then this And I hope he will well reward me for my paines being so franke and Noble a Gentleman as hee is ACTVS VJ. THE ARGVMENT CELESTINA being entred Calisto's house Calisto with great affection and earnestnesse demandeth of her what had hapned betwixt her and Melibea While they continue talking together Parmeno hearing Celestina speake wholy for her selfe and her owne priuate profit turning himselfe toward Sempronio at euery word he giues her a nip for the which he is reprehended by Sempronio In the end old Celestina discouers to Calisto all the whole businesse and shewes him the Girdle she brought from Melibea And so taking her leaue of Calisto shee gets her home to her owne house taking Parmeno along with her INTERLOCVTORS Calisto Celestina Parmeno Sempronio CAlisto What good newes mother speak deare mother Celest. O my good Lord and Master Calisto How is it how is it with you O my new Louer and not without iust cause of fairest Melibea How canst thou make this old woman amends who hath hazarded her life in thy seruice What woman was euer driuen to such narrow shifts The very thought whereof makes my heart to faint emptying my vitall veynes of all their bloud I would haue giuen my life for lesse then the price of this old tottred Mantle which you see heere on my backe Parme. Thou art all I see for thy selfe That is it thou shoot'st at Thou art like a Lettice that growes betwixt two Cole-worts If thou be let alone thou wil ouer-top them The next word I look for is that she begge a Kirtle for her Mantle thou art all I perceiue for thy selfe and wilt not aske any thing whereof others may haue part The old woman will implume him not leauing him so much as one feather how cunningly does shee worke him how craftly pitch her news to catch me and my Master seeking to make me faithlesse and him foolish Doe but marke her Sempronis be still and giue her but the hearing and you shall see shee will not demand any money of my Master because it is diuisible Sempro. Peace thou despairefull fellow lest Calisto kill thee if he chance to heare thee Calisto Good mother either cut off thy discourse or take thou this sword and kill mee Parm. Now what a Diuell ailes he He shakes and quiuers like a fellow that hath had his senses ouer-toucht with quicke-siluer Looke hee cannot stand on his legges would I could helpe him to his tongue that I might heare him speake againe sure he cannot liue long if this fft continue Wee shall get well by this his loue shall wee not Euery man his mourning weed and there 's an end Celest. Your sword Sir Now I hope not What Take your sword and kill you There 's a word indeed to kill my heart No let your sword serue to kill your enemies and such as wish you harme As for mee I will giue thee life man by that good hope which I haue in her whom thou louest best Calisto Good hope mother Celestina I good hope and well may it be called so since that the gates are set open for my second returne And shall I tell you she will sooner receiue me in this poore tottred Gowne and Kirtle then others in their silks and cloth of gold Parme. Sempronio sow mee vp this mouth for I can no longer hold A pocks on her she hath hedg'd in the Kirtle to her Gowne Could not one alone haue contented her Sempr. You will hold your peace will you not By Ioue you were best be quiet or I shall set you hence in a diuels name What Is there no ho with you Say she begge her apparell of him what 's that to thee she does well in it and I commend her for it hauing such need thereof as she has And thou know'st Where the Flamin sings there hath he his offrings he must haue food and rayment Par. True he hath so but as his seruice is so is his allowance he sings all the yeere long for it and this old Iade would in one day for treading some three steps cast off all her rugged hayres and get her a new coate which is more then she could well doe these fifty yeeres Sem. Is this all the good she taught thee Is all your old acquaintance come to this Is this all the obligation you owe her for her paines in breeding you vp Sure she ha's brought her Hogges to a good market in bestowing so great kindenesse on so very a Pigge Par. I could be well content that she should pill and pole aske and haue shaue cut but not cut out all the cloth for her own coat Sempr. It is her fault I must confesse but other Vice hath shee none saue onely that shee is a little too couetous But let her alone and giue her leaue to prouide straw first for to thatch her owne walls and to lay the ioyses first of her owne house then afterwards shall she boord ours else had it beene better for her shee had neuer knowne vs Calisto Mother as you loue goodnesse if you be a good woman tell mee what was shee doing How got you into the house How was she apparelled On which side of the house did you find her What countenance did shee shew thee at thy first entrance How did shee looke on thee Celest. With such a looke and countenance as your braue fierce buls vse towards those that cast sharp darts against them when they come for to be baited or like your wilde bores when they make towards those Mastiues which set vpon them Calisto Be these thy good hopes These signes of health What then are those that are mortall Why death it selfe could not be halfe so deadly For that would ease and rid me of this my torment then which none is greater none more grieuous Semp. These are my Masters former fires he renewes afresh his wonted flames What a strange kind of man is he He hath not the patience to stay to haere that which so earnestly hee hath desired Parmeno Now Sir Who talkes now I must not speake a word but did my Master heare you he would cudgell your coat as well as mine Sempr. Some euill fire consume thee for thou speakest prediudicially of all but I offend no man Let some intolerable mortall disease or some pestilent plague seaze vpon thee and consume thee Thou quarrelsome contentious enuious and accursed Caytiffe Is this thy friendship this the amity thou hast contracted with Celestina and me Goe with the Diuels name if this be thy loue Calisto If thou wilt not thou that art sole Queene and soueraigne of my life that I dye desperate and that my soule goe condemned from hence to perpetuall paine so impatient am I of hearing these things delay mee no longer but certifie mee briefely whether thy glorious demand had a happy end or no As also whether that cruell and sterne looke of that impious face whose frownes murder as many as they are
no melancholy or other bad humour that raigneth in him Nobly descended as your selfe well knowes a great Tilter and to see him in his armour it becomes him so well that you would take him to be another Saint George Hercules had not that force and courage as he hath His diportment his person his feature his disposition his agility and actiuenesse of body had neede of another manner of tongue to expresse it then mine I ake him all together and for all in all you shall not finde such another and for admired forme a miracle and I am verily perswaded that that faire and gentle Narcissus who was inamored with his owne proper beauty when as in a glasse he view'd himselfe in the water was nothing so faire as he whom now one poore tooth with the extremity of its paine doth so torment that hee doth nothing but complaine Melibea The Age I pray How long hath hee had it Celest. His age Madame Mary I thinke hee is about some three and twenty For heere stands shee who saw him borne and tooke him vp from his mothers feet Melibea This is not that which I aske thee Nor doe I care to know his age I aske thee how long he hath beene troubled with his tooth-ache Celest. Some eight daies Madame but you would thinke he had had it a yeere hee is growne so weake with it and the greatest ease and best remedy he hath is to take his Viall whereto hee sings so many songs in such dolefull notes that I verily beleeue they did farre exceed those which that great Emperor and Musician Hadrian composed concerning the soules departure from the body the better to endure without dismayment his approaching death For though I haue but little skill in musicke me thinks he makes the Viall when he plaies thereon to speake and when hee sings thereunto the birds with a better will listen vnto him then to that Musician of old which made the trees and stones to moue Had he been borne then Orpheus had lost his prey Weigh then with your selfe Sweet Lady if such a poore old woman as I am haue not cause to count my selfe happy if I may giue life vnto him to whom the heauens haue giuen so many graces Not a woman that sees him but praiseth Natures workemanship whose hand did draw so perfect a piece and if it bee their hap to talke with him they are no more mistresses of themselues but are wholy at his disposing and of Commanders desire to be commanded by him Wherfore seeing I haue so great reason to doe for him conceiue good Lady my purpose to be faire and honest my courses commendable and free from suspicion and iealousie Melibea O how I am falne out with mine owne impatience How angry with my selfe that hee being ignorant and thou innocent of any intended Ill thou hast endured the distemperature of my inraged tongue But the great reason I had for it frees mee from any fault of offence vrged thereunto by thy suspicious speaches but in requitall of thy sufferance I will forthwith fulfill thy request and likewise giue thee my Girdle And because I haue not leysure to write the charme till my mother comes home if this will not serue the turne come secretly for it to morrow morning Lucrecia Now now is my Mistresse quite vndone All the world cannot saue her she will haue Celestina come secretly to morrow I smell a Rat there is a Padde in the straw I like not this Come secretly to morrow I feare mee shee will part with something more then words Melibea What sai'st thou Lucrecia Lucrecia Mary I say Madame you haue worded well For it is now somewhat late Melibea I pray mother say nothing to this Gentleman of what hath passed betwixt you and mee lest he should hold me either cruell sudden or dishonest Lucrecia I did not lye euen now I see well inough how ill the world goes Celest. Madame I much maruell you should entertaine any the least doubt of my seruice Feare you not for I can suffer and couer any thing and I well perceiue that your great iealousie and suspicion of mee made you as commonly it doth to interpret my speeches to the worst sense Well I will take my leaue and goe hence with this Girdle so merrily as if I did presently see his heart leaping for ioy that you haue graced him with so great a kindnesse and I doubt not but I shall finde him much eased of his paine Melibea I will doe more for your sicke Patient then this if need require in requitall of your great patience Celest. Wee shall need more and you must doe more then this though perhaps you will not so well like of it and scarce thanke vs for it Melibea Mother what 's that thou talkest of thankes Celestina Mary I say Madame That we both giue you thanks that wee are both at your seruice and rest both deepely indebted to your Ladiship and that the paiment is there most certaine where the party is most bound to satisfie Lucrecia Heere 's Cat in the Panne What Chop-Logicke haue we heere Celestina Daughter Lucrecia Hold thy peace Come hither to me If to morrow I may see thee at my house I will giue thee such a Lye as shall make thy haire as yellow as gold but tell not your Mistresse of it Thou shalt also haue a powder of mee to sweeten thy breath which is a little of the strongest There is not any in this kingdome that can make it but my selfe And there is not any thing in a woman that can be worse then a stinking breath Lucrecia A blessing on your aged heart for I haue more need of this then of my meate Celestina And yet you foole you will be talking and prating against mee Hold thy peace for thou know'st not what need thou maist haue of mee Doe not exasperate your Mistresse and make her more angry now then shee was before But let mee goe hence in peace Melibea What sai'st thou to her mother Celest. Nothing Madame wee haue done already Melibea Nay you must tell me what you said to her for I cannot abide that any body should speake any thing in my presence and I not haue a part therein And therefore without any more adoe let mee know it Celest. I intreated her to put your Ladiship in minde of the Charme that it might be writ out ready for mee and that shee should learne of mee to temper her selfe in the time of your anger putting her in mind of that ancient Adage From an angry man get thee gone but for a while but from an enemy for euer But you Madame had onely a quarell to those words of mine which you suspected and not any enmity to my person And say they had bin such as you conceited them yet were they not so bad as you would haue made them to be For it is euery daies experience to see men pain'd tormented for women and women as much for men And this
with you there I am hearing of a cause that concernes no lesse then my life and you keepe a tattling and a prattling there as you still vse to doe to trouble and molest â—me in my businesse and prouoke me to anger as you loue me hold your tongues and you will dye with delight such pleasure will you take in the repetition of her singular diligence Goe on deare mother what didst thou doe when thou saw'st thou wast left all alone Celest. O Sir I was so ouer-ioyed that whosoeuer had seene me might haue read in my face the merriment of my heart Calisto It is so now with mee But how much more had a man beforehand conceiued some such image in his minde But tell me wast thou not strucken dumbe with this so sudden and vnexpected an accident Celest. No But rather grew thereby the bolder to vtter my minde vnto her it was the thing that I desired it was euen as I would haue wisht it There was nothing could haue fell out so pat for me as to see my selfe all alone with her then beganne I to open the very bowels and intralls of my heart then did I deliuer my embassage and told her in what extreme paine you liued and how that one word of her mouth proceeding fauourably from her would ease you of your mighty torment And as one standing in suspence looking wisely and steadily vpon me somewhat amazed at the strangenesse of my message hearkning very attentiuely till shee might come to know who this should be that for want of a word of her mouth liu'd in such great paine and what manner of man he might be whom her tongue was able to cure In naming you vnto her she did cut off my words and with her hand strooke her selfe a blow on the brest as one that had heard some strange and fearefull newes charging mee to cease my prattle and to get mee out of her sight vnlesse I would her seruants should become my Executioners and make short worke with me in these my old and latter dayes aggrauating my audacious boldnesse calling mee Witch Sorceresse Bawd old Whore false Baggage bearded Miscreant the Mother of mischiefe and many other more ignominious names wherewithall they feare children And when she had ended with her Bugge-beares shee beganne to fall into often swownings and trances making many strange gestures full of feare and amazement all her senses being troubled her bloud boyling within her throwing her selfe this way and that way bearing in a strange kind of manner the members of her body one against another and then in a strong and violent fashion being wounded with that golden shaft which at the very voycing of your name had struck her to the heart writhing and winding her body her hands and fingers being clinched one within another like one struggling striuing for life that you would haue thought shee would haue rent them asunder hurling and rowling her eyes on euery side striking the hard ground with her tender feete Now I all this while stood me still in a corner like a cloth that is shrunke in the wetting as close as I could for my life not saying so much as any one word vnto her yet glad with all my heart to see her in this cruell and pittifull taking And the more her throwes and pangs were the more did I laugh in my sleeue at it because I thereby knew her yeelding would be the sooner and her fall the neerer yet must I tell you that whil'st her anger did foame out it's froth I did not suffer my thoughts to be idle nor giue them leaue to runne a wooll-gathering but recollecting my selfe and calling my wits about mee I tooke hold on Times fore-top and found a salue to heale that hurt which my selfe had made Calisto Deare mother thou hast told me that which whil'st I was hearing thee I had fore-casted in mine owne iudgement I did still dreame it would come to this but I doe not see how thou couldst light vpon a fit excuse that might serue the turne and proue good inough to couer and colour the suspition of thy demand though I know that thou art exceeding wise and in all that thou dost to my seeming more then a woman Sithence that as thou didst prognosticate her answer so didst thou in time prouide thee of thy reply What could that Tuscane Champion so much famoused thorowout all Italy haue done more Whose renowne hadst thou then beene liuing had beene quite lost who three daies before shee dyed diuined of the death of her old husband and her two sonnes Now doe I beleeue that which is so commonly spoken that a woman is neuer to seeke for an answer and though it be the weaker Sexe yet is their wit more quicke and nimble then that of men Celest. Say you me so Sir Well let it be so then I told her your torment was the tooth-ache and that the word which I craued of her was a kinde of Prayer or Charme which she knew to be very good and of great power against that paine Calisto O admirable craft O rare woman in thy arte O cunning creature O speedy remedy O discreet deliuerer of a message What humane vnderstanding is able to reach vnto so high a meanes of helpe And I verily perswade my selfe that if our age might purchase those yeeres past wherein Aeneas and Dido liu'd Venus would not haue taken so much paines for to attract the loue of Elisa to his sonne causing Cupid to assume the forme of Ascanius the better to deceiue her but would to make short worke of the businesse haue made choyce of thee to mediate the matter and therefore doe I hold my death happily imployed since that I haue put it into such hands and I shall euermore be of this minde that if my desire obtaine not it's wished effect yet know I not what could be done more according to nature for my good and welfare What thinke you now my Masters What can yee imagine more Was there euer the like woman borne in this world Had shee euer her fellow Celestina Sir doe not stop me in the course of my speach Giue me leaue to goe on for night drawes on And you know Hee that does ill hateth the light Calisto How What 's that No by no meanes For heauens sake doe not offer it you shall haue Torches you shall haue Pages any of my seruants make choyce of whom you will to accompany you home Parme. O yes in any case I pray take care of her because she is young and handsome and may chance to bee rauisht by the way Sempronio thou shalt goe with her because shee is afraide of the Crickets which chripe in the darke as shee goes home to her house Calisto Sonne Parmeno what 's that thou said'st Parme. I said Sir it were meete that I and Sempronio should accompany her home For it is very darke Calisto It is well said Parmeno you shall by and by proceed I
disblame and excuse thy doings I coniure thee that thou answer mee truely by the vertue of that great power which thy Lady hath ouer mee Celestina Cease good Sir this vaine and idle humour for my eares are tyred with attention and the Girdle almost worne out with your often handling Calisto O wretch that I am farre better had it beene for mee had the heauens made me so happy that thou hadst beene made and wouen of these mine owne armes and not of silke as now thou art that they might haue daily reioyced in clasping and inclosing with due reuerence those members which thou without sense or feeling not knowing what it is to inioy so great a glory holdest still in strict imbracements O what secrets shouldst thou then haue seene of that so excellent an image Celest. Thou shalt see more and inioy more in a more ample and better manner if thou lose it not by talking as thou dost Calisto Peace good mother giue mee leaue a little for this and I well vnderstand one another O my eyes call to your remembrance how that yee were the cause of my ill and the very doore thorow which my heart was wounded and that he is seene to doe the hurt who doth giue the cause of the harme Call to your remembrance I say that yee are debtours to my well-fare Looke here vpon your medicine which is come home to your owne house to cure you Sempr. Sir it is not your reioycing in this girdle that can make you to enioy Melibea Calisto How like a foole thou pratest without eyther wit or reason Thou disturber of my delight what meanest thou by this Sempr. Mary that by talking and babbling so much as you doe you kill both your selfe and those which heare you and so by consequence ouerthrow both thy life and vnderstanding either of which to want is sufficient to leaue you darkling and say good night to the world Cut off your discourse therefore and listen vnto Celestina and heare what she will say vnto thee Calisto Mother are my words troublesome vnto you or is this fellow drunke Celest. Howbeit they be not yet should you not talke thus as you doe but rather giue an end to these your long complaints Vse a girdle like a girdle that you may know to make a difference of your words when you come to Melibea's presence let not your tongue equall the apparell with the person making no distinction betwixt her and her garments Calisto O my much honoured Matrone my mother my comfortresse Let mee glad my selfe a little with this messenger of my glory O my tongue Why doest thou hinder thy selfe in entertaining any other discourse leauing off to adore that present Excellency which peraduenture thou shalt neuer see in thy power O yee my hands With what presumption with what slender reuerence doe you touch that Treacle which must cure my wound Now that poyson cannot hurt mee wherewith that cruell shot of Cupid hath it's sharpe point deepely indipped For now I am safe since that shee who gaue mee my wound giues mee also my medicine O deare Celestina Thou that art the delight of all old Dames the ioy of young wenches the ease of the afflicted and comfort of such comfortlesse wretches as my selfe do not punish me more with feare of thee then I am already punished with shame of my selfe suffer me to let loose the reines of my contemplation giue me leaue to goe foorth into the streets with this iewell that they who see mee may know that there is not any man more happy then my selfe Sempr. Doe not infistulate your wound by clapping on it still more and more desire Sir it is not this string nor this girdle alone wherein your remedy must depend Calisto I know it well yet haue I not the power to abstaine from adoring so great a relique so rich a gift Celest. That 's a gift which is giuen gratis but you know that shee did this for to ease your tooth-ache and to cloze vp your wounds and not for any respect or loue which shee beares to you But if I liue shee shall turne the leafe ere I leaue her Calisto But the Charme you talkt of Celestina Shee hath not giuen it mee yet Calisto And what was the cause why shee did not Celestina The shortnesse of time and therefore will'd mee that if your paine did not decrease I should returne to her againe to morrow Calisto Decrease Then shall my paine decrease when I see a decrease of her cruelty Celest. Sir content your selfe with that which hath hitherto bin said and done shee is already bound I haue shew'd you how as farreforth as shee is able shee will be ready to yeeld you any helpe for this infirmitie of yours which I shall craue at her hands And tell me I pray if this bee not well for the first bowt Well I will now get me home and in any case haue a care that if you chance to morrow to walke abroad that you goe muzzled about the cheeks with a cloth that she seeing you so bound about the chaps may not accuse mee of petitioning a false-hood Calisto Nay to doe you seruice I will not sticke to clap on foure double clothes but of all loues tell me past there any thing more betweene you For I dye out of longing for to heare the words which flow from so sweet a mouth How didst thou dare not knowing her be so bold to shew thy selfe so familiar both in thy entrance and thy demand Celest. Not knowing her They were my neighbours for foure yeeres together I dealt with them I conuersed with them I talked with them and laught together with them day and night O! how merry wee haue beene Her mother why she knowes me better then her owne hands and Melibea too though now shee bee growne so tall so great so courteous and discreete a Lady Parmeno Sempronio a word with you in your eare Sempronio Say on What 's the matter Parmeno Mary this Celestina's attention giues matter to our Master to inlarge his discourse giue her a touch on the toe or make some signe to her that shee may be gone and not waite thus as shee doth vpon his answers For there is no man bee hee neuer so much a foole that speakes much when hee is all alone Calisto Didst thou say Melibea was courteous I thinke it was but in a mocke Was her like euer borne into the world Did God euer create a better or more perfect body Can the like proportion be painted by any pensill Is she not that Paragon of beautie from whence all eyes may copy forth a true patterne of vnimitable excellence If Hellen were now aliue for whom so great a slaughter was made of Greekes and Troianes or faire Polixena both of them would haue done their reuerence to this Lady for whom I languish If she had been present in that contention for the Apple with the three Goddesses the name of contention had neuer
vnto you and therefore prepare your selfe for it and when shee comes in any case vse her kindely be francke and liberall with her and whilest I goe my wayes doe you study and deuise with your selfe to expresse your paines as well as I know shee is able to giue you remedy Calisto O but thou staiest too long Sempr. I am gone Sir Calisto A good lucke with thee You happy powers that predominate humane actions assist and be propitious to my desires second my intentions prosper Sempronio's proceedings his successe in bringing me such an Aduocatrix as shall according to his promise not onely negotiate but absolutely compasse and bring to a wished period the preconceiued hopes of an incomparable pleasure Celestina Elicia what will you giue mee for my good newes Sempr. Sempronio is come Elicia O hush peace peace Celest. Why What 's the matter Elicia Peace I say for here is Crito Celest. Put him in the little chamber where the besomes bee Quickly quickly I say and tell him a cousin of yours and a friend of mine is come to see you Elicia Crito come hither come hither quickely O my cousin is come my cousin is beneath What shall I doe Come quickely I am vndone else Crite With all my heart Doe not vexe your selfe Semp. O my deare mother what a longing haue I had to come vnto you I thanke my fate that hath giuen me leaue to see you Celest. My sonne my king thou hast rauish'd mee with thy presence I am so ouer-joyed that I cannot speake to thee Turne thee about vnto mee and imbrace mee once more in thine aâ—◠〈…〉 so long away together and 〈…〉 heere Elicia Who mother Celest. 〈◊〉 daughter Elicia 〈…〉 O how my heart rises How 〈…〉 And what of him Celest. Elicia 〈…〉 Sempr. Hy hy hy Why now now my 〈◊〉 what is it 〈…〉 Elicia Whâ—â— Three dayes Three whole dayes away And in all that time not so much as once come and see me Not once 〈◊〉 vpon me Fortune neuer looke on thee neuer comfort thee 〈◊〉 thee Wo to that woman wretched as the is who in 〈…〉 her hope and the end of all her happinesse Sempr. No more deare Loue Thinkst thou sweet heart that distance of place can diuorce my inward and imbowelle 〈…〉 Or dead but the least sparke or that true 〈…〉 Where-e're I goe thou goe 〈…〉 Then hast not felt more affliction 〈…〉 then I haue suffered and endured for thee 〈…〉 Me thinkes I heere some bodies feete mooue aboue Who is it Elicia Who is it One of my sweet hearts Sempr. Nay like though I easily beleeue it Elicia Nay it is true Goe vp and see else Sempr. I goe Celest. Come hither my son come along with me let this foole alone for shee is idle-headed and almost out of her little wits such thought hath she taken for thy absence Regard not what she saies for she will tell you a thousand film-flam tales Come come with me and let vs talke Let vs not spend the time thus in idlements Sempr. But I pray who is that aboue Celest. Would you know who Sempr. I would Celest. A Wench recommended vnto me by a Fryer Sempr. What Fryer Celest. O by no meanes Sempr. Now as you loue me good mother tell mee what Fryer is it Celest. Lord how earnest you be you would dye now if you should not know him Well to saue your longing it is that fat Fryers Wench I need say no more Sempr. Aâ—acâ—e 〈◊〉 wench what a heauy load is she to beare Celest. You see wee women must beare all and it were greaterâ— wee 〈…〉 you haue seene but few murders committed vpon a woman in 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 No but many great swellings besides 〈…〉 what not 〈◊〉 〈…〉 vpon you how you talke you doe but 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 mee see her Elicia 〈…〉 and see her but see you come at 〈…〉 Sempr. Be patient my deare thou that are the onely Idoll of my 〈◊〉 â—s this the gall that wâ—ings you This your griefe Nay If this make you so anger I will neither see her not any other woman in the world I will onely speake a word or two with my mother and so bid you adieu Elicia Goe goe be gone vngratefull vnthankefull as thou art and 〈◊〉 away three yeeres more if thou wilt ere euer thou see mee Sempr. Mother you may relye vpon what I haue told you and assure your selfe that of all the women in the world I would 〈…〉 or â—â—â—â—emble with you Put on your Mantle then and 〈…〉 and by the way I will tell you all For if I should stay heere citating vpon the businesse and protract the time in deliuering my minde it would turne much to both our hurts and hinder thy profit 〈…〉 〈◊〉 〈…〉 fare well make fast the doore 〈…〉 Sempr. So law Now mother laying all other things apart 〈…〉 be attentius to that which I shall tell you let not your 〈◊〉 goe a wooll gathering nor scatter your thoughts nor 〈◊〉 them into many parts for hee that is euery where is no where and cannot vnlesse it be by chance certainely determine anything I will that you know that of mee which as yet you neuer 〈◊〉 Besides I could neuer since the time that I first entred 〈…〉 with thee and had plighted my faith vnto thee desire 〈…〉 therein thou mightest not share with mee Celest. And Ioue my good sonne share his good blessings with thee which â—â—so it please him he shall not doe without cause because thou takest pity of this poore wicked old woman say on therfore make no longer delay for that friendship which betwixt thee and mee hath taken such deepe rooting needeth no Preambles no circumlocutions no preparations or insinuation to winne affection Be briefe therefore and come to the point for it is idle to vtter that in many words that may be vnderstood in a few Semp. It is true And there fore thus Calisto is hot in loue with Melibea he stands in need of thine my help And because he needs our ioynt furtherance let vs ioyne together to make some purchase of him For to know a mans time to make vse of opportunity and to take occasion by the foretop and to worke vpon a man whilst his humour serues him why it is the onely round by which many haue climbed vp to prosperity Celest. Well hast thou said I perceiue thy drift The winking or beckning on the eye is inough for mee for as old as I am I 〈◊〉 see day 〈…〉 this thy newes as Surgeons of broken 〈◊〉 And 〈…〉 Delayed hope afflictes the heart And the farther he is off from obtaining the fayrer will be promise to haue it effected Vnderstand you mee Sempr. Hush No more We are now at the gate and walls they say haue eares Celest. Knocke Sempr. Tha tha tha Calisto Parmeno Parme. Sir Calisto What a pocks art thou deafe Canst thou not heare Parmo. What would you Sir Calisto Some body knocks at the gate Runne Parme. Who 's there
shouldst goe along with her and hasten her on since thou knowst that on her dililigence dependeth my well-fare on her slownesse my painfulnesse on her neglect my despaire Thou art wise I know thee to bee faithfull I hold thee a good seruant And therefore so handle the matter that she shall no sooner see thee but that shee may iudge of that paine which I feele and of that fire which tormenteth mee whose extreme heat will not giue me leaue to lay open vnto her the third part of my secret sickenesse So did it tye my tongue and tooke such hold on my sences that they were not onely busied but in a manner wasted and consumed which thou as one that is free from the like passion maist more largely deliuer letting thy words runne with a looser reyne Sempr. Sir I would faine goe to fulfill your command And I would fayne stay to ease you of your care your feare puts spurs to my sides and your solitarinesse like a bridle pulls mee backe But I will obey and follow your councell which is to goe and labour the old woman But how shall I goe For if I leaue you thus all alone you will talke idlely like one that is distracted doe nothing but sigh weepe and take on shutting your selfe vp in darknesse desiring solitude and seeking new meanes of thoughtfull torment wherein if you still perseuere you cannot escape either death or madnesse For the auoyding whereof get some good company about you that may minister vnto you occasion of mirth by recounting of witty conceits by intertaining you with Musicke and singing merry songs by relating Stories by deuising Motto's by telling tales by playing at cards iesting sporting In a word by inuenting any other kinde of sweet and delightfull recreation for to passe away the time that you may not suffer your thoughts to run still wandring on in that cruell errour whereinto they were put by that your Lady and Mistresse vpon the first trance and encounter of your Loue Calisto How like a silly foole thou talkest Know'st thou not that it easeth the paine to bewaile it's cause O how sweet is it to the sorrowfull to vnsheathe their griefes What ease doe broken 〈◊〉 bring with them O what a diminishing and refreshing to tearefull complaints is the vnfolding of a mans woes and bitter 〈◊〉 As many as euer writ of comfort and consolation doe all of them iumpe in this Sempr. Read a little farther and but turne ouer the leafe and you shall finde they say thus That to trust in things temporall and to seek after matter of sorrow is a kinde of foolishnesse if not madnesse And that Macias the Idoll of Louers forgetfull of himselfe because his mistresse did forget him and carelesse of his well fare because she cared not for him complaines himselfe thus That the punishment of loue consists in the contemplation thereof And that the best remedy against loue is not to thinke on thy loue The ease lies in the forgetting it Kick not therefore against the pricke feyne thy selfe to be merry pluck vp your spirits and be of good cheere and all you shall see shall be well for oftentimes opinion brings things whither it listeth Not that it should cause vs to swarue from the truth but for to teach vs to moderate our seâ—ce and to gouerne our iudgement Calisto Sempronio my friend for so thy loue makes me stile thee since it so grieues thee that I should be alone call Parmeno hither and hee shall stay with me and henceforth be thou as thou hast euer beene faithfull and loyall vnto mee For in the seruice of the seruant consisteth the Masters remuneration O Parmeno Parme. Heere Sir Calisto O I thinke not for I cannot see thee Leaue her not Sempronio Ply her hard follow her at an inch Forget mee not I pray thee Now Parmeno what thinkest thou of that which hath past to day My paine is great Melibea stately Celestina wise she is her crafts Master and we cannot doe amisse Thou hast maynly opposed thy selfe against her and to draw me to a detestation of her thou hast painted her forth to the purpose and set her out in her colours and I beleeue thee For such and so great is the force of truth that it commands euen the tongues of our enemies But be she such as thou hast described her to be yet had I rather giue her an hundred Crownes then giue another fiue Parme. Is the winde in that doore Doe you beginne to complaine already Haue you now better bethought your selfe Wee shall shortly complaine too at home for I feare mee we shall fast for this frankenesse Calisto It is thy opinion Parmeno that I aske Gratifie mee therein Hold dost thou looke Why hang'st thou downe thy head when thou shouldest answer me But I perceiue that as enuy is sad and sadnesse without a tongue thine owne will can doe more with thee then feare of my displeasure What is that thou grumblest at What didst thou mutter to thy selfe as though thou wert angry Parm. I say Sir that it had been better you had imployed your liberality on some present or the like seruices vpon Melibea her selfe then to cast away your money vpon this old Bawd I know well enough what shee is and which is worse on such a one as mindes to make you her slaue Calisto How you foole her slaue Parme. I her slaue For to whom thou tellest thy secret to him doest thou giue thy liberty Calisto It is something that the foole hath said but I would faine know this of thee whether or no when as there is a great distance betwixt the intreater and the intreated the suitor and the party sued vnto either out of authority of obedience or greatnesse of estate and dignity or noblenesse of descent of bloud as there is betwixt my Mistresse and my selfe Whether or no I pray it be not necessary to haue an intercessour or mediatour for mee who may euery foot go to and fro with my messages vntill they arriue at her eares of whom to haue a second Audience I hold it impossible And if it be thus with me tell me whether thou approuest of what I haue done or no Parm. The diuell approue it for mee Calisto What saist thou Parme. Marry I say Sir that neuer any errour came yet vnaccompanied and that one inconuenience is the cause of another and the doore that opens vnto many Calisto Thy saying I approue but vnderstand not thy purpose Parme. Then thus Sir your losing of your Hawke the other day was the cause of your entring into the Garden where Melibea was to looke if she were there your entring the cause that you both saw her and talked with her your talke ingendred loue your loue brought forth your paine and your paine will be the cause of your growing carelesse and wretchlesse both of your body soule and goods And that which grieues me most is that you must fall into the hands of that same
leafe and alter his opinion that he should not make himselfe a Saint and play the hypocrite before such an old beaten bitch as my selfe I did put him in minde of his owne mother relating vnto him what a one she was to the end that hee might not set my office at nought her selfe hauing beene of the same Trade for should hee but offer to speake ill of mee hee must needes stumble first on her Sempr. Is it long mother since you first knew her Celest. This Celestina which is heere now with thee was the woman that saw her borne and holpe to breed her vp why I tell thee man his mother and I were nayle and flesh buckle and thong Of hee I learned the better part of my trade Wee did both eate both sleep both inioy our pleasures our counsels our bargaines 〈◊〉 one with another we liued together like two sisters both at home and abroad there was not a farthing which eyther of vs gained but was faithfully and truly diuided betweene vs Had shee liued I should neuer haue liued to be deceiued But it was not my fortune to be so happy shee dy'd too soone for mee O death death how many doest thou depriue of their sweete and pleasing society How many doest thou discomfort with thy vnwelcome and troublesome Visitation For one that thou eatest being ripe thou croppest a thousand that are greene For were shee aliue these my steps should not haue beene vnaccompanied not driuen as now I am to walke the streets alone I haue good cause to remember her for to me shee was a faithfull friend and a good companion And whilest shee was with me she would neuer suffer mee to trouble my body or my braines about any thing if I brought bread shee would bring meate if I did spread the cloth she would lay the napkins she was not foolish nor fantasticall nor proud as most of your women now adaies are And by my say I sweare vnto thee shee would goe barefaced from one end of the City to the other with her Fan in her hand and not one all the way that she went would giue her any worse word then Mistresse Claudina And I dare be bold to say it that there was not a woman of a better palate for wine in the world nor better skill'd in any kind of marchandize whatsoeuer And when you haue thought that she had been scarce out of doores with a whip-Sir Iohn e'r you could scarce say this shee was heere againe Euery one would inuite and feast her so great was the affection which they bare vnto her And she neuer came home till she had taken a taste of some eight or ten sorts of wine bearing one pottle in her Iar and the other in her belly and her credit was so good that they would haue trusted her for a Rundlet or two vpon her bare word as if shee had pawned vnto them a piece of plate Why her word was as currant as gold in all the Innes and Tauernes in the Towne If wee walked the streetes whensoeuer we found our selues thirsty we entred streight the next Tauerne that was at hand and called presently for a quart of wine for to moysten our mouthes withall though we had not a penny to pay for it Nor would they as from others take our vailes and our coyfes from off our heads till we had discharged the reckoning but score it vp and so let vs go on our way O Sempronio Were it but Cat after kind and that such were the son as was the mother assure thy selfe that thy master should remaine without a feather and we without any farther care But if I liue I will bring this iron to my fashion I will worke him like waxe and reckon him in the number of mine owne Sempr. How dost thou thinke to make him thine Hee is a crafty subtill foxe Hee will hardly be drawne in Hee is a shrewd fellow to deale withall Celest. For such a crafty Knaue wee must haue a Knaue and a halfe and intertaine two traytours for the taking of one I will bring him to haue Areusa so and make him Cock-sure ours and he shall giue vs leaue without any let to pitch our nets for the catching of Calisto's coyne Sempr. But dost thou thinke thou canst doe any good vpon Melibea Hast thou any good bought to hang by Celest. There is not that Surgeon that can at the first dressing giue a true iudgement of his Patients wound but what I see and thinke for the present I will plainely deliuer vnto thee Melibea is faire Calisto fond and frank he cares not to spare his purse nor I my paines hee is willing to spend and I to speed him in his businesse Let his money be stirring and let the suite hang as long as it will Money can doe any thing it splitteth hard Rocks it passeth ouer Riuers dry-foote there is not any place so high whereunto an Asse laden with gold will not get vp his vnaduisednesse and feruentnesse of affection is sufficient to marre him and to make vs This I haue thought vpon this I haue searcht into this is all I know concerning him and her and this is that which must make most for our profit Well now must I goe to Pleberio's house Sempronio fare-well For though Melibea braue it and stands so high vpon her pantofles yet is not shee the first that I haue made to stoope and leaue her cackling they are all of them ticklish and skittish the whole generation of them is giuen to winching flinging but after they are well weyghed they prooue good high-way Iades and trauell quietly you may kill them but neuer tyre them If they iourney by night they wish it may neuer be morning They curse the Cockes because they proclaime it is day the Clockes because they go too fast they lye prostrate as if they lookt after the Pleyades and the North star making themselues Astronomers and starre gazers But when they see the morning starre arise they sigh for sorrow and are ready to forsake their bodies And the clearing of the day is the clouding of their ioy And aboue all it is worth the while to note how quickely they change copy and turne the Cat in the pan They intreat him of whom they were intreated they indure torment for him whom before they had tormented they are seruants to those whose Mistresses they were they breake thorow stone walls they open windowes feyne sicknesse if the hinges of their doores chance to creake they anoynt and supple them with oyle that they may performe their office without any noyse I am not able to expresse vnto thee the great impression of that sweetnesse which the primary and first kisses of him they loue leaueth imprinted in their hearts They are enemies of the meane and wholly set vpon extremes Sempr. Mother I vnderstand not these termes Celest. Marry I say that a woman either loueth or hateth him much of whom she is beloued
reasons put mee in remembrance that I haue seene thee heeretofore Tell me mother art not thou Celestina that dwelt in Tanners Row neere the Riuer Celest. Euen the very same Melibea By my fay you are an old woman Well I see it is a true saying That daies goe not away in vaine Now neuer trust mee I did not know you neither should I had it not been for that slash ouer your face then were you fayre now wonderfully altered Lucrecia She changed Hi hi hi the diuell she is shee was faire when she met with him sauing your reuerence that scotcht her ouer the nose Melibea What saist thou foole Speake what is 't thou-saist What laugh'st thou at Lucrecia As though I did not know Mother Celestina Celest. Madame Take you hold on time that it slip not from you As for my complexion that will neuer change haue you not read what they say The day will come when thou shalt not know thy selfe in a glasse Though I am now growne gray before my time and seeme double the yeeres I am of of foure daughters which my mother had my selfe was the youngest And therefore I am sure I am not so old as you take me to be Melibea Friend Celestina I am very glad both to see and know thee and I haue taken great pleasure in thy discourse Heere take your money and fare-well for thou lookest poore soule as if thou hadst eaten nothing all this day Celest. O more then mortall image O precious pearle How truely haue you guest O! with what a grace doe thy words come from thee I am rauisht hearing thee speake But yet it is not only eating that maintaineth a man or woman especially me who vse to be fasting a whole nay two dayes together in soliciting other folkes businesses For I intend no other thing my whole life is nothing else but to doe good offices for the good and if occasion serue to dye for them And it was euermore my fashion rather to seeke trouble to my selfe by seruing of others then to please and content my selfe Wherefore if you will giue me leaue I will tell you the necessitated cause of my comming which is another manner of matter then any you haue yet heard and such as we were all vndone if I should returne in vaine and you not know it Melibea Acquaint mee mother with all your necessities and wants and if I can helpe you in them or doe you any good I shall willingly doe it as well out of our old acqaintance as out of neighbour-hood which in good and honest mindes is a sufficient bond to tye them thereunto Celestina My wants Madame My necessities doe you meane Nay others as I told you not mine For mine owne I passe at home with my selfe in mine owne house without letting the whole Country to know them Eating when I may and drinking when I can get it For for all my pouerty I neuer wanted a penny to buy me bread nor a Quarte that is the eighth part of sixe pence to send for wine no not in all this time of my widdow-hood For before I neuer tooke thought for any but had alwaies a good Vessell still in my house And when one was empty another was full I neuer went to bed but I did first eat a toast well steept in wine and two dozen of draughts sipping still the wine after euery sop for feare of the Mother wherwith I was then wont to be troubled But now that I husband all things my self and am at mine own finding I am faine to fetch my wife in a little poore Iarre which will scarce hold a pottle And sometimes in punishment of my sinnes which Crosse I am willing to beare I am forced to goe sixe times a day with these my siluer hayres about my shoulders to fill and fetch my wine my selfe at the Tauerne Nor would I by my good will dye till I see my selfe haue a good Rundlet or Terse of mine owne within mine owne dootes For on my life there is no prouision in the world like vnto it For as the saying is It is bread and wine not the young man that is spruce and fine that makes vs rid the way and trauell with mettle yet let me tell you that where the good man is missing all other good is wanting For ill does the spindle mooue when the beard does not wagge aboue And this I thought good to tell you by the way vpon those speeches which I vsed concerning others and not mine owne necessities Melibea Aske what thou wilt be it either for thy selfe or any body else whom it pleaseth thee Celest. My most gracious and courteous Lady descended of high and noble parentage your sweet words and cheerefull gesture accompanyed with that kinde and free proffer which you are pleased to make to this poore old woman giues boldnesse to my tongue to speak what my heart euen longeth to vtter I come lately from one whom I left sicke to the death who onely with one word which should come from your noble mouth intrusted in this my bosome to carry it hence with me I verily assure my selfe it will saue his life so great is the deuotion which he beares to your gentle disposition and the comfort he would receiue by this so great a kindenesse Melibea Good woman I vnderstand thee not vnlesse thou deliuer thy mind vnto me in plaine termes On the one side thou dost anger me and prouoke mee to displeasure on the other thou doest moue and stirre me to compassion Neither know I how to returne thee a conuenient answer because I haue not fully comprehended thy meaning I should thinke my selfe happy if my words might carry that force as to saue the life of any man though neuer so meane For to doe good is to bee like vnto the Deity Besides he that doth a benefit receiues it when it is done to a person that desires it And he that can cure one that is sicke not doing it is guilty of his death and therefore giue not ouer thy petition but proceed and feare nothing Celest. All feare fled faire Lady in beholding your beauty For I cannot be perswaded that Nature did paint in vaine one face fairer then another more inrich't with grace and fauour more fashionable and more beautifull then another were it not to make them Magazines of vertue mansions of mercy houses of compassion and pitie Ministers of her blessings and dispensers of those good gifts and graces which in her bounty shee hath bestowed vpon them and vpon your selfe in a more plentifull manner Besides sithence wee are all mortall and borne to dye as also that it is most certaine that hee cannot bee said truely to be borne who is onely borne for himselfe for then should men be like vnto bruite beasts if not worse Amongst which there are some that are very pitifull as your Vnicorne of whom it is reported that hee will humble and prostrate himselfe at the feet of a Virgin
And your dogge for all his fiercenesse and cruelnesse of nature when hee comes to bite another if hee throw himselfe downe at his feet hee will let him alone and doe him no harme and this is all out of pitie Againe to come to your birds and fowles of the ayre your Cocke eateth not any thing but hee first calleth his Hens about him and giues them part of his feeding The Pellicane with her beake breaketh vp her owne brest that she may giue her very bowels and intrals to her young ones to eat The Storkes maintaine their aged parents as long in the nest as they did giue them food when they were young and vnable to helpe themselues Now if God and Nature gaue such knowledge vnto beasts and birds why should wee that are men be more cruell one to another Why giue we not part of our graces and of our persons to our neighbors Especially when they are inuolued and afflicted with secret infirmities and those such that where the Medicine is thence was the cause of the maladie Melibea For Gods loue without any more dilating tell me who is this sicke man who feeling such great perplexity hath both his sicknes and his cure flowing from one and the selfe-same Fountaine Celest. You can not choose Lady but know a young Gentleman in this City nobly descended whose name is Calisto Melibea Inough inough No more good old woman Not a word not a word more I would aduise you Is this the sicke patient for whom thou hast made so many prefaces to come to thy purpose For what or whom cam'st thou hither Cam'st thou to seeke thy death Know'st thou for whom thou bearded Impudent thou hast troden these dangerous steps What ayles this wicked one that thou pleadest for him with such passion He is foolesicke is hee not Is hee in his wits I trow What would'st thou haue thought if thou should'st haue found me without some suspicion and iealousie of this foole What a wind-lace hast thou fetcht with what words hast thou come vpon me I see it is not said in vaine That the most hurtfull member in a man or woman is the tongue I will haue thee burned thou false Witch thou enemy to honesty thou Causeresse of secret errors Fie vpon thee Filth Lucrecia out of my sight with her send her packing away with her I pray she makes me ready to swound ay me I faint I dye she hath not left me one drop of bloud in my body But I well deserue this and more for giving eare to such a paltry huswife as shee is Beleeue me were it not that I regarded mine honour and that I am vnwilling to publish to the world his presumptuous audaciousnesse and boldnesse I would so handle thee thou accursed Hagge that thy discourse and thy life should haue ended both together Celest. In an ill houre came I hither If my spels and coniuration faile mee Goe to goe to I wot well inough to whom I speake This poore Gentleman this your brother is at the poynt of death and ready to dye Melibea Darest thou yet speake before mee and mutter words between thy teeth for to augment my anger double thy punishment Wouldst thou haue me soyle mine honour for to giue life to a foole to a mad man Shall I make my selfe sad to make him merry Wouldst thou thriue by my losse And reape profit by my perdition And receiue remuneration by my error Wouldst thou haue me ouerthrow and ruine my fathers house and honour for to raise that of such an old rotten Bawd as thou art Dost thou thinke I doe not perceiue thy drift That I doe not track thee step by step Or that I vnderstand not thy damnable errand But I assure thee the reward that thou shalt get thereby shall be no other saue that I may take from thee all occasion of farther offending heauen to giue an end to thy euill dayes Tell me Traitor as thou art how didst thou dare to proceed so farre with mee Celest. My feare of you Madame doth interrupt my excuse but my innocency puts new courage into me your presence againe disheartens me in seeing you so angry But that which grieues and troubles me most is that I receiue displeasure without any reason and am hardly thought on without a cause Giue mee leaue good Lady to make an end of my speach and then will you neither blame it nor condemne me then will you see that I rather seek to doe good seruice then indeauour any dishonest course and that I do it more to adde health to the Patient then to detract any thing from the fame and worth of the Physician And had I thought that your Ladiship would so easily haue made this bad construction out of your late noxious suspicion your licence should not haue beene sufficient warrant to haue imboldened me to speake any thing that might concerne Calisto or any other man liuing Melibea Let mee heare no more of this mad man name not this foole vnto mee this leaper ouer walls this Hob-goblin this night-walker this phantasticall spirit long-shanked like a Stork in shape and proportion like a picture in Arras that is ill-wrought or an ill-fauour'd fellow in an old sute of hangings Say no more of him vnlesse you would haue mee to fall downe dead where I stand This is hee who saw mee the other day and beganne to court mee with I know not what extrauagant phrases as if hee had not beene well in his wits professing himselfe to be a great Gallant Tell him good old woman if hee thinke that I was wholy his and that he had wonne the field because it pleased me rather to consent to his folly then correct his fault and yeeld to his errand then chastise his errour that I was willing rather to let him goe like a foole as hee came then to publish this his presumptuous enterprize Moreouer aduise him that the next way to haue his sicknesse leaue him is to leaue off his louing and wholy to relinquish his purpose if he purpose to impart health to himselfe which if he refuse to doe tell him from mee that he neuer bought words all the daies of his life at a dearer rate Besides I would haue him know that no man is ouercome but he that thinks himselfe so to be So shall I liue secure and he contented But it is euermore the nature of fooles to thinke other like themselues Returne thou with this very answer vnto him for other answer of me shall he none nor neuer hope for any for it is but in vaine to intreat mercy of him of whom thou canst not haue mercy And for thine owne part thou maist thanke God that thou scapest hence scot-free I haue heard inough of you heeretofore and of all your good qualities though it was not my hap to know you Celestina Troy stood out more stoutly and held out longer And many fiercer Dames haue I tamed in my dayes Tush No storme lasteth
leaue other mens thoughts and cares to themselues and let vs go sleepe for it is time and a good sound sleepe without feare will fat me more and doe me more good then all the Treasure and wealth or Venice ACTVS VIIJ THE ARGVMENT THe day appeares Parmeno departs and takes his leaue of Areusa and goes to his Master Calisto He findes Sempronio at the doore they enter into amitie goe ioyntly to Calisto's chamber they finde him talking with himselfe being risen hee goes to Church INTERLOCVTORS Parmeno Areusa Calisto Sempronio PArmeno It is day O what a spight is this Whence is it that it is so light in the chamber Areusa What doe you talke of day Sleepe Sir and take your rest for it is but euen now since we lay down I haue scarce shut mine eyes yet would you haue it to be day I pray you open the window by you the window there by your beds head and you shall then see whether it be so or no Parm. Gentlewoman I am in the right it is day I see it is day I am not deceiued No no I knew it was broad day when I saw the light come thorow the chinks of the doore O what a Villaine am I Into how great a fault am I falne with my Master I am worthy of much punishment O how farre daies is it Areusa Farre daies Parme. I farre daies very farre daies Areusa Neuer trust mee Alas I am not eased of my Mother yet It paines me still I know not what should be the reason of it Parmeno Deare loue what wouldst thou haue mee to doe Areusa That wee talke a little on the matter concerning my indisposition Parme. What should we talke Loue any more if that which hath been said already be not sufficient excuse that in me which is more necessary for it is now almost high noone and if I stay any longer I shall not be welcome to my Master To morrow is a new day and then I will come to see you againe and as often afterwards as you please and therefore was one day made after another because that which could not be performed in one day might bee done in another as also because wee should see one another the oftener In the meane while let me intreate you to doe mee the fauour that you will come and dine with vs to day at Celestina's house Areusa With all my heart and I thanke you too Fare-well good lucke be with you I pray pull the doore after you Par. And fare you well too O singular pleasure O singular ioy What man liues there this day that can say he is more fortunate then I am Can any man be more happy any more successefull then my selfe that I should enioy so excellent a gift so curious a creature and no sooner aske then haue Beleeue me if my heart could brooke this old womans treasons I could creepe vpon my knees to doe her a kindnesse How shall I bee able to requite her O heauens To whom shall I impart this my ioy To whom shall I discouer so great a secret To whom shall I discouer some part of my glorie It is true that the old woman told mee That of no prosperitie the possession can be good without company and that pleasure not communicated is no pleasure O! who can haue so true a feeling of this my happinesse as my selfe But lo yonder is Sempronio standing at our doore hee hath beene stirring betimes I shall haue a pittious life with my Master if he be gone abroad but I hope hee is not if hee be hee hath left his old wont But being he is not now himselfe no maruell if he breake custome Sempr. Brother Parmeno if I knew that countrey where a man might get wages by sleeping it should goe hard but I would make a shift to get thither For I would not then come short of any man I would scorne to be put downe but would gaine as much as another man be hee who hee will be that beares a head But what is the matter that thou like a carelesse and retchles fellow loytring I know not where hast been so negligent and slow in thy returne I cannot deuise what should be the cause of this thy so long stay vnlesse it were to giue old Celestina a warming to night or to rub her feete as you were wont to doe when you were a Little-one Parme. O Sempronio my good friend I pray thee doe not interrupt or rather corrupt my pleasure Doe not intermix thy anger with my patience doe not inuolue thy discontentment with my quiet Doe not soyle with such troubled water the cleare liquor of those gladsome thoughts which I harbour in my heart Doe not sowre with thy malicious taunts and hatefully reprehensions the sweetnesse of my delight Receiue me cheerefull imbrace me with ioy and I shall tell thee wonders of my late happy proceedings Sempr. Come out with it out with it Is it any thing touching Melibea Say Lad hast thou seene her Parm. What talk'st thou to me of Melibea It is touching another that I wish better vnto then Melibea And such a one if I be not deceiued as may compare with her both in handsomnes and beauty Melibea Why she is not worthy to carry her shooes after her as though forsooth the world and all that therein is be it beauty or otherwise were onely inclosed in Melibea Sempr. What meanes this fellow Is hee mad I would fayne laugh but I cannot Now I see wee are all in loue the world is at an end Calisto loues Melibea I Elicia and thou out of meere enuy hast found out some one with whom thou might'st lose that little wit thou hast Parm. Is it folly say you to loue Then am I a foole But if foolishnesse were a paine some in euery house would complaine Sempr. I appeale to thy selfe by thine owne iudgement thou art no better For my selfe haue heard thee giue vaine and foolish counsell to Calisto and to crosse Celestina in euery word shee spake to the hinderance of both our profits O Sir you were glad of this it was meate alone to you Who you No not for a world would you beare a part with vs But since I haue caught you in my clutches I will hamper you yfaith Now that thou art in those hands that may hurt thee they shall doe it assure thy selfe they shall Parm. It is not Sempronio true courage nor manly valour to hurt or hinder any man but to doe good to heale and helpe him and farre greater is it to be willing so to doe I haue euermore made reckoning of thee as of mine owne brother Let not that be verified of thee which is commonly spoken amongst vs that a slight cause should part true friends I tell you you doe not vse me well Nay you deale very ill with mee I know not whence this rancor should arise Doe not vexe me Sempronio Torment me not with these thy wounding words And shall I tell
good what they approue that is bad And since this is a true rule and common custome amongst them doe not iudge of Melibea's either goodnesse or beauty by that which they affirme Sempr. Gentlewomen let mee answer you in a word Your ill tongued multitude and pratling vulgar neuer pardon the faults of great persons no not of their Soueraigne himselfe which makes me to thinke that if Melibea had so many defects as you taxe her withall they would e're this haue beene discouered by those who know her better then wee doe And howbeit I should admit all you haue spoken to be true yet pardon me if I presse you with this particular Calisto is a Noble Gentleman Melibea the Daughter of Honourable parents So that it is vsuall with those that are descended of such high Linage to seeke and inquire each after other and therefore it is no maruell if he rather loue her then another Areusa Let him be base that holds himselfe base they are the Noble Actions of men that make men Noble For in conclusion we are all of one making flesh and bloud all Let euery man striue to be good of himselfe and not goe searching for his vertue in the Noblenesse of his Ancestors Celest. My good children as you loue mee cease this contentious kinde of talke and you Elicia I pray you come to the Table againe sit you downe I say and doe not vexe and grieue your selfe as you doe Elicia With this condition that my meate may be may poyson and that my belly may burst with that I eate Shall I sit downe and eate with this wicked Villaine that hath stoutly maintained it to my face and no body must say him nay That Melibea That Dishclout of his is fairer then I Sempr. I prythee Sweet-heart be quiet it was you that made the comparison and comparisons you know are odious and therefore it is you that are in the fault and not I Areusa Come sister come and sit with vs I pray come eate with vs Haue you no more wit then to be angry with such a crosse foole as hee I would not doe him so much pleasure as to forbeare my meate for him let him goe hang if hee be peeuish will you be peeuish too I pray you sit downe vnlesse you will haue me likewise to rise from the Table Elicia The necessity which I haue imposed vpon my selfe to please thee in all things and in all thy requests makes mee against my will to giue contentment to this enemy of mine and to carry my selfe out of my respect to this good company more fairely towards him then otherwise I would Sempronio Ha ha he Elicia What dost thou laugh at Now the euill Canker eate and consume that vnpleasing and offensiue mouth of thine Celest. Sonne I pray thee no more Do not answer her for then we shall neuer make an end This is nothing to the present purpose Let vs follow our businesse and attend that which may tend to our good Tell me How does Calisto How hap't it you left him thus all alone How fell it out that both of you could slip away from him Parme. He flung from vs with a vengeance fretting and fuming like a mad-man his eyes sparkeling foorth fire his mouth venting forth curses despairefull discontented in minde and like one that is halfe besides himselfe and is now gone to Saint Mary Magdalens to desire of God that thou maist well and truely gnaw the bones of these Chickens vowing neuer to come home till hee heare that thou art come with Melibea in thy lap Thy gowne and kirtle and my cassocke are cock-sure For the rest let the world slide but when we shall haue it that I know not all the craft is in the catching Celest. Let it come when it will come it shall be welcome when e're it comes A cassocke is good weare after winter And sleeues are good after Easter Euery thing makes the heart merry that is gotten with ease and without any labour especially comming from thence where it leaues so small a gap and from a man of that wealth and substance who with the very branne and scraps of his house would make me of a begger to become rich such is the surplus and store of his goods and such as hee it neuer grieues them what they spend considering the cause wherefore they giue For they feele it not when they are in the heat and passion of their loue it paines them not they neither see nor heare which I iudge to be true by others that I haue knowne to be lesse passionate and lesse scorched in the fiery flames of loue then Calisto is in so much that I haue seen them neither eat nor drink neither laught nor weep neither sleep nor wake neither speake nor hold their peace neither liue in paine nor yet finde ease neither be contented nor yet complaine of discontentment answerable to the perplexity of that sweet and cruell wound of their hearts And if naturall necessity forceth them to any one of these they are so wholly forgetfull of themselues and strucke into such sudden senslesnesse of their present being and condition that eating their hands forget to carry their meat to their mouthes Besides if you talke with them they neuer answer you directly Their bodies are there with you but where they loue there are their hearts and their senses Great is the force of loue His power doth not only reach ouer the earth but passeth also ouer the seas He holds an equall command ouer all mankinde He breaks thorow all kinde of difficulties and dangers whatsoeuer It is a tormentfull thing full of feare and of care His eye roles euery way nothing can escape him And if any of you that be heere ing perhaps 100. stripes vpon them and afterwards thrust them out of dores with their haire about their cares and their fardles at their backs rating them in most vile manner crying Out of my doors you thiefe you whore you strumpet this is no place for such paltry baggages Thou shalt not spoyle my house I will not be thus dishonoured by thee So that in stead of expected recompence they receiue nothing but bitter reuilements Where they expect to goe preferred out of the house they goe preiudiced out of the house And where they expect to be well married they are quite mar'd in their reputation And where they expect iewels and wedding apparell there are they sent out naked and disgraced these are their rewards these their benefits and these the payments they receiue for their seruice They are bound to giue them husbands and in liew thereof they strip them of their clothes The greatest grace and honour which they haue in their Ladies house is to be imployed in walking the streetes from one Ladie to another and to deliuer their Ladies message As My Lady hath sent to know how you doe how you did rest to night how your physicke wrought with you and how many occasions it gaue your
place in her wheele that you may say vnto me Mich you good dich you with your old ware you hindges are now growne rustie for want of oyling Sempr. Mother you make my haire stand on end to heare these strange things which you recount vnto vs would your Nobles your Knights and Learned men fall so low I am sure they are not all of them so badde as you make them to be Celest. No my son Ioue forbid that I should raise any such report or lay a generall scandall vpon any of their ranke For there were many old good men amongst them with whom I had but small dealings and could scarce endure to see me But amongst the greatest as they grew great in number so had I a great number of them some of one sort and some of another some I found very chaste and some that took the charge vpon them to maintaine such Traders as my selfe And I am still of this beliefe that of these there is no lack and these forsooth would send their Squires and young men to waite vpon me whithersoeuer I went and I should scarce haue set my foote within mine owne doores but straight at the heeles of me you should haue one come in with chickens another with Hens a third with Geese a fourth with Ducks This man sends me in Partriges that man Turtle Doues he a gammon of Bacon such a one a Tart or a Custard and some good fellow or other a good sucking Pigge or two for euery one as soone as he had a conuenient present so they came presently to register them in my house that I and those their pretty soules might merrily eat them together and as for wine we wanted none the best that a man could lay his lips to in the whole City was sent vnto me from diuers parts and corners of the Towne as that of Monviedro of Lugne of Toro of Madrigall of San-Martin and many other Townes and Villages And indeed so many that albeit I still keepe the differences of their taste and relish in my mouth yet doe I not retaine the diuersity of their foyles in my remembrance For it is enough for such an old woman as I that when a good cuppe of wine comes neer my nose I can be able to say This is such a wine or it comes from such a place or person why your presents from all parts from all sorts came vpon me as thicke as hops as flies to a pot of hony or as stones that are throwne vpon a stage boyes came tumbling in at my doore with as much prouision as they could carry on their backs But now those good daies are past I haue eaten all my white bread in my youth and know not how in the world to liue being fallen from so happy an estate Areusa Since we are come hither to be merry good mother doe not weepe I pray doe not vexe your selfe be of good cheere plucke vp your heart like a woman the world while wee are in it is bound to keepe vs all and no doubt but you shall haue enough Celest. O daughter I haue cause enough I think to weep when I call to mind those pleasant daies that are past and gone that merry life which then I led and how I had the world at will being serued honoured and sought to of all Why then there was not any new fruit or any the like dainty which I had not in my hands before others knew they were scarce blossom'd in those daies they were sure to be found in my house if any one with child should long for such a Toy Sempr. Mother the remembrance of the good time we haue had doth profit vs nothing when it cannot be recouered againe but rather brings griefe and sorrow to our selues as this interrupting discourse hath done but mother we will goe off and solace our selues whil'st you stay heere and giue this maid her answer Celest. Daughter Lucrecia passing ouer our former discourse I pray you tell mee what is the cause of your happy comming hither Lucrecia Beleeue me I had almost forgot my chiefe errand vnto you with thinking on that merry time which you talkt of Me thinkes I could continue fasting almost a whole yeere in harkening vnto thee and thinking on that pleasant life which those young wenches led me thinkes that with the very talking therof I haue a conceit with my selfe that at this present I feele my selfe in the same happinesse with them I shall now mistresse giue you to vnderstand the cause of my comming I am sent vnto you for my Ladies Girdle and moreouer my Ladie intreats you that you would come and visit her and that out of hand for shee feeles her selfe very ill and much pained and troubled with griefes and pangs about the heart I assure you she is very heart-sicke Celestina Of these petty griefes the report is more then the paine Is 't about the heart say you I maruell I promise you that so young a Gentlewoman as shee is should be pained at the heart Lucrecia Would thou wert as well drag'd along the streetes thou old traiterous Hagge as thou know'st well inough what shee ayles The subtill old Bawd comes and does her witcheries and her tricks and then goes her waies and afterwards when one comes vnto her for helpe she makes forsooth as if she knew no such matter it is newes forsooth to her Celest. What sai'st thou Daughter Lucrecia Mary I say mother would we were gone once and that you would giue me the Girdle Celest. Come let vs goe I will carry it along with me ACTVS X. THE ARGVMENT VVHilest Celestina and Lucrecia goe onward on their way Melibea talkes and discourses with her selfe Being come to the doore first enters Lucrecia anon after causes Celestina to come in Melibea after some exchange of words opens her mind to Celestina telling her how feruently she was falne in loue with Calisto They spy Alisa Melibea's mother comming they take their leaue each of other Alisa askes her daughter Melibea what businesse she had with Celestina and what she made there disswading her from conuersing with her and forbidding her her company INTERLOCVTORS Melibea Celestina Alisa Lucrecia MElibea O wretch that I am O vnfortunate Damsell Had I not beene better yesterday to haue yeelded to Celestina's petition and request when in the behalfe of that Gentleman whose sight hath made me his prisoner I was so earnestly sued vnto and so haue contented him and cured my selfe then to be thus forcibly driuen to discouer my heart when haply he will not accept of it when as already disaffianced in his hope for want of a good and faire answer hee hath set both his eyes and his heart vpon the loue and person of another how much more aduantageous vnto me would an intreated promise haue beene then a forced offerture to grant being requested then to yeeld being constrained O my faithfull seruant Lucrecia what wilt thou say of me what wilt thou thinke
of my iudgement and vnderstanding when thou shalt see me to publish that which I would neuer discouer vnto thee how wilt thou stand astonished of my honesty and modesty which like a Recluse shut vp from all company I haue euer hitherto kept inuiolable I know not whether thou hast suspected or no whence this my sorrow proceedeth or whether thou art now comming with that Solicitresse of my safety O thou high and supreme Power thou vnto whom all that are in misery and affliction call and cry for helpe the appassionated begge remedy the wounded craue healing thou whome the heauens seas earth and the Center of hell it selfe doth obey thou who submittedst all things vnto men I humbly beseech thee that thou wilt giue sufferance and patience to my wounded heart whereby I may be able to dissemble my terrible passion Let not this Leafe of my chastity lose it 's guylding which I haue laid vpon this amorous desire publishing my paine to be otherwise then that which indeed tormenteth me But how shall I be able to doe it That poysoned morsell so cruelly tormenting mee which the sight of that Gentlemans presence gaue me O Sexe of woman kind feeble and fraile in thy being why was it not granted as well vnto women to discouer their tormentfull and feruent flames as vnto men For then neither should Calisto haue cause to complaine nor I to liue in paine Lucrecia Aunt stay heere a while behinde this doore whilest I goe in and see with whom my Mistresse is talking Come in she is talking alone to her selfe Melibea Lucrecia make fast the doore there and pull downe the hanging ouer it O wise and honest old Dame you are exceeding welcome what thinke you that chance should so dispose of things and fortune so bring about her wheele that I should stand in neede of this wisdome and craue so suddenly of you that you would â—dy me in the selfe-same coyne the courtesie which was by you demanded of me for that Gentleman whome you were to cure by the vertue of my Girdle Celest. Say Lady what is your disease that you so liuely expresse the tokens of your torment in those your maiden blushes Melibea Truly mother I thinke there be some Serpents within my body that are gnawing vpon my heart Celest. It is well euen as I would haue it I will be euen with you you foole for your yesterdaies anger I will make you pay for it with a witnesse Melibea What 's that you say Haue you perceiued by my lookes any cause from whence my malady proceedeth Celest. You haue not Madame told me the quality of your disease and would you haue mee diuine of the cause That which I say is this that I am heartily sorry to see your Ladiship so sad and so ill Melibea Good old woman Doe thou make me merry then For I haue heard much of thy wisdome Celest. Madame as farre as humane knowledge can discerne of inward griefe I dare presume And for as much as for the health and remedy of infirmities and diseases these graces were imparted vnto men for the finding out of fit and conuenient medicines whereof some were attained to by experience some by Art and some by a naturall instinct some small portion of these good gifts this poore old creature my selfe haue gotten who is heere present to doe you the best seruice she can Melibea O how acceptable and pleasing are thy words to mine eares it is a comfortable thing to the sicke patient to see his physician to look cheerfully vpon him Me thinks I see my heart broken betweene thy hand in pieces which with a little labour and by power and vertue of thy tongue thou art able if thou wilt to ioyne together and make it whole againe euen as easily as Alexander that great King of Macedon dream't of that wholesome roote in the mouth of a Dragon wherewith he healed his seruant Ptolomy who had beene bitten by a Viper and therefore for the loue of Ioue disroabe your selfe that you may more easily and more diligently looke into the nature of my disease and affoord me some remedy for it Celest. A great part of health is the desiring of health And a good signe of mending to be willing to mend For which reason I reckon your griefe the lesse and hold it the lesse dangerous But that I may minister a wholesome medicine vnto you and such a one as may be agreeable to your disease it is requisite that you first satisfie me in these three particulars The first is on which side of your body your paine doth lye most The second how long you haue had this paine whether it hath taken you but of late or no For your newly growing infirmities are sooner cured in the tendernesse of their growth then when they haue taken deepe rooting by ouer-long perseuering in their office So beasts are sooner tamed when they are young and more easily brought to the yoake then when their hide is throughly hardned So far better doe those plants grow vp and prosper which are remooued when they are young and tender then those that are transplanted hauing long borne fruit The third is whether this your euill hath proceeded of any cruell thought which hath taken hold on you This being made knowne you shall see mee set my selfe roundly to worke about your cure for it is very fit and conuenient that you should open the whole truth as well to your Physician as your Confessour Melibea Friend Celestina Thou wise Matrone and great Mistresse in thy Art thou hast well opened vnto me the way by which I may manifest my maladie vnto thee Beleeue me you haue questioned me like a wise woman and like one that is well experienced in these kind of sickenesses My paine is about my heart it's residence neere vnto my left Pappe but disperseth it selfe ouer euery part of my body Secondly it hath beene so but of late nor did I euer thinke that any paine whatsoeuer could haue so depriued me of my vnderstanding as this doth it troubles my sight changes my countenance takes away my stomacke I cannot sleepe for it nor will it suffer mee to inioy any kinde of pleasure touching the thought which was the last thing you demanded concerning my disease I am not able to deliuer it vnto you and as little the cause thereof For neither death of kinsfolke nor losse of temporall goods nor any sudden passion vpon any vision nor any doting dreame nor any other thing can I coniecture to be the cause of it saue onely a kinde of alteration caused by your selfe vpon your request which I suspected in the behalfe of that Gentleman Calisto when you entreated me for my Charme Celest. What Madame Is Calisto so bad a man Is his name so bad that onely but to name him should vpon the very sound thereof send forth such poyson Deceiue not your selfe Doe not beleeue that this is the cause of your griefe I haue another thing
haue risen a little earlier Harke harke good Mistresse Melibea harke I say Melibea What does the foole there sneaking in the corner Lucrecia Come hither Madame and you shall heare how forward your father and mother are for to prouide you a husband you shall be married out of hand out of hand Madame Melibea For all loues sake speake softly they will heare you by and by let them talke on they beginne to doat for this month they haue had no other talke their minde hath runne on nothing else it may be their heart tels them of the great loue which I beare to Calisto as also of that which for this months space hath passed between vs I know not whether they haue had any inkling of our meeting or whether they haue ouer-heard vs nor can I deuise in the world what should be the reason why they should be so hot vpon the matter and more eager for the marrying of mee now then euer heeretofore but they shall misse of their purpose they shall labour it in vaine for to what vse serues the clapper in the Mil if the Miller be deafe Who is he that can remoue me from my glory Who can withdraw me from my pleasure Calisto is my Soule my Life my Lord on whom I haue set vp my rest and in whom I haue placed all my hopes I know that in him I cannot be deceiued And since that hee loues me with what other thing but loue can I requite him All the debts in the world receiue their payment in a diuers kind but loue admits no other payment but loue I glad my selfe in thinking on him I delight my selfe in seeing him and reioyce my selfe in hearing him Let him doe with mee what he will and dispose of me at his pleasure if he will goe to Sea I will goe with him if hee will round the world I will along with him if he will sell mee for a slaue in the enemies Countrey I will not resist his desire Let my Parents let me inioy him if they meane to inioy me 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 himselfe happy to see mee in the night Farre farre therefore from mee be 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 Lucrecia Peace Madame harke harke they continue in their discourse Pleberio Since wife mee thinkes you seeme to like well of this motion it is not amisse that wee make it knowne to our daughter wee may doe well to tell her how many doe desire her and what store of sutors would be willing to come vnto her to the end that she may the more willingly entertaine our desire and make choyce of him whom she liketh best For in this particular the Lawes allow both men and women though they be vnder paternall power for to make their owne choyce Alisa What doe you meane husband Why doe you talke and spend time in this Who shall be the messenger to acquaint our daughter Melibea with this strange newes and shall not affright her therewith Alasse doe you thinke that she can tell what a man meanes or what it is to marry or be married or whether by the coniunction of man and woman children are begot or no Doe you think that her simple and vnspotted Virginity can suggest vnto her any filthy desire of that which as yet she neither knowes nor vnderstandeth nor cannot so much as conceiue what it meanes It is the least part of her thought Beleeue it my Lord Pleberio she doth not so much as dreame on any such matter and assure your selfe be hee what hee will be eyther noble or base faire or soule we will make her to take whom it pleaseth vs whom we like him shall shee like shee shall confirme her will to ours and shall thinke that fit which wee thinke fit and no further for I know I trow how I haue bred and brought vp my daughter Melibea Lucrecia Lucrecia runne hye thee quickly and goe in by the backe doore in the hall
this place suffer dishonour though hee haue suffered death Let mourning goe along with vs let solitarinesse accompany vs let discomfort waite vpon vs let sorrow apparell vs let mourning weedes couer vs and let vs put on sad habits Melibea Ay me of all other the most miserable So short a time to possesse my pleasure so soone to see my sorrowes come vpon me Lucrecia Madame teare not your face rent not your hayre What but euen now all pleasure and now all sorrow Out alas that one and the selfe-same Planet should so suddenly affoord an effect so contrary where is your courage Fye what a faint heart haue you pray you arise from the ground let not your father find you in so suspitious a place for if you continue thus you cannot choose but be heard Why Madame Madame I say heare you me Doe you heare Lady Of all loues do not fall any more into these swounds Be as valiant and couragious in induring your sorrow as you were hot and hardy in committing your errour Melibea Heare you what moane his poore seruants make heare you how wofully they lament his losse wailing and weeping praying and answering each to other they carry away from mee all my good all my happinesse my dead ioy my dearest Loue they carry away from me my time is come I am but a dead woman I can liue no longer since I may no more inioy the ioy of my heart O that I should let thee goe that I should hold that Iewell no faster which I so lately held in my hands O vngratefull mortals O vnthankefull as wee be who neuer know our happinesse vntill wee want it Lucrecia Vp vp Madame for it will be a greater dishonor vnto you to be found thus heere in the garden then eyther the pleasure you receiued by his comming or the sorrow which you take for his death Come let vs into your chamber And goe lay you downe on your bed and I will call your father Wee will faigne some other ill since to hide this it is impossible ACTVS XX. THE ARGVMENT LVCRECIA comes to Pleberio's chamber and knockes at the doore Pleberic askes her what 's the matter Lucrecia intreates him to come presently to see his daughter Melibea Pleberio rises and goes streight to Melibea's chamber Hee comforts her demanding what shee ayleth and where was her griefe Melibea faignes her paine to be about her heart Melibea sends her father forth for some musicall Instruments Shee and Lucrecia get them when hee was gone to the top of a Tower Shee sends away Lucrecia and shuts the doore after her Her father comes to the foote of the Tower Melibea discouers vnto him all the whole businesse of what had passed That done she throwes her selfe downe from the top of the Tower INTERLOCVTORS Pleberio Lucrecia Melibea PLeberio What would you Lucrecia What meanes this exceeding haste and with so great importunity and troublednesse of minde What ayles my daughter What sudden sicknesse hath seazed on her that I cannot haue the leysure to put on my cloathes nay scarce so much time as to rise Lucrecia Sir if you will see her aliue come quickely What her griefe is I know not Nay scarce know I her so disfigured is her face Pleberio Come let vs goe quickly lead the way in afore lift vp the hangings open this same window set it wide open that I may haue light enough to take a full view of her Why how now daughter What 's the matter What is your paine Where lies it What a strange thing is this What faintnesse doe I see What weakenesse and feeblenesse Looke vpon me daughter I am thy father Speake vnto me for pitties sake speake and tell mee the cause of your griefe that wee may the sooner prouide a remedy Send not my gray hayres with sorrow to the graue thou knowest I haue no other good but thee no other worldly happinesse Open thy gladsome eyes looke cheerefully vpon mee Melibea Ay mee What shall I doe Pleberio What woe can equall mine to see thee in such wofull plight Your mother as soone as euer shee but heard you were ill fell presently into a swound and lies in that extremity and in a manner senslesse that shee is not able to come and see thee Be of good cheere plucke vp thy heart and so raise vp thy spirits that thou may'st rise and goe along with mee to visit her Tell mee sweete soule the cause of thy sorrow Melibea My cure is remedilesse Pleberio 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 Mel. 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 Pleberio 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 Melibea 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 Pleberio Come let vs goe and take Lucrecia with vs Melibea 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 Pleberio This daughter shall presently be done I will goe my selfe and will it to be prouided Melibea 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 Lucrecia I goe Madame Melibea They haue all of them left me I am now alone by my selfe and no body with mee The manner of my death falls fit and pat to my minde it is some ease vnto mee that I and my beloued Calisto shall so soone meet againe I will shut and make fast the dore that no body may come vp to hinder my death nor disturbe my departure nor to stop me in my iourney wherin I purpose to poast vnto him not doubting but to visit him as well this very day as he did mee this last night All things fadge aright and haue falne out as luckily as I could wish it I shall now haue time and leysure enough to recount to my father Pleberio the cause of this my short and sudden end I confesse I shall much wrong his siluer hayres and offer much iniury to his elder yeers I shall work great wo vnto him by this my errour I shall leaue him in great heauinesse and desolation all the daies of his life But admit my death will be the death of my dearest parents and put case that the shortning of my daies will be the shortning of theirs who doth not know but that others haue beene more cruell to their parents then I am Prusias King of Bythinia without any cause not induring that paine which I doe slew his owne father Ptolomy King of Egypt slew both father and mother and brother and wife and all for the loue of his Mistris Orestes kil'd his mother Clytemnestar and that cruell Emperour Nero onely for the fulfilling of his pleasure murdred his owne mother These and such as they are worthy of blame These are true Parricides not I who with mine owne punishment and with mine owne death purge away the guilt which otherwise they might moe iustly lay vpon mee for their deaths There haue beene others far more cruell who haue slaine their own children and their owne brothers in comparison of whose errours mine is as nothing at least nothing so great Philip King of Macedon Herod King of Iuryne Constantine Emperour of Rome Laodice Queene of Cappadocea and Medea the Sorceresse all these slew their owne sonnes and dearest children and that without any reason or iust cause preseruing their owne persons still in safety To conclude that great cruelty of Phrâ—ates King of the Parthians occurres to my remembrance who because hee would haue no successour behinde him murdred Orodes his aged father as also his onely sonne besides some thirty more of his brethren These were delicts worthy blame indeed because they keeping their owne persons free from perill butchered their Ancestours their successours and their brethren True it is that though all this be so yet are we not to imitate them in those things wherein they did amisse but it is not in my power to doe otherwise And thou great Gouernour of the heauens who art witnesse to my words thou see'st the small power that I haue ouer my passion thou seest how my liberty is captiuated and how my senses are taken with that powerfull loue of that late deceased Gentleman who hath depriued mee of that loue which I beare to my liuing parents Pleberio Daughter Melibea what make you there alone what is it you would you haue with mee shall I come vp to you Melibea No good father content you where you are trouble not your selfe nor striue to come to me you shall but disturbe and interrupt that short speach which I am now to make vnto you Now by and by shalt thou be suddenly wounded thy heart shall presently be prickt with griefe and shall bleede abundantly to see the death of thy onely daughter My end drawes neere at hand is my rest and thy passion my ease and thy paine my houre of keeping company and thy time of solitarinesse You shall not need my most honoured father to seeke out any instruments of musick to asswage my sorrow nor vse any other sound saue the sound of bels for to ring my knell and bring my body to the graue And if thou canst harken vnto mee for teares if thine eyes will giue thine cares leaue to heare thou shalt heare the desperate cause of this my forced yet ioyfull departure see thou neyther speake nor weepe interrupt mee not eyther with teares or words vnlesse thou mean'st more heereafter to be tormented in not knowing why I doe kill my selfe then thou art now sorrowfull to see my death Neither aske nor answer mee any thing nor question me any further then what of mine owne accord I shall willingly tell thee for when the heart is surcharged with sorrow the eare is deafe to good counsell and at such a time good and wholsome words rather incense then allay rage Heare my aged father the last words that euer I shall speake vnto you And if you entertaine them as I hope you will you will rather excuse then condemne my errour I am sure you both well perceiue and heare that most sad and doleful lamentation which is made thorowout all this City I am sure you heare this great noyse and ringing of bells the skriking and cryings out of all sorts of people this howling and barking of dogges this noyse and clattering of Armour Of all this haue I beene the cause I euen this very day haue clothed the greater part of the Knights and Gentlemen of this City in mourning I euen this very day haue left many seruants orphaned and quite destitute of a Master I haue beene the cause that many a poore soule hath now lost it 's almes and reliefe I haue beene the occasion that the dead should haue the company of the most complete Gentleman for his good graces and qualities that euer was borne I haue beene the occasion that the liuing haue lost the onely Patterne and Paragon of courtesie of gallant inuentions of witty deuices of neatnesse and decency in his cloathes of speech of gate of kindnesse and of vertue I haue beene the occasion that the earth doth now inioy the most noble body and the freshest flowre of youth that euer was created in this age of ours And because you may stand amazed and astonished at the sound of these my vnusuall and vnaccustomed crimes I will open the businesse and make this matter appeare more cleare vnto you It is now deare father many dayes since that a Gentleman called Calisto whom you well knew as likewise his Ancestors and noble Linage did languish and pine away for my loue As for his vertues and goodnesse they were generally knowne to the
lesse reason doe I finde for my comfort for much more miserable doe I finde my misfortune and doe not so much grieue at her death as I doe lament the manner of her death Now shall I lose together with thee most vnhappy daughter those feares which were daily wont to affright mee Onely thy death is that which makes mee secure of all suspitions and iealousies What shall I doe when I shall come into thy chamber and thy withdrawing roome and shall finde it solitary and empty What shall I doe when as I shall call thee and thou shalt not answer me Who is he that can supply that want which thou hast caused Who can stop vp that great breach in my heart which thou hast made Neuer any man did lose that which I haue lost this day Thogh in some sort that great fortitude of Lambas de Auria Duke of Genoa seemeth to sute with my present estate and condition who seeing his sonne was wounded to death tooke him and threw him with his owne armes foorth of the shippe into the sea But such kinde of deaths as these though they take away life yet they giue reputation and many times men are inforced to vndergoe such actions for to cumply with their honour and get themselues fame and renowne But what did inforce my daughter to dye but onely the strong force of loue What remedy now thou flattering world wilt thou affoord my wearisome age How wouldst thou haue me to rely vpon thee I knowing thy falsehoods thy gins thy snares and thy nets wherein thou intrap'st and takest our weake and feeble wills Tell me what hast thou done with my daughter where hast thou bestow'd her who shall accompany my disaccompanied habitation who shall cherish me in mine old age who with gentle vsage shall cocker my decaying yeeres O Loue Loue I did not thinke thou hadst had the power to kill thy subiects I was wounded by thee in my youth did passe thorow the midst of thy flames Why didst thou let me scape Was it that thou might'st pay me home for my flying from thee then in mine old age I had well thought that I had bin freed from thy snares when I once began to growe towards forty and when I rested contented with my wedded consort and when I saw I had that fruit which this day thou hast cut down I did not dreame that thou would'st in the children haue taken vengeance of the parents and I know not whether thou woundest with the sword or burnest with fire Thou leauest our clothes whole and yet most cruelly woundest our hearts thou makest that which is foule to seeme fayre and beautifull vnto vs Who gaue thee so great a power who gaue thee that name which so ill befitteth thee If thou wert Loue thou wouldst loue thy seruants and if thou didst loue them thou wouldst not punish them as thou dost If to be thy fellow were to liue merrily so many would not kill themselues as my daughter now hath infinit of vs What end haue thy seruants and their Ministers had as also that false Bawd Celestina who dy'd by the hands of the faithfullest companions that euer she lighted vpon in her life for their true performance in this thy venomous impoisoned seruice They lost their heads Calisto he brake his necke and my daughter to imitate him submitted her selfe to the selfe-same death And of all this thou wast the cause they gaue thee a sweete name but thy deedes are exceeding sowre thou dost not giue equall rewards and that Law is vniust which is not equall alike vnto all Thy voyce promiseth pleasure but thy actions proclaime paine happy are they who haue not knowne thee or knowing thee haue not cared for thee Some ledde with I know not what error haue not stickt to call thee a god But I would haue such fooles as these to consider with themselues it sauors not of a Deity to murder or destroy those that serue and follow him O thou enemy to all reason To those that serue thee least thou giuest thy greatest rewards vntill thou hast brought them at last into this thy troublesome dance Thou art an enemy to thy friends and a friend to thy enemies and all this is because thou dost not gouerne thy selfe according to order reason They paint thee blind poore and young they put a Bowe into thy hand wherein thou drawest and shootest at random but more blind are they that serue thee For they neuer taste or see the vnsauory distastful recompence which they receiue by thy seruice thy fire is of hot burning lightning which scorches vnto death yet leaues no impression or print of any wound at all The sticks which thy flames consume are the soules and liues of humane creatures which are so infinit and so numberlesse that it scarce accurreth vnto me with whom I should first begin not only of Christians but of Gentiles of Iewes and all forsooth in requitall of their good seruices What shall I speak of that Macias of our times and how by louing he came to his end Of whose sad and wofull death thou wast the sole cause What seruice did Paris do thee What Helena What Clytemnestra What Aegisthus All the world knowes how it went with them How well likewise didst thou requite Sapho Ariadne and Leander and many other besides whom I willingly silence because I haue enough to do in the repetition of mine own misery I complaine me of the world because I was bred vp in it for had not the world giuen me life I had not therein begot Melibea not being begot shee had not beene borne not being borne I had not lou'd her and not louing her I should not haue mourned as now I do in this my latter and vncomfortable old age O my good companion O my bruised daughter bruised euen all to pieces Why wouldst thou not suffer me to diuert thy death why wouldst thou not take pitty of thy kinde and louing mother why didst thou shew thy selfe so cruell against thy aged father why hast thou left me thus in sorrow why hast thou left me comfortlesse and all alone in hâc lachrimarum valle in this vaile of teares and shadow of death FINIS Lucan lib. 6. iuxta finem To the Reader LO heere thy Celestine that wicked wight Who did her tricks vpon poore Louers prooue And in her company the god of Loue Lo grace beauty desire terrour hope fright Faith falsehood hate loue musicke griefe delight Sighes sobs teares cares heates colds girdle gloue Paintings Mercury Sublimate dung of Doue Prison force fury craft scoffes Art despight Bawds Ruffians Harlots seruants false vntrue And all th' effects that follow on the same As warre strife losse death infamy and shame All which and more shall come vnto thy view But if this Booke speake not his English plaine Excuse him for hee lately came from Spaine
bent against sorted to a gentle intertaining of thy suite For all that I haue heard hitherto are rather tokens of hate then of loue Celestina The greatest glory which is giuen to that secret office of the Bee which little creature of nature the discreeter sort ought to imitate is that whatsoeuer be toucheth he conuerteth it into a better substance then in it selfe it was In like manner hath it so befalne mee with those coy and squeamish speeches of Melibea and all other her scornefull and disdainefull behauiours all her sowre looks and words I turned into honey her anger into mildenesse her fury into gentlenesse and her running from me into running to mee Tell me man What didst thou thinke Celestina went thither for What would she make there whom you haue already rewarded beyond her desert vnlesse it were to pacifie her fury to oppose my selfe to all accidents to be your shield and buckler in your absence to receiue vpon my mantle all the blowes that were strucke at you to endure those reuilings bitter tauntings and those disdainfull termes which such as she is vsually make show of when they are first sued vnto for their loue And why forsooth doe they this Onely to the end That what they giue may the better be estemed and therefore they still speake worst of him whom they loue best and make a show of most dislike where they like most Which if it should not be so there would be no difference between the loue of a common whore and an honest Damsell that staâ— is vpon her honour if euery one should say yea as soone as she is asked And therefore when they see a man loues them though themselues burne and fry in the liueliest flames of loue yet for modesties sake they will outwardly show a coldnesse of affection a sober countenance a pleasing kinde of strangenesse a constant minde a chaste intent and powre forth words as sharpe as Vineger that their owne tongues wonder at this their great sufferance making them forcibly to confesse that with their mouthes whose contrary is contained in their hearts But because I would haue thee haue some ease of thy sorrowes and take some repose whilst I relate at large vnto thee all the words that passed betweene her and mee and by what meanes I made my first entrance into Melibea's house Know for thy comfort that the end of her discourse was very good Calisto Now deare mother that you haue giuen mee assurance that I may boldly with comfort expect the extremest vigour of her answer say what thou wilt and I shall be attentiue thereunto Now my heart is at rest now my thoughts are quiet now my veynes receiue and recouer their lost bloud now haue I lost my feare now doe I finde some ioy now am I cheerefull Let vs if it please you goe vp where in my chamber you shall report that at full which I haue heard in briefe Celestina With all my heart Sir Come let vs goe Parme. O what starting holes does this foole seeke for to flye from vs that he may at his pleasure weepe for ioy with Celestina and discouer vnto her a thousand secrets of his light and doting appetite First to aske her I know not how oft of euery particular and then haue her answer him to the same sixe seuerall times one after another and neuer to make an end but ouer and ouer and ouer with it againe hauing no body by to tell him how tedious he is Fie vpon him I am sick to think vpon it Go your wayes you foole Get you vp with a murraine but we will not stay long after you Calisto Marke mother how Parmeno goes mumbling to himselfe see how the slaue crosses himselfe to heare what thou hast brought to passe by thy great diligence Obserue in what a maze he stands Looke looke Celestina dost thou see what hee is doing See and the villaine does not crosse himselfe againe Come vp vp vp and sit you downe I pray whilest I on my knees giue eare to thy sweete answer Say on And tell mee quickely by what meanes thou gotst into the house Celest. By selling a parcell of thread which I had by which trick I haue taken in my daies more then thirty of as good worth and quality as her selfe So it pleased fortune to fauour mee in this world and some better women I wisse and of greater rancke were shee more honorable then shee is Calisto Greater mother perhaps in body but not in noblenesse of birth not in state not in beauty not in discretion not in statelinesse linked with gracefulnesse and merit not in vertue nor in speach Parme. Now the fooles steele beginnes to strike fire now his bels beginne to iangle marke how his clocke goes it neuer strikes vnder twelue the finger of his dyall point is still vpon high noone all vpon the most Sempronio tell the clocke keepe true reckoning how standst thou gazing like a wide-mouthed driueling foole hearing his fooleries and her lies Sempr. O thou venomous tongued Villaine thou rayling Rascall Why shouldst thou alone stop thy eares at that to which all the world besides is willing to harken And say they are but tales and fables which shee tels him yet were it onely but for this that their discourses are of loue thou oughtst to lend them a willing attention Celest. Noble Calisto Let thy eares be open to that which I shall tell thee and thou shalt see what thy good fortune and my great eare haue effected for thee For when I was about to pitch a price of my thread and to sell it Melibea's mother was called away to goe visit a sister of hers that lay exceeding sicke and because she could not stay with me her selfe so necessary was her absence she left Melibea to conclude the bargaine and to driue such a price with mee as shee should thinke fit Calisto O ioy beyond compare O singular opportunity O seasonable time O that I had layne hid vnderneath thy mantle that I might haue heard her but speake on whom heauen hath so plentifully powred forth the fulnesse of his graces Celestina Vnder my mantle noble Sir Alacke poore soule as I am what would you haue done there Why shee must needes haue seene you at least thorow thirty holes should not fortune giue mee a better Parm. Well I will get me gon I say nothing Sempronio heare you all for mee I will be hang'd if the foole my Master doe not measure with his thoughts how many steps there be betweene this and Melibea's house And if hee not contemplate euery kinde of action and gesture shee might vse as how she lookt how she stood when shee was bargaining for the thread All his senses all the powers faculties of his soule are wholy taken vp and possest with her but he will finde in the end that my counsell would haue done him more good then all the cunning tricks and coozenages of Celestina Calisto What 's the matter