The Spanish Bawd (Calisto and Meliboea) (Celestina) · chunk 195 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 · 522 words
Marked words are the most distinguishing words of T1: death, life, dead, die, blood, revenge, soul, father, heart, heaven.
My dear daughter, the best beloved of thy aged father; for pities sake, let not this thy cruel torment, cause thee to despair of recovery, being carried away with the violence and infirmity of thy passion: for sorrow still assaulteth the weakest hearts, and conquers them most, that are most cowardly: if thou wilt but tell me thy grief, it shall presently be remedied; for neither physic nor Physicians, nor servants shall be wanting, for the recovery of thy health, whether it consist in herbs, in stones, or in words, or remain more secret in the bodies, and bowels of beasts. Do not then vex me any more; torment me no longer; force me not out of my wits; make me not mad, but tell me, good daughter, what, and where is your pain? I feel a mortal wound, even in the very midst of my heart, the anguish whereof is so grievous unto me, that it will scarce suffer me to fetch my breath, much less to speak: there is no malady like unto mine; it is of a different nature from all other diseases. And before you can come to cure it in my heart, you must first take out my heart; for it lies even in the hidden and most secret place thereof. Too too soon hast thou received this feeling and sense of elder years; youth should be a friend to pleasure and mirth, and an enemy unto care and sorrow. Rise then from hence, and let us go and take some fresher air along by the riverside; come, and make merry with your mother; you shall see, that will ease and rid away your pain. Take heed what you do; do not wilfully cast away yourself; for if you fly and shun mirth, there is not any thing in the world more contrary to your disease. Let us go whither you please: and if it stand with your liking, Sir, let us go up to the top of the Leads; for from thence I may enjoy the pleasing sight of those Ships that pass to and fro, and perhaps it may give some ease to my grief. Come, let us go and take Lucrecia with us. With a very good will. I pray (father) will you cause some musical instrument to be sent unto me, that by playing thereon, or singing thereunto, I may see if I can drive away this grief; for though on the one side, the force and violence thereof doth much torment me; yet on the other side, I doubt not but those sweet sounding Instruments and delightful harmony, will much loosen and mitigate my sorrow. This (daughter) shall presently be done: I will go myself, and will it to be provided. Friend Lucrecia, this place (methinks) is too high; I am very loath to leave my father's company. I prithee make a step down unto him, and entreat him to come to the foot of this Tower; for I have a word or two, which I forgot to tell him, that he should deliver from me to my mother. I go, madam.
nodes 1305–1313 (positions in the processed text, not lines of the printed book) · chunk 195 of 205 in this edition
Length
522 words · 644 tokens
Topic (seed 42)
T1 — Death, grief and revengecross-work theme (confirmed, in the genre comparison) · typicality 0.747 (cosine to the topic centroid)
Other seeds
seed 43: T10 · seed 44: T1 — topic numbers are assigned independently in each run; equal or different numbers say nothing by themselves
Original spelling (EEBO-TCP, unregularized)
My deare daughter, the best beloued of thy aged father; for pitties sake, let not this thy cruell torment, cause thee to despaire of recouery, being carryed away with the violence and infirmity of thy passion: for sorrow still assaulteth the weakest hearts, and conquers them most, that are most cowardly: if thou wilt but tell me thy griefe, it shall presently be remedied; for neither physick nor Physicians, nor seruants shall be wanting, for the recouery of thy health, whether it consist in herbes, in stones, or in words, or remaine more secret in the bodies, and bowels of beasts. Doe not then vexe me any more; torment me no longer; force me not out of my wits; make me not madde, but tell me, good daughter, what, and where is your paine? I feele a mortall wound, euen in the very midst of my heart, the anguish whereof is so grieuous vnto mee, that it will scarce suffer mee to fetch my breath, much lesse to speake: there is no malady like vnto mine; it is of a different nature from all other diseases. And before you can come to cure it in my heart, you must first take out my heart; for it lies euen in the hidden and most secret place thereof. Too too soone hast thou receiued this feeling and sense of elder yeeres; youth should be a friend to pleasure and mirth, and an enemy vnto care and sorrow. Rise then from hence, and let vs goe and take some fresher ayre along by the Riuer side; come, and make merry with your mother; you shall see, that will ease and rid away your paine. Take heed what you doe; doe not wilfully cast away your selfe; for if you flye and shunne mirth, there is not any thing in the world more contrary to your disease. Let vs goe whither you please: and if it stand with your liking, Sir, let vs goe vp to the top of the Leades; for from thence I may inioy the pleasing sight of those Ships that passe to and fro, and perhaps it may giue some ease to my griefe. Come, let vs goe and take Lucrecia with vs. With a very good will. I pray (father) will you cause some musicall instrument to be sent vnto me, that by playing thereon, or singing thereunto, I may see if I can driue away this griefe; for though on the one side, the force and violence thereof doth much torment mee; yet on the other side, I doubt not but those sweet sounding Instruments and delightfull harmony, will much lossen and mitigate my sorrow. This (daughter) shall presently be done: I will goe my selfe, and will it to be prouided. Friend Lucrecia, this place (me thinkes) is too high; I am very loth to leaue my fathers company. I prythee make a step down vnto him, and intreat him to come to the foot of this Tower; for I haue a word or two, which I forgot to tell him, that he should deliuer from me to my mother. I goe, Madame.