows me better than her own hands: and Melibea too, though now she be grown so tall, so great, so courteous, and discreet a Lady. Sempronio, a word with you in your ear. Say on: What's the matter? marry this: Celestina's attention gives matter to our Master to enlarge his discourse; give her a touch on the toe; or make some sign to her that she may be gone, and not wait thus, as she doth upon his answers. For, there is no man, be he never so much a fool, that speaks much, when he is all alone. Didst thou say Melibea was courteous? I think it was but in a mock. Was her like ever borne into the world? Did God ever create a better, or more perfect body? Can the like proportion be painted by any pencil? Is she not that Paragon of beauty, from whence all eyes may copy forth a true pattern of unimitable excellence? If Helen were now alive, for whom so great a slaughter was made of Greeks and Trojans, or fair Polixena, both of them would have done their reverence to this Lady, for whom I languish. If she had been present in that contention for the Apple with the three Goddesses, the name of contention had never been questioned: For without any contradiction, they would all of them have yielded, and jointly have given their consent, that Melibea should have borne it from them: so that it should rather have been called the Apple of concord, then of discord. Besides, as many women as are now borne, and do know her, curse themselves and their fortune; complaining of heaven, because it did not remember them, when it made her, consuming as well their bodies as their lives with envy, being ready to eat their own flesh for very anger, still augmenting martyrdoms to themselves, thinking to equal that perfection by art, which Nature had bestowed upon her without any labour. They pill, and dishair their eyebrows with nippers, with plasters of Pitch or Barm, and other the like instruments▪ They seek after Wallwort, and the like herbs, roots, sprigs, and flowers to make Lies, wherewithal to bring their hair to the colour of hers, spoiling and martyring their faces, clothing them with diverse colourings, glistenings, paintings, unctions, ointments, strong waters, white and red pargetings, which, to avoid prolixity, I repeat not. Now judge then, whether she whom Nature hath so richly beautified, be worthy the love and service of so mean a man as myself?
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)
Not knowing her? They were my neighbours for foure yeeres together; I dealt with them; I conuersed with them; I talked with them; and laught together with them day and night. O! how merry wee haue beene! Her mother, why she knowes me better then her owne hands: and Melibea too, though now shee bee growne so tall, so great, so courteous, and discreete a Lady. Sempronio, a word with you in your eare. Say on: What's the matter? Mary this: Celestina's attention giues matter to our Master to inlarge his discourse; giue her a touch on the toe; or make some signe to her that shee may be gone, and not waite thus, as shee doth vpon his answers. For, there is no man, bee hee neuer so much a foole, that speakes much, when hee is all alone. Didst thou say Melibea was courteous? I thinke it was but in a mocke. Was her like euer borne into the world? Did God euer create a better, or more perfect body? Can the like proportion be painted by any pensill? Is she not that Paragon of beautie, from whence all eyes may copy forth a true patterne of vnimitable excellence? If Hellen were now aliue, for whom so great a slaughter was made of Greekes and Troianes, or faire Polixna, both of them would haue done their reuerence to this Lady, for whom I languish. If she had been present in that contention for the Apple with the three Goddesses, the name of contention had neuer been questioned: For without any contradiction, they would all of them haue yeelded, and ioyntly haue giuen their consent, that Melibea should haue borne it from them: so that it should rather haue been called the Apple of concord, then of discord. Besides, as many women as are now borne, and doe know her, curse themselues and their fortune; complaining of heauen, because it did not remember them, when it made her, consuming as well their bodies as their liues with enuy, being ready to eat their owne flesh for very anger, still augmenting martyrdomes to themselues, thinking to equall that perfection by arte, which Nature had bestowed vpon her without any labour. They pill, and dis-haire their eye-browes with nippers, with playsters of Pitch or Barme, and other the like instruments▪ They seeke after Wall-wort, and the like hearbs, roots, sprigs, and flowres to make Lyes, wherewithall to bring their haire to the colour of hers, spoyling and martyring their faces, clothing them with diuers colourings, glissenings, paintings, vnctions, oyntments, strong waters, white and red pargetings, which, to auoide prolixity, I repeate not. Now iudge then, whether shee whom Nature hath so richly beautified, be worthy the loue and seruice of so meane a man as my selfe?