Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

ASTRONOMER

in Gallathea — Lyly, John

Metadata

PlayGallathea
AuthorLyly, John
Year (catalogued)1592
First performance1585
Decade1590s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (first) (?)
Theaterbefore the Court;
Speech prefix(es)Astro. | Astron.
Words256
Characters1362
Typicality0.25 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06619
BritDrama no.754
ClusterCluster 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

Ipsissimus. I can tell the minute of thy birth, the moment of thy death, and the manner. I can tell thee what weather shall be between this and Octogessimus octavus mirabilis annus. When I list I can set a trap for the Sun, catch the Moon with lime-twigs, and go a batfowling for stars. I can tell thee things passed, and things to come, & with my cunning, measure how many yards of Clouds are beneath the Sky. Nothing can happen which I foresee not, nothing shall. As a man should say, signs which govern the body. The Ram governeth the head. Why? I will teach thee the Golden number, the Epact, and the Prime. That I must cast by our Judicials Astrono micall, therefore come in with me, and thou shall see e very wrinkle of my Astrological wisdom, and I will make the Heavens as plain to thee as the high way, thy cunning shall sit cheek by jole with the Suns Chariot; then shalt thou see what a base thing it is, to have others thoughts creep on the ground, when as thine shall be stitched to the stars. Thy thoughts shall be metamorphosed, and made hail fellows with the Gods. Dost thou not know that I was calcula ting the nativity of Alexanders great horse? And Astronomer. I can bring the twelve signs out of their Zodiacs, and hang them up at Taverns. Tush, that sign must be there. Then the Bull for the throat, Capricornus for the knees. I accept thee.

Plot summary

Plot — Gallathea
Every five years, Lincolnshire’s fairest and chastest virgin is sacrificed to N&@ptumé; this ancient custom keeps the land safe from the monster Agat. The fathers of Galatea and PHyllidd independently attempt to preserve their respective daughters from selection for sacrifice by disguising her as a boy and sending her to hide in the woods. They meet: each takes the other for the boy she seems, and falls in love with ‘him’. Meanwhile, to make mischief among Diana’s nymphs, @upid cross-dresses too and gives them all amorous thoughts about the two disguised girls; but Galatea and Phyllida reject them all, each preferring the other. Cupid is captured, and set fiddly tasks by way of punishment. The day of the sacrifice arrives. M@be, the most suitable remaining virgin, is offered in sacrifice, but Neptune has seen through Galatea and Phyjllida’s disguises and will not take her; Hebe is relieved to-have survived and disappointed not to be the fairest virgin. WenGsS arrives to release her son, and appeals for Neptune’s help. He offers to discontinue the custom of sacrifice if Dia@iia will release Cupid, and, knowing it will save the lives of future virgins, Diana agrees. Galatea and Phyllida each discover the other's true gender, but Venus agrees to change one of them into a boy, but they are not to know which of them it is until they are married. In the sub-plot, three brothers are shipwrecked on the Lincolnshire coast, and seek their fortune by some other means than the sea. Raifé successively serves an alchemist and an astronomer, but ends up no richer than before; RGB too has little success, but Diek claims prosperity. The goddesses engage them to sing at the wedding of Galatea and Phyllida.