The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 113 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play T11 Siblings, kin and confidants typicality 0.78 · 520 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T11: sister, brother, love, friend, heart, father, mother, woman, lord, hear.
O sister! hadst thou seen her as I have seen her (I tell thee no lie) if thou shouldst have met her fasting, thy stomach would have taken such a loathing, that all that day thou wouldst not have been able to have eaten any meat. All the year long she is mewed up at home, where she is daubed over with a thousand sluttish slibber-slabbers; all which (forsooth) she must endure, for once perhaps going abroad in a twelvemonth to be seen: she anoints her face with gall and honey, with parched grapes and figs crushed and pressed together, with many other things, which for manner's sake, and reverence of the Table, I omit to mention. It is their riches, that make such creatures as she to be accounted fair; it is their wealth, that causeth them to be thus commended, and not the graces, and goodly features of their bodies. For, she has such breasts, being a maid, as if she had been the mother of three children; and are for all the world, like nothing more, than two great Pompeans, or big bottled-gourds. Her belly I have not seen, but judging it by the rest, I verily believe it, to be as slack, and as flaggy, as a woman of fifty year old. I know not what Calisto should see in her, that for her sake, he should forsake the love of others, whom he may with great ease obtain, and far more pleasure enjoy: Unless it be, that like the palate that is distasted, he thinketh sour things the sweetest. Sister, it seemeth here unto me, that every Pedlar praiseth his own needles; but I assure you, the quite contrary is spoken of her throughout the whole City. There is nothing farther from truth, than the opinion of the vulgar, and nothing more false, than the reports of the multitude, nor shalt thou ever live a merry life, if thou govern thyself by the will of the common people: and these conclusions, are uncontrollable, and infallibly true; that whatsoever thing the vulgar thinks, is vanity: whatsoever they speak, is falsehood: what they reprove, that is good: what they approve, that is bad, And since this is a true rule, and common custom amongst them, do not judge of Melibea's either goodness or beauty, by that which they affirm. Gentlewomen; let me answer you in a word. Your ill tongued multitude, and prattling vulgar, never pardon the faults of great persons, no, not of their Sovereign himself, which makes me to think, that if Melibea had so many defects, as you tax her withal, they would ere this have been discovered by those who know her better than we do. And howbeit I should admit all you have spoken to be true, yet pardon me, if I press you with this particular. Calisto is a Noble Gentleman; Melibea the Daughter of Honourable parents; So that, it is usual with those, that are descended of such high Lineage, to seek and inquire each after other; and therefore it is no marvel, if he rather love her, then another.
nodes 771–774 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 113 of 205 in this edition
Length
520 words · 682 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T11 — Siblings, kin and confidantscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.778 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T15 · seed 44: T12 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
O sister! hadst thou seene her as I haue seene her (I tell thee no lye) if thou shouldst haue met her fasting, thy stomacke would haue taken such a loathing, that all that day thou would'st not haue been able to haue eaten any meat. All the yeere long she is mewed vp at home, where she is dawbed ouer with a thousand sluttish slibberslabbers; all which (forsooth) she must indure, for once perhaps going abroad in a twelue-month to be seene: shee anoynts her face with gall and honey, with parched grapes and figges crushed and pressed together, with many other things, which for manners sake, and reuerence of the Table, I omit to mention. It is their riches, that make such creatures as shee to be accounted faire; it is their wealth, that causeth them to be thus commended, and not the graces, and goodly features of their bodies. For, shee has such brests, being a maid, as if shee had been the mother of three children; and are for all the world, like nothing more, then two great Pompeans, or bigge bottled-Goords. Her belly I haue not seene, but iudging it by the rest, I verily beleeue it, to be as slacke, and as flaggy, as a woman of fifty yeere old. I know not what Calisto should see in her, that for her sake, hee should forsake the loue of others, whom hee may with great ease obtaine, and farre more pleasure inioy: Vnlesse it be, that like the Pallate that is distasted, hee thinketh sowre things the sweetest. Sister, it seemeth here vnto me, that euery Pedler prayseth his owne needles; but I assure you, the quite contrary is spoken of her throughout the whole Citie. There is nothing farther from truth, then the opinion of the vulgar, and nothing more false, then the reports of the multitude, nor shalt thou euer liue a merry life, if thou gouerne thy selfe by the will of the common people: and these conclusions, are vncontrollable, and infallibly true; that whatsoeuer thing the vulgar thinks, is vanity: whatsoeuer they speake, is false-hood: what they reproue, that is good: what they approue, that is bad, And since this is a true rule, and common custome amongst them, doe not iudge of Melibea's either goodnesse or beauty, by that which they affirme. Gentlewomen; let mee answer you in a word. Your ill tongued multitude, and pratling vulgar, neuer pardon the faults of great persons, no, not of their Soueraigne himselfe, which makes me to thinke, that if Melibea had so many defects, as you taxe her withall, they would e're this haue beene discouered by those who know her better then wee doe. And howbeit I should admit all you haue spoken to be true, yet pardon me, if I presse you with this particular. Calisto is a Noble Gentleman; Melibea the Daughter of Honourable parents; So that, it is vsuall with those, that are descendd of such high Linage, to seeke and inquire each after other; and therefore it is no maruell, if he rather loue her, then another.