Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

LADY YELLOW

in The Hollander (Love's Trial) — Glapthorne, Henry

Metadata

PlayThe Hollander (Love's Trial)
AuthorGlapthorne, Henry
Year (catalogued)1640
First performance1636
Decade1640s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyQueen Henrietta Maria's Men
Theaterbefore the Court;Phoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Lady. | Lady, | Lady | Lad.
Words1253
Characters6704
Typicality0.43 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA01773
BritDrama no.2536
ClusterCluster 4 — Constant hearts & virtuous ladies

Important excerpts

Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 4 (loyalty, handmaid, spotless, blessings, hamilcar, moves…). Matches are highlighted.

sister, this is the same maid Whom Master Freewit is reported to have God with Child: this is strange Is't so Sir Martin? I have now just cause To suspect your loyalty, and that your found Jealousy proceeds out of intemperate lust, Could I not serve, but underneath my nose You must be rioting upon another? Well Sir martin, though

Full speech

As yet indeed it does not. My chamber, sure your manners lies in your beard, what do you take me for? so have at him, a strange compliment to win a Lady, Sir by your first discou e I had imagined You came to spend partly of this cheerful morn In amorous dalliance with me, I am apt For entertainment of it, as a bride Long time contracted to some exquisite man Is on her wedding night, but your quick change, (Did not my glass assure me) no great blemish Dwells in my cheeks, would urge me to mistrust And imperfection in them: they are my own sir, I do not wear (though its common among Ladies) My face ith daytime only, and at night Put off the painted visor, this hair believe it, Was never shop-ware, you may venture on me, let but your Creature keep the door, my chamber is empty for you. This is stranger yet sir, I see you come to convert me Prompted with a zeal would choke ten precisians earnest in Their hight house of convention, alas poor youth thy want Of practice in the sweet delights of love, Undoes thy judgement, can there be a joy Equal to this to have a sprightful Lady, Whose every lineament speaks captivity To the beholder, clasp with the same strictness That curling billows do embrace a wrack, Her lovers neck, kiss close, and soft, as moss Does some oregrowne Oak; but I see 'tis vain, To prate to thee whose ignorance may plead Excuse for thy found here j; go depart, Turn Eunuch and reserve thy voyee, perhaps will purchase thee A petty Cannons place in some blind chantry. They may return to the wise man my husband, from whom I'm sure they come, and tell him my disposition, would, would, would. He means to speak surely in cringes. Approach's j ne vou's morderay pass. Vous Este fort & liberal de suparoll monsieur. Heavens bless ye Innocent gentleman: sister my husband. Sister prithee speak to him, he has put me in such a fright, I cannot. Sir 'tis passed my thoughts, What should incense you to this jealous rage against me your loyal wife, when no one blemish Lies on my soul that can give testimony Unto my conscience that I have not ever Truly and chastely loved you. Oh me unfortunate woman. Was it you indeed? I'm glad I know't deer sir, Had I the chastest temper, that frail flesh Could ever boast of, your strange usage of me, Would undermine it: to forsake my bed, Before my blood scarce relished the delights Attending on young nuptials, so that I Expect no anger from you, if I seek That from the charity of other men, Which your neglect (though you in duty owe it) Will not allow me. Would, would, would, the man is sure distracted, would, would, would, Good sir will you walk? the gentleman he's in a ter rible sweat, should he stand still, he may chance catch and Ague. How do you husband, sweet heart, what not speak? I thought your jealousy ere this had driven you into France, but now I see you fear to be seasick, you have found me out it seems; I hope ere long you will provide Gossips for the child I go with, mark you duck. He leaves you here sir as his spy, do's he not? Pray wait upon your master, I suppose he is so. Which of his sisters sons are you? My cousin Harry Popingay; I cry your mercy sir: your good mother knows, and grieves Ime sure, to see her brother wrong me as he does: should I tell her how you dealt with me too, she would chide you soundly. Sister he has it, were it possible To work a reclamation on this man, From his found jealousy, I would not wish A change to be and Empress. Nephew pray see us oftener, and use all means to gain your distracted uncle from his frenzy, sister shall's walk; Dali nea be it your care to see my Nephew forth. Truth sir I weigh not at so high a rate, my life That to prolong it to and irk some age, I should destroy my honour, neither do I Find any such strange sickness raining on me As you have urged; pray as you love me sir, Unless you mean to drive me from The house, repeat this argument no more. My husband and on the sudden, speak you to me sir. This acknowledgement cannot Be serious from him, good Sir Martin Has your wild fancy not imposed enough, Temptations on my frailty that you come after So many strange indignities, again to delude me. As you are my husband sir, and consequently my head. And ought to be the guider of my youth, I will not stand on that nice term of honour, With you whom duty ties me to observe With more then superficial care, enjoin A penance for your folly; the light smoke Finds not a surer burial in the a ire (To whose embraces with ambitious haste. On azure wings it soared) then has your gilded, In this forgiving bosom, this pure kiss seals the agreement. What ail you sir on the sudden? Soft patience guard my heart: where no offence, one safely may rely on innocence. Sister, let's to our chambers and to bed, That time approaches. Your bride good Master Doctor, who should that be? I understand you not. Beyond wonder, well sir, We'll have her bride garters, it shall go Hard else, sister could you have thought it? I pity the p over girl, That she should be so sudden in her choice, Enthral her soul ith' manacles of fate, (For such are nuptial bonds) sister Enforces me to her For you, discretion may you from the care Of his affection, you are free (as light) (Which in the darkest night retains some splendour) From the obedient slavery, endue to marriage; But I no burne-markd captive is engaged With more officious eale to serve his Lord, Then I my husband, I must either perish Like the chaste ice, when from a Christ all Rock, It feels a sad conversion into fowl Corrupted waters, by his jealous flames; Or break those ties whose dissolution Would betray my innocent virtue to a ruin, Sure and eternal. Alas you cannot, What noble soul (though halse starved) would be fed with Base reversions, conscience too forbids. The supplantation of another, sister strive to forget him Sister, now give him his latest answer, and resolve Upon some choice more happy: here he comes. This gentleman seems so noble, I repent that I advised her from him. But sir, suppose my sister did it for a proof, Of your affection, and now should reclaim The harsh prescription she imposed, you would not Continue in this temper. Heaven bless me sister, this is the same maid Whom Master Freewit is reported to have God with Child: this is strange Is't so Sir Martin? I have now just cause To suspect your loyalty, and that your found Jealousy proceeds out of intemperate lust, Could I not serve, but underneath my nose You must be rioting upon another? Well Sir martin, though you have injured Me most infinitely, I do re to all if you will protest Near to be jealous more. Heyday, what's this, how should he know Who can speak French. Would my Nephew Popingay!

Plot summary

Plot — The Hollander (Love's Trial)
Dr Artless has grown rich by taking in resident lady patients, and is concerned that his house should keep its good name. One of his current guests has a jealous husband, Sir Martin Yellow, who believes the house is really a place of assignation, and sends his nephew Popinjay there in search of evidence. Popinjay meets Artless’s daughter, Dalinea, and falls in love. Meanwhile, the apothecary Mixum has sent Artless a young man, Sconce, as a potential son-in-law; Artless is unconcerned that he is a fool because he is also rich. Sconce’s main preoccupation is with Mixum’s weapon-salve which will cure any wound if applied to the weapon that made it. When Sir Martin wounds him in a jealous rage, he takes away Sir Martin’s sword but finds the salve ineffectual and concludes that there must be something wrong with his blood. Another visitor to Artless’s house is Freewit, a suitor to Mistress Know-worth, but she breaks up with him, having heard from Lovering, her servant, that he has slept with the servant-girl Martha and got her pregnant. When he proves reluctant to marry Martha, Mistress Know-worth gives him an alternative: she will consider his suit if he can persuade Martha to release him from his prior obligation. Artless’s servant Urinal offers to prove to Sir Martin that Lady Yellow is chaste: he is to visit his wife in her bedroom, incognito, while the rest of the household is out at Dalinea’s wedding. The problem is that Dalinea doesn’t want to marry Sconce, to her parents’ annoyance. Sconce is interested in the order of the Knights of the Twibill, which allows its members to marry but will not admit anyone who is already married; he is duly determined to be inducted before his marriage. The ceremony requires him to drink heavily and remove his clothes; but the arrival of a constable causes the Twibills to break it off before it is finished, and Sconce is left without his clothes. Dalinea appears to change her mind about Sconce and goes off to marry him alongside another couple. When they return, however, it emerges that there has been some confusion of identity: Dalinea has married Popinjay, dressed in Sconce’s clothes (acquired by Urinal from the Twibills), while the other couple turn out to be Lovering and the drunken Sconce, cross-dressed as a woman. Lovering, moreover, is really Martha (so the marriage to Sconce is valid after all), inveigled into Mistress Know-worth’s service to test her loyalty to Freewit by giving him the undeserved reputation of…