The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 121 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 · 537 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
O wretch that I am! O unfortunate Damsel! Had I not been better yesterday, to have yielded to Celestina's petition and request, when in the behalf of that Gentleman, whose sight hath made me his prisoner, I was so earnestly sued unto: and so have contented him, and cured myself, than to be thus forcibly driven to discover my heart, when haply he will not accept of it; whenas already disaffianced in his hope, for want of a good and fair answer, he hath set both his eyes and his heart upon the love and person of another? how much more advantageous unto me, would an intreated promise have been, than a forced offerture? to grant being requested, than to yield being constrained? O my faithful servant, Lucrecia, what wilt thou say of me, what wilt thou think of my judgement and understanding, when thou shalt see me to publish that, which I would never discover unto thee? how wilt thou stand astonished of my honesty and modesty, which (like a Recluse, shut up from all company) I have ever hitherto kept inviolable? I know not whether thou hast suspected, or no, whence this my sorrow proceedeth, or whether thou art now coming with that Solicitress of my safety? O thou high and supreme Power! thou, unto whom, all that are in misery and affliction, call, and cry for help; the appassionated beg remedy, the wounded crave healing; thou, whom the heavens, seas, earth, and the Centre of hell itself doth obey; thou who submittedst all things unto men, I humbly beseech thee, that thou wilt give sufferance and patience to my wounded heart, whereby I may be able to dissemble my terrible passion. Let not this Leaf of my chastity lose it's gilding, which I have laid upon this amorous desire, publishing my pain to be otherwise than that, which indeed tormenteth me. But how shall I be able to do it; That poisoned morsel so cruelly tormenting me, which the sight of that Gentleman's presence gave me? O Sex of woman kind! feeble and frail in thy being; why was it not granted as well unto women, to discover their tormentful and fervent flames, as unto men? For then neither should Calisto have cause to complain, nor I to live in pain. Aunt, stay here a while behind this door, whilst I go in, and see with whom my Mistress is talking. Come in; she is talking alone to herself. Lucrecia, make fast the door there, and pull down the hanging over it. O wise and honest old Dame, you are exceeding welcome; what think you, that chance should so dispose of things, and fortune so bring about her wheel, that I should stand in need of this wisdom, and crave so suddenly of you, that you would ●dy me in the selfsame coin, the courtesy which was by you demanded of me for that Gentleman, whom you were to cure by the virtue of my Girdle? Say, Lady, what is your disease, that you so lively express the tokens of your torment, in those your maiden blushes? Truly, mother, I think there be some Serpents within my body, that are gnawing upon my heart.
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 wretch that I am! O vnfortunate Damsell! Had I not beene better yesterday, to haue yeelded to Celestina's petition and request, when in the behalfe of that Gentleman, whose sight hath made me his prisoner, I was so earnestly sued vnto: and so haue contented him, and cured my selfe, then to be thus forcibly driuen to discouer my heart, when haply he will not accept of it; when as already disaffianced in his hope, for want of a good and faire answer, hee hath set both his eyes and his heart vpon the loue and person of another? how much more aduantageous vnto me, would an intreated promise haue beene, then a forced offerture? to grant being requested, then to yeeld being constrained? O my faithfull seruant, Lucrecia, what wilt thou say of me, what wilt thou thinke of my iudgement and vnderstanding, when thou shalt see me to publish that, which I would neuer discouer vnto thee? how wilt thou stand astonished of my honesty and modesty, which (like a Recluse, shut vp from all company) I haue euer hitherto kept inuiolable? I know not whether thou hast suspected, or no, whence this my sorrow proceedeth, or whether thou art now comming with that Solicitresse of my safety? O thou high and supreme Power! thou, vnto whom, all that are in misery and affliction, call, and cry for helpe; the appassionated begge remedy, the wounded craue healing; thou, whome the heauens, seas, earth, and the Center of hell it selfe doth obey; thou who submittedst all things vnto men, I humbly beseech thee, that thou wilt giue sufferance and patience to my wounded heart, whereby I may be able to dissemble my terrible passion. Let not this Leafe of my chastity lose it's guylding, which I haue laid vpon this amorous desire, publishing my paine to be otherwise then that, which indeed tormenteth me. But how shall I be able to doe it; That poysoned morsell so cruelly tormenting mee, which the sight of that Gentlemans presence gaue me? O Sexe of woman kind! feeble and fraile in thy being; why was it not granted as well vnto women, to discouer their tormentfull and feruent flames, as vnto men? For then neither should Calisto haue cause to complaine, nor I to liue in paine. Aunt, stay heere a while behinde this doore, whilest I goe in, and see with whom my Mistresse is talking. Come in; she is talking alone to her selfe. Lucrecia, make fast the doore there, and pull downe the hanging ouer it. O wise and honest old Dame, you are exceeding welcome; what thinke you, that chance should so dispose of things, and fortune so bring about her wheele, that I should stand in neede of this wisdome, and craue so suddenly of you, that you would dy me in the selfe-same coyne, the courtesie which was by you demanded of me for that Gentleman, whome you were to cure by the vertue of my Girdle? Say, Lady, what is your disease, that you so liuely expresse the tokens of your torment, in those your maiden blushes? Truly, mother, I thinke there be some Serpents within my body, that are gnawing vpon my heart.