The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 154 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play T1 Death, grief and revenge typicality 0.75 · 472 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
The cause, Sir, of their deaths, was published by the cruel executioner, or common hangman, who delivered with a loud voice; justice hath commanded, that these violent murderers be put to death. Who was it they so suddenly slew? who might it be? it is not four hours ago since they left me. How call you the party whom they murdered? What was he for a man? It was a woman, Sir, one whom they call Celestina. What's that thou sayest? That which you heard me tell you, Sir. If this be true, kill thou me too, & I will forgive thee. For sure, there is more ill behind; more than was either seen, or thought upon, if that Celestina be slain, that hath the slash over her face. It is the very same, Sir: for I saw her stretched out in her own house, and her maid weeping by her, having received in her body above thirty several wounds. O unfortunate young men! How went they? Did they see thee? Spoke they unto thee? O Sir, had you seen them, your heart would have burst with grief: One of them had all his brains beaten out in most pitiful manner, and lay without any sense, or motion in the world: The other had both his arms broken, & his face so sorely bruised, that it was all black, and blue, and all of a gore-blood. For, that they might not fall into the Alguazils hands, they leapt down out of a high window; and so being in a manner quite dead, they chopped off their heads, when, I think, they scarce felt, what harm was done them. Now I begin to have a taste of shame; and to feel how much I am touched in mine honour: would I had excused them and had lost my life, so I had not lost my honour, & my hope of achieving my commenced purpose, which is, the greatest grief and distaste that in this case I feel. O my name and reputation, how unfortunately dost thou go from Table to Table, from mouth to mouth! O ye my secret, my secret actions, how openly will you now walk thorough every public street, and open Marketplace? What shall become of me? Whither shall I go? If I go forth to the dead, I am unable to recover them, and if I stay here, it will be deemed cowardice. What counsel shall I take? Tell me, Sosia, what was the cause they killed her? That maid (Sir) of hers, which sat weeping and crying over her, made known the cause of her death to as many as would hear it; saying, that they slew her, because she would not let them share with her in that chain of gold, which you had lately given her.
nodes 1081–1091 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 154 of 205 in this edition
Length
472 words · 588 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.752 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T7 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
The cause, Sir, of their deaths, was published by the cruell executioner, or common hangman, who deliuered with a loud voyce; Iustice hath commanded, that these violent murderers be put to death. Who was it they so suddenly slew? who might it be? it is not foure houres agoe since they left me. How call you the party whom they murthered? What was hee for a man? It was a woman, Sir, one whom they call Celestina. What's that thou sayest? That which you heard me tell you, Sir. If this be true, kill thou me too, & I will forgiue thee. For sure, there is more ill behinde; more then was either seene, or thought vpon, if that Celestina be slaine, that hath the slash ouer her face. It is the very same, Sir: for I saw her stretcht out in her owne house, and her maide weeping by her, hauing receiued in her body aboue thirty seuerall wounds. O vnfortunate young men! How went they? Did they see thee? Spake they vnto thee? O Sir, had you seen them, your heart would haue burst with griefe: One of them had all his braines beaten out in most pittifull manner, and lay without any sense, or motion in the world: The other had both his armes broken, & his face so sorely bruised, that it was all blacke, and blue, and all of a goare-bloud. For, that they might not fall into the Alguazils hands, they leapt downe out of a high window; and so being in a manner quite dead, they chopt off their heads, when, I thinke, they scarce felt, what harme was done them. Now I beginne to haue a taste of shame; and to feele how much I am toucht in mine honour: would I had excused them and had lost my life, so I had not lost my honour, & my hope of atchieuing my commenced purpose, which is, the greatest griefe and distaste that in this case I feele. O my name and reputation, how vnfortunately dost thou goefrom Table to Table, from mouth to mouth! O yee my secret, my secret actions, how openly will you now walke thorow euery publike street, and open Market-place? What shall become of me? Whither shall I go? If I goe forth to the dead, I am vnable to recouer them, and if I stay heere, it will be deemed cowardize. What counsell shall I take? Tell me, Sosia, what was the cause they kild her? That maid (Sir) of hers, which sate weeping and crying ouer her, made knowne the cause of her death to as many as would heare it; saying, that they slew her, because she would not let them share with her in that chaine of gold, which you had lately giuen her.