The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 122 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play T3 Sickness, physic and doctors typicality 0.85 · 559 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T3: doctor, master, cure, disease, pray, physic, physician, mr, sick, lady.
It is well, even as I would have it. I will be even with you (you fool) for your yesterday's anger, I will make you pay for it with a witness. What's that you say? Have you perceived by my looks, any cause from whence my malady proceedeth? You have not, madam, told me the quality of your disease; and would you have me divine of the cause? That which I say, is this, that I am heartily sorry to see your Ladyship so sad and so ill. Good old woman; Do thou make me merry then. For I have heard much of thy wisdom. madam, as far as humane knowledge can discern of inward grief, I dare presume. And for as much, as for the health and remedy of infirmities, and diseases, these graces were imparted unto men, for the finding out of fit and convenient medicines, whereof some were attained to by experience, some by Art, and some by a natural instinct; some small portion of these good gifts, this poor old creature myself have gotten, who is here present to do you the best service she can. O how acceptable and pleasing are thy words to mine ears! it is a comfortable thing to the sick patient, to see his physician to look cheerfully upon him. methinks I see my heart broken between thy hand in pieces, which with a little labour, and by power and virtue of thy tongue, thou art able (if thou wilt) to join together, and make it whole again; even as easily, as Alexander that great King of Macedon dreamt of that wholesome root in the mouth of a Dragon, wherewith he healed his servant Ptolemy, who had been bitten by a Viper; and therefore, for the love of Ioue, disrobe yourself, that you may more easily, and more diligently look into the nature of my disease, and afford me some remedy for it. A great part of health, is the desiring of health. And a good sign of mending, to be willing to mend. For which reason I reckon your grief the less, and hold it the less dangerous; But that I may minister a wholesome medicine unto you, and such a one as may be agreeable to your disease; it is requisite, that you first satisfy me in these three particulars. The first is, on which side of your body your pain doth lie most? The second, how long you have had this pain; whether it hath taken you but of late, or no? For your newly growing infirmities are sooner cured in the tenderness of their growth, then when they have taken deep rooting by overlong persevering in their office: So beasts are sooner tamed when they are young, and more easily brought to the yoke, then when their hide is throughly hardened: So far better do those plants grow up, and prosper, which are removed when they are young and tender, than those that are transplanted, having long borne fruit. The third is, whether this your evil hath proceeded of any cruel thought, which hath taken hold on you? This being made known, you shall see me set myself roundly to work about your cure; for it is very fit and convenient, that you should open the whole truth, as well to your Physician, as your Confessor.
nodes 808–814 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 122 of 205 in this edition
Length
559 words · 690 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T3 — Sickness, physic and doctorscross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.850 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T3 · seed 44: T4 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
It is well, euen as I would haue it. I will be euen with you (you foole) for your yesterdaies anger, I will make you pay for it with a witnesse. What's that you say? Haue you perceiued by my lookes, any cause from whence my malady proceedeth? You haue not, Madame, told me the quality of your disease; and would you haue mee diuine of the cause? That which I say, is this, that I am heartily sorry to see your Ladiship so sad and so ill. Good old woman; Doe thou make me merry then. For I haue heard much of thy wisdome. Madame, as farre as humane knowledge can discerne of inward griefe, I dare presume. And for as much, as for the health and remedy of infirmities, and diseases, these graces were imparted vnto men, for the finding out of fit and conuenient medicines, whereof some were attained to by experience, some by Art, and some by a naturall instinct; some small portion of these good gifts, this poore old creature my selfe haue gotten, who is heere present to doe you the best seruice she can. O how acceptable and pleasing are thy words to mine eares! it is a comfortable thing to the sicke patient, to see his physician to look cheerfully vpon him. Me thinks I see my heart broken betweene thy hand in pieces, which with a little labour, and by power and vertue of thy tongue, thou art able (if thou wilt) to ioyne together, and make it whole againe; euen as easily, as Alexander that great King of Macedon dream't of that wholesome roote in the mouth of a Dragon, wherewith he healed his seruant Ptolomy, who had beene bitten by a Viper; and therefore, for the loue of Ioue, disroabe your selfe, that you may more easily, and more diligently looke into the nature of my disease, and affoord me some remedy for it. A great part of health, is the desiring of health. And a good signe of mending, to be willing to mend. For which reason I reckon your griefe the lesse, and hold it the lesse dangerous; But that I may minister a wholesome medicine vnto you, and such a one as may be agreeable to your disease; it is requisite, that you first satisfie me in these three particulars. The first is, on which side of your body your paine doth lye most? The second, how long you haue had this paine; whether it hath taken you but of late, or no? For your newly growing infirmities are sooner cured in the tendernesse of their growth, then when they haue taken deepe rooting by ouer-long perseuering in their office: So beasts are sooner tamed when they are young, and more easily brought to the yoake, then when their hide is throughly hardned: So far better doe those plants grow vp, and prosper, which are remooued when they are young and tender, then those that are transplanted, hauing long borne fruit. The third is, whether this your euill hath proceeded of any cruell thought, which hath taken hold on you? This being made knowne, you shall see mee set my selfe roundly to worke about your cure; for it is very fit and conuenient, that you should open the whole truth, as well to your Physician, as your Confessour.