in Cupid's Revenge — Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Metadata
Play
Cupid's Revenge
Author
Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Year (catalogued)
1615
First performance
1608
Decade
1610s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of the Queen's Revels
Speech prefix(es)
Age. | Agenor. | Agen. | Agener.
Words
659
Characters
3413
Typicality
0.27 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06177
BritDrama no.
1533
Cluster
Cluster 21 — Old fathers & plain counsel
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
I wonder most at the Marquess her brother, who is always vehemently forward to have her de sire's granted. She's doubtless very chaste and virtuous. She may ask but one, may she? We shall have wenches now when we can Catch'em, and we transgress thus. Byr'lady we are Like to have a long Lent out, Flesh will be flesh: now Gentlemen I had rather Have angered all the gods then that blind Gunner. I remember once the people did but flight him In a sacrifice: and what followed? Women kept their houses, grew good huswives, Honest forsooth, was not that fine? Wore their own faces, Though they wear gay clothes without surveying: And which was most lamentable, They loved their husbands. And I too. You shall see within these Few years a fine confusion i'the country, mark it: Nay, and we grow for to depose the Powers, And set up Chastity again, well I would done. A fine new Goddess certainly, whose blessings Are hunger and hard beds. Well, let come what will come, I am but one, and as the plague falls, I'll shape my self: If women will be honest, I'll be Found, if the God be not too unmerciful, I'll take a little still where I can get it, And thank him, and say nothing. Weel with you Sir: And Love so favour us, As we are still thy servants. Come my Lords, Lets to the Duke, and tell him to what folly His doting now has brought him. The God begins his vengeance; what a sweet youth he has sent us here, with a pudding inns belly? Yes, yes, let it alone. Oh God! I knew her when I have been offered her to be brought to my bed for five pound: whither it could have been performed or no, I know not. I think better then her mother. But pray you tell me, Why is the Prince, now ripe and full experient, Not made a door in the State? Sir we are pleased to wait: when is it? If she should prove good now, what Wertenberg Like? How black the day begins! Faith I'll go starve my self, or grow diseased to shame the hangman; for I am sure he shall be my Herald, and quarter me. I'll make a mourner. 'Tis true, and thus it was; His hour was come To loose his life, he ready for the stroke, Nobly, and full of Saintlike patience, Went with his Guard: which when the people saw, Compassion first went out, mingled with tears, That bred desires, and whispers to each other, To do some worthy kindness for the Prince. And ere they understood well how to do, Fury stepped in, and taught them what to do, Thrusting on every hand to rescue him, As a white innocent: then flew the roar Through all the streets, of Save him, save him, save him; And as they cried, they did for catching up Such sudden weapons as their madness show them. In short, they Beatrice the Guard, & took him from em, And now march with him Like a royal Army. TRust me my Lord Dorialus, I had missed of this if you had not called me, I thought the Princesses birth day had been to morrow. OF my conscience there's no treason in my doublet, if there be, my elbows will discover it, they are out. Yes, he was beheaded, and a solemn justice made of it. Why how would you have had him died? But Gentlemen, what say you to the Prince? Content. All the Land holds in that tenor too: in woe men service? sure we shall learn to spin. Your good grace may command us, & that. Well, they that are most wicked are most safe: 'twill be a strange Justice and a lamentable, gods keep us from the too soon feeling of it. And Apes skin stuffed I think, 'tis so plump.
Plot summary
Plot — Cupid's Revenge
Leontius, King of Lycia, promises his daughter Hydaspes anything she asks for on her birthday. She wants him to ban the cult of Cupid in Lycia: the god’s naked statues are to be taken down and burnt, and Cupid-worship to be made a capital offence. Leontius agrees, persuaded that the religion is the cause of national immorality. His nephew Ismenus demurs: he will promulgate the Duke’s orders, but will himself take no hand in obeying them. As his temples are dismantled, Cupid declares vengeance on the kingdom. The Lycian royal family begins to behave with inappropriate amorousness. Hydaspes fixates on Zoilus, a deformed dwarf, and asks to be allowed to marry him; her father’s response is to have him beheaded, and she pines to death. Prince Leucippus falls for Bacha, a strumpet only interested in his wealth and power, but, questioned by his father, denies sexual misbehaviour and praises her virtue and chastity. Leontius is so impressed that he sends Leucippus away ===== PAGE 378 ===== and woos Bacha for himself, affecting youthful clothing and behaviour. Bacha becomes Queen of Lycia. When Leucippus returns to court, Bacha tries to seduce him again. He refuses to cuckold his father, and, annoyed at his refusal, she plots his death; this will leave her daughter Urania as the only heir to the throne. She makes Leontius jealous of his son’s popularity with the people and courtiers, and persuades him that Leucippus is plotting his assassination. The court parasite Timantus tells Leucippus that the King is to discuss his arrest at a council, and arranges to place him where he can eavesdrop and be forewarned of the charges. It is a ruse: Leucippus is arrested and sentenced to death, and Urania is proclaimed heir to the throne. At the execution, the citizens rise in rebellion and rescue the Prince from the scaffold. As Leontius sickens, Bacha schemes to marry Urania to a foreign prince; but she is in love with Leucippus, locates him through the good offices of Ismenus, and follows him posing as a page. Bacha engages Timantus to murder Leucippus. He finds the Prince by intercepting a letter from Ismenus; but his attack fails when Urania interposes her own body and is mortally wounded. Timantus is killed, but reveals her true identity before he dies. Ismenus brings Leucippus news that Leontius is dead. He declares that he will leave Bacha to heaven’s justice, but she stabs him. He dies, bequeathing the throne to Ismenus and enjoining him to reinstate the cult and…