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)
Pedr: | Pedro:
Words
216
Characters
1118
Typicality
0.41 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06184
BritDrama no.
802
Cluster
Cluster 15 — Devils, vices & grotesques
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 15 (ang, hunc, fleire, shillings, chil, sblood…). Matches are highlighted.
Mon monsieurs perla sang dieu, me will make a trou so large in ce belly, that he sal cry hough come d'un por ceau. Featre delay, ill a true me fad e, he kill my modre. Faith a my trote
Full speech
Mon monsieurs perla sang dieu, me will make a trou so large in ce belly, that he sal cry hough come d'un por ceau. Featre delay, ill a true me fad e, he kill my modre. Faith a my trote mon espee: erale faith Don solemnizing that, Sau, sau, Jeievera, come ill founta pary, me will make a spitchcock of his personam. Nostre dame, Jesu estiene, o my siniors der be a great diable in ce eyes, qui dart de flame, and with de voice d'un bear, cries out, Villain dare you kill Marius. J trem ble: aida me siniors, autrement I shall be murdered. Mes messiers, de fault avoir argent, me no point de argent, no point kill Marius. Quarante escus, per le pied de Madam, me give more dan four to see pretty damosele, that have le dulces tet tinos, leleures cymbrines. O they be fines. Bien monsieur, le demourera content. Mary's tu es mort. Speak die preres in die sleep, for me shall cut off your head from your espaules before you wake. Qui es stiam, what kind a man be dis. O me no can kill Marius, me no dare kill Mari us: adieu messiers, me be dead si j touch Marius, Marius est d'un diable. Jesu Maria saua moi. Exit fugiens.
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.