whole world So great was his loue-torment and so little both place and opportunity to speake with me that he was driuen to discouer his passion to a crafty and subtill woman named Celestina which Celestina comming as a suiter vnto mee in his behalfe drew my secret loue from forth my bosome and made mee to manifest that vnto her which I concealed from mine own mother she found the meanes to win me to her will shee made the match betweene vs shee plotted how his desire and mine should take effect And if hee dearely loued me I was not therein deceiued shee made vp that sad conclusion of that sweete and vnfortunate execution of his will and thus being ouer-come with the loue of Calisto I gaue him entrance into your house hee scaled your walls with ladders and brake into your garden brake my chaste purpose by taking from mee the flowre of my Virginity And thus almost this moneth haue wee liu'd in this delightfull errour of loue And as he came this lastnight vnto mee as hee was wont to doe e'en iust about the time that he should haue returned home as ill fortune would haue it who in the mutability of her nature ordereth and disposeth all things according to her disordered custome the walls being high the night darke the ladder light and weake his seruants that brought it vnacquainted with that kinde of seruice hee going downe somewhat hastily to see a fray which he heard in the streete betweene his seruants and some others that then passed by being in choller making more haste then good speed thinking he should neuer come soone enough not eying well his steps he sets his foot quite besides the rounds and so fell downe and with that wofull and vnfortunate fall hee pitcht vpon his head and had his braines beaten out and dasht in pieces against the stones and pauement of the streete Thus did the destinies cut off his thred thus cut off his life without confession cut off my hope cut off my glory cut off my company Things therefore being thus tell me father What cruelty were it in me he dying disbrained that I should liue pained all the daies of my life His death inuiteth mine inuiteth nay inforceth mee that it be speedily effected and without delay it teacheth mee that I should also fall headlong down that I may imitate him in all things It shall not be said of mee that those that are dead and gone are soone forgotten And therefore I will seeke to content him in my death since I had not time to giue him content in my life O my Loue and deare Lord Calisto expect mee for now I come But stay a little though thou dost expect mee and be not angry I prythee that I delay thee being that I am now paying my last debt and giuing it my finall account to my aged father to whom I owe much more O my best beloued father I beseech you if euer you did loue mee in this painefull forepassed life that we may both be interred in one Tombe and both our Obsequies be solemnized together I would faine speake some words of comfort vnto you before this my gladsome and well-pleasing end gathered and collected out of those ancient bookes which for the bettering of my wit and vnderstanding you willed me to reade were it not that my memory failes me being troubled and disquieted with the losse and death of my Loue as also because I see your ill indured teares trickle so fast downe your wrinckled cheekes Recommend mee to my most deare and best-beloued mother and doe you informe her at large of the dolefull occasion of my death I am glad with all my heart that shee is not heere present with you for her sight would but increase my sorrow Take aged father the gifts of old age for in large daies large griefes are to be endured Receiue the pledge and earnest of thy reuerend age receiue it at the hands of thy beloued daughter I sorrow much for my selfe more for you but most for my aged mother and so I recommend me to you both and both of you vnto your more happinesse to whom I offer vp my soule leauing the care to you to couer this body that is now comming downe vnto you ACTVS XXI THE ARGVMENT PPLEBERIO returning weeping to his chamber his wife Alisa demands the cause of this so sudden an ill Hee relates vnto her the death of her daughter Melibea shewing vnto her her bruised body and so making lamentation for her hee giues a conclusion to this Tragick Comedy INTERLOCVTORS Alisa Pleberio ALisa Why Pleberio my Lord what 's the matter why doe you weepe and snobbe and take on in such extreme and violent manner I haue lyen euer since in a dead swound so was I ouercome with griefe when I heard that our daughter was so ill And now hearing your pittifull lamentations your loude cryings your vnaccustomed complaints your mournings and great anguish they haue so pierced my very bowels made so quicke a passage to my heart and haue so quickned and reuiued my troubled and benummed senses that I haue now put away the griefe which I entertained thus one griefe driues out another and sorrow expelleth sorrow Tell mee the cause of your complaint Why doe you curse your honorable old age Why do you desire death Why doe you teare your milke-white hayres vp by the roates Why doe you scratch and rend your reuerend face Is any ill befalne Melibea For I pray you tell mee for if shee be not well I cannot liue Pleberio Out alas Ay mee my most noble wife Our solace is in the suds our ioy is turn'd into annoy all our conceiued hopes are vtterly lost all our happinesse is quite ouerthrowne let vs now no longer desire to liue And because vnexpected sorrowes leaue a greater impression of griefe and because they may bring thee the sooner to thy graue as also that I may not alone by my selfe bewayle that heauy losse which belongs to vs both looke out and behold her whom thou broughtst forth and I begot dash't and broken all to pieces The cause I vnderstood from her selfe but layd open more at large by this her sadde and sorrowfull seruant Helpe to lament these our latter daies which are now growing to an end O yee good people who come to behold my sorrowes and you Gentlemen my louing friends doe you also assist to bewayle my misery O my daughter and my onely good it were cruelty in mee that I should out-liue thee My threescore yeeres were fitter for the graue then thy twenty but the order of my dying was altred by that extremity of griefe which did hasten thy end O yee my boary hayres growne foorth to no other end saue sorrow it would better haue suted with you to haue beene buryed in the earth then with these golden tresses which lye heere before mee Too too many are the dayes that I haue yet to liue I will complaine and cry out
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
yee haue any pitty in you inspire that Pleberian heart therewith lest that my soule helplesse of hope should fall into the like misfortune with Pyrramus Thisbe Sempr. What a thing is this What 's the matter with you Calisto Away get thee gone doe not speake to me vnlesse thou wilt that these my hands before thy time be come cut off thy daies by speedy death Sempronio Since you will lament all alone and haue none to share with you in your sorrowes I will be gone Sir Calisto Now the diuell goe with thee Sempr. With me Sir there is no reason that he should goe with me who stayes with you O vnfortunate O sudden and vnexpected ill what contrarious accident what squint-ey'd starre is it that hath robbed this Gentleman of his wonted mirth and not of that alone but of it which is worse his wits Shall I leaue him all alone or shall I goe in to him If I leaue him alone he will kill himselfe If I goe in he will kill me Let him bide alone and bite vpon the bit come what will come I care not Better it is that hee dye whose life is hatefull vnto him then that I dye when life is pleasing vnto mee and say that I should not desire to liue saue onely to see my Elicia that alone is motiue inough to make mee looke to my selfe and guard my person from dangers but admit he should kill himselfe without any other witnesse then must I be bound to giue account of his life Well I will in for that but put case when I come in he will take neither comfort nor counsell mary his case is desperate for it is a shrewd signe of death not to be willing to be cured Well I will let him alone a while and giue his humour leaue to worke out it selfe I will forbeare till his angry fit be ouer-past and that his hat be come againe to his colour For I haue heard say that it is dangerous to lance or crush an Impostume before it bee ripe for then it will 〈◊〉 the more Let him alone a while let vs suffer him to weepe who suffers to sorrow for teares and sighes doe ease the heart that is surcharded with griefe but then againe if he see mee in sight I shall see him more incensed against mee For there the sunne scorcheth most where he reflecteth most the sight which hath no obiect set before it waxeth weary-and dull and hauing its obiect is as quicke And therefore I thinke it my best play to play least in sight and to stay a little longer but if in the meane while he should kill himselfe then farewell he Perhaps I may get more by it then euery man is aware of and cast my skinne changing rags for robes and penury for plenty But it is an old saying He that lookes after dead-mens shooes may chance to goe barefoote Perhaps also the diuell hath deceiued me And so his death may be my death and then all the fat is in the fire The rope will go after the Bucket and one losse follow another on the otherside your wise men say That it is a great ease to a grieued soule or one that is afflicted to haue a companion to whom he may communicate his sorrow Besides it is generally receiued that the wound which bleedes inward is euer the more dangerous Why then in these two extremes hang I in suspence what I were best to doe Sure the safest is to enter and better it is that I should indure his anger then for feare of his displeasure to forbeare to comfort him For if it be possible to cure without Arte and without things ready at hand farre easier is it to cure by Arte and wanting nothing that is necessary Calisto Sempronio Sempr. Sir Calisto Reach me that Lute Sempr. Sir heere it is Calisto Tell me what griefe so great can be As to equall my misery Sempr. This Lute Sir is out of tune Calisto How shall he tune it who himselfe is out of tune Or how canst thou heare harmony from him who is at such discord with himselfe Or how can he do any thing well whose will is not obedient to reason Who harbors in his brest needles peace warre truce loue hate injuries and suspicions And all these at once and from one and the same cause Doe thou therefore take this Lute vnto thee and sing me the most dolefull ditty thou canst deuise Sempronio Nero from Tarpey doth behold How Rome doth burne all on a flame He heares the cries of young and old Yet is not grieued at the same Calisto My fire is farre greater and lesse her pity whom now I speake of Sempr. I was not deceiued when I sayd my Master had lost his wits Calisto What 's that Sempronio thou muttrest to thy selfe Sempr. Nothing Sir not I Calisto Tell me what thou saidst Be not afraid Sempr. Marry I said How can that fire be greater which but tormenteth one liuing man then that which burnt such a Citty as that was and such a multitude of men Calisto How I shall tell thee Greater is that flame which lasteth fourescore yeeres then that which endureth but one day And greater that fire which burneth one soule then that which burneth an hundred thousand bodies See what difference there is betwixt apparencies and existencies betwixt painted shaddowes and liuely substances betwixt that which is counterfet and that which is reall So great a difference is there betwixt that fire which thou speakest of and that which burneth mee Sempr. I see I did not mistake my byas which for ought I perceiue runnes worse and worse Is it not inough to shew thy selfe a foole but thou must also speake prophanely Calisto Did not I will tell thee when thou speakest that thou shouldest speake aloud Tell me what 's that thou mumblest to thy selfe Sempr. Onely I doubted of what religion your Louers are Calisto I am a Melibean I adore Melibea I beleeue in Melibea and I loue Melibea Sempr. My Master is all Melibea who now but Melibea whose heart not able to containe her like a boyling vessell venting it's heate goes bubbling her name in his mouth Well I haue now as much as I desire I know on which foote you halt I shall not heale you Calisto Thou speakest of matters beyond the Moone It is impossible Sempr. O Sir exceeding easie for the first recouery of sicknesse is the discouery of the disease Calisto What counsell can order that which in it selfe hath neither counsell nor order Sempr. Ha ha ha Calisto's fire these his intolerable paines As if loue had beene his bow shot all his arrowes onely against him Oh Cupid how high and vnsearchable are thy mysteries What reward hast thou ordained for loue since that so necessary a tribulation attends on louers Thou hast set his bounds as markes for men to wonder at Louers euer deeming that they only are cast behinde and that others fill out 〈◊〉 them That all men
Sempr. Open the doore for this matronly Dame and mee Parme. Sir wot you who they are that knocke so loud It is Sempronio and an old bawd hee hath brought along with him O how shee is bedawb'd with painting Calisto Peace peace you Villaine she is my Aunt Run run you rascall and open the doore Well it is an old saying and I perceiue as true The fish leaps out of the panne and falls into the fire And a man thinking to shunne one danger runnes into another worse then the former For I thinking to keep close this matter from Parmeno on whose neck either out of loue faithfulnesse or feare Reason hath laid her reynes I haue fallen into the displeasure of this woman who hath no lesse power ouer my life then Ioue himselfe Par. Sir why doe you vexe your selfe why grieue you Doe you thinke that in the eares of this woman the name by which I now call her doth any way sound reproachfully Beleeue it not Assure your selfe she glories as much in this name as oft as shee heares it as you do when you heare some voyce Calisto to be a gallant Gentleman Besides by this is she commonly called and by this Title is shee of all men generally knowne If she passe along the streetes among a hundred women and some one perhaps blurts out See where 's the old Bawd without any impatiency or any the least distemper shee presently turnes her selfe about nods the head and answers them with a smiling countenance and cheerefull looke At your solemne banquets your great feasts your weddings your gossippings your merry meetings your funeralls and all other assemblies whatsoeuer where there is any resort of people thither doth shee repaire and there they make pastime with her And if shee passe by where there be any dogs they straightway bâ—ke out this name If shee come amongst birds they haue no other note but this If she sight vpon a flocke of sheepe their bleatings proclaime no lesse If she meet with beasts they bellow forth the same The frogges that lie in ditches croake no other tune Come shee amongst your Smithes your Carpenters your Armourers your Ferriers your Brasiers your Ioyners why their hammers beate all vpon this word In a word all sorts of tooles and instruments returne no other Eccho in the ayre your Shoomakers sing this song your Combe-makers joyne with them your Gardeners your Plough-men your Reapers you Vine-keepers passe away the paine fulnesse of their labours in making her the subject of their discourse your Table-players and all other Gamesters neuer lose but they peale foorth her prayses To be short be she wheresoeuer she be all things whatsoeuer are in this world repeate no other name but this O what a deuourer of rosted egges was her husband What would you more Not one stone that strikes against another but presently noyseth out Old whore Calisto How canst thou tell dost thou know her Parm. I shall tell you Sir how I know her It is a great while ago since my mother dwelt in her Parish who being intreated by this Celestina gaue me vnto her to wait vpon her though now she know me not growne out perhaps of her remembrance as well by reason of the short time I abode with her as also through the alteration which age hath wrought vpon mee Calisto What seruice didst thou doe her Parme. I went into the market place and fetch 't her vitailes I waited on her in the streetes and supplyed her wants in other the like seruices as farre as my poore sufficiency and slender strength was able to performe So that though I continued but a little while with her yet I remember euery thing as fresh as if it were but yesterday in so much that old-age hath not been able to weare it out This good honest whore this graue matrone forsooth had at the very end of the Citty there where your Tanners dwell close by the waterside a lone house somewhat far from neighbours halfe of it fallen downe ill contriued and worse furnished Now for to get her liuing yee must vnderstand shee had sixe seuerall Trades shee was a Laundresse a Perfumeresse a Former of faces a Mender of crackt maiden-heads a Bâ—â—d and had some smatch of a Witch Her first Trade was a cloak to all the test vnder color wherof being withall a piece of a Sempstresse many young wenches that were of your ordinary sorts of seruants came to her house to worke some on smockes some on gorgets and many other things but not one of them that came thither but brought with her either bacon wheate flower or a Iar of wine or some other the like prouision which they could conueniently steale from their Mistresses and some other thefts of greater quality making her house for shee was the receiuer and kept all things close the Rendeuous of all their Roguery she was a great friend to your Students Noble mens Caâ—erers and Pages To these shee sold that innocent blood of these poore miserable soules who did easily aduenture their virginities drawne on by faire promises and the restitution and reparation which she would make them of their lost maiden-heads Nay shee proceeded so far that by cunning meanes she had accesse and communication with your very Vestalls and neuer left them till shee had brought her purpose to passe And what time do you think she chose when she would deale with any of these At the time of their chiefest ceremonies as when they kept their most mysterious celebration of the feasts of their Vesta nay and that most strictly solemnized day of Bona Dea where it is death to admit men euen then by vnheard of disguises she had her plots and proiects effectually working vpon them to the vtter abolition of their vowes and virginity Now what thinke you were the trades and marchandise wherein she dealt She professed her selfe a kinde of Phisician and fained that shee had good skill in curing of little children Shee would goe and fetch flaxe from one house and put it forth to spinning to another that she might thereby haue pretence for the freer accesse vnto all One would cry Here mother and another There mother Look saies the third where the old woman comes Yonder comes that Bel-dame so well knowne to all Yet notwithstanding all these her cares troubles and trottings to and fro being neuer out of action she would neuer misse any great meeting any religious processions any Nuptials Loue-ties Balls maskes or games whatsoeuer They were the onely markets where she made all her bargaines And at home in her owne house shee made perfumes false and counterfait Storax Beniamin Gumme Anime Amber Ciuit Powders Muske and Mosqueta Shee had a chamber full of Limbecks little vialls pots some of earth some of glasse some brasse and some tinne formed in a thousand fashions Shee made sublimated Mercury boyled confections for to clarifie the skinne waters to make the face glister paintings some white some vermillion lip-salues
discouer her selfe vnto me and reward both my message and my paines Doe this and I am at thy command to doe what thou wilt haue me But if thou doe not doe it thou shalt forthwith haue mee thy Capitall foe and Profest enemy I shall strike with light thy sad and darksome dungeons I shall cruelly accuse thy continuall lyings and dayly false-hoods And lastly with my charming words and inchanting termes I will chaine and constringe thy most horrible name Wherefore againe and againe once twice and thrice I coniure thee to fulfill my command And so presuming on my great power I depart hence that I may goe to her with my clew of yarne wherein I verily beleeue I carry thy selfe inwrapped ACTVS IIII THE ARGVMENT CELESTINA going on her way talks to her selfe till she comes to Pleberio's gate where she meets with Lucrecia one of Pleberio's maid-seruants she boords her and enters into discourse with her who being ouer-heard by Alisa Melibea's mother and vnderstanding it was Celestina causes her to come neer the house A messenger comes to call away Alisa shee goes her waies Celestina in the meane while being left alone with Melibea discouers vnto her the cause of her comming INTERLOCVTORS Celestina Lucrecia Alisa Melibea CElestina Now that I am all alone I will as I walke by my selfe weigh and consider that which Sempronio feared concerning my trauell in this businesse For those things which are not well weighed and considered though sometimes they take good effect yet commmonly fall out ill So that much speculation brings foorth much good fruit for although I dissembled with him and did set a good face on the matter it may be that if my drift and intent should chance to be found out by Melibea's father it would cost me little lesse then my life Or at least if they should not kill me I should rest much impaired in my credit either by their tossing me in a blanket or by causing me to be cruelly whipt so that my sweet meats shall haue sowre sauce and my hundred Crownes in Gold be purchast at too deare a rate Ay wretched meâ— into what a Labyrinth haue I put my selfe What a trap am I like to fall into through mine owne folly For that I might shew my selfe solicitous and resolute I haue put my selfe vpon the hazard of the dice Wo is me what shall I doe To goe backe is not for my profit and to goe on stands not with my safety Shall I persist or shall I desist In what a straite am I In what a doubtfull and strange perplexity I know not which I were best to choose On my daringnesse dependeth manifest danger on my cowardize shamefull damage Which way shall the Oxe goe out he must needs plough Euery way goe which way I will discouers to my eyes deepe and dangerous furrowes desperate downefalls if I be taken in the manner if the theft be found about me I shall be either kill'd or carted with a paper-crowne set vpon my head hauing my fault written in great Text-letters But in case I should not goe what will Sempronio then say Is this all thou canst doe Thy power thy wisedome thy stoutnesse thy courage thy large promises thy faire offers thy tricks thy subtilties the great care forsooth thou wouldst take What are they all come to this And his Master Calisto what will he say what will hee doe or what will hee thinke saue onely this That there is much deceit in my steps and that I haue discouered this blot to Pleberio like a preuaricating Sophistresse or cunning Ambi-dexter playing the traitour on both sides that I might gaine by both And if he doe not entertaine so hatefull a thought he will raile vpon me like a mad-man he will vpbraid mee to my face with most reproachful termes He will propose a thousand inconueniences which my hasty deliberation was the cause of saying Out you old whore Why didst thou increase my passions with thy promises False Bawd as thou art For all the world besides thy feete can walke for mee onely thy tongue Others can haue works I only words Others can haue remedy at thy hands I onely the man that must endure torment To all others thy force can extend it selfe and to me is it only wanting To all others thou art Light to me Darkenesse Out thou old tretcherous disloyall wertike Why didst thou offer thy selfe and seruice vnto me For it was thy offer that did put mee in hope and that hope did delay my death prolonged my life and did put vpon mee the Title of a glad man Now for that thy promises haue not prou'd effectuall neither shalt thou want punishment nor I wofull despaire so that looke I on which side I will miserable man that I am it is ill here and it is ill there paine griefe on either hand But when extremes shall want their meane and no meanes to auoide either the one or the other of two cuils it is the wiser course to incline to the lesser And therefore I had rather offend Pleberio then displease Calisto Well then I will goe For greater will my shame be to be condemned for a Coward then my punishment in daring to accomplish what I promised Besides Fortune still friendeth those that are bold and valiant Lo yonder 's the gate I haue seene my selfe in greater danger then this in my daies Coraggio Coraggio Celestina Be of good cheere Be not dismay'd For there are neuer suitors wanting for the mitigating and allaying of punishment All Diuinations are in my fauour and shew themselues prospicious in my proceedings or else I am no body in this my Art a meere bungler an Idiot an Asse Of foure men that I meete by the way three of them were Ihon's whereof two were Cuckolds The first word that I heard passing along the street was a Loue-complaint I haue not stumbled since I came foorth as at other times I vsed to doe He thinkes the very stones of the streete did sunder themselues one from another to giue me way as I past Nor did the skirts of my clothes wrumple vp in troublesome folds to hinder my feet Nor do I feele any faintnesse or wearinesse in my legs Euery one saluteth mee Not a dog that hath once barked at me I haue neither seene any bird of a black feather neither Thrush nor Crow nor any other of the like vnlucky nature and which is a better signe of good lucke then all these yonder doe I see Lucrecia standing at Melibea's gate which is kinsewoman to Elicia it cannot but goe well with vs it is impossible wee should misse of our purpose All is Cocke-sure Lucrecia What old witch is this that comes thus trayling her taile on the ground Looke how shee sweepes the streetes with her gowne Fie what a dust shee makes Celestina By your leaue sweet Beauty Lucrecia Mother Celestina you be welcome What wind I trow driues you this way I doe not remember that I haue seene
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
to you foole Hold your peace be it part or parcell man thou shalt haue what thou wilt thy selfe Doe but aske and haue what is mine is thine Let vs laugh and be merry and benefit our selues the best that we can Hang all this trash this putrified durt rather then thou and I should fall out about deuiding the spoyle yet must I tell you which is no more then your selfe knowes that old folkes haue more need then young Especially you who liue at full table vpon free cost Sempr. There goes more I wisse to a mans life then eating and drinking Cel. What Sonne A dozen of poynts a hat or a stone-bow to go from house to house shooting at birds ayming at other birds with your eye that take their standing in windowes I meane pretty wenches you foole such birds you mad-cap as haue no wings to flye from you you know my meaning Sir for there is no better Bawd for them then a bow vnder colour whereof thou maist enter any house whatsoeuer making it thy excuse to seeke after some bird thou shootst at c. It is your only delicate tricke you can vse But wo Sempronio vnto her who is to vphold and maintaine her credit and beginnes to grow old as I now doe Sempr. O cogging old Hagge O old Bawd full fill'd with mischiefe O couetous and greedy Cormorant O rauenous glutton I perceiue she would as willingly coozen me as I would my Master and all to inrich her selfe But seeing she is so wickedly minded and cares not who perish so as shee may thriue I will marre her market I will looke to her water heereafter I will keepe her from fingring any more Crownes nor will I any longer rent out the gaines vnto her which I make of my Master but reserue the profits for my selfe or rather which is the surer and honester course seek to saue his purse and play the good husband for him For he that riseth by lewd and vnlawfull meanes comes tumbling downe faster then hee clambred vp O! how hard a thing is it to know man True is that vulgar saying No manner of marchandize or beast is halfe so hard to be knowne Cursed old witch shee is as false as truth is truth I thinke the Diuell brought mee acquainted with her it had beene better for mee to haue fled from this venemous Viper then to put her as I haue done in my bosome but it was mine owne fault I can blame no body but my selfe and therefore let her gaine what she can gaine be it by right or wrong I will keepe my word with her Celestina What say'st thou Sempronio Whom dost thou talke to Goest thou gnawing of my skirts What is that thou grumblest at Why commest thou not forward Sempr. That which I say mother Celestina is this that I doe not maruaile that you are mutable for therein you doe but as others haue done before you following that common tracke that many more haue trod in you told mee you would deferre this businesse leading my Master along in a fooles paradise and now thou runn'st head-long without either sence or wit to tell Calisto of all that hath passed Know'st thou not that men esteeme those things most which are most difficult to be atchieued And prize them the more the more hardly they come by them Besides Is not euery day of his paine vnto vs a double gaine Celest. A wise man altreth his purpose but a foole perseuereth in his folly a new busines requires new counsell and various accidents various aduice Nor did I thinke Son Sempronio that fortune would haue befriended mee so soone Besides it is the part of a discreete messenger to doe that which the time requires especially when as the quality of the businesse cannot conceale or admit of dissembled â—ime And moreouer I know that thy Master as I haue heard is liberall and somewhat of a womanish longing and therefore will giue more for one day of good newes then for a hundred wherein he is pained And with his paine mine will be increased his in louing and mine in trudging to and fro For your quicke and speedie pleasures beget alteration and great alteration doth hinder deliberation Againe where will you finde goodnesse but in that which is good And noblenesse of blood but in large and long continued rewards Peace you foole let me alone with him and you shall see how your old woman will handle him Sempr. Then tell mee what passed concerning that noble Lady Acquaint mee but with one word of her mouth for trust mee I long as much to know her answer as my Master doth Celest. Peace you foole What Does your complexion change Does your colour alter I know by your nose what porridge you oue You had rather haue the taste then sent of this businesse Come I prythee let vs hye vs for thy Master will be ready to runne mad if we stay ouer-long Sem. And I am little better because you will not stay and tell me Parme. Master Master Calisto What 's the matter you foole Parm. I see Sempronio and Celestina comming towards the house And at euery step they make a stop and looke where they stand still there Sempronio with the point of his sword makes streakes and lines in the ground It is some earnest matter sure that they are debating but what it should be I cannot deuise Calisto O thou carelesse absurd Asse Canst thou discry land and not make to the shoare See them comming and not hye thee to open the doore O thou Supreme Deity with what come they What newes doe they bring whose stay hath beene so long that I haue longed more for their comming then the end of my remedy O my sad eares prepare your selues for that which you are now to heare for in Celestina's mouth rests either my present case or eternall heart-griefe O that I could fall into a slumber and passe away this short this little little space of time in a dreame wherein I might see the beginning and ending of her speech Now I verily beleeue that more painefull to a Fellon is the expecting of that his cruell and capitall sentence then the Act it selfe of his certaine and fore-knowne death O leaden-heeled Parmeno slower then the Snayle dead-handed as thou art dispatch I say and vnbolt this troublesome doore that this honourable woman may enter in in whose tongue lies my life Celest. Dost thou heare him Sempronio Your Master is now of another temper these words are of another tune then those wee lately heard both of Parmeno and him at our first comming hither The matter I see is well amended there is neuer a word I shall tell him but shall be better to old Celestina then a new petticoate Sempr. Make at your comming in as though you did not see Calisto vsing some good words as you goe Celest. Peace Sempronio Though I haue hazarded my life for him yet Calisto's owne worth and his and your ioynt intreaties merit much more
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
pray in your discourse and tell mee what farther past betweene you What answer made she for the Charme Celest. Mary that with all her heart I should haue it Calisto With all her heart O Ioue How gracious and how great a gift Celest. Nay this is not all I craued more then this Calisto What my honest old woman Celest. Her Girdle which continually she wore about her affirming that it was very good for the allaying of your paine because of some Supereminent Influence from the Sibilla Cumanae Calisto But what said shee Celestina Giue mee Albricias reward me for my good newes and I will tell you all Calisto Take my whole house and all that is in it on condition you tell me or else besides what thou wilt Celestina Giue but this poore old woman a Mantle and I will giue that into thy hand which she weares about her Calisto What dost thou talke of a Mantle Tut a Kirtle a Petticoate any thing all that I haue Celest. It is a Mantle that I need that alone shall content me Inlarge not therefore your liberality Let not any suspectfull doubt interpose it selfe in my demand My request is reasonable and you know it is a common saying To offer much to him that asketh but a little is a kinde of deniall Calisto Runne Parmeno call hither my Taylour and let him presently cut her out a Mantle and a Kirtle of that fine pure cloth which hee tooke to cottening Parm. So so all for the old woman because like the Bee she comes home laden with lyes as hee does with hony as for mee I may goe worke out my heart and goe hang my selfe when I haue done whilest shee with a pockes must haue euery day change of rayment Calisto Now the Diuell goe with him with what an ill will does he goe I thinke there is not any man liuing so ill seru'd as I am maintaining men that deuise nothing but mischiefe murmurers grudgers of my good repiners of my prosperity and enemies to my happinesse Thou Villaine what goest thou mumbling to thy selfe Thou enuious wretch what is that thou sayst for I vnderstand thee not Doe as I command you you were best and that quickely too Get you gone with a murraine and vexe mee no more for I haue griefe inough already to bring me to my graue There will as much of the piece be left which remnant you may take for your selfe as will serue to make you a Ierkin Parm. I say nothing Sir but that it is too late to haue the Taylour for to come to night Cal. And haue not I told you that I would haue you not diuine of things aforehand but to doe as I bid you Let it alone then till to morrow and for you mother let me intreat you out of your loue to me to haue patience vntill then for that is not auferred which is but deferred Now I pray let me see that glorious girdle which was held so worthy to ingirt so goodly a body that these my eyes together with the rest of my senses may enioy so great a happinesse since that together they haue all of them beene a little affected with passion My afflicted heart shall also reioyce therein which hath not had one minute of delight since it first knew that Lady All my senses haue beene wounded by her all of them haue brought whole basket-fulls of trouble to my heart Euery one of them hath vexed and tormented it all they could the eyes in seeing her the eares in hearing her and the hands in touching her Celest. Ha What 's that Haue you toucht her with your hands you make me startle Calisto Dreaming of her I say in my sleepe Celestina O! in your dreames that 's another matter Calisto In my dreames haue I seene her so oft night by night that I feare mee that will happen vnto mee which befell Alcibiades who dream'd that he saw himselfe inwrapped in his mistresses mantle and was the next day murdred and found none to remoue him from forth the common street no nor any to couer him saue onely shee who did spread her Mantle ouer him Though I for my part be it aliue or dead would any way bee glad to see my selfe clothed with any thing that is hers Celestina You haue punishment Sir inough already for when others take their rest in their beds thou preparest thy selfe to suffer thy next daies torment Be of good courage Sir Plucke vp your heart after a Tempest followes a Calme affoord thy desire some time take vnto thee this Girdle for if death preuent mee not I will deliuer the Owner thereof into thy hands Calisto O new guest O happy girdle which hast had such power and worth in thee as to hedge in that body and be its inclosure which my selfe am not worthy to serue O yee knots of my passion it is you that haue intangled my desires Tell me if thou wert present at that vncomfortable answer of fairest she whom thou seruest and I adore And yet the more I torment my selfe for her sake mourning and lamenting night and day the lesse it auailes mee and the lesse it profits me Celest. It is an old Prouerbe He that labours least often-times gets most But I will make thee by thy labouring to obtaine that which by being negligent thou shouldst neuer atchieue For Camora was not wonne in an houre yet did not her besiegers for all this despaire No more was Rome built in one day nor Troy ruined in a yeere Calisto O vnfortunate that I am For Citties are incircled and walled in with stones and stones by stones are easily ouer-throwne But this my deare Lady hath her heart inuironed with steele there is no mettle that can preuaile against her no shot of that force as to make a breach and should Ladders bee reared to scale the walls shee hath eyes which let flye darts of repulsion and a tongue which dischargeth whole volleis of reproches if you once approach forceing you to stand farther off and so inaccessible is her Castle that you cannot come neere it by halfe a league Celest. No more good Sir no more bridle your passion for the stout courage and hardy boldnesse of one man did get Troy Doubt not then but one woman may worke vpon another and at last win her vnto thee thou hast little frequented my house thou art ignorant of my courses thou know'st not what I can doe Calisto Say Mother what thou wilt and I will beleeue thee since thou hast brought me so great a Iewell as is this O thou glorie of my soule and incirler of so incomparable a creature I behold thee and yet beleeue it not O girdle girdle thou louely lace Wast thou mine enemy too Tell me the truth if thou wert I forgiue thee For it is proper vnto good men to forgiue but I doe not beleeue it For hadst thou likewise beene my foe thou wouldst not haue come so soone to my hands vnlesse thou hadst come to
I will call to him to come vp for my sake shew him good countenance take notice of him speake kindly vnto him entertaine him friendly and if you thinke fit let him inioy you and you him and both one another for though he gayne much I am sure you shall lose nothing by the bargaine Areusa Mother I am not ignorant that as well these as all other your former speeches vnto me haue euer beene directed to my good and benefit but how is it possible that I should doe this that you would now haue mee For you know to whom I am bound to giue an account as already you haue heard and if hee know I play false he will kill me My neighbours they are enuious and malicious and they will straight-way acquaint him therewith And say that no great ill should befall me saue only the losing of his loue it will be more then I shall gaine by giuing contentment to him for whom you intreate or rather command mee Celest. For this feare of yours my selfe haue already prouided for wee entred in very softly Areusa Nay I doe not speake for this night but for many other that are to come Tush were it but for one night I would not care Celestina What Is this your fashion Is this the manner of your carriage And you vse these niceties you shall neuer haue a house with a double roome but liue like a begger all the daies of your life What are you afraide of our Sweet-heart now he is absent What would you then doe were he now in Towne It hath euer beene my ill fortune to giue counsell vnto fooles such as cannot see their owne good say what I will they will erre still stand in their owne light But I doe not much wonder at it For though the world be wide yet there are but few wise in it Great is the largenesse of the earth but small the number of those that haue experience Ha daughter Did you but see your cousins wisedome or but know what benefit my breeding and counsell hath brought her how cunning how witty and what a Mistresse in her arte you would be of another minde say what I will vnto her shee patiently indures my reprehensions shee hearkens to my aduice and does all what I will haue her doe shee will sometimes boast that shee hath at one time had one in bed with her another wayting at the doore and a third sighing for her within the house and yet hath giuen good satisfaction to them all And art thou afraide who hast but two to deale withall Can one cock fill all thy Cisternes One conduit-pipe water all thy Court If this be your diet you may chance to rise a hungred you shall haue no meate left against another time I will not rent your fragments I cannot liue vpon scraps One could neuer please mee I could neuer place all my affection vpon one two can doe more then one they giue more and they haue more to giue It goes hard Daughter with that Mouse that hath but one hole to trust to for if that be stopt shee hath no meanes to hide her selfe from the Cat he that hath but one eye you see in what danger he goes One sole Act maketh not a Habit It is a rare and strange thing to see a Partridge flye single to feed alwaies vpon one dish brings a loathing to the stomacke one Swallow makes not a Summer one witnesse alone is of no validitie in Law Hee that hath but one suite of clothes and shee that hath but one gowne to her backe quickly weares them out What would you doe daughter with this number of one Many more inconueniences can I tell thee of this single soale number if one may be a number If you be wise be neuer without two for it is a laudable and commendable company as you may see it in your selfe who hath two eares two feet and two hands two sheets vpon one bed and two smockes wherewith to shift you and the more you haue the better it is for you for still as it is in the Prouerbe The more Moores the better market and honour without profit is no other but as a Ring vpon the finger And because one Sacke cannot hold them both apply your selfe to your profit Sonne Parmeno come vp Areusa O let him not come vp if you loue mee the pockes be my death if I am not ready to swound to thinke on 't I know not what to doe for very shame Nay fie mother what meane you to call him vp you know that I haue no acquaintance with him I neuer exchang'd a word with him in all my life Fye how I am ashamed Celest. I am here with thee wench I who will stand betwixt him and thee I will quit thee of this shame and will couer thee close and speake for you both For hee is as bashfull as you for your life Parme. Gentlewoman heauens preserue this gracious presence of yours Areusa You are welcome gentle Sir Celest. Come hither you Asse whither goe you now to sit moping downe in a corner Come come be not so shamefast for it was the bashfull man whom the Diuell brought to Court for hee was sure he should get nothing there hearken both of you what I shall now say vnto you You my friend Parmeno know already what I promist you and you daughter what I intreated at your hands Laying aside therefore the difficultie in drawing thee to grant that which I desired few words I conceiue to be best because the time will not permit mee to be long He for his part hath hitherto liu'd in great paine and griefe for your sake and therefore you seeing his torment I know you will not kill him and I likewise know that your selfe liketh so well of him that it shall not be amisse that he stay with you heere this night in the house Areusa For my mayden-heads sake mother let it not be so pray doe not command it me Parme. Mother as you loue my life as you loue goodnesse let me not goe hence vntill we be well agreed for shee hath wounded me with her eyes to death and I must dye through loue vnlesse you helpe me offer her all that which my father left with you for me tell her I will giue her all that I haue Besides doe you heare Tell her that me thinks she will not vouchsafe to looke vpon me Areusa What doth this Gentleman whisper in your eare Thinks he that I will not performe ought of your request Celest. No daughter no such matter he saies that he is very glad of your good loue and friendship because you are so honest and so worthy and that any benefit shall light well that shall fall vpon you Come hither Modesty Come hither you bashfull foole Areusa He will not be so vnciuill as to enter into another bodies ground without leaue especially when it lies in seuerall Celest. So vnciuill Doe you stand vpon leaue Would you
you It is a very strange and strong kinde of patience which sharpe taunts and scoffs which like so many needles and bodkins set to the heart cannot pierce and pricke thorow Sempr. I say nothing but that now you haue your wench you will allow one pilchard more to the poore boy in the Stable Parme. You cannot hold your heart would burst if you should not vent your choler Well I will giue way and should you vse me worse I will pocket vp all your wrongs and the rather because it is an old saying No humane passion is perpetuall Semp. But you can vse Calisto worse aduising him to that which thou thy selfe seek'st to shunne neuer letting him alone but still vrging him to leaue louing of Melibea wherein thou art iust like vnto a signe in an Inne which giues shelter to others and none to it selfe O Parmeno now mai'st thou see how easie a thing it is to finde fault with another mans life and how hard to amend his owne I say no more your selfe shall be your own Iudge and from this day forward we shall see how you behaue your selfe sithence you haue now your porrenger as well as other folkes If thou hadst beene my friend as thou professest when I stood in need of thee thou should'st then haue fauoured mee and made shew of thy loue and assisted Celestina in all that had beene for my profit and not to driue in at euery word a nayle of malice Know moreouer that as wine in the Lees when it is drawne to the very dregges driueth drunkards from the Tauerne the like effect hath necessity or aduersity with a fained friend and false mettle that is gilded but slightly ouer quickly discouers it selfe to be but counterfeit Parmeno I haue often-times heard it spoken and now by experience I see it is true that in this wretched life of ours there is no pleasure without sorrow no contentment without some crosse or counterbuffe of fortune We see our fairest daies our clearest Sunne-shines are ouer-cast with clouds darkenesse and raine our solaces and delights are swallowed vp by dolours and by death laughter mirth and merriment are waited on by teares lamentations and other the like mortall passions In a word Sweet meate will haue sowre sauce and much ease and much quietnesse much paine and much heauinesse Who could come more friendly or more merrily to a man then I did now to thee And who could receiue a more vnkind wellcome or vnfriendly salutation Who liues there that sees himselfe as I haue seene my selfe raised with such glory to the height of my deare Areusa's loue And who that sees himselfe more likely to fall from thence then I being so ill intreated as I am of thee Nay thou wilt not giue mee leaue to tell thee how much I am thine how much I will further thee in all I am able how much I repent me of that which is past and what good counsell and reprehensions I haue receiued of Celestina and all in fauour of thee and thy good and the good of vs all And now that we haue our Masters and Melibea's game in our owne hands now is the time that wee must thriue or neuer Sempronio I like your words well but should like them better were your workes like vnto them which as I see the performance so shall I giue them credence but tell me I pray thee what 's that me thought I heard you talke euen now of Areusa Doe you know Areusa that is Cousin to Elicia Parme. Why what were all the ioy I now inioy did I not inioy her Sempronio What does the foole meane He cannot speake for laughing What doest thou call this thy inioying her Did shee shew her selfe vnto thee out at a window Or what is the matter Parm. No great matter Onely I haue left her in doubt whether shee be with childe or no Sempr. Thou hast strucke mee into a maze continuall trauell may doe much often dropping makes stones hollow Parme. How continuall trauell Why I neuer thought of hauing her till yesterday then did I worke her and now shee is mine owne Sempr. The old woman had a finger in this businesse had shee not Parmeno Why should you thinke so Sempr. Because shee told mee how much shee loued you how well she wisht you and that she would worke her for you you were a happy man Sir you had no more to doe but to come and take vp And therefore they say It is better with him whom fortune helpeth then with him that riseth earely But was shee the godfather to this businesse Parm. No but shee was the godmother which is the truer of the two And you know when a man comes once to a good tree he will stay a while by it and take the benefit of the shade I was long a comming but when I came I went quickly to worke I dispatcht it in an instant O brother what shall I say vnto thee of the graces that are dwelling in that wench of her language and beauty of body But I will deferre the repetition thereof to a fitter opportunitie Sempr. Shee can be no other but cousin to Elicia thou canst not say so much of her but that this other hath as much and somewhat more But what did shee cost thee Hast thou giuen her any thing Parme. No not any thing but whatsoeuer I had giuen her it had beene well bestowed for shee is capable of euery good thing and such as shee are by so much the better esteemed by how much the dearer they are bought and like Iewels are the higher prized the more they cost vs But saue in this my Mistresse so rich a thing was neuer purchast at so low a rate I haue inuited her to day to dinner to Celestina's house and if you like of it let vs all meet there Semp. Who brother Parme. Thou and she and the old woman and Elicia and there wee will laugh and be merry Sempr. O good heauens how glad a man hast thou made mee Thou art franke and of a free and liberall disposition I will neuer faile thee now I hold thee to be a man now my minde giues me that Fate hath some good in store for thee all the hatred and malice which I bare thee for thy former speeches is now turned into loue I now doubt not but that the league which thou hast made with vs shall be such as it ought to be Now I long to imbrace thee Come let vs now liue like brothers and let the diuell go hang himselfe All those contentious words notwithstanding whatsoeuer haue passed between vs let there be now no falling out and so haue peace all the yeere long for the falling out of friends is euermore the renewing of loue let vs feast and be merry for our Master will fast for vs all Parme. What does that man in desperation doe Sempr. Hee lyes where you left him last night stretching himselfe all along vpon his pallate by his
into a pecke of troubles I tell you truely I like not of his comming This loue of theirs I verily perswade my selfe was begunne in an vnlucky houre if you will goe goe for I 'll stay heere no longer Sempr. Peace harke shee will not consent wee come Melibea What meanes my Loue Will you vndoe me Will you wound my reputation Giue not your will the reines your hope is certaine and the time short euen as soone as your selfe shall appoint it Besides your paine is single mine double yours for your selfe mine for vs both you onely feele your owne griefe I both your own and mine Content your selfe therefore and come you to morrow at this very houre and let your way be by the wall of my garden for if you should now breake downe these cruell doores though haply wee should not be presently heard yet to morrow morning there would arise in my fathers house a terrible suspition of my errour and you know besides that by so much the greater is the errour by how much the greater is the party that erreth And in the turning of a hand will be noysed thorow the whole City Sempr. In an vnfortunate houre came we hither this night we shall stay heere till the day hath ouertaken vs if our master goe on thus leysurely and make no more haste And albeit fortune hath hitherto well befriended vs in this businesse yet I feare me if we stay ouerlong we shall be ouerheard either by some of Pleberio's houshold or of his neighbours Par. I would haue had thee bin gone 2. houres ago for he wil neuer giue ouer but still find some occasion to continue his discourse Calisto My deare Lady my ioy and happinesse why dost thou stile this an error which was granted vnto me by the Destinies and seconded by Cupid himselfe to my petitions in the Mirtle-Groue Parme. Calisto talkes idly surely he is not well in his wits I am of the beliefe brother that he is not so deuout That which that old traiterous Trot with her pestiferous Sorceries hath compassed and brought about he sticks not to say that the Destinies haue granted and wrought for him and with this confidence he would aduenture to breake ope these doores who shall no sooner haue giuen the first stroke but that presently he will be heard and taken by her fathers seruants who lodge hard by Sempr. Feare nothing Parmeno for we are farre inough off And vpon the very first noyse that we heare we will betake vs straight to our heeles and make our flight our best defence Let him alone let him take his course for if he doe ill he shall pay for it Parm. Well hast thou spoken thou knowst my mind as well as if thou hadst bin within me Be it as thou hast said let vs â—â—un death for we are both young and not to desire to dye nor to kill is not cowardize but a naturall goodnesse Pleberio's followers they are but fooles and mad-men they haue not that minde to their meate and their sleep as they haue to be brabbling and quarrelling What fooles then should we be to fall together by the eares with such enemies who doe not so much affect Victory and Conquest as continuall Warre and endlesse contention O if thou didst but see brother in what posture I stand thou wouldst be ready to burst with laughing I stand sideling my legs abroad my left foote formost ready to take the start the skirts of my Cassocke tuckt vnder my girdle my Buckler clapt close to my arme that it may not hinder me and I verily beleeue that I should out-runne the swiftest Buck so monstrously am I afraid of staying heere Sempronio I stand better for I haue bound my Sword and Buckler both together that they may not fall from me when I run and haue clapt my Caske in the cape of my cloake Parme. But the stones you had in it What hast thou done with them Sempro. I haue turn'd them all out that I might goe the lighter for I haue inough to doe to carry this Corslet which your importunity made me put on for I could haue been very well content to haue left it off because I thought it would be too heauy for me when I should runne away Harke harke hearest thou Parmeno the businesse goes ill with vs wee are but dead men Put on away be gone make towards Celestina's house that we may not be cut off by betaking vs to our owne house Parmeno Flye flye you runne too slowly Passion of me if they should chance to ouertake vs Throw away thy Buckler and all Sempr. Haue they kild our Master Can you tell Parmeno I know not Say nothing to mee I pray Runne and hold your peace as for him he is the least of my care Sempronio Zit zit Parmeno not a word turne and be still for it is nothing but the Alguazills men who make a noyse as they passe thorow this other street Parme. Take your eyes in your hand and see you be sure Trust not I say too much to those eyes of yours they may mistake taking one thing for another they haue not left mee one drop of bloud in my body Death had e'n almost swallowed me vp for me thought still as I ranne they were cutting and carbonading my shoulders I neuer in my life remember that I was in the like feare or euer saw my selfe in the like danger of an affront though I haue gone many a time thorow other mens houses and thorow places of much perill and hard to passe Nine yeeres was I seruant to Guadaluppe and a thousand times my selfe and others were at buffets cutting one another for life yet was I neuer in that feare of death as now Sempronio And did not I pray serue at Saint Michaels and mine Host in the Market-place and Molleias the gardiner I also I tro was at fisty-cuffes with those which threw stones at the Sparrowes and other the like birds which sate vpon a green Popler that we had because with their stones they did spoile the hearbes in the garden But God keepe thee and euery good man from the sight of such weapons as these these are shrewd tooles this is true feare indeede and therefore it is not said in vaine Laden with Iron laden with feare Turne turne backe for it is the Alguazill that 's certaine Melibea What noyse is that Calisto which I heare in the street It seemes to be the noise of some that flye and are pursued for your owne sake and mine haue a care of your selfe I feare me you stand in danger Calisto I warrant you Madame feare you nothing for I stand on a safegard They should be my men who are madcaps and disarme as many as passe by them and belike some one hath escapt them after whom they hasten Melibea Are they many that you brought Calisto No Madame no more but two but should halfe a dozen set vpon them they would not be long in disarming them and
will cause his coat to be well cudgelled for though hee be somewhat foolish punishment will make him wise but mee thinkes hee comes weeping What 's the matter Sosia Why dost thou weepe Whence com'st thou now Why speak'st thou not Sosia O miserable that I am what misfortune could be 〈◊〉 ore O what great dishonour to my Masters house O what an vnfortunate morning is this O vnhappy young men Tristan What 's the matter man Why dost thou keepe such adoe Why grieu'st thou thus What mischiefe hath befalne vs Sosia Sempronio and Parmeno Tristan What of Sempronio and Parmeno What meanes this foole Speake a little plainer thou torment'st me with delayes Sosia Our old companions our fellowes our brethren Tristan Thou art eyther drunke or mad or thou bringest some ill newes along with thee Why dost thou not tell mee what thou hast to say concerning these young men Sosia That they lie slayne in the streete Tristan O vnfortunate mischance Is it true Didst thou see them Did they speake vnto thee Sosia No They were e'n almost past all sense but one of them with much adoe when hee saw I beheld him with teares beganne to looke a little towards me fixing his eyes vpon me and lifting vp his hands to heauen as one that is making his prayers vnto God and looking on mee as if hee had ask't mee if I were not sorry for his death And straight after as one that perceiu'd whither he was presently to goe he let fall his head with teares in his eyes giuing thereby to vnderstand that hee should neuer see mee againe till we did meete at that day of the great Iudgement Tristan You did not obserue in him that he would haue askt you whether Calisto were there or no But since thou hast such manifest proofes of this cruell sorrow let vs haste with these dolefull tidings to our Master Sosia Master Master doe you heare Sir Calisto What are you mad Did not I will you I should not be wakened Sosia Rowze vp your selfe and rise for if you doe not sticke vnto vs we are all vndone Sempronio and Parmeno lie beheaded in the Market-place as publike malefactors and their fault proclaimed by the common Cryer Calisto Now heauen helpe mee What it 's thou tell'st mee I know not whether I may beleeue thee in this thy so sudden and sorrowfull newes Didst thou see them Sosia I saw them Sir Calisto Take heede what thou say'st for this night they were with mee Sosia But rose too earely to their deaths Calisto O my loyall seruants O my chiefest followers O my faithfull Secretaries and Counsellours in all my affaires Can it be that this should be true O vnfortunate Calisto thou art dishonoured as long as thou hast a day to liue what shall become of thee hauing lost such a paire of trusty seruants Tell mee for pitty's sake Sosia what was the cause of their deaths What spake the Prolamation Where were they slaine by what Iustice were they beheaded Sosia The cause Sir of their deaths was published by the cruell executioner or common hangman who deliuered with a loud voyce Iustice hath commanded that these violent murderers be put to death Calisto Who was it they so suddenly slew who might it be it is not foure houres agoe since they left me How call you the party whom they murthered What was hee for a man Sosia It was a woman Sir one whom they call Celestina Calisto What 's that thou sayest Sosia That which you heard me tell you Sir Calisto If this be true kill thou me too I will forgiue thee For sure there is more ill behinde more then was either seene or thought vpon if that Celestina be slaine that hath the slash ouer her face Sosia It is the very same Sir for I saw her stretcht out in her owne house and her maide weeping by her hauing receiued in her body aboue thirty seuerall wounds Calisto O vnfortunate young men How went they Did they see thee Spake they vnto thee Sosia O Sir had you seen them your heart would haue burst with griefe One of them had all his braines beaten out in most pittifull manner and lay without any sense or motion in the world The other had both his armes broken his face so sorely bruised that it was all blacke and blue and all of a goare-bloud For that they might not fall into the Alguazils hands they leapt downe out of a high window and so being in a manner quite dead they chopt off their heads when I thinke they scarce felt what harme was done them Calisto Now I beginne to haue a taste of shame and to feele how much I am toucht in mine honour would I had excused them and had lost my life so I had not lost my honour my hope of atchieuing my commenced purpose which is the greatest griefe and distaste that in this case I feele O my name and reputation how vnfortunately dost thou goe from Table to Table from mouth to mouth O yee my secret my secret actions how openly will you now walke thorow euery publike street and open Market-place What shall become of me Whither shall I go If I goe forth to the dead I am vnable to recouer them and if I stay heere it will be deemed cowardize What counsell shall I take Tell me Sosia what was the cause they kild her Sosia That maid Sir of hers which sate weeping and crying ouer her made knowne the cause of her death to as many as would heare it saying that they slew her because she would not let them share with her in that chaine of gold which you had lately giuen her Cal. O wretched and vnfortunate day O sorrow able to breake euen a heart of Adamant How goe my goods from hand to hand and my name from tongue to tongue All will be published and come to light whatsoeuer I haue spokē either to her or them whatsoeuer they knew of my doings whatsoeuer was done in this businesse I dare not go forth of doores I am ashamed to looke any man in the face O miserable young men that yee should suffer death by so sudden a disaster O my ioyes how doe you goe declining and waining from me But it is an ancient Prouerbe That the higher a man climbes the greater is his fall Last night I gained much today I haue lost much Your Sea-calmes are rare seldome I might haue beene listed in the roll of the happy if my fortune would but haue allayd these tempestuous winds of my perdition O Fortune how much and thorow how many parts hast thou beaten mee But howsoeuer thou dost shake my house and how opposite soeuer thou art vnto my person yet are aduersities to be endured with an equall courage and by them the heart is prooued whether it be of Oke or Elder strong or weake there is no better Say or Touchstone in the world to know what finenesse or what Characts of Vertue or of Fortitude
they vnworthy not to touch no not so much as any part of thy garments that they now haue leaue to lay themselues with a gentle palme on this dainty body of thine this most white soft and delicate flesh Melibea Lucrecia goe aside a little Calisto And why Madame I should be proud to haue such witnesses as she of my glory Melibea So would not I when I doe amisse And had I but thought that you would haue vs'd mee thus or beene but halfe so violent as I now see you are I would not haue trusted my person with such a rough and cruell conuersation Sosia Tristan you heare what hath past and how the geare goes Tristan I heare so much that I hold my Master the happiest man that liues And I assure thee though I am but a boy to speake of me thinks I could giue as good account of such a businesse as my Master Sosia To such a iewell as this who would not reach out his hand But allow him this flesh to his bread and much good may it doe him For he hath paid well for it for a couple of his seruants serued to make sauce for this his Loue Tristan I had quite forgot that But let them die as instruments of their owne destruction And let others as many as will play the fools vpon affiance to be defēded But for mine owne part I well remember when I seru'd the Count that my father gaue mee this Councell that I should take heed how I kill'd a man Of all other things that I should beware of that For quoth hee you shall see the Master merry and kindly imbraced when his man poore soule shall be hanged and disgraced Melibea O my life and my deare Lord how could you finde in your heart that I should lose the name and crowne of a Virgin for so momentary and so short a pleasure O my poore Mother If thou didst but know what wee haue done with what willingnes wouldst thou take thine owne death and with what violence and inforcement giue mee mine How cruell a butcher wouldst thou become of thine owne blood And how dolefull an end should I bee of thy dayes O my most honoured father how haue I wrong'd thy reputation And giuen both opportunitie and place to the vtter ouerthrowing and vndoing of thy house O Traitour that I am Why did I not first looke into that great error which would insue by thy entrance as also that great danger which I could not but expect Sosia You should haue sung this song before Now it comes too late you know it is an old saying when a thing is done it cannot be vndone There is no fence for it but what if the foole Calisto should hap to heare me Calisto Is it possible Looke and it be not day already Me thinks we haue not been here aboue an houre and the Clock now stricks three Melibea My Lord for Ioues loue now that all that I haue is yours now that I am your Mistris now that you cannot denie my loue deny mee not your sight And on such nights as you shall resolue to come let your comming bee by this secret place and at the selfe same houre for then shall I still looke for you prepared with the same ioy wherewith I now comfort my selfe in the hopefull expectation of those sweete nights that are to come And so for this present I will take my leaue Farewell my Lord my hope is that you will not be discouered for it is very darke Nor I heard in the house for it is not yet day Calisto Doe you heare there bring hither the ladder Sosia Sir it is here ready for you to come downe Melibea Lucrecia come hither I am now all alone My Loue is gone who hath left his heart with me and hath taken mine with him Didst thou not heare vs Lucrecia Lucrecia No Madame I was fast asleepe Sosia Tristan wee must goe very softely and not speake a word For iust about this time rise your rich men your couetous money-mongers your penny-fathers your Venereans and Loue-sicke soules such as our Master your day-labourers your plough-men and your sheepheards who about this time vnpinne their sheepe and bring them to their sheepcotts to be milk't And it may be they may heare some word escape vs which may wrong either Calisto's or Melibea's honour Tristan Now you silly Asse you whoresonne Horse-currier you would haue vs make no noise not a word but Mumme and yet thy selfe doest name her Thou art an excellent fellow to make a Guide or Leader to conduct an Army in the Moores Countrey so that prohibiting thou permittest couering thou discouerest defending offendest bidding others hold their peace thou thy selfe speak'st alowd nay proclaimes it and proclaiming makes answer thereunto But though you are so subtill witted and of so discreet a temper you shall not tell mee in what moneth our Lady day in haruest falls For we know that we haue more straw in the house this yeere then thou art able to eat Calisto My Masters what a noise make you there My cares and yours are not alike Enter softely I pray and leaue your pratling that they in the house may not heare vs Shut this doore and let vs go take our rest For I will vp alone to my chamber and there disarme mee Goe get you to bed O wretch that I am how sutable and naturall vnto mee is solitarinesse silence and darkenes I know not whether the cause of it be that there commeth now to minde the treason that I haue committed in taking my leaue of that Lady whom I so dearelie loue before it was further day Or whether it be the griefe which I conceiue of my dishonour by the death of my seruants I I this is it that greiues mee this is that wound whereof I bleed Now that I am growen a little cooler now that that bloud waxeth cold which yesterday did 〈◊〉 in mee now that I see the decaying of my house my want of seruice the wasting of my patrimony and the infamie which lights vpon mee by the death of my seruants what haue I done How can I possibly containe my selfe How can I forbeare any longer but that I should presently expresse my selfe as a man much wronged and shew my selfe a proud speedy reuenger of that open iniurie which hath been offered mee O the miserable sweetnes of this most short and transitorie life who is he so couetous of thy countenance who will not rather choose to die presently then to inioy a whole yeere of a shamfull life and to prorogue it with dishonour loosing the good report and honourable memory of his noble Ancestours Especially sithence that in this world wee haue not any certaine or limited time no not so much as a moment or a minute We are debtours without time wee stand continually bound to present payment Why haue I not gone abroad and made all the inquiry I can after the secret cause of my open perdition
O thou short delight of the world how little do thy pleasure last and how much doe they cost Repentance should not be bought so deare O miserable that I am when shall I recouer so great a losse what shall I doe what counsell shall I take To whom shall I discouer my disgrace why do I conceale it from the rest of my seruants and kinsefolke They clip and note my good name in their Councell-house and publike Assemblie and make mee infamous throughout the whole Kingdome and they of mine owne house and kindred must not know of it I will out amongst them But if I goe out and tell them that I was present it is too late if absent it is too soone And to prouide mee of friends antient seruants and neere à llyes it will aske some time as likewise that we be furnish'd with Armes and other preparations of vengeance O thou cruell Iudge what ill payment hast thou made mee of that my fathers bread which so often thou hast eaten I thought that by thy fauour I might haue kill'd a thousand men without controlment O thou falsifier of faith thou persecutor of the truth thou man moulded of the baser sort of earth Truly is the prouerbe verified in thee that for want of good men thou wast made a Iudge Thou shouldst haue considered that thy selfe and those thou didst put to death were seruants to my Ancestors and me and thy fellowes and companions But when the base to riches doth ascend he regardeth neither kindred nor friend Who would haue thought that thou wouldst haue wrought my vndoing But there is nothing more hurtfull then an vnexpected enemy Why wouldst thou that it should be verified of thee That that which came out of Aetna should consume Aetna And that I hatcht the Crow which pick't out mine eyes Thou thy selfe art a publike delinquent and yet punishest those that were priuate offendors But I would haue thee to know that a priuate fault is lesse then a publike and lesse the inconuenience and danger At least according to the Lawes of Athens which were not written in blood but doe shew that it is a lesse error not to condemne a delinquent then to punish the innocent O how hard a matter is it to follow a iust cause before an vniust Iudge How much more this excesse of my seruants which was not free from offence But consider with all spite of all Stoicall Paradoxe their guilt was not equall though their sufferings alike What deseru'd the one for that which the other did That onely because he was his companion thou shouldst doome them both to death But why doe I talke thus With whom doe I discourse Am I in my right wits What 's the matter with thee Calisto Dream'st thou sleep'st thou or wak'st thou Stand'st thou on thy feete Or liest thou all along Consider with thy selfe that thou art in thy chamber Doest thou not see that the offendor is not present With whome doest thou contend Come againe to thy self weigh with thy selfe that the absent were neuer fōnd iust But if thou wilt be vpright in thy iudgement thou must keepe an eare for either party Doest thou not see that the Law is supposed to be equall vnto all Remember that Romulus the first founder of Rome kill'd his owne brother because he transgressed the Law Consider that Torquatus the Romane slew his owne sonne because he exceeded his Commission And many other like vnto these did this man doe Thinke likewise with thy selfe that if the Iudge were here present hee would make thee this Answer that the Principall and the Accessary the Actor and Consenter doe merit equall punishment Howbeit they were both notwithstanding executed for that which was cōmitted but by one And if that other had not his pardon but receiued a speedy iudgement it was because the fault was notorious and needed no further proofes as also that they were taken in the very Act of murther and that one of them was found dead of his fall from the window And it is likewise to be imagined That that weeping wench which Celestina kept in her house made them to hasten the more by her wofull and lamentable noyse And that the Iudge that he might not make a hurly burly of it that he might not defame mee and that he might not stay till the people should presse together and heare the proclaiming of that great infamy which could not choose but follow mee hee did sentence them so early as he did and the common Hangman which was the Cryer could doe no otherwise that he might cumply with their execution and his owne discharge All which if it were done as I conceiue it to bee I ought rather to rest his debtor and thinke my selfe bound vnto him the longest day of my life not as to my fathers sometimes seruant but as to my true and naturall brother But put case it were not so or suppose I should not conster it in the better sence yet call Calisto to mind the great ioy and solace thou hast had bethinke thy selfe of thy sweete Lady and Mistrisse and thy whole and sole happines and since for her sake thou esteemest thy life as nothing for to doe her seruice thou art not to make any reckoning of the death of others and the rather because no sorrow can equall thy receiued pleasure O my Lady and my life that I should euer thinke to offend thee in thy absence And yet in doing as I doe me thinks it argues against mee that I hold in small esteeme that great and singular fauour which I haue receiued at thy hands I will now no longer thinke on griefe I will no longer entertaine friendship with sorrow O incomparable good O insatiable contentment And what could I haue asked more of heauen in requitall of all my merits in this life if they be any then that which I haue already receiued Why should I not concent my selfe with so great a blessing which being so it stands not with reason that I should be vngratefull vnto him who hath conferr'd vpon mee so great a good I will therefore acknowledge it I will not with care craze my vnderstanding lest that being lost I should fall from so high and so glorious a possession I desire no other honour no other glory no other riches no other father nor mother no other friends nor kinsfolkes In the day I will abide in my chamber In the night in that sweete Paradise in that pleasant groue that greene plot of ground amidst those sweete trees and fresh and delightsome walks O night of sweet rest and quiet O that thou hadst made thy returne O bright shining Phoebus driue on thy Charriot apace make haste to thy iourneys end O comfortable and delightfull starres breake your wont and appeare before your time out of your wonted and continued course O dull and slow clocke I wish to see thee burned in the quickest and loueliest fire that Loue can make For didst thou but
expect that which I doe when thou strikest twelue thou wouldst neuer indure to bee tyed to the will of the master that made thee O yee hyematicall and winterly months which now hide your heads and liue in darknes and obscurity Why haste yee not to cut off these tedious daies with your longer nights Me thinks it is almost a yeere since I saw that sweete comfort and most delightfull refreshing of my trauels But what doe I aske Why like a foole doe I out of impatiencie desire that which neuer either was or shall bee For your naturall courses did neuer learne to wheele away For to all of them there is an equall course to all of them one and the selfe-same space and time Not so much as to life and death but there is a settled and limited end The secret motions of the high firmament of heauen of the Planets and the North-starre and of the increase and wane of the Moone all of these are ruled with an equall reyne all of these are moued with an equall spurre Heauen Earth Sea Fire Wind Heate and Cold What will it benefit me that this clocke of yron should strike twelue if that of heauen doe not hammer with it And therefore though I rise neuer so soone it will neuer the sooner be day But thou my sweete Imagination thou who canst onely helpe me in this case bring thou vnto my Phantasie the vnparaleld presence of that glorious Image Cause thou to come vnto my eares that sweete Musicke of her words those her vnwilling hangings off without profit that her prety I prythee leaue off Forbeare good Sir if you loue me Touch me not Doe not deale so discourteously with me Out of whose ruddy lips me thinks I heare these words still sound Doe not seek my vndoing which she would euermore be out withall Besides those her amorous imbracements betwixt euery word that her loosing of her selfe from me and clypping mee againe that her flying from mee and her comming to mee those her sweete sugred Kisses and that her last salutation wherewith shee tooke her leaue of mee O with what paine did it issue from her mouth with what resuscitation of her spirits with how many teares which did seeme to be so many round pearles which did fall without any noyse from her cleare and resplendent eyes Sosia What thinkst thou of Calisto How hath he slept It is now vpon foure of the clocke in the after-noone and he hath neyther as yet called vs nor eaten any thing Tristan Hold your peace for sleepe requires no haste Besides on the one side he is oppressed with sadnes and melancholy for his seruants and on the other side transported with that gladsome delight and singular great pleasure which he hath inioyed with his Melibea And thou know'st that where two such strong and contrary passions meete in whomsoeuer they shall house themselues with what forcible violence they will worke vpon a weake and feeble subiect Sosia Dost thou thinke that he takes any great griefe and care for those that are dead If she did not grieue more whom I see here out of the window goe along the street she would not weare a vayle that colour as she does Tristan Who is that brother Sosia Come hither and see her before she be past Seest thou that mournefull mayd which wipes the teares from her eyes That is Elicia Celestina's seruant and Sempronio's friend she is a good pretty handsome wel-fauoured wench though now poore soule shee be left to the wide world and forsaken of all For shee accounted Celestina her mother and Sempronio her chiefest and best friend And in that house where you see her now enter there dwels a very fayre woman she is exceeding wel-fauoured very fresh and louely she is halfe Courtezane yet happy is hee and counts himselfe so to be that can purchase her fauour at an easie rate and winne her to be his friend Her name is Areusa for whose sake I know that vnfortunate and poore Parmeno indured many a miserable night And I know that shee poore soule is nothing pleased with his death ACTVS XV. THE ARGVMENT AREVSA vtters iniurious speaches to a Ruffian called Centurio who takes his leaue of her occasioned by the comming in of Elicia which Elicia recounts vnto Areusa the deaths which had insued vpon the loue of Calisto and Melibea And Areusa and Elicia agree and conclude together that Centurio should reuenge the death of all those three vpon the two young Louers This done Elicia takes her leaue of Areusa and would not be intreated to stay because shee would not lose her market at home in her accustomed Lodging INTERLOCVTORS Elicia Centurio Areusa ELicia What ayles my Cousin that shee cries and takes on as shee does It may be shee hath already heard of that ill newes which I came to bring her if she haue I shall haue no reward of her for my heauy tydings So weepe weepe on weepe thy belly-full let thine eyes breake their banks and ouerflow thy bosome with an eternall deluge for two such men were not euery where to be had it is some ease yet vnto mee that shee so risents the matter and hath so true a feeling of their deaths Doe teare and rent thy hayre as I poore soule haue done before thee and thinke and consider with thy selfe that to fall from a happy life is more miserable then death it selfe O how I hugge her in my heart How much more then euer heeretofore doe I now loue her that she can expresse her passion in such liuely colours and paint forth sorrow to it 's perfect and true life Areusa Get thee out of my house thou ruffianly Rascall thou lying companion thou cheating Scoundrell thou hast deluded mee thou Villaine thou hast plai'd bob-foole with mee by thy vaine and idle offers and with thy faire words and flattering speaches A pocks on that smooth tongue of thine thou hast rob'd me of all that I haue I gaue thee you Rogue a Ierkin and a Cloake a Sword and a Buckler and a couple of Shirts wrought with a thousand deuices all of needle-worke I furnished thee with armes and a Horse and placed thee with such a Master as thou wast not worthy to wipe his shooes And now that I intreat thee to do a businesse for mee thou makest a thousand friuolous excuses Centurio Command mee to kill tenne men to doe you seruice rather then to put me to walke a League on foot for you Areusa Why then did you play away your horse You must be a Dicer with a murraine had it not beene for mee thou hadst beene hang'd long since Thrice haue I freed thee from the gallowes foure times haue I disimpawnd thee first from this and then from that Ordinary when as thou might'st haue rotted in prison had not I redeem'd thee and paid thy debts O that I should haue any thing to doe with such a Villaine that I should be such a foole that I should haue any affiance in
shall giue them as bitter a potion to drinke as they haue giuen thee O Cousin Cousin how witty am I when I am angry to turne all these their plots vpside downe and though I am but young and a Girle to speake of to breake the necke of these their deuises I shall ouerthrow them horse and foote Elicia Bethinke your selfe well what you meane to doe For I promise you though I should doe as you would haue mee and should send Sosia vnto you yet can I not be perswaded that your desire will take effect For the punishment of those who lately suffred for disclosing their secrets will make him seale vp his lips and looke a little better to his life Now for my comming to your house and to dwell with you as the offer is very kinde so I yeeld you the best kinde of thankes I can render you and Ioue blesse you for it and helpe you in your necessity for therein dost thou well shew that kindred and Alliance serue not for shadowes but ought rather to be profitable and helpfull in aduersity and therefore though I should be willing to doe as you would haue mee in regard of that desire which I haue to inioy your sweet company yet can it not conueniently be done in regard of that losse which would light vpon me for I know it cannot but be greatly to my hindrance the reason thereof I need not to tell you because I speake to one that is intelligent and vnderstands my meaning for there Cousin where I am I am well knowne there am I well customed that house will neuer lose the name of old Celestina thither continually resort your young wenches bordring thereabouts louing creatures willing wormes and such as are best knowne abroad being of halfe blood to those whom Celestina bred vp there they driue all their bargaines and there they make their matches and doe many other things besides as you know well enough whereby now and then I reape some profit Besides those few friends that I haue know not elsewhere to seeke after mee Moreouer you are not ignorant how hard a matter it is to forgoe that which we haue beene vsed vnto and to alter custome is as distastefull as death A rolling stone neuer gathers mosse and therefore I will abide where I am And if for no other reason yet will I stay there because my house-rent is free hauing a full yeere yet to come and will not let it be lost by lying idle and empty so that though euery particular reason may not take place yet when I weigh them altogether I hope I shall rest excused and you contented It is now high time for mee to be gone what wee haue talked of I will take that charge vpon mee and so farewell ACTVS XVI. THE ARGVMENT PLEBERIO and Alisa thinking that their daughter Melibea had kept her virginity vnspotted and vntoucht which was as it seemed quite contray they fall in talke about marrying of Melibea which discourse of theirs she so impatiently endured and was so grieued in hearing her father treate of it that shee sent in Lucrecia to interrupt them that by her comming in she might occasion them to breake off both their discourse and purpose INTERLOCVTORS Melibea Lucrecia Pleberio Alisa PLeberio My wife and friend Alisa time me thinks slips as they say from betweene our hands and our dayes doe glyde away like water downe a Riuer There is not any thing that flyes so swift as the life of man Death still followes vs and hedges vs in on euery side whereunto we our selues now draw nigh Wee are now according to the course of nature to be shortly vnder his banner this wee may plainely perceiue if wee will but he hold our equals our brethren and our kinsfolke round about vs the graue hath deuoured them all they are all brought to their last home And sithence we are vncertaine when we shall be called hence seeing such certaine and infallible signes of our short abode it behoueth vs as is is in the Prouerbe to lay our beard a soaking when we see our neighbours shauing off and to feare left that which befell them yesterday may befall vs to morrow Let vs therefore prepare our selues and packe vp our fardles for to goe this inforced iourney which cannot be auoyded Let not that cruell and dolefull sounding trumpet of death summon vs away on the sudden and vnprouided Let vs prepare our selues and set them in order whilest we haue time for it is better to preuent then to be preuented let vs conferre our substance on our sweet successour let vs couple our onely daughter to a husband such a one as may sute with our estate that wee may goe quietly and contentedly out of this world The which with much diligence and carefulnesse wee ought from henceforth to endeuour and put in execution and what we haue at other times commenced in this matter we ought now to consummate it I would not by our negligence haue our daughter in Guardians hands I like not she should be a Ward she is not fit for marriage and therefore much better for her to be in a house of her owne then in ours by which meanes wee shall free her from the toungs of the vulgar for there is no vertue so absolute so perfect which hath not her detracting and foule-mouthed slanderers neyther is there any thing whereby a Virgins good name is kept more pure and vnsported then by a mature and timely marriage Who in all this City will refuse our Alliance who will not be glad to inioy such a Iewell in whom those foure principall things concurre which are demanded and desired in marriage The first Discretion Honesty and Virginity The second Beauty The third Noble birth and Parentage The last Riches With all these nature hath endowed her Whatsoeuer they shall require of vs they shall find it to be full and perfect Alisa My Lord Pleberio heauen blesse her and send her so to doe that we may see our desires accomplished in our life time And I am rather of opinion that wee shall want one that is equall with our daughter considering her vertue and noblenesse of blood then that there are ouer-many that are 〈◊〉 to weare her but because this office more properly appertaineth to the father then the mother as you shall dispose of her so shall I rest contented and she remaine obedient as shall best beseeme her chaste carriage her honest life and meeke disposition Lucrecia But if you knew as much as I doe your hearts would burst in sunder I I you mistake your marke shee is not the woman you wot of the best is lost an ill yeere is like to attend vpon your old age Calisto hath pluckt that flowre wherein you so much glory There is not any that can now new filme her or repaire her lost Virginity for Celestina is dead the onely curer of a crackt maiden-head you haue awaked somewhat of the latest you should
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
against death I will accuse him of delay how long will hee suffer mee to remaine heere after thee Let my life now leaue mee since I must leaue thy sweet company O my deare wife rise vp from her and if any life be left in thee spend that little with mee in teares and lamentations in sobbes and in sighes but in case thy soule resteth now with hers if out of very griefe thou hast left this life why wouldst thou lay this heauy burthen on mee why let mee remaine heere alone and haue no body to help me in the vnsheathing of my sorrowes In this yee women haue a great aduantage of vs that are men for some violent griefe can make you goe out of the world without any paine or at least cast you into a swound which is some ease to your sorrowes O the hard heart of a father why dost thou not burst with griefe why doe not your heart-strings crack in sunder to see thy selfe bereau'd of thy beloued heyre For whom didst thou build these Turrets For whom got I honours For whom planted trees For whom built ships O hard-hearted earth why dost thou beare me any longer Where shall my disconsolate old age finde any resting place O variable fortune and full of change thou Ministresse and high Stewardesse of all temporall happinesse Why didst thou not execute thy cruell anger vpon mee Why didst thou not ouerwhelme him with thy mutable waues who professes himselfe to be thy subiect Why didst thou not rob mee of my patrimony Why didst thou not set fire on my house Why didst thou not lay waste mine inheritance Why didst thou not strip mee of my great reuenewes What is 't I would not thou shouldst haue done so as thou hadst left mee that flourishing young plant ouer which thou ought'st not to haue had such power Thou might'st O fortune fluctuant and fluent as thou art haue giuen me a sorrowfull youth and a mirthfull age neyther haue therein peruerted order Better could I haue borne thy blowe better indured thy persecutions in that my more strong and Oaky age then in this my weake and feeble declining O life fulfill'd with griefe and accompanied with nought but misery O world world much haue men spoken of thee much haue men writ concerning thy deceits and much haue I heard my selfe And mine owne wofull experience is able to say something of thee as one who haue bin in the vnfortunate fayre and haue often bought and sold with thee but neuer had any thing that succeeded happily with mee As one who many a time heeretofore euen to this present houre haue silenced thy false properties and all because I would not purchase thy displeasure and pull thy hatred vpon mee and that thou shouldst not vntimely plucke this flowre from me which this day thou hast cropt by the mightinesse of thy power And therefore now will I goe without feare like one that hath nothing to lose or as one to whom thy company is now odious and troublesome or like a poore traueller who fearelesse of theeues goes singing on his way I thought in my more tender yeeres that both thou and thy actions were gouerned by order and ruled by reason But now I see thou art Pro and Con there is no certainty in thy calmes thou seemest now vnto me to be a Labyrinth of errours a fearefull wildernesse an habitation of wilde Beasts a Dance full of changes a Fen full of mire and dirt a Country full of thornes a steepe and craggy mountaine a field full of stones a meddow full of Snakes and Serpents a pleasant garden to looke to but without any fruite a fountaine of cares a riuer of teares a sea of miseries trouble without profit a sweet poyson a vaine hope a false ioy and a true sorrow O thou false world thou dost cast before vs the baytes of thy best delights and when we haue swallowed them they seeming sauoury vnto vs then doest thou shew vs the hooke that must choake vs Nor can we auoyd it because together with vs thou dost captiuate our wills Thou promisest mountaines but performest Mole-hils and then thou dost cast vs off that wee may not put thee in minde of making good thy vaine promises We runne thorow the spacious fields of thy ranke vices retchlesly and with a loose reyne and then doest thou discouer thy ambushes vnto vs when thou seest there is no way forvs to retreat Many haue forsaken thee fearing thy sudden forsaking of them And well may they stile themselues happy when they shall see how well thou hast rewarded this poore heauy sorrowfull old man for his long seruice Thou dost put out our eyes and then to make vs amends thou anointest the place with oyle thou breakest our head and giuest vs a plaister after thou hast done vs a great deale of harme thou giuest vs a poore cold comfort thou dost hurt vnto all that no man may boast that others haue not their crosses as well as wee telling them that it is some ease to the miserable to haue companions in their misery But I alas disconsolate old man stand all alone I am singuler in my sorrowes I am grieued and haue no equall companion of my griefe No mans misfortune is like vnto mine though I reuolue in my troubled memory persons both present and past I cannot instance in the like If I shall seeke to comfort my selfe with the seuerity and patience of Paulus Aemilius who hauing lost two sonnes in seuen daies bore this brunt of fortune with so vndaunted a courage that the people of Rome had rather neede to be comforted by him then he by them yet cannot this satisfie mee for hee had two more remaining that were his adopted sonnes What companion then will they allot me of my misery Pericles that braue Athenian Captaine or valiant Xenophon Tush they lost sonnes indeed but their sonnes dyed out of their sight hauing lost their liues abroad in forraine Countries far from home so that it was not much for the one not to change countenance but to take it cheerefully nor for the other to answer the messenger who brought him the ill tydings of his sonnes deaths that he should receiue no punishment because himselfe had receiued no griefe for all this is farre differing from mine lesse canst thou say thou world replenished with euill that Anaxagoras and I were alike in our losse that wee were equall in our griefes and that I should say of my dead daughter as he did of his onely sonne when he said Being that I was mortall I knew that he whom I had begot was to die For my Melibea willingly and out of her owne election killed her selfe before mine eyes inforced thereunto through the extreme passion of her loue so great was her torment whereas his sonne was slaine in battell in a iust and lawfull warre O incomparable losse O most wretched and sorrowfull old man that I am who the more I seeke after comfort the
such a false-hearted white-liuer'd slaue that I should beleeue him and his lies that I should once suffer him to come within my doores What a diuell is there good in him his hayre is curled and shagg'd like a water Spaniell his face scotcht and notcht he hath beene twice whipt vp and downe the Towne hee is lame on his sword-arme and hath some thirty whores in the common Stewes Get thee out of my house and that presently too looke mee no more in the face speake not to mee no not a word neyther say thou that thou did'st euer know mee lest by the bones of my father who begot me of my mother who brought me forth I cause 2000 Bastinadoes to be laid vpon that Millers backe of thine For I would thou shouldst know I haue a friend in a corner that will not sticke to doe a greater matter then that for mee and come off handsomely with it when he has done Centurio The foole is mad I thinke But doe you heare Dame if I be nettled I shall sting some body if my choller be moued I shall drawe teares from some I shall make some body put finger in the eye I shall yfaith But for once I will goe my wayes and say nothing I will suffer all this at your hands lest some body may come in or the neighbours chance to heare vs Elicia I will in for that is no true sound of sorrow which sends forth threatnings and reuilings Areusa O wretch that I am Is 't you my Elicia I can hardly beleeue it But what meanes this Who hath cloath'd thee thus in sorrow What mourning weede is this Beleeue mee Cousin you much afright mee Tell me quickly what 's the matter For I long to know it O what a qualme comes ouer my stomack Thou hast not left me one drop of bloud in my body Elicia Great sorrow great losse that which I shew is but little to that which I feele and conceale My heart is blacker then my mantle my bowels then my veyle Ah Cousin Cousin I am not able to speake through hoarsenesse I cannot for sobbing send my words from out my brest Areusa Ay miserable mee why dost thou hold me in suspence Tell mee tell mee I say doe not you teare your hayre doe not you scratch and martyre your face deale not so ill with your selfe Is this euill common to vs both Appertaines it also vnto mee Elicia Ay my Cousin my deare Loue Sempronio and Parmeno are now no more they liue not they are no longer of this world dead alasse they are dead Areusa What dost thou tell mee No more I intreat thee for pitty hold thy peace lest I fall downe dead at thy feet Elicia There is yet more ill newes to come vnto thine eares Listen well to this wofull wight and shee shall tell thee a longer Tale of woe thy sorrowes haue not yet their end Celestina shee whom thou knewst well shee whom I esteemed as my Mother shee who did cocker mee as her childe shee who did couer all my infirmities shee who made me to be honoured amongst my equals shee by whose meanes I was knowne thorow all the City and suburbs of the same stands now rendring vp an account of all her works I saw her with these eyes stabb'd in a thousand places They slew her in my lap I folding her in mine armes Areusa O strong tribulation O heauy newes worthy our bewayling O swift-footed misfortunes O incurable destruction O inrreparable losse O how quickly hath fortune turned about her wheele Who slew them How did they dye Thou hast made mee almost besides my selfe with this thy newes and to stand amazed as one who heares a thing that seemes to be impossible It is not eight dayes agoe since I saw them all aliue Tell me good friend How did this cruell and vnlucky chance happen Elicia You shall know I am sure Cousin you haue already heard tell of the loue betwixt Calisto and that foole Melibea And you likewise saw how Celestina at the intercession of Sempronio so as shee might be paid for her paines vndertooke the charge of that businesse and to be the meanes to effect it for him wherein shee vsed such diligence and was so carefull in the following of it that shee drew water at the second spitting Now when Calisto saw so good and so quicke a dispatch which he neuer hoped to haue effected amongst diuers other things hee gaue this my vnfortunate Aunt a chaine of gold And as it is the nature of that metall that the more we drinke thereof the more wee thirst shee when she saw her selfe so rich appropriated the whole gaine to her selfe and would not let Sempronio and Parmeno haue their parts it being before agreed vpon betweene them that whatsoeuer Calisto gaue her they should share it alike Now they being come home weary one morning from accompaning their Master with whom they had beene abroad all night being in great choller and heate vpon I know not what quarrells and brawles as they themselues said that had betyded them they demanded part of the chayne of Celestina for to relieue themselues therewith Shee stood vpon deniall of any such couenant or promise made betweene them affirming the whole gaine to be due to her and discouering withall other petty matters of some secrecie For as it in the Prouerbe when Gossips brawle then out goes all So that they being mightily inraged on the one side necessity did vrge them which rents and breaks all the loue in the world on the other side the great anger and wearinesse they brought thither with them which many times workes an alteration in vs And besides they saw that they were forsaken in their fayrest hopes shee breaking her faith and promise with them So that they knew not in the world what to do and so continued a great while vpon termes with her some hard words passing to and fro betweene them But in the end perceiuing her couetous disposition and finding that she still perseuered in her denyall they layd hands vpon their swords and hackt and hew'd her in a thousand pieces Areusa O vnfortunate woman Wast thou ordained to end thy dayes in so miserable a manner as this But for them I pray what became of them How came they to their end Elicia They as soone as euer they had committed this foule murder that they might auoyde the Iustice the Alcalde passing by by chance at that very instant made mee no more adoe but leapt presently out at the windowes and being in a manner dead with the fall they presently apprehended them and without any further delay chopt off their heads Areusa O my Parmeno my loue what sorrow doe I feele for thy sake How much doth thy death torment mee It grieues me for that my great loue which in so short a space I had settled vpon him sithence it was not my fortune to inioy him longer But being that this ill successe hath insued being that this
mischance hath hapned and being that their liues now lost cannot be bought or restored by teares doe not thou vexe thy selfe so much in grieuing and weeping out thine eyes I grieue as much and beleeue thou hast but little aduantage of mee in thy sorrowing and yet thou seest with what patience I beare it and passe it ouer Elicia O! I grow mad O wretch that I am I am ready to run out of my wits Ay me there is not any bodies griefe that is like to mine there is not any body that hath lost that which I haue lost O how much better and more honest had my teares beene in another persons passion then mine owne whither shall I goe for I haue lost both money meate drinke and clothes I haue lost my friend and such a one that had hee beene my husband hee could not haue beene more kinde vnto mee O thou wise Celestina thou much honoured Matrone and of great authority how often did'st thou couer my faults by thy singular wisdome Thou took'st paines whil'st I tooke pleasure thou went'st abroad whil'st I staid at home thou went'st in tatters and ragges whil'st I did ruffle in Silkes and Satens thou still camest home like a Bee continually laden whil'st I did nothing but spend and play the vnthrift for I knew not else what to doe O thou worldly happinesse and ioy which whilest thou art possessed art the lesse esteemed Nor' dost thou euer let vs know what thou art till we know that thou art not finding our losse greater by wanting then in inioying thee neuer knowing what we haue till we haue thee not O Calisto and Melibea occasioners of so many deaths let some ill attend vpon your loue let your sweete meate haue some sowre sauce your pleasure paine let your ioy be turned into mourning the pleasant flowres whereon you tooke your stolne solace let them be turned into Serpents and Snakes your songs let them be turned into howlings the shady trees of the garden let them be blasted and withered with your looking on them your sweet senting blossomes and buddes let them be blacke and dismall to behold Areusa Good Cousin content your selfe I pray be quiet inioyne silence to your complaints stop the Couduit-pipes to your teares wipe your eyes take heart againe vnto you For when fortune shuts one gate she vsually sets open another and this estate of yours though it be neuer so much broken it will be soldred and made whole againe And many things may be reuenged which are impossible to be remedied whereas this hath a doubtfull remedy and a ready reuenge Elicia But by whom shall we mend our selues Of whom shall we be reuenged when as her death and those that slew her haue brought all this affliction and anguish vpon mee Nor doth the punishment of the delinquent lesse grieue me then the errour they committed What would you haue me to do when as all the burthen lies vpon my shoulders I would with all my heart that I were now with them that I might not lie heere to lament and bewaile them all as I doe And that which grieues mee most is to see that for all this that Villaine Calisto who hath no sense nor feeling of his seruants deaths goes euery night to see and visit his filth Melibea feasting and solacing himselfe in her company whilest she growes proud glorying to see so much bloud to be sacrificed to her seruice Areusa If this be true of whom can wee reuenge our selues better And therefore hee that hath eaten the meate let him pay the shot leaue the matter to mee let me alone to deale with them For if I can but tracke them or but once find the sent of their footing or but haue the least inkling in the world when how where and at what houre they visit one another neuer hold me true daughter to that old pasty-wench whom you knew full well if I doe not giue them sowre sauce to their sweete meate and make that their loue distastefull which now they swallow downe with delight and if I imploy in this businesse that Ruffian whom you found mee rayling against when you came into the house if he proue not a worse Executioner for Calisto then Sempronio was for Celestina neuer trust me more O! how quickely the Villaine would fat himselfe with ioy and how happy would hee hold himselfe if I would but impose any seruice vpon him for he went away from me very sad and heauy to see how coursely I vsed him and should I but now send for him againe and speake kindly vnto him he would thinke himselfe taken vp in some strange sweet rapture so much will he be rauished with ioy And therefore tell me Cousin how I may learne how this businesse goes for I will set such a trap for them as if they be taken in it shall make Melibea weepe as much as now she laugheth Elicia Mary I know sweete Cousin another companion of Parmeno's Calisto's groome of the stable whose name is Sosia who accompanies him euery night that hee goes I will see what I can suck from him and this I suppose will be a very good course for the matter you talke of Areusa But heare you me Cousin I pray doe me the kindnesse to send Sosia hither vnto me I will take him in hand a little I will entertaine talke with him and one while I will so flatter him another while make him such faire offers that in the end I will diue into him and reach the very depth of his heart and learne from him as well what hath beene already as what is to be done heereafter At least learne so much as we desire to know or may serue our turne and when I shall haue effected this I will make him and his Master to vomit vp all the pleasure they haue eaten And thou Elicia that art as deare to me as mine owne soule doe not you vexe your selfe any more but bring your apparell and such implements as you haue and come and liue with mee for there where you are you shall remaine all alone and sadnesse you know is a friend to solitarinesse What wench anew Loue will make thee forget the old one Sonne that is borne will repaire the loue of three that be dead With a new successour we receiue a new the ioyfull memory and lost delights of forepassed times If I haue a loafe of bread or a penny in my purse thou shalt haue halfe of it And I haue more compassion of thy sorrow then of those that did cause it True it is that the losse of that doth grieue a man more which hee already possesseth then the hope of the like good can glad him be it neuer so certaine You see the matter is past all remedy and dead men cannot be recald you know the old saying Fie vpon this weeping let them dye and we liue As for the rest that remaine behinde leaue that to me I will take order for Calisto and Melibea and I