in The Valiant Welshman (Caradoc the Great) — A., R.
Metadata
Play
The Valiant Welshman (Caradoc the Great)
Author
A., R.
Year (catalogued)
1615
First performance
1612
Decade
1610s
Genre
History
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Prince Henry's Men
Speech prefix(es)
Const. | Constan.
Words
383
Characters
2180
Typicality
0.48 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A05801
BritDrama no.
1630
Cluster
Cluster 6 — Battlefield messengers & soldiers
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Surcease, brave brother; Fortune hath crowned our brows With a victorious wreathe; Their Soldiers flee, And all their Army is discomfited. The King sounds a retreat. What is the Traitor dead? This act hath purchased honour to our name, And crowned thee with immortal memory. Off with his head: and let the King behold, His greatest foe and care lies dead and cold. Me thinks, right noble Lord, yet I presage The horror of this battle we intend, Will cost a mass of blood; nor do I stand Firmly resolved: and the least spark of valour Turns to a Flame of Magnanimity. O, were my brother Caradoc but here, Our minds were made invincible, all our thoughts Were fixed on warlike Music, or any thing Beyond a common venture. And see, in time Our princely brother, and our sister comes. Welcome, deer brother, how escapte you danger, And purchased such a happy liberty? Hark, hark, the Romans march to us with speed Now Royal Princes, think on our vild disgrace, Their Treasons, falsehoods, and conspiracies; And double resolution whet your rage. O Caradoc, there's nothing wants but thee, And now too late to buckle on thy Arms. If in this bloody skirmish I survive, Triumphs shall crown the glorious brow of Wales. Bastard, begotten at the back door of nature, Cornwall the author of these bleeding wounds, That many a wretch shall suffer for their wrongs. Behold, we come armed with a triple rage, To scourge your base indignities with steel. Noble Prince Galled, here in our brother's stead, Conduct our Army forth as General. Romans, come on, your pride must catch a fallen. Lay down that haggard Eagle, and submit Thy Roman Colours to the Britain's hands: Or by that mighty Mover of the Orb, That scourges Rome's Ambition with revenge, I'll pluck her haughty feathers from her back, And with her, bury thee in endless night. Thus, not in honour, but in foul disgrace, We wave the Roman Eagle spite of foes, Or all the puissant Army of proud Room. Roman, behold, even in disgrace of this and thee, And all the factious rout of treacherous Room, I'll keep this Eagle; win it if thou darest. A messenger, my Lord, from King Gederus, King of Britain, desires access unto your Majesty.
Plot summary
Plot — The Valiant Welshman (Caradoc the Great)
The Earl of. Monmouth seeks to usurp old King Octavian’s throne, and has won two significant victories over him. Cadallan and his sons come to support Octavian. Cadallan is killed in the ensuing battle, but his son Caradoc avenges him by killing Monmouth. Re-established on the throne, Octavian rewards Caradoc with marriage to his daughter and heir, Guinevere. This displeases his bastard son, Codigune, who had regarded Guinevere as his only obstacle to the succession. King Guiderius has failed to pay tribute to the Romans, so the Emperor Claudius invades Britain. Guiderius appeals to Octavian, and Caradoc is sent, fresh from his wedding, to offer military aid. In his absence, Codigune conspires with Gloucester and Cornwall: they poison Octavian and imprison Guinevere, and Codigune seizes power. Gloucester writes warning Guiderius not to trust Caradoc, so Guiderius, about to go into battle, orders the Welsh troops to observe from a hilltop and intervene only ifa British defeat seems likely. Caradoc disregards this, joins the battle in disguise, and bests Claudius in hand- to-hand combat; he refuses Claudius’ offer to buy his freedom, but accepts a token of the Emperor’s friendship, a golden lion. Prince Gald is impressed by Caradoc’s single-handed contribution to the British victory, accompanies him back to Wales, and marries his sister Voada. Finding Codigune installed as King of Wales, Caradoc offers to settle matters in single combat. Codigune is beaten, refuses an offer to make him Viceroy of North Wales, and flees to the Romans. Cornwall submits to Caradoc, who is crowned King. Gloucester flees to make more mischief: he persuades a witch to create a ravaging monster which Caradoc will be expected to fight, and which will kill him. The Romans send Caradoc an ultimatum, requiring him to resign the throne to Codigune; at the same time, he is summoned to deal with the monster, a giant serpent. He gives priority to the serpent, and defeats it with the help of a magic herb, then disposes of the witch and forces her son Bluso to swear that in future he will use his magic powers only for good. Gloucester hangs himself. While Caradoc is away, Cornwall hands over the town of Gloucester to the Romans. Gallicus, the Roman legate who brought the ultimatum, falls in love with Voada and abducts her. Bluso enables Gald to visit her bedchamber, magically unseen. A more visible visitor, Gallicus, attempts to rape her, so Gald intervenes in her defence and takes her…