in Histriomastix, or The Player Whipped — Marston, John
Metadata
Play
Histriomastix, or The Player Whipped
Author
Marston, John
Year (catalogued)
1610
First performance
1599
Decade
1610s
Genre
Moral
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Unknown
Speech prefix(es)
Perp. | Per.
Words
311
Characters
1682
Typicality
0.52 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A03405
BritDrama no.
1314
Cluster
Cluster 10 — Mourners, mothers & doleful voices
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Of our three Jewels (sir) which likes you best? I'll put it down, one promised to devise A Globelike Jewel cut transparently, And in the place of fixed stars, to set The richest stones that mightiest sums could get. We better know what likes us best, then you, Let me have flaring fashions, tuck't and pinned That powerful winds may heave it all a huff, Gip Mistress Madam, and French-hood intailed Unto a Habeas Corpus: Jesu God, How proud they jet it, and must I give wall? And bend my body to their Mistresse-ships, Oh husband, I am sick, my cheek is pale With— With Envy, which no Physic can prevent; Shall I still stand and abject in the eye, Of fair respect, not mounted to the height To the top gallant of over-peering state, That with Elated looks of Majesty, I may out face the proud piled Eminence, Of this same gilded Madam Bellula, And yond same Joan a Noke, chained Champerty? Oh sweet heart the Spaniards are come, We shall all be killed they say. Master Vourcher what shall we do? Oh Lord. I am a prey to wretched Poverty, Ill featured Famine will devour us up, Whose wrinkled face, is Like pale death's aspect. If men lament, whose wonted yron-hearts, Were harder then the Armour they have worn, And wail the Agent of a woman's voice, What shall weak women and poor Ladies do? Fallen to those tears, that we were born unto. From Poverty to Famine, worse and worse Where's that excess consumed upon the back? Who now will pity us, that scorned the poor? Drink thou my tears and I will drink up thine, For nought but tears is Misery's salt wine. And if Lament were remedy for want Their cates wear course that in Lament were scant, My grief is thine, My care is thine.
Plot summary
Plot — Histriomastix, or The Player Whipped
Under the benevolent rule of Peace, various orders of society turn to learning in their different ways: Mavortius and his fellow noblemen and gentlemen become students of the liberal arts, professional people appoint the scholar Chrisoganus as their lecturer, and some artisans organize themselves as a company of players, Sir Oliver Owlet’s Men. However, the new reign of Plenty tempts many of them away from their studies, leaving only Chrisoganus loyal. While the lawyers and merchants take advantage of the leisure of the vacation to go hunting, Mavortius entertains his guests with a play given by Owlet’s Men. Plenty is succeeded by Pride, who encourages a dedication to fashion and a neglect of proper decorum: the lawyers and merchants enrich themselves unjustly, Mavortius dismisses many of his servants to release more money to spend on pleasure, and both Chrisoganus (who has turned playwright) and Owlet's Men price themselves out of the market. Next, Envy comes to power, causing class resentment in the realm: the citizenry’s adoption of the latest fashions causes resentment among the nobility, envious behaviour disrupts the players’ rehearsal, and Mavortius becomes belligerent. The next ruler is War, under whom the players are conscripted as soldiers, Mavortius fights with his friends, the common people rise in rebellion against their social superiors, and the Spanish invade the realm. Out of this chaos comes Poverty, leading aristocrats, merchants. and peasants alike to debt, bankruptcy, and famine. Owlet’s men, unable to pay their taxes, are banished from the realm. Finally Poverty and her associates are expelled by the return of Peace and Plenty. Queen Elizabeth also appears, in the guise of Astraea, and the play ends with the five lesser rulers resigning their sceptres to Peace.