in The Elder Brother — Fletcher, John; Massinger, Philip
Metadata
Play
The Elder Brother
Author
Fletcher, John; Massinger, Philip
Year (catalogued)
1637
First performance
1625
Decade
1630s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Theater
Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)
Syl.
Words
399
Characters
2085
Typicality
0.40 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A00960
BritDrama no.
1866
Cluster
Cluster 1 — Wives, widows & intimate counsel
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 1 (nony, tailors, butler, mall, jesu, massinissa…). Matches are highlighted.
fruit that is forbidden. Only, my Lord, remember That he be rich and active, for without these, The others yield no relish, but these perfect; You must bear with small faults, Madam. Thoughts are but airy food Sir, let her taste them. Unload partly of the Library, and make room For th'other dozen of Carts, I'll straight be with
Full speech
Here's a learned Lecture! With your pardon (Were you but pleased to minister it) I could Prescribe a remedy for my Ladies health, And her delight too, far transcending those Your Lordship but now mentioned. What i'st? A noble Husband; In that word, a Noble Husband, all content of Woman Is wholly comprehended; He will rouse her, As you say, with the Sun, and so pipe to her, As she will dance, never doubt it, and hunt with her, Upon occasion, until both be weary; And then the knowledge of your Plants and Simples, As I take it, were superfluous; A loving, And but add to it a game some Bedfellow, Being the sure Physician. I deserve a fee, And not a frown, deer Madam; I but speak Her thoughts, my Lord, and what her modesty Refuses to give voice to; Show no mercy To a Maidenhead of fourteen, but off with it: Let her lose no time Sir, father's that deny Their Daughters lawful pleasure, when ripe for them, In some kinds edge their appetites to taste of The fruit that is forbidden. Only, my Lord, remember That he be rich and active, for without these, The others yield no relish, but these perfect; You must bear with small faults, Madam. Thoughts are but airy food Sir, let her taste them. Unload partly of the Library, and make room For th'other dozen of Carts, I'll straight be with you. You needs not fear that, will you be a child still? He follows you, but still to look upon you, Or if he did desire to lie with you, 'Tis but your own desire, you love for that end; I'll lay my life, if he were now a bed with you, He is so modest, he would fallen a sleep straight. Let him consent, and have at you, I fear him not, he knows not what a woman is, Nor how to find the mystery men aim at. Are you afraid of your own shadow, Madam? You may both, and let him but go with you. The Gentleman says true. Pluck up your heart, Madam. 'Tis easily done, if you will give your mind to it. This Scholar never went to a Free-school, he's so simple. Her lust! you are her father. Were you ten Lords, it's false, The pureness of her chaste thoughts entertain not Such spotted instruments.
Plot summary
Plot — The Elder Brother
Louis wishes his lazy daughter Angelina would take more exercise, but her woman Sylvia has a better idea: she should get married. Unfortunately Angelina has high standards: when Louis proposes one or other of Brisac’s sons, Charles the scholar and Eustace the courtier, she objects that neither will have the money to keep her as she would wish. Louis pursues the idea anyway, but the bookish Charles, who has only ever seen one woman, his mother, has been put off marriage by the bad examples of antiquity. Louis is willing to accept Eustace, the younger brother, so long as Brisac agrees to disinherit Charles. Much to the disgust of Charles’s uncle, Miramont, a legal instrument is drawn up for the purpose. Charles seems unconcerned by his father’s plans, until he sees Angelina, whereupon he changes his mind about women, refuses to sign away his birthright, and woos the girl himself. She finds him more attractive than Eustace, and the wedding is aborted. Brisac throws him out; Angelina goes with him, and they live together in unmarried chastity. Spurred on by his father, Eustace visits them at night and tries to seize Angelina, but Charles puts up a fight and takes Eustace’s sword from him. Brisac has arranged for Charles’s servant Andrew to marry Lily, and given the couple a farm; but in reality Lily is his mistress and, on the same night as the brothers fight, he visits her for sex. Andrew brings Miramont to the farm to see the liaison for himself, and intervenes as Brisac is undressing for bed. Brisac tries to buy Andrew’s silence with a larger grant of land before realizing that there is a second witness. Eustace borrows a sword and confronts Charles, but Charles will not give up Angelina, and they fight. The bout is interrupted by the arrival of news that Brisac has been arrested by Louis, who insists on the return of Angelina (in the same condition as before). The brothers join forces to rescue their father. Miramont points out that, if he pursues the case, Louis will both ruin Angelina’s reputation and put himself in the control of lawyers; so Louis drops the matter. Miramont pays off the officers and insists that, as a penance, Brisac should abide by his offer to enlarge Andrew’s farm.