The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 138 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 · 474 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
The strange and excessive boldness of thy messages, hath enforced me (Calisto) to speak with thee: who having already received my answer to your reasons, I know not what you may imagine to get more out of my love, than what I then made known unto you. Banish therefore from thee, those vain and foolish thoughts, that both my honour and my person may be secured from any hurt they may receive by an ill suspicion. For which purpose, I am come hither to take order for your dispatch, and my quietness. Do not, I beseech you, put my good name and reputation upon the balance of backbiting and detracting tongues. To hearts prepared with a strong and dauntless resolution against all adversities whatsoever, nothing can happen unto them, that shall easily be able to shake the strength of their wall. But that unhappy man, who weaponless, and disarmed, not thinking upon any deceit or Ambuscado, puts himself within the doors of your safe-conduct and protection, whatsoever in such a case falls out contrary to my expectation, it cannot in all reason but torment me, and pierce thorough the very soul of me, breaking all those Magazines and storehouses, wherein this sweet news was laid up. O miserable and unfortunate Calisto! O, how hast thou been mocked and deluded by thy servants! O thou cozening and deceitful Celestina; thou mightst at least have let me alone, and given me leave to die, and not gone about to revive my hope, to add thereto more fuel to the fire, which already doth sufficiently waste and consume me. Why didst thou falsify this my lady's message? Why hast thou thus with thy tongue given cause to my despair, and utter undoing? Why dist thou command me to come hither? Was it that I might receive disgrace, interdiction, diffidence, and hatred, from no other mouth, but that which keeps the keys of my perdition, or happiness? O thou enemy to my good! Didst not thou tell me, that this my Lady would be favourable, and gracious unto me; Didst not thou tell me, that of her own accord, she had commanded this her captive to come to this very place, where now I am? Not to banish me afresh from her presence, but to repeal that banishment, whereunto she had sentenced me by her former command? Miserable that I am, whom shall I trust, or in whom may I hope to find any faith? Where is truth to be had? Who is void of deceit? Where doth not falsehood dwell? Who is he that shows himself an open enemy? or who is he that shows himself a faithful friend? Where is that place, wherein treason is not wrought? Who, I say, durst trespass so much upon my patience, as to give me such cruel hope of destruction?
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)
The strange and excessine boldnesse of thy messages, hath inforced me (Calisto) to speake with thee: who hauing already receiued my answer to your reasons, I know not what you may imagine to get more out of my loue, then what I then made knowne vnto you. Banish therefore from thee, those vaine and foolish thoughts, that both my honour and my person may be secured from any hurt they may receiue by an ill suspition. For which purpose, I am come hither to take order for your dispatch, and my quietnesse. Doe not, I beseech you, put my good name and reputation vpon the ballance of back-biting and detracting tongues. To hearts prepared with a strong and dauntlesse resolution against all aduersities whatsoeuer, nothing can happen vnto them, that shall easily be able to shake the strength of their wall. But that vnhappy man, who weaponlesse, and disarmed, not thinking vpon any deceit or Ambuscado, puts himselfe within the dores of your safe-conduct and protection, whatsoeuer in such a case falls out contrary to my expectation, it cannot in all reason but torment me, and pierce thorow the very soule of me, breaking all those Magazines and storehouses, wherein this sweet newes was laid vp. O miserable and vnfortunate Calisto! O, how hast thou beene mocked and deluded by thy seruants! O thou coozening and deceitfull Celestina; thou mightst at least haue let me alone, and giuen me leaue to dye, and not gone about to reuiue my hope, to adde thereto more fuell to the fire, which already doth sufficiently waste and consume me. Why didst thou falsifie this my Ladies message? Why hast thou thus with thy tongue giuen cause to my despaire, and vtter vndoing? Why dist thou command mee to come hither? Was it that I might receiue disgrace, interdiction, diffidence, and hatred, from no other mouth, but that which keepes the keyes of my perdition, or happinesse? O thou enemy to my good! Didst not thou tell mee, that this my Lady would be fauourable, and gracious vnto mee; Didst not thou tell mee, that of her owne accord, shee had commanded this her captiue to come to this very place, where now I am? Not to banish mee afresh from her presence, but to repeale that banishment, whereunto shee had sentenced mee by her former command? Miserable that I am, whom shall I trust, or in whom may I hope to find any faith? Where is truth to be had? Who is voyde of deceit? Where doth not falsehood dwell? Who is he that shewes himselfe an open enemy? or who is he that shewes himselfe a faithfull friend? Where is that place, wherein treason is not wrought? Who, I say, durst trespasse so much vpon my patience, as to giue me such cruell hope of destruction?