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)
TRA. | TRASILINE.
Words
402
Characters
2029
Typicality
0.25 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06343
BritDrama no.
1597
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
And loose his headi' the askin.g. The people love him. No sir, a fair march a mile out of town that their wives may bring them their dinners, is the hottest service that they are trained up to. My heart is with your wishes. This will be hardly done. I fear. Miracles! I do not think 'twill prove so. Ladies what think you now of this brave fellow. But are you sure it was the Princess sent, It may be some foul train to catch your life. Come Ladies, shall we talk a round, as men do walk a mile, women should talk and hour after supper, 'tis their exercise. The Prince. Yes. Nay, we'll go wander with you. That man that would not stir with you to aid Phylaster, Let the gods forget that such a Creature Walks upon the earth. Perhaps he'll not believe. Is loathed as much as he. Nay, good my Lord be patient. Why then it cannot be. Never before. Why my Lord, are you so moved at this? And for his horn, has left it at the lodge where he lay late: O he's a pernicious limhound, turn him upon the pursue of any Lady, and if he loose her, hang him up i'th slip: when my fox bith beauty grows proud, I'll borrow him. See, see, how modestly yond Lady looks, As if she came from churching with her neighbours, Why what a devil can you see in her face, But that she's honest. See how they muster on another, Oh the a rank regient, where the devil carries the Culours, and his damned drum Mayor. Now the flesh and the world come behind with the Carriage. This is he my Lord, upon my soul that hurt her, It is the boy, that wicked boy, that served her. I'st not a brave boy? Well, I fear me sir, we were deceived. We linger time, the king sent for Phylastor, and the heads man, and hour ago. All, they were but scrarches, but the lose of blood made him faint. We'll shuffle hard before he perish. What if a toy take um i'ch he less now, and they run all a way, and cry, the devil take the hindmost. I ever thought the boy was honest. A little frantic in your rash attempt, but that was your love to Phylaster, sir. WEll over taken my Lord.
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…