The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 174 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play unassigned nearest T4 Love-longing and the lover's complaint · 563 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T4: love, heart, sweet, loves, fair, phillis, eyes, beauty, amyntas, lovers.
let them not settle their thoughts upon these vanities, nor think no more upon those their marriages. For, it is better to be well beloved, then ill married; and a good friend is better than a bad husband. Let them suffer me to enjoy the pleasure of my youth, if they mind to enjoy any quietness in their age; if not, they will but prepare destruction for me, and for themselves a Sepulchre. I grieve for nothing more, than for the time that I have lost in not enjoying him any sooner, and that he did not know me, as soon as he was known unto me. I will no husband; I will not fully the knots of matrimony, nor tread against the matrimonial steps of another man; nor walk in the way of wedlock with a stranger, as I find many have done, in those ancient books which I have read, which were far more discreet, and wiser than myself; and more noble in their estate and Lineage, whereof some were held among the heathens for goddesses: as was Venus, the mother of Aeneas and of Cupid, the god of love, who being married, broke her plighted troth of wedlock: as likewise diverse others, who were inflamed with a greater fire, and did commit most nefarious and incestuous errors: as Myrrha, with her father; Semiramis with her son; Canace with her brother; others also in a more cruel and beastly fashion, did transgress the Law of Nature: as Pasiphae, the wife of King Minos, with a Bull: and these were Queens and great Ladies, under whose faults (considering the foulness of them) mine may pass as reasonable, without note of shame, or dishonesty. My love was grounded upon a good and just cause, and a far more lawful ground. I was wooed and sued unto, and captivated by Calisto's good deserts; being thereunto solicited by that subtle and cunning Mistress in her Art, Dame Celestina, who adventured herself in many a dangerous Visit, before that ever I would yield myself true prisoner to his love. And now for this month, and more (as you yourself have seen) he hath not failed, no, not so much as one night, but hath still scaled our garden walls, as if he had come to the scaling of a fort; and many times hath been repulsed, and assaulted it in vain, being driven to withdraw his siege. And yet for all this, he continued more constant and resolute still, and never would give over, as one that thought his labour to be well bestowed. For my sake, his servants have been slain; for my sake, he hath wasted and consumed his substance; for my sake he hath feigned absence with all his friends in the City; and all day long he hath had the patience to remain close prisoner in his own house, and only upon hope (wherein he counted himself happy) to see me in the night: Far, far therefore from me be all ingratitude; far be all flattery and dissimulation towards so true and faithful a Lover; for I regard (in my regard to him) neither husband, father, nor kindred; for in losing my Calisto, I lose my life, which life of mine doth therefore please me, because it pleaseth him; which I desire no longer to enjoy, than he shall joy in it.
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)
let them not settle their thoughts vpon these vanities, nor thinke no more vpon those their marriages. For, it is better to be well belou'd, then ill married; and a good friend is better then a bad husband. Let them suffer mee to inioy the pleasure of my youth, if they minde to iniov any quietnesse in their age; if not, they will but prepare destruction for me, and for themselues a Sepulchre. I grieue for nothing more, then for the time that I haue lost in not inioying him any sooner, and that hee did not know me, as soone as he was knowne vnto me. I will no husband; I will not fully the knots of matrimony, nor treade against the matrimoniall steppes of another man; nor walke in the way of wedlocke with a stranger, as I finde many haue done, in those ancient bookes which I haue read, which were farre more discreete, and wiser then my selfe; and more noble in their estate and Linage, whereof some were held among the heathens for goddesses: as was Venus, the mother of Eneas and of Cupid, the god of loue, who being married, broke her plighted troth of wedlocke: as likewise diuers others, who were inflamed with a greater fire, and did commit most nefarious and incestuous errors: as Myrrha, with her father; Semyramis with her sonne; Canace with her brother; others also in a more cruell and beastly fashion, did transgresse the Law of Nature: as Pasiphae, the wife of King Minos, with a Bull: and these were Queenes and great Ladies, vnder whose faults (considering the foulnesse of them) mine may passe as reasonable, without note of shame, or dishonesty. My loue was grounded vpon a good and iust cause, and a farre more lawfull ground. I was wooed and sued vnto, and captiuated by Calisto's good deserts; being thereunto solicited by that subtil and cunning Mistris in her Art, Dame Celestina, who aduentured her selfe in many a dangerous Visit, before that euer I would yeeld my selfe true prisoner to his loue. And now for this month, and more (as you your selfe haue seene) hee hath not failed, no, not so much as one night, but hath still scaled our garden walls, as if hee had come to the scaling of a fort; and many times hath beene repulsed, and assaulted it in vaine, being driuen to withdraw his siege. And yet for all this, hee continued more constant and resolute still, and neuer would giue ouer, as one that thought his labour to be well bestowed. For my sake, his seruants haue beene slaine; for my sake, hee hath wasted and consumed his substance; for my sake hee hath fayned absence with all his friends in the City; and all day long hee hath had the patience to remaine close prisoner in his owne house, and onely vpon hope (wherein hee counted mselfe happy) to see mee in the night: Farre, farre therefore from mee e all ingratitude; farre be all flattery and dissimulation towards so true and faithfull a Louer; for I regard (in my regard to him) neyther husband, father, nor kindred; for in losing my Calisto, I lose my life, which life of mine doth therefore please me, because it pleaseth him; which I desire no longer to inioy, then he shall ioy in it.