in The Scornful Lady — Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Metadata
Play
The Scornful Lady
Author
Beaumont, Francis; Fletcher, John
Year (catalogued)
1616
First performance
1613
Decade
1610s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Boys Professional; Adult Professional
Company
Children of the Queen's Revels
Theater
Blackfriars;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)
Ser.
Words
244
Characters
1282
Typicality
0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06389
BritDrama no.
1626
Cluster
Cluster 16 — Errand servants & brief parts
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Here Sir. Yes Sir. Faith Sir they have a kind of wholesome rushes, hay I cannot call it. Sir so I take it. Faith Sir, here are no oats to be God, unless yowl have um in porridge: the people are so mainly given to spoonemeate: yonders a cast of Coach-mares of the gentle woman's, the strangest Cattle. Why they are transpa ̄ rant sir, you may see through them: and such a house? Sir they are in tribes Like Jews: the Kitchen and the Dairy make one tribe, and have their faction and their forni cation within themselves; the Buttery and the Laundry are and other, and ther's no love lost; the chambers are entire, and what's done there, is somewhat higher then my knowledge; but this I am sure, between these opulations, a stranger is kept virtuous, that is, fasting. But of all this the drink Sir. Faith Sir I will handle it as the time and your patience will give me leave. This drink, or this cooling Julip, of which three spoonfuls kills the Calenture, a pint breeds the cold Palsy. I would I did Sir. But as I am a true man, if it but one degree colder, nothing but and asses hoof would hold it. Sir ther's a Gentleman without would speak with you: Sir theres a Gentlewoman will needs speak with you: I cannot keep her out, she's entered Sir: I will Sir, Here's Beer for you Sir.
Plot summary
Plot — The Scornful Lady
The Loveless brothers are in trouble. The younger owes money to Morecraft and stands to lose his land, while the elder has been ordered by his lady-love to go into exile for a year as penance for his over-eagerness. He leaves his brother in charge of his house during his absence, with an allowance for his maintenance, and the steward Saville to restrain him, but the young man associates with rogues. Together they reinterpret his brother’s written instructions in order to license his prodigal behaviour. While they are drinking and wenching, the elder Loveless returns in disguise bringing news of his own death: young Loveless inherits his brother’s land, and promptly mortgages it to Morecraft. The elder Loveless also reports his death to the Lady, who consoles herself by chatting up another lover, Welford. When Loveless reveals his true identity, she retorts that she knew it was him and sends him on his way, but also disappoints Welford. Loveless returns and abuses her, pretending to be out of love. She faints and he relents: it was a trick to test her; but, she says, she knew that all along, and Loveless is sent away again. The elder Loveless dismisses Saville for negligence and reclaims his mortgaged property, but his younger brother not only keeps the money but also steals Morecraft’s intended fiancée, a rich, socially ambitious widow. She objects to his low-life friends, but he persuades her that they are cheaper than servants. The Lady’s affections begin to turn: she sends the elder Loveless a love letter. He conspires with Welford to get their own back: Welford cross-dresses as his new fiancée, and Loveless graciously gives in to the Lady’s pleas that he should jilt ‘her’. Loveless marries the Lady (who is angry when she learns how she has been tricked), and Welford sleeps with her sister. Young Loveless arrives with his new wife, and persuades his brother to reinstate Saville.