in The Royal King and the Loyal Subject — Heywood, Thomas
Metadata
Play
The Royal King and the Loyal Subject
Author
Heywood, Thomas
Year (catalogued)
1637
First performance
1602
Decade
1630s
Genre
Romance
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Unknown
Speech prefix(es)
Prince.
Words
530
Characters
2736
Typicality
0.38 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A03248
BritDrama no.
1504
Cluster
Cluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Noble Martial, If I survive England's Inheritance, Or ever live to fit on Jacob's Stone, Thy love shall with my Crown be hereditary. Lord Martial, we are much in debt to you, For by your favour we obtained the prize In the last Tourney: we acknowledge it. You please to grace me Sister. Martial, I hear you are a widower late: How long is't since your bea teous Countess died? Have you no children by her? Why noble Sir, Are they not brought up to be trained at Court, To attend our Sister? Why Heaven may hear your prayer: here's one I warrant that dreams not on a Husband. You make the Lady blush. You'll put the Lady out of countenance quite. What will the fellow do? A good bold fellow. What is he for Heavens sake? can no man give him his true character? If he be such, We'll move the King in his behalf, and help To cherish his good parts. Come, we'll go see the King. The Martial's gone in discontent my Liege. Not yet my Lord. A beauteous Lady, one that hath no peer In the whole Court. The King in this shows honour. Princes still Should be the Lords of their own appetites, And cherish virtue. She peradventure Hath not her strength recovered, or her beauty Lost by her sickness, to the full regained. This is the Gentleman Commended for his valour in your wars, Whose ruined Fortune's I made suit to raise: I would entreat your Highness to respect him. I have not seen a Lady more complete; Her modesty and beauty, both are matchless. Were it put to me, I should avow she, not the Queen alone Excels in grace: but all that I have seen— As my honour, or my life. You bless my youth. It's wondrous rare, I have not seen a Model richlier framed. It's well they brought me, trust me my deer Lord, I should have scarce had face to have come my self; But yet their boldness mixed with mine together, Makes me to venture I yet scarce know whither. I found my most rest in my most unrest; A little sleep serves a new married man: The first night of his brydalls I have made you A Woman of a Maid. Why you were abroad Before the Sun was up, and the most wise Do say it's healthful still betimes to rise. Good day. Lords, you have not seen The King to day? it was his custom ever Still to be stirring early with the Sun; But here's his Majesty. My gracious Lord and Father, What he hath done to you, proceeds of honour, Not of disdain, or scorn; he's truly noble: And if a Regal bounty be a sin In any subject, he's only guilty Of that true virtue. Nor will I, But leave them to their hated cruelty. Unto these Let me my Liege presume to add another, Behold him kneel that is your son and brother. Who ever saw a father on a son Give sentence? or my Royal Lord, which rather Adds to your gilded, a son condemn the father? A royal doom.
Plot summary
Plot — The Royal King and the Loyal Subject
The King of England returns home from a crusade, where his life was saved in battle by the Marshal. He rewards the Marshal with eminence, which makes the other lords jealous. At a hunt, the King’s horse loses a shoe; the Marshal gives him the shoes off his own horse. He also magnanimously allows the Prince to beat him in a tournament. The envious lords try to persuade the King that the Marshal’s humility is a cloak for pride and ambition, and that he wishes to be greater than the King himself in his magnanimity. The King resolves to test the Marshal, and treats him badly at a public feast: he is dismissed from office and his job is handed over to his greatest enemy, Chester; then he is told to leave the court altogether. He retires to the country, but the King orders him to send his favourite daughter to court for some sexual purpose. The Marshal sends his elder daughter, Isabella, subject to the condition that the King should return her if he dislikes her; and gives her instructions that she should conceal any pregnancy and constantly tell the King that her sister is better looking. The King makes Isabella his Queen, and, unbidden, the Marshal sends a generous dowry. She becomes pregnant, but does as her father instructs; she also tells her husband of her sister Katherine’s superior beauty. Affronted, the King sends her home along with the dowry and orders the Marshal to send Katherine. The Marshal claims that Katherine is ill and unable to travel, but promises to send her when she is better. He does more than that: he sends back both daughters with the dowry doubled, continuing to outdo the King in magnanimity. The Prince is allowed to marry Katherine. The Marshal asks leave to return to court with a rich gift for the King, which turns out to be his new-born son by Isabella. The King tries to trump even this by giving the Marshal a new wife, the Princess. At the wedding, however, the Marshal seems discontented: he is worried that his fortunes depend on the pleasure of his new wife. He refuses a dowry, saying that the ===== PAGE 305 ===== 1606 Princess is treasure enough in herself. The envious Chester encourages the King to take offence, and the Marshal is summoned from his bed, tried, and sentenced to death. He accepts his fate with dignity, but his and the King’s children all plead for his life. The King declares that the Marshal’s loyalty has been thoroughly tested and proven. He is restored to office, and Chester disgraced. In the sub-plot, Captain…