in Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding — Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Metadata
Play
Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding
Author
Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Year (catalogued)
1620
First performance
1609
Decade
1620s
Genre
Tragicomedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
King's Men
Theater
Globe;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)
ME.
Words
822
Characters
4153
Typicality
0.23 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06343
BritDrama no.
1597
Cluster
Cluster 7 — Pedants, satyrs & Latin wit
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
I cannot tell what you may call knowledge, but i'msure tothers the man set in my eye, O 'tis a Prince of wax. A pretty talking fellow hight at hand: but eye you stranger, is he not a fine complete Gentleman? Oh these strangers, I do of fect them strangely, they do the rarest home things, and please the fullest, as I live I could love all their Nation over and over for his sake. As many morning's, bring as many days, fair, sweet, and hopeful to your grace. What would your grace talk of? Sir, they stand right, and my lips are yet even smooth, Young enough, ripe enough, and read enough, Or my glass wrongs me. Oh delicate sweet Prince, she that hath snow enough about her heart, to take the wanton spring of ten such lines, it may be a number without Probatum. Sir, you have by such neat Poetry gathered a kiss, that if I had but five lines of that number, such pretty begging blanks: I should commend your forehead, or your cheeks, and kiss you too. I shall, I shall. Me thinks 'tis easy now you would doubt before me, and yet I should stick at it. Love you my Lord you? Was it lie with you, that you said, 'tis impossible. Why Prince you have a Lady of your own, that yet wants teaching. By my honour thats a foul fault indeed, But time and your good help will wear it out sir. Has your grace seen the Court star Gallatea. How do you hold her wit? Whither? I dare not Prince. My Lord, my chamber's most uncertain, but when 'tis night i'll find some means to slip into your lodging, till when 'Tis all my eyes will do to led me to my bed. She's jealous as I live, look my Lord, the Princess a Hilus and Adonis, Why this is that, must when you are wed fit by Your pillow, Like young Apollo, with his hand and voice, binding your thoughts in sleep, the Princess dos provide him for you, and for her self. Nor I, they can do little, and that small they do, they have not wit to hide it. All happiness attend your grace, Gentlemen good rest, shall we to bed? Let um enter Prince, let um enter, I am up, I know their business, 'tis a poor breaking of a Ladies honour, they hunt so hotly after, let um enjoy it, you have your business Gentlemen, I lay here, Oh my Lord the King, this is not noble in you, To make public the weakness of a woman. I dare my Lord, your whoting and your clamours, your pri vate whispers, and your broad fleerings, can no more vex my soul, then this base carriage: but I have vengeance still in store for some, shall in the most contempt you can have ofmee, be joy and nourish meant. Yes, to laugh at your worst, but I shall wring you, if my skill fail me not. Faith sir you must pardon me, I cannot choose but laugh, To see you merry, if you do this Oh King; Nay, if you dare do it, by all those gods you swore by, And as many more of my own, I will have fellows, And such fellows in it, that shall make noble mirth: The Princess your deer daughter shall stand by me, Upon walls, and sung in ballads, or any thing, urge me no more, I know her and her haunts, her fair leaps And outlying, and will discover all, and will dishonour her, I know the boy she keeps, a handsome boy, about eighteen, Knows what she dos with him, where, when; Come sir, you put me to a woman's madness, The glory of a fury, and if I do not do it to the height — Alas good minded Prince, you know not these things, I am loath to reveal um: keep this fault As you would keep your health from the hight air Of the corrupted people, or by heaven, I will not sink alone, what I have known, Shall be as public as in Print, all tongues shall speak it, As they do the language they're born in, as free and commonly, I'll set it Like a prodigious star, for all to gaze at, And so high and glowing, that other kingdoms far and foreign, Shall read it there, travail with it, till they find no tongue, To make it more, nor no more people, And then behold the fallen of your fair Princess. Do so, and i'll forget your — I hold your scoffs in vildest base contempt, Or is there said or done, ought I repent, But can retort even to your grinning teeth's, Your worst of spites, though Princess lofty steps May not be tract, yet may they tread a wry, That boy there —
Plot summary
Plot — Philaster, or Love Lies a-Bleeding
The King. of Sicily invites the Spanish prince Pharamiond to marry his daughter Airethiisa and become his heir. This is challenged by the rightful King, PHilastér, who was deposed in his minority by the present King’s predecessor, but is too popular to imprison or kill. Arethusa secretly woos Philaster, and he gives her the page Bellarig to be their go-between. She refuses Pharamond’s request for pre-marital sex, so, looking for satisfaction elsewhere, he tries the ladies-in-waiting: (Galatéd refuses him, but his seduction of M@gra is more successful. Galatea overhears their plans for an assignation and reports it to Arethusa, who reports it in turn to the King. Pharamond is disgraced, but Megra gets her revenge by alleging an improper relationship between Alrethtisa and Béllario. The scandalous rumours come to Philaster’s ears, and he becomes mentally distracted through jealousy. Arethuisa dismisses Bellario on her father’s orders. She then disappears in the woods during a royal hunt, and meets the boy by chance. PhilaStér finds them together and thinks his fears confirmed. He confronts and wounds her, but is driven off by a country fellow; he then finds Béllarid asleep and wounds him. Philaster is taken prisoner and committed to Alrethusa’s custody. Facing execution, he is reconciled to her, and they are married. When the King learns of this, he has them both imprisoned. Pharamond pays a sightseeing visit to the city. There he is captured by the Sicilian citizens, who have risen in rebellion, fearful for Philaster’s safety. THe—King promises to restore Philaster’s rights if he can quell the mutiny. He does, and the King keeps his. word; Pharamondiis to return to Spain, and Philaster suggests that he take Mégra with him. Megra renews the slander about Arethusa’s illicit relationship with Bellario, and the King orders BéllaniG tortured to reveal the truth (and hopefully clear Arethusa). Bellario reveals that the story cannot be true, for ‘he’ is really a girl in disguise: she fell hopelessly in love with PHilaster and, recognizing the match to be impossible, posed as a page to be with him. Megra is forgiven, but banished from the court. 1609 B-Text In this version, the present King, not his father, was responsible for Philaster’s deposition. There is no threat to torture Bellario. Megra is not forgiven but imprisoned pending the King’s pleasure. The King effects a more explicit transfer of power to Philaster. Philaster arranges husbands for Bellario and…