in The Scottish History of James the Fourth — Greene, Robert
Metadata
Play
The Scottish History of James the Fourth
Author
Greene, Robert
Year (catalogued)
1598
First performance
1590
Decade
1590s
Genre
Romance
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Unknown
Speech prefix(es)
Count. | Countesse.
Words
354
Characters
1883
Typicality
0.31 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A02168
BritDrama no.
854
Cluster
Cluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Fair Ida, might you choose the greatest good Amid all the world, in blessings that abound: Wherein my daughter should your liking be? And why? Might you have wealth, and Fortune's ritchest store? Tut foolish maid, each one contemneth needs. Many marry then, on whom distress does lour, Peace Ida, here are strangers near at hand. I thank you gentle squire. I thank her honour, and your self my friend. I see she means you good brave Gentleman, Daughter, the Lady Elinor salutes Your self as well as me, then for her sake T'were good you entertained that Courtiour well. O sir these great men bark at small offence. Good sir, my daughter learns this rule of me, To shun resort, and strangers company: For some are shifting mates that carry letters, Some such as you too good, because our betters. She shall in humble duty be addressed, To do his Highness will in what she may. I see my daughter grows impatient, I fear me he pretends some bade intent. Sirrah go fetch him drink, how likest thou this? Why sighs you sirrah? Go take him in and feast this merry swain, Syrrha, my cook is your physician. He hath a purge for to disiest the world. Ida come in, and sir if so you please, Come take a homely widows entertain. Lord Eustace, as your youth & virtuous life, Deserves a fair, more fair and richer wife, So since I am a mother, and do wit What wedlock is, and that which longs to it, Before I mean my daughter to bestow, It meet that she and I your state did know. But what estate my Lord shall she possess? Do what thou wilt. What are you friends, that thus does wish us well? Welcome you Ladies, and thousand thanks for this, Come enter you a homely widows house, And if mine entertainment please you let us feast. It was of duty Prince that I have done: And what in favour may content me most, Is, that it please your grace to give me leave, For to return unto my Country home.
Plot summary
Plot — The Scottish History of James the Fourth
Bohan has shut himself up in a tomb and scorns the world. He is visited by GB@FGn, who gives blessings to his sons: preferment for Nad, and for Slippér the promise of fairy help when he is in danger. Bohan shows him a story of King JameSEIV to justify his misanthropy. During the action, Oberon falls asleep. The King of Scots marries the English princess Dorothea, but in the church his eye lights on [da and he falls in tove. Al@iiKin offers to help him with his affair, hires servants (among them Slipper), and woos Ida on James’s behalf. Although Dorothea assumes the King’s pursuit of Ida is only a sham to test her own love, his behaviour and his liking for flatterers is ===== PAGE 35 ===== 1590 driving the nobles away from his court; James secretly welcomes this, since their absence gives him greater freedom of action. Ateukin attributes his lack of success with Ida to the adulterous nature of the proposal: if she had an expectation of marriage, she would be more pliable; therefore Dorothea must die, and Ateukin engages Jaqwes to murder her, with the promise of promotion at court. Ateukin uses his influence at court to sell favours. His own servants are equally corrupt: Sir Bartram bribes Slipper to steal a lease from Ateukin’s pocket, but what Slipper actually takes is the murder warrant. When the document is missed, Ateukin orders Andrew to find it; because reporting Slipper will expose his own malfeasance, Andrew instead robs him of the bribe- money to teach him a lesson. Sir Bartram shows the stolen warrant to Dorothea, and prevails upon her to escape dressed as a squire; but Jaques catches up with her, wounds her, and leaves her for dead. She is taken in by Sir GWEHBEMNAMAERSGh, whose wife, mistaking her for a young man, falls in love with ‘him’. Things go badly for the King of Scots. To insure himself against the possibility of Ateukin’s fall, Andrew secretly informs the Kinglefllngland of Dorothea’s fate. This precipitates an English invasion of Scotland in reprisal. Ateukin goes to resume the wooing of Ida, but on arrival finds her just married to Lord Eiistace; unable to persuade Jaques to kill Eustace too, he goes into hiding. Corruption, poverty, and lawlessness spread through Scotland, and the price of peace with England is ‘dead’ Dorothea’s return. When James proclaims a reward, the Queen reveals her identity to the disappointed DaayNAMGersGn, and goes to court. James puts a price on Ateukin’s head and orders Slipper and Andrew imprisoned…