The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 184 of 205
Mabbe, James / Rojas, Fernando de · published 1631 · first performed or written 1631 (Annals) tragicomedy; literary play unassigned nearest T46 Swords, quarrels and valour · 543 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of the nearest topic T46: rapier, sword, fight, gentlemen, gentleman, kicked, kill, dagger, signor, valour.
Command me, Mistress, in such things as I know: exercise me in my Art, and employ me in such offices as appertain to my profession: as, to fight for you with three men at once; or say they should be more, for your sake, I would not refuse them, but challenge them the field. Command me to kill this or that man; to cut off a leg or an arm; to slash any woman over the face, that shall stand in competition with thee, and deface her beauty; such trifles as these, shall be no sooner said, then done. But do not (I prithee) entreat me to walk afoot; nor to give thee any money; for thou know'st! have it not. Gold and Silver will not tarry with me; they are flinchers, they will not abide with me. I may cut three Capers, and yet not shake one poor blark out of my breeches: no man gives that which he has not; you can have no more of a Cat, than his skin. Heart and good will, but not a rag of money. I live here in a house as you see, wherein you may throw a bowl and meet with never a rub; all the movables that I have, are not worth a button; my implements are such as you see here before me; an old jar, with a broken brim; a rusty Spit without a point; the bed wherein I lie, is bound about with hoops of Bucklers, which I broke in fight; my featherbed, a bundle of broken pikes; my sheets, shirts of torn mail; for my pillow, I have a pouch filled with pebble-stones. And should I bestow a collation on you, I have nothing in the world that I can pawn, save this poor ragged and threadbare cloak, which I have on my back. So let me prosper, as his words do exceedingly please me; why, he is as obedient to you, as a servant; he speaks to you like a Suppliant, and he hath said nothing, but what is reason. What would you more of a man? I prithee, as thou lov'st me, speak unto him, and lay aside your displeasure; suffer him not to live thus sad and melancholy, but speak kindly unto him, and put him out of his dumps, since he offers his person so willingly to your disposal. Offer myself, Elicia? I swear unto thee, by the Christcross Row, by the whole Alphabet, and syllabication of the letters, that my arm trembles, to think what I would execute for her sake; for it is, and ever shall be my continual meditation, to study how I may please her, but it is my unhappiness, that it never hits right. The last night I was adreamed, that in her quarrel I challenged four men into the field, all of them well known unto her, if I should name them; and methought I slew one of them; and for the rest which fled, he that 'scaped best, left his left arm at my foot. Much better should I have bestirred myself, had it been day, and that I had been awake, if the proudest of them should have once presumed but to have touched her shoe.
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)
Command mee, Mistresse, in such things as I know: exercise mee in my Art, and imploy mee in such offices as appertaine to my profession: as, to fight for you with three men at once; or say they should be more, for your sake, I would not refuse them, but challenge them the field. Command me to kill this or that man; to cut off a leg or an arme; to slash any woman ouer the face, that shall stand in competition with thee, and deface her beauty; such trifles as these, shall be no sooner said, then done. But doe not (I prythee) intreat me to walke afoote; nor to giue thee any money; for thou know'st! haue it not. Gold and Siluer will not tarry with mee; they are flinchers, they will not abide with mee. I may cut three Capers, and yet not shake one poore blarke out of my breeches: no man giues that which hee has not; you can haue no more of a Cat, then his skinne. Heart and good will, but not a ragge of money. I liue heere in a house as you see, wherein you may throw a bowle and meet with neuer a rubbe; all the moueables that I haue, are not worth a button; my implements are such as you see heere before mee; an old Iarre, with a broken brimme; a rusty Spit without a point; the bed wherein I lye, is bound about with hoopes of Bucklers, which I broke in fight; my feather-bed, a bundle of broken pykes; my sheetes, shirts of torne mayle; for my pillow, I haue a pouch fill'd with pibble-stones. And should I bestow a collation on you, I haue nothing in the world that I can pawne, saue this poore ragged and thred-bare cloake, which I haue on my backe. So let mee prosper, as his words doe exceedingly please mee; why, hee is as obedient to you, as a seruant; hee speakes to you like a Suppliant, and hee hath said nothing, but what is reason. What would you more of a man? I prythee, as thou lou'st mee, speake vnto him, and lay aside your displeasure; suffer him not to liue thus sad and melancholy, but speake kindely vnto him, and put him out of his dumps, since hee offers his person so willingly to your disposall. Offer my selfe, Elicia? I sweare vnto thee, by the Chriscrosse Row, by the whole Alphabet, and sillabication of the letters, that my arme trembles, to think what I would execute for her sake; for it is, and euer shall be my continuall meditation, to study how I may please her, but it is my vnhappinesse, that it neuer hits right. The last night I was adream'd, that in her quarrell I challenged foure men into the field, all of them well knowne vnto her, if I should name them; and mee thought I slew one of them; and for the rest which fled, he that scap't best, left his left arme at my foote. Much better should I haue bestirr'd my selfe, had it beene day, and that I had beene awake, if the proudest of them should haue once presumed but to haue toucht her shoo.