The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 128 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play unassigned nearest T49 Wooing a mistress: suitors, go-betweens · 473 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T49: mistress, gentleman, love, lady, woman, pray, gentlewoman, hear, honest, way.
O my Calisto! my dear Lord, my sweet and pleasing joy, if thy heart feel the like torment, as mine, I wonder how thy absence gives thee leave to live. O thou, both my mother, and mistress, so handle the business, that I may presently see him, if you desire I should live. See him? you shall both see him, and speak with him. Speak with him? it is impossible. Nothing is impossible to a willing mind. Tell me how? I have it in my head: Marry thus, within the doors of thy house. When? This night. Thou shalt be glorious in mine eyes, if thou compass this. But soft, at what hour? just when the clock strikes twelve. Go, be gone, hie you, good Mistress, my faithful friend, and talk with that Gentleman, and will him that he come very softly at his appointed hour, and then we will conclude of things, as himself shall think fit to order them. Farewell. lo, yonder is your mother making hitherward. Friend Lucrecia, my loyal servant, & faithful secretary, you have here seen, that I have no power over myself; and what I have done, lies not in my hands to help it. Love hath made me prisoner to that Gentleman. I entreat thee (for pity's sake) that you will sign what you have seen, with the seal of secrecy, whereby I may come to the enjoying of so sweet a Love: In requital whereof, thou shalt be held by me, in that high regard, as thy faithful service deserveth. madam, long afore this, I perceived your wound, and sounded your desire: I did much pity your torment; for, the more you sought to hide from me the fire which did burn you, the more did those flames manifest themselves in the colour of your face, in the little quietness of your heart, in the restlessness of your members, in your tossing to and fro, in eating without any appetite, and in your unableness to sleep: So that I did continually see from time to time, as plainly as if I had been within you, most manifest, and apparent signs of your wretched estate; but because in that instant, whenas will reigneth in those whom we serve, or a disordinate appetite, it is fitting for us that are servants, to obey them with bodily diligence, and not to check and control them with the Artificial counsels of the tongue. And therefore did I suffer with pain, held my peace with fear, concealed with fidelity; though I always held it better to use sharp Counsel then smooth flattery. But since that your Ladyship hath no other remedy for your recovery, but either to die or to live; it is very meet, that you should make choice of that for the best, which in itself is best.
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 my Calisto! my deare Lord, my sweete and pleasing ioy, if thy heart feele the like torment, as mine, I wonder how thy absence giues thee leaue to liue. O thou, both my mother, and mistresse, so handle the businesse, that I may presently see him, if you desire I should liue. See him? you shall both see him, and speake with him. Speake with him? it is impossible. Nothing is impossible to a willing minde. Tell mee how? I haue it in my head: Mary thus, within the doores of thy house. When? This night. Thou shalt be glorious in mine eyes, if thou compasse this. But soft, at what houre? Iust when the clocke strikes twelue. Goe, be gone, hye you, good Mistresse, my faithfull friend, and talke with that Gentleman, and will him that hee come very softly at his appointed houre, and then wee will conclude of things, as himselfe shall thinke fit to order them. Farewell. Loe, yonder is your mother making hitherward. Friend Lucrecia, my loyall seruant, & faithfull secretary, you haue heere seene, that I haue no power ouer my selfe; and what I haue done, lies not in my hands to helpe it. Loue hath made me prisoner to that Gentleman. I intreat thee (for pittie sake) that you will signe what you haue seene, with the seale of secresy, whereby I may come to the enioying of so sweet a Loue: In requitall whereof, thou shalt be held by me, in that high regard, as thy faithfull seruice deserueth. Madame, long afore this, I perceiued your wound, and sounded your desire: I did much pitty your torment; for, the more you sought to hide from me the fire which did burne you, the more did those flames manifest themselues in the colour of your face, in the little quietnesse of your heart, in the restlesnes of your members, in your tossing to and fro, in eating without any appetite, and in your vnablenesse to sleepe: So that I did continually see from time to time, as plainely as if I had beene within you, most manifest, and apparant signes of your wretched estate; but because in that instant, when as will reigneth in those whom we serue, or a disordinate appetite, it is fitting for vs that are seruants, to obey them with bodily diligence, and not to checke and controle them with the Artificiall counsels of the tongue. And therefore did I suffer with paine, held my peace with feare, concealed with fidelity; though I alwaies held it better to vse sharpe Counsell then smooth flattery. But since that your Ladiship hath no other remedy for your recouerie, but either to die or to liue; it is very meete, that you should make choice of that for the best, which in it selfe is best.