Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SOLDIERS

in A Larum for London, or The Siege of Antwerp — Anonymous

Metadata

PlayA Larum for London, or The Siege of Antwerp
AuthorAnonymous
Year (catalogued)1602
First performance1599
Decade1600s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)1 Sol. | 2 Sol. | 3 Sol. | Sol. | Sold. | 1 Sold. | 2 Sold. | 1 So • d. | Sould.
Words664
Characters3447
Typicality0.43 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06270
BritDrama no.1191
ClusterCluster 23 — Gulls, fops & laughing-stocks

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

Cast lots who shall have her. I'll have my share in her. Lets have her in the next corner. What rogue art thou, darest speak unto a Spam niard? You see that all is lost, all spoilde and sacked, What think you the best course to get away? Like maimed men let's pass out one by one, The safest way and with the least suspect. It were best to seek some low partly of the wall, On the moat side, and so escape by swimming. By the mass the old Lieutenant says true, it will be so indeed. Why Lieutenant Vaughan, what would ye have us do? Yes, and cut some of their throats before we die. And we will follow you, live or die: Confess you slave where thou hast hid thy money, Or we will hang thee on a Gibbet straight. The rogue would flatter us, S ra, imagine 'tis too weak a key, To tune our hearts to; when the cries of Babes, Screekes of distressed women and old men, Have not prevailed to qualify our rage: Let us dispatch him. Stay fellow Soldier, I would e bethought me of a pretty trick, To sift this butterbox a better way: We will tie him by the thumbs unto this post, And tickle him until he do confess. Sirrah, apply your wits, Or with my sword I'll hack your Filchers off. He dallies with us, tickle him a good. My Lord, behold where lie the mangled bodies Of those two fierce assailing Brabanters, That all this while kept us at such a bay, And when we thought the town was won, procured So great a deluge of berian blood. I'll give thee my share for thy partly. Off with her Jewels Away you whoreson cripple rascal. Is there no place of strength, nor hope of safety Dissevering of ourselves, and known for Wallons, ther's not a man of us shall pass the gates. The Courts of guard, and Sentenels are kept, And there's no hope of that. Nay it is very true, it is most sure: Lieutenant Vaughan, lead us, and wee'll follow you to the death. Love life and love death. You have no more than? Then hang him presently. If thou canst tell us where thy treasure's hid, Or else for ever let thy lips be dumb. Contentyfaith, so at the least, suppose We get no money yet we shall have sport. Is thy money hid there? speak? Confess then, sirrah. Let's drag them at our horses tails my Lord, And as we pass through every town and village, Make them example to the world for pride? No hope but death for three days being passed Since the first entered; now being in cold blood, The Spaniard is as hight in execution, As the first hour he entered on the town. And if we troop thus as we do together, We shall be put to sword immediately. Villains do questionless, nay it is certain. Wee'll not forsake you to the last gasp. Through Alva's quarter. Thou hearst old fellow, trifle than no longer, But show him where thy daughter does abide. Let him rest my Lord, it seems the wretch Argues the troth, and this is all he hath. Arm you my Lord, and to the fight again, A crew of straggling Soldiers (lately vanquished) Have gathered head, and in the heat of rage, Give fresh assault: the leader to the rest, Is a lame fellow that does want a leg, Who lays about him Like a devil of hell. It is impossible to pass the streets, They are so pesterd with this brainsick : And hark my Lord, except you mount be time, (The clamorous tumult draws so near this place,) Both you and we shall be surprised by them. Not any (good my Lord) lead on your troops. Zwonds turn her inside outward. Ransack her, every partly of her. Draw her along, Search her. They are my Lord.

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…