The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 169 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play T52 Prodigals, portions and poor kin typicality 0.83 · 491 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T52: brother, father, uncle, cousin, son, poor, bread, old, given, master.
Good Cousin, content yourself, I pray, be quiet; enjoin silence to your complaints; stop the Couduit-pipes to your tears; wipe your eyes; take heart again unto you. For when fortune shuts one gate, she usually sets open another; and this estate of yours, though it be never so much broken, it will be soldered, and made whole again: And many things may be revenged, which are impossible to be remedied; whereas this hath a doubtful remedy, and a ready revenge. But by whom shall we mend ourselves? Of whom shall we be revenged, whenas her death, and those that slew her, have brought all this affliction and anguish upon me? Nor doth the punishment of the delinquent less grieve me, than the error they committed. What would you have me to do, whenas all the burden lies upon my shoulders? I would with all my heart that I were now with them, that I might not lie here, to lament and bewail them all as I do. And that which grieves me most, is, to see that for all this, that Villain Calisto, who hath no sense, nor feeling of his servant's deaths, goes every night to see and visit his filth Melibea, feasting and solacing himself in her company, whilst she grows proud, glorying to see so much blood to be sacrificed to her service. If this be true, of whom can we revenge ourselves better? And therefore, he that hath eaten the meat, let him pay the shot; leave the matter to me, let me alone to deal with them: For, if I can but track them, or but once find the scent of their footing, or but have the least inkling in the world, when, how, where, and at what hour they visit one another, never hold me true daughter to that old pasty-wench whom you knew full well, if I do not give them sour sauce to their sweet meat; and make that their love distasteful, which now they swallow down with delight; and if I employ in this business that Ruffian, whom you found me railing against, when you came into the house, if he prove not a worse Executioner for Calisto, then Sempronio was for Celestina, never trust me more. O! how quickly the Villain would fat himself with joy, and how happy would he hold himself, if I would but impose any service upon him! for he went away from me very sad and heavy, to see how coursely I used him: and should I but now send for him again, and speak kindly unto him, he would think himself taken up in some strange sweet rapture; so much will he be ravished with joy. And therefore tell me (Cousin) how I may learn, how this business goes, for I will set such a trap for them, as, if they be taken in it, shall make Melibea weep as much, as now she laugheth.
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)
Good Cousin, content your selfe, I pray, be quiet; inioyne silence to your complaints; stop the Couduit-pipes to your teares; wipe your eyes; take heart againe vnto you. For when fortune shuts one gate, she vsually sets open another; and this estate of yours, though it be neuer so much broken, it will be soldred, and made whole againe: And many things may be reuenged, which are impossible to be remedied; whereas this hath a doubtfull remedy, and a ready reuenge. But by whom shall we mend our selues? Of whom shall we be reuenged, when as her death, and those that slew her, haue brought all this affliction and anguish vpon mee? Nor doth the punishment of the delinquent lesse grieue me, then the errour they committed. What would you haue me to do, when as all the burthen lies vpon my shoulders? I would with all my heart that I were now with them, that I might not lie heere, to lament and bewaile them all as I doe. And that which grieues mee most, is, to see that for all this, that Villaine Calisto, who hath no sense, nor feeling of his seruants deaths, goes euery night to see and visit his filth Melibea, feasting and solacing himselfe in her company, whilest she growes proud, glorying to see so much bloud to be sacrificed to her seruice. If this be true, of whom can wee reuenge our selues better? And therefore, hee that hath eaten the meate, let him pay the shot; leaue the matter to mee, let me alone to deale with them: For, if I can but tracke them, or but once find the sent of their footing, or but haue the least inkling in the world, when, how, where, and at what houre they visit one another, neuer hold me true daughter to that old pasty-wench whom you knew full well, if I doe not giue them sowre sauce to their sweete meate; and make that their loue distastefull, which now they swallow downe with delight; and if I imploy in this businesse that Ruffian, whom you found mee rayling against, when you came into the house, if he proue not a worse Executioner for Calisto, then Sempronio was for Celestina, neuer trust me more. O! how quickely the Villaine would fat himselfe with ioy, and how happy would hee hold himselfe, if I would but impose any seruice vpon him! for he went away from me very sad and heauy, to see how coursely I vsed him: and should I but now send for him againe, and speake kindly vnto him, he would thinke himselfe taken vp in some strange sweet rapture; so much will he be rauished with ioy. And therefore tell me (Cousin) how I may learne, how this businesse goes, for I will set such a trap for them, as, if they be taken in it, shall make Melibea weepe as much, as now she laugheth.