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)
Bur. | Burg.
Words
450
Characters
2316
Typicality
0.48 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06270
BritDrama no.
1191
Cluster
Cluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 3 (numps, numpes, blastfield, wares, parson, nidden…). Matches are highlighted.
Statehouse and some buildings else. I will attend to look and guard my doors, And keep my wealth, my wife, and daughter safe, For fear these hungry soldiers get a snatch. Afore good wife, I fear that all's not well, Monsieur Champagne what's your opinion? Nay wife thou dost mistake, If thou imagine we inten to fight; 'Tis not
Full speech
Come, let's retire our selves into the Statehouse, 'Tis Dalvas body brought into the Castle. And it may not be so. The Almain lies, wealth is worth more than words. We said not so, and yet their riotings, May taint our wives and ieoperdize our wealth. TO will shake our bags too much to pay so many. And they too many to be paid by us. As late he did when we were banqueting, And thought no harm, but drinking health to health, He shot, and slew some innocent poor souls, And rend our Statehouse and some buildings else. I will attend to look and guard my doors, And keep my wealth, my wife, and daughter safe, For fear these hungry soldiers get a snatch. Afore good wife, I fear that all's not well, Monsieur Champagne what's your opinion? Nay wife thou dost mistake, If thou imagine we inten to fight; 'Tis not at the charge To pay should not they Be at the care to see the City safe. Here comes the Marks he can tell the news. How do you mean my Lord? or who are those Your Lordship shadows, underneath the name Of swarming Hornets? Is't Like that Alva is revived again? It is thy country that does bind thee to it, Not any imposition we exact. What shall ye do? stand every man at's door, And take in's hand a Holbert or brown bill, And study to defend him as he may. That ever I was born; Gentlemen believe me, I have no more than what I told you of, Some thousand Gilders in my counting house. Nay courteous Gentlemen, As you are Spaniards famous for your acts, Let me not die. Gentlemen, but hear me. Alas would ye have me lie? Nay Gentlemen. Oh that I were in'th bottom of my Seller. No truly sir, But then I hope I should not hang byth thumbs. O God, God, what shall I do, sweet gentlemen. Oh Lord I shall found, By these ten ends, I have nor plate nor coin, Your General and Countrymen have all. O Gentlemen never so much distressed. Not from these Spaniards, they think, Nay far more covetous than devils of hell. I thank you sir; I have (for all their threats) One bag of Dollors cast into a well, And that I'll give ye for this friendly succour. Let me entreat you sir, to take that sum, My heart repents me much, for what is passed. The Lord preserve you sir, Surely you seem and honest Gentleman. With all my heart sir, and I thank you too. Not as I have faith To God, and to the safety of my Country.
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…