The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 139 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 · 495 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T48: lady, love, heart, fair, eyes, la, lord, tears, fie, face.
Cease (good Sir) your true and just complaints. For neither my heart is able to endure it, nor mine eyes any longer to dissemble it; thou weepest out of grief, judging me cruel; and I weep out of joy, seeing thee so faithful. O my dearest Lord, and my life's whole happiness; how much more pleasing would it be unto me, to see thy face, than to hear thy voice! But sithence that at this present we cannot enjoy each others as we would, take thou the assignment, and seal of those words, which I sent unto thee, written, and ingrossed in the tongue of that thy diligent and careful messenger. All that which I then said, I do here anew confirm. I acknowledge it as my Deed, and hold the Assurance I have made thee, to be good and perfect. Good Sir, do not you weep; dry up your tears, and dispose of me as you please, O my dear Lady! Hope of my glory; Easeress of my pain, and my heart's joy: What tongue can be sufficient to give thee thanks, that may equal his so extraordinary and incomparable a kindness; which in this instant of so great and extreme a sorrow, thou hast been willing to confer upon me; in being willing (I say) that one so mean, and unworthy as myself, should be by thee enabled to the enjoying of thy sweetest love; whereof, although I was ever more most desirous, yet did I always deem myself unworthy thereof, weighing thy greatness, considering thy estate, beholding thy perfection, contemplating thy beauty, and looking into my small merit, and thy great worth; beside, other thy singular graces, thy commendable, and well-known virtues? Again; O thou great God, how can I be ungrateful unto thee, who so miraculously hast wrought for me so great and strange wonders? O, how long ago did I entertain this thought in my heart, and as a thing impossible, repelled it from my memory, until now, that the bright beams of thy most clear shining countenance, gave light unto my eyes, inflamed my heart, awakened my tongue, enlarged my desert, abridged my cowardice, unwreathed my shrunk-up spirits, reinforced my strength, put life and metal into my hands and feet; and in a word, infused such a spirit of boldness into me, that they have borne me up by their power, unto this high estate, wherein (with happiness) I now behold myself, in hearing this thy sweet-pleasing voice; which if I had not heretofore known, and scented out the sweet and wholesome savour of thy words, I should hardly have believed they would have been without deceit. But now, that I am well assured of thy pure and noble, both blood and actions, I stand amazed at the gaze of my good, and with a stricter eye, begin to view and look upon myself, to see whether I am that same Calisto, whom so great a blessing hath befallen?
seed 43: T31 · seed 44: T44 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
Cease (good Sir) your true and iust complaints. For neither my heart is able to endure it, nor mine eyes any longer to dissemble it; thou weepest out of griefe, iudging me cruell; and I weep out of ioy, seeing thee so faithfull. O my dearest Lord, and my lifes whole happinesse; how much more pleasing would it be vnto me, to see thy face, then to heare thy voyce! But sithence that at this present we cannot inioy each others as wee would, take thou the assignement, and seale of those words, which I sent vnto thee, written, and ingrossed in the tongue of that thy diligent and carefull messenger. All that which I then said, I doe heere anew confirme. I acknowledge it as my Deede, and hold the Assurance I haue made thee, to be good and perfect. Good Sir, doe not you weepe; dry vp your teares, and dispose of mee as you please, O my deare Lady! Hope of my glory; Easeresse of my paine, and my hearts ioy: What tongue can be sufficient to giue thee thankes, that may equall his so extraordinary and incomparable a kindnesse; which in this instant of so great and extreme a sorrow, thou hast bin willing to conferre vpon me; in being willing (I say) that one so meane, and vnworthy as my selfe, should be by thee inabled to the inioying of thy sweetest loue; whereof, although I was euer more most desirous, yet did I alwaies deeme my selfe vnworthy thereof, weighing thy greatnesse, considering thy estate, beholding thy perfection, contemplating thy beauty, and looking into my small merit, and thy great worth; besides, other thy singular graces, thy commendable, and well-knowne vertues? Againe; O thou great God, how can I be vngratefull vnto thee, who so miraculously hast wrought for mee so great and strange wonders? O, how long agoe did I entertaine this thought in my heart, and as a thing impossible, repeld it from my memory, vntill now, that the bright beames of thy most cleare shining countenance, gaue light vnto my eyes, inflamed my heart, awakened my tongue, inlarged my desert, abridged my cowardize, vnwreathed my shrunke-vp spirits, reinforced my strength, put life and metall into my hands and feet; and in a word, infused such a spirit of boldnesse into me, that they haue borne me vp by their power, vnto this high estate, wherin (with happinesse) I now behold my selfe, in hearing this thy sweet-pleasing voyce; which if I had not heertofore knowne, and sented out the sweet and wholsome sauour of thy words, I should hardly haue beleeued they would haue been without deceit. But now, that I am well assured of thy pure and noble, both bloud and actions, I stand amazed at the gaze of my good, and with a stricter eye, beginne to view and looke vpon my selfe, to see whether I am that same Calisto, whom so great a blessing hath befalne?