in A Larum for London, or The Siege of Antwerp — Anonymous
Metadata
Play
A Larum for London, or The Siege of Antwerp
Author
Anonymous
Year (catalogued)
1602
First performance
1599
Decade
1600s
Genre
History
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Lord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)
Cham. | Champ. | Cham | Cha.
Words
456
Characters
2475
Typicality
0.45 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06270
BritDrama no.
1191
Cluster
Cluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Lord Marks Hauurye, we reject them not, Nor yet neglect the love of that great Prince, And our kind friend the Co-vnited States: But ince we have no need of such a power, Why should we pester Antwerp with such troops, To spend the victuals of the Citizens, Which we can scarcely compass now for gilded. It may be so. I way their promise with my found belief, And tie my thoughts to their assured trust, Yet are there many reasons of import, To bar e your Armies entrance to this town. True. Suppose the Prince & States do Victual them, Yet their isorder in our Civil streets, May be perni jous, and breed mutiny. My Lords of Egmount and of Hau rye, What are your numbers? At whose expense shall all this army rest? Six hundred Almains are our garrison, A guard sufficient to defend our walls, And men enough, because we needs no more. The offer is so Honourable now, As modestly, we cannot challenge it: Captain Cornelius what's your counsel? His fiery spirit inflamed, Will send our bullets from the Citadel, And tear the sumptuous buildings of ou town. Because we did not sink, The Prince of Orange Ships, that lay to waft Provision to our City up the River. Say, shall we let them in? Mean what he may, wee'll not offend such friends, As these, the Prince of Orange and the State, Your Army is at Kibdorpe Port you say? We will let them in, And quarter them with all convenient speed, Van End draw up your Almains to one place, And keep good rule for fear of civil braules, And now my Lords I will attend on you. Doubtless, the Spaniards do intend some hurt, Hark how the tumult still increases? Wherefore shoot they thus, Unless there were some villainy abroach? The cause my Lord of this intestine up over? But I suspect there is some treachery. Where are the Switzers should supply the Trenches? I Soldier, lean thy bitter words, And help to fight for A twerpes liberty. Citizens how now? The Spanish Governor, Danila, commander of the Castle here, If we receive your troops into our Town, Will judge we have some purpose of revolt, And raising arms against the King of Spain. Nay by his looks and by his sudden haste, It should appear the Marks does not jest. My Lords, the Prince of Orange and your selves, And all the States deserve our duteous love And humble service: first, for sending power, Then promising pay and victuals for that power: But with your pardon, yet there is a let, That makes us loath to take your army in. I hear them coming, let us shift away.
Plot summary
Plot — A Larum for London, or The Siege of Antwerp
Sancho D'Avila needs money to pay his troops. and plans to raise it by sacking Antwerp. He conspires with the captain of the city's garrison, Cornelius van End, and summons Spanish forces from across the Netherlands. Claiming to be retaliating over Antwerp's support for the Prince of Orange, he makes an artillery attack on the State House while the rulers are dining there; three people are killed. The Spanish commander, Alva, fakes his own death in order to give a pretext for further reprisals against the city. The rulers of Antwerp, including a fat burgher, do not take the threat seriously. considering defence expenditure to be a waste of money; but they are finally persuaded to accept help from the Marquis d'Havre and Count Egmont, so long as they don't have to pay for it. Van End leaks the information to D'Avila. The Spaniards attack and the garrison under van End defects to their side. The rulers of Antwerp struggle to organize their troops. Havre and Governor Champagny are killed, but Egmont Is saved by Alva and sent to Spain as a prisoner. Antwerp falls swiftly; thousands of citizens are killed, and the victorious Spaniards execute a further 10,000 survivors in reprisal for 300 Spanish deaths. They also renege on a diplomatic agreement between England and Spain protecting English lives and property in the Low Countries: Alva demands an impossible sum by way of ransom, and rejects what they can offer as too little.Another Englishman pays his own ransom, but is hanged by another commander when he cannot pay again. For the purposes of pillage, the Spanish commanders divide the city between them. Meanwhile the one-legged veteran Stump musters the survivors to resist the invader. D'Avila sets about despoiling his quarter of the city, demanding not only money but sexual favours from a nun; but when he cannot find a safe place to stow her pending her rape, he kills her instead. Other casualties include children, a blind man, and his wife. Van End demands a W<>man's treasure, but she pushes him into a vault and Stump stones him to death. The fat burgher is captured by the Spaniards, but neither threats nor tickling can persuade him to reveal where his treasure is hidden. He is rescued by Stump, and offers his hidden gold, but Stump isn't interested: he refused to pay the soldiers in peacetime, and it is too late now. Stump fights on to the death, intending to seek his reward in heaven. Antwerp is left in ruins, its streets piled with corpses. D'Avila gives…