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)
Fac.
Words
404
Characters
2098
Typicality
0.42 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06270
BritDrama no.
1191
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
Of England Noble Lord, A Factor to a London Merchant here, Who having tried my friends, and strained my purse, To make my ransom: am now carrying it To mighty Alva, to redeem my life. Full five hundred Dollors. The length and depth of my ability. There is not in the world (that I may call Rightly mine own) one Stiver or one Do to, More then is there comprized within that bag. The world does know, my conscience and joust heaven, That there is all (at this time) I possess. That which (my Lord) is not, cannot be hid, And to say that I know not, will but wrong Your expectation, and deceive my self. Excuse my want, that have already paid To Sancto Dam ila, five hundred Dollors. I have it not, Alas (my Lord) consider of my state, I am but Factor for another man; Yet of those goods committed to my charge, Have I made bold (so much as I have said) To free my life from further prejudice. I hope (my Lord) one ransom will suffice, For one poor life. 'Tis paid (my Lord) to Sancto Dam ila. More satisfaction than I have (my Lord) I cannot give, how ere you torture me. O that you would at once with ruthless steel, Carve up my breast, and let my blood suffice, To quench your thirst for that I cannot give. Will ye believe me if I speak the truth? As I do hope this troubled soul of mine, Which now is ready to forsake this flesh, Shall find a resting place with my redeem : The coin you seek, and all the coin I have, Lies in the Coffers of proud Danila. Here comes another; many strokes (at last) Cut down the strongest Oak, much more, the tree Hath but a few years growth, and that by storms, And often whirlwinds shaken and decayed. I have good Sir. Even what you will, a miserable man. You may imagine by my sick faint speech, And by my faltering limbs distract and severed, Whither I have been tortured, yea or no. They did and had it. Nothing but this poor miserable life, Which I would gladly were surrendered too. My destiny, was to die this shameful death, Which I accept with thanks to him that gives it, And England now and London both farewell, Let after times of Spanish rygor tell.
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…