in The Wounds of Civil War, or Marius and Scilla — Lodge, Thomas
Metadata
Play
The Wounds of Civil War, or Marius and Scilla
Author
Lodge, Thomas
Year (catalogued)
1594
First performance
1588
Decade
1590s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men
Speech prefix(es)
Curtall: | Cur: | Curt:
Words
205
Characters
1085
Typicality
0.53 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06184
BritDrama no.
802
Cluster
Cluster 0 — Clowns, beggars & street sellers
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
These are very indiscreet counsels neighbour Poppey, and I will follow your misaduisement. And are you no more Master dix cator, nor G neralitie of the soldiers? Have you signed your titles? Oh base mind, that being in the powles steeple of honour, hast cast thy self in to the sink of simplicity. Fie beast, were I a king, I would day by day suck up white bred and milk, and go a jetting in a acket of si ke, my meat should be the curds, my drink should be the whey, and I would have a mincing lass to love me every day. And so say I neighbour. We thank your mastership: come neighbour, let us jog, faith this news will set my daughter Dorothy a gog. Exeunt cum Lictore. Tut man 'tis the way the world must follow, for maids must be kind, good husbands to find. Neighbour sharpen the edge tole of your wits upon the whetstone of indiscretion that your words may shave Like the rasers of Palermo, you have learning with ignorance therefore speak my tale. Nay sir your kind words shall not serve the turn, why think you to thrust your soldiers into our kindred with your courtesies sir.
Plot summary
Plot — The Wounds of Civil War, or Marius and Scilla
King Mithridates has defied Roman power in Asia Minor, and the consul Sulla has been selected by lot to take reprisals. But Sulla lingers with the army in Capua, and the Senate votes to transfer the command to Marius, a more experienced soldier. Sulla invades the Senate with his troops and threatens to uphold his rights with violence. The senators take sides, and a civil war follows. Sulla is victorious; Marius takes refuge at Minturnum. Sulla proscribes Marius and his allies as traitors, and leads the army to Asia Minor. Marius is warned that his hosts plot his murder, but accepts his fate and goes to sleep. The assassin, Pedro, is unable to go through with the killing, so the magistrates simply ask Marius to leave town. He flees to Africa, and lives in the mountains on a diet of roots. Marius’ son comes to recall him to Rome: the new consul, Cinna, is sympathetic to him. But Sulla returns victorious from the east, and attempts to prevent his rival from entering Italy. Nevertheless Marius reaches Rome, and begins to settle old scores with violence. Cinna deposes and murders his fellow consul Octavius, Marius’ enemy, and Marius is appointed to fill the vacancy. Sulla is proscribed and his property confiscated, and Marius sends his son to engage Sulla’s army in battle. Sulla’s wife and daughter are arrested as they attempt to leave Rome; Marius threatens them with death, but then sends them honourably back to Sulla. Marius dies in office. After a bloody battle, Sulla enters Rome victorious and compiles an extensive death-list of his enemies. Young Marius holes up in Praeneste, the last stronghold of resistance, but after a siege he concedes the inevitable and commits suicide; Sulla’s forces conquer the city and put the inhabitants to the sword. Sulla is proclaimed dictator, and insists that the appointment be made perpetual; but he soon finds that supreme power brings with it a troubled mind, and resigns the office. He plans to retire to the country, but a spirit appears with a prophecy of his death. He takes his leave of his family, and is buried with great pomp.