in Fuimus Troes (The True Trojans) — Fisher, Jasper
Metadata
Play
Fuimus Troes (The True Trojans)
Author
Fisher, Jasper
Year (catalogued)
1633
First performance
1625
Decade
1630s
Genre
History
Play type
University
Theater
at University;
Speech prefix(es)
Andr. | Androg. | And.
Words
603
Characters
3513
Typicality
0.28 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A00760
BritDrama no.
1890
Cluster
Cluster 13 — Attendant courtiers & citizens
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Our message told unto the Scots, Their King With willing sympathy, leavies a Band, Ten thousand footmen, whose strange appetites Murder, and then devour; and dare gnaw, and suck Their enemies bones. Conducted thence, we saw The Pictish Court, and friendly entertained, Receive eight thousand, whose most ugly shapes, Painted Like Bears, and Wolves, and brinded Tigers, May kill, and stonifie without all weapons. More aid they promise, if more needs. These forces. Led by Cadallan hither march with speed. He shall not die. He was provoked and did it in defence: And being My kinsman shall be judged by laws Of Troynovant: Such custom claims our Court. Shall Justice, and joust Libra near forsake The embroidered Belt? No sign of them on earth? Are Gods dimsighted grown, or do they sleep The morning, and carouse the after noon? That mortal motions tumble thus by chance: Cleave thou blue Marble Seeling, that heavens King With clearer aim may strike a tyrants crown, Nor spend his brimstone bullets against some hill, Or innocent Pine. Usurper's use this method still: At first He as Protector flily God the stern, During our nonage: Then the Commons voice, Bought with a fawning brow, and popular grace, Confirms his Regiment: We appointed shares, With empty titles to beguile our thoughts, Like puppet-Lords, dressed up with crown and scarf, Glad that we live, and hunt, and reign over Brutus's. Our Uncle is the King. So when he saw, His throne established, and his foes repulsed, Grown big with prosperous fortune, proudly spurns All fear of God or man. In Antiphones thus tune we female plaints: But plots and force beseem us. Thus. Great Caesar Shall pull him down below us. Thou Mandubrace, Sure pledges take of our revolt, and quickly Implore his aid: blow up his drooping fire With hopeful terms. But let him stronger come. Thus civil war by me, and factious broils, Deface this goodly land: I am revenged: The cause Eulinus dead, my Anger die. He is our Uncle, and in danger's mouth; Both claim relenting pity. Whom peace made A rampant Lion, war hath made a Lamb. Caesar shall not proceed, for private ends, To captivate our I'll: whose clamorous curse Does knock, I know, at Heavens Star-nailed gates: For that Jove's bird, impt with our plumes, over-flew The Ocean's wall; To seek her prey in Britain. I know their hatred joust; and here resign All my birthright to thee, my second self: I must forsake my Countries sighed, and seek New Fortune's with this Emperor; In hope To be raised up, by his now rising wheel. You shall a Sceptre gain. Bear you the Sovereign power of this land. I must away, and shun the peoples eye. I: For trees transplanted do more goodly grow. I am resolved: All troubles brought a sleep: To leave you with a parting kiss. Let gracious favour smooth wars rugged brow: Cassibelane will compound: All rage must end: We choose you Umpire, for a friendly close. Pardon my rash attempts. Cassib. embraces Androg. and Manned. My heart agrees. Henceforth you Sovereign cares, State-mysteries, false graces, jealous fears, The Linings of a Crown, forsake my Brain: These Territories neither are too wide, To trouble my content; nor yet too narrow, To feed a Princely train. Thus join we Standards: And resign the keys Of Troynovant, with all our warlike forces. Not far hence Verolame lies, his chiefest fort, By nature guarded round with woods and fens, By Art enclosed with a ditch and rampire: From hence we must dislodge the Boar. Trials are vain, when Passion sits as Judge.
Plot summary
Plot — Fuimus Troes (The True Trojans)
The Romans have invaded Gaul. Caesar reaches the northern shore and thinks himself at the edge of the world, until he sees the white cliffs across the Channel: a new land to conquer. To justify a war, he sends Volusenus to make an offer of peace, expecting the Britons to refuse; Volusenus will also spy out the country in preparation for the Roman assault. News of the Roman invasion plans reaches King Cassibelan, who mobilizes his troops and allies. When Volusenus presents the terms, which require the Britons to pay tribute and send hostages, Cassibelan is advised to reject them, and does. Commius the Gaul makes a last effort to encourage him to come to terms, but is imprisoned for his pains. Caesar invades Britain, but sustains heavy casualties trying to get his troops ashore. Duke Nennius defeats Caesar in the battle, but is killed by Caesar’s poisoned sword. The celebration of the British victory is offset by Nennius’ state funeral. Cassibelan came to power by murdering a previous king and depriving his son Mandubrace of his throne. Seeking revenge, Mandubrace allies himself with Caesar, who agrees to launch a second attack on Britain. Against advice, Cassibelan decides to allow the Romans to land and face them in an inland battle. A storm wrecks forty of Caesar’s ships, and initially the Briton army has the upper hand. The tide turns after many of the British petty kingdoms switch their allegiance to Mandubrace, and Cassibelan realizes that the island will be conquered. The Romans capture a druid, who warns Caesar to concentrate on foreign wars, avoid the Senate House, and beware of Brutus, who will avenge his treatment of the British descendants of Trojan Brute. Using Commius as an intermediary, Cassibelan sues for peace. Caesar dictates terms: Mandubrace is to be restored to his birthright, Cassibelan to pay tribute to Rome, and a tower to be built in Troynovant as a monument to the conquest. With Britain part of the Roman empire, a time of universal peace comes to the world. In the sub-plot, Eulinus loves Landora, who in turn loves his kinsman Hirildas and invites him into her bed. Hirildas bribes her servant Rollano to admit Eulinus instead. At Nennius’ funeral, the two friends fall out during a bout of sword-play and Eulinus kills Hirildas. This leaves him with a problem: he will not now be able to go to bed with Landora posing as Hirildas. Stricken with grief at Hirildas’s death, Landora poisons herself, and when he hears of this Eulinus too…