Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

LICIO

in Midas — Lyly, John

Metadata

PlayMidas
AuthorLyly, John
Year (catalogued)1592
First performance1589
Decade1590s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (first)
Theaterbefore the Court;
Speech prefix(es)Li. | Ly. | Lit. | Lycio. | Li
Words1419
Characters7249
Typicality0.44 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06621
BritDrama no.835
ClusterCluster 0 — Clowns, beggars & street sellers

Important excerpts

Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 0 (shillings, tom, guts, mutton, wares, dan…). Matches are highlighted.

but a few notes. What is that? But soft here comes Pipenetta, what news? Indeed if thou shouldst rig up and down in our jackets, thou wouldst be thought a very tomboy. I think so, for we take nothing in our hands but weapons, it is for thee to use needles and pins, a same pler, not a buckler. Nay stay sweet Pipenetta, we are

Full speech

That is when those two genders are at jar, but when they belong both to one thing, then. Then they agree Like the fiddle and the stick. I but thou knowest neither properties. Are you so peart? Sir boy you must not be saucy. Lock up your lips or I will lop them off. But sir rha, for thy better instructions I will unfold every wrin kle of my mistress disposition. But for this time I will only handle the head and purtenance. Why, will not that be a long hours work to de scribe, that is almost a whole days work to dress? First, she hath a head as round as a tennis ball. Why? Video, pro Intelligo. Then hath she and hawks eye. To what end? Wouldst thou be hanged? Well, she hath the tongue of a Parrat? Tush, it is not for the blackness, but for the bab ling, for every hour she will cry walk knave, walk. So mayest thou be hanged, not by the lips, but by the neck. Then sir hath she a calves tooth. It is not for the bigness, but the sweetness: all her teeth are as sweet as the sweet tooth of a calf. She hath the ears of a Want. I say the ears of a Want, a Mole, thou dost want wit to understand me. She will hear though she be ne ver so low on the ground. Harken thou after that, she hath the nose of a sow. No, she can smel a knave a mile off. She hath a bettle brow. Thou hast a beetle head, I say the brow of a be tle, a little fly, whose brow is as black as velvet. Tush, the lips are no partly of the head, only made for a double leaf door for the mouth. That is only the threshold to the door. The purtenances, it is impossible to reckon them up, much less to tell the nature of them. Hoods, front lets, wires, caules, curling-irons, periwigs, bodkins, fill lets, hairlaces, ribbons, roles, knotstrings, glasses, combs, caps, hats, coifes, kerchers, clothes, earrings, borders, crippins, shadows, spots, and so many other trifles, as both I want the words of art to name them, time to ut ter them, and wit to remember them: these be but a few notes. What is that? But soft here comes Pipenetta, what news? Indeed if thou shouldst rig up and down in our jackets, thou wouldst be thought a very tomboy. I think so, for we take nothing in our hands but weapons, it is for thee to use needles and pins, a same pler, not a buckler. Nay stay sweet Pipenetta, we are but disposed to be merry. Why, does she wear any but her own? Thou art deceived wench, angels are gold. But is it true? How happy shall we be if he would but stroke our heads, that we might have golden hairs. But let us all in, least he loose the virtue of the gift before we taste the benefit. Come let us go, least we drink of a dry cup for our long tarrying. AHmy girl, is not this a golden world? Gold is but the earth's garbage, a weed bred by the sun, the very rubbish of barren ground. Why thou fool, what hen should lay that egg? Nay I believe a Bull. 'Tis true girl, else how could Titan have troaden Daphne? Let us hear. Proceed Doctor egg. Well, suppose gold will crack. On. Forth. Pipenetta this is true, for it is called egg, as a thing that does egg on, so does gold. Spoken Like a Physician. Gamester-like concluded. He hath made a spoke, wilt thou eat and egg? but soft, here come our Master's, let us shrink aside. I cannot choose sir, I am always so near my self. I think Motto hath poisoned thy gums. I knew a dog run mad with it. Indeed (Petulus) a good beginning for thee, for thou canst eat pap now, because thou canst bite no thing else. But I have not mind on those matters. If the king loose his golden wish, we shall have but a brazen Court, but what became of the beard, Petulus? What dost thou pay for the pawning? What for the herbage? Yes Petulus, if it be a beard it must be at herbadge, for a beard is a badge of hair; and a badge of hair, hairbadge. Deus bone, is that word come into the Barbers basin. In good time. Good Motto give some ease, for at thy coming in, I overheard of a cure thou hadst done. Let him go home with thee, ease him, and thou shalt have thy beard. IS not hunting a tedious occupation? Dost thou not understand their language? To it Petulus. Whats that: He hath laid the plot to be prudent, why 'tis pa sty crust, eat enough and it will make you wise, and old proverb. I, and some lubber lying beside a spring, & seeing a partridge come by, said he did spring the partridge. But canst thou blow it? I and then to geeue us and inventory of all his goods, only to redeem the beard, but we will be even with him; and I'll be forsworn but I'll be revenged. And I protest by these hairs on my head, which are but casualties, for alas who knows not how soon they are lost, Autumn shaves Like a razor: if these locks be rooted against wind and weather, spring and fallen, I swear they shall not be lopped, till Motto by my kna very be so bald, that I may write verses on his scalp. In witness whereof I eat this hair: now must thou Petulus kiss thy beard, for that was the book thou swa rest by. What else? I'll not share in that. And from me they shall be remoueables. Tongue's thou wouldst say. They are moveables I'll warrant. The beasts head, for Motto is stuffed in the head, and these are among unmoveable goods. Thats endue debt. I'll be a Duke, I find honour to bud in my head, and me thinks every joint of mine arms, from the shoulder to the little finger, says send for the Herald. Mine arms are all armoury, gules, sables, azure, or, vert, pur, post, pare, &c. Mercury me, because I can lie. They were virginals of your Master's making. Your teeth ache Petulus, your beard does not. If your tooth be hollow it must be stopped, or pulled out; and stop it the Barbar will not, without the beard. Thou canst not eat meat without teeth. Thou mayest get more gold, if thou lose these, more teeth thou canst not. If thou want teeth, thy tongue will catch cold. There was good blowing I'll warrant before they came there. Then let not us tarry, for now shall we shave the Barbars house. The world will grow full of wiles see king Midas hath lost his golden wish. Then help us to cousin the Barbar. Let us not seem to be angry about the Inuen tory, and you shall see my wit to be the hangman for his tongue. Thou shalt have all the shavings, and then a woe men tongue imped with a Barbars, will prove a razor or a razor. Melancholy? marry gup, is melancholy a word for a barbars mouth? thou shouldst say, heavy, dull, and doltish: melancholy is the crest of Courtiers arms, and now every base companion, being in his muble fubles, says he is melancholy. Why are they sad in Court? If he know it, we shall: for it is as hard for a bar bar to keep a secret in his mouth, as a burning coal in his hand. Thou shalt see me wring it out by wit. Motto, it told me that the King will discharge you of your office, because you cut his ear when you last trimmed him. Why Motto, what difference between the kings ears, and thine? Treason, treason! Now Motto, thou knowest thine ears are ours to command. Well Motto, let us have the beard, without continued vin fraud, or delay, at one entire payment, & thou shalt escape a payment. Then they be big ones. THou servest Mellacrites, and I his daughter, which is the better man? Thats the best way, both to ease thy pains, and try our wits. Oh! the oven of his wit was not throwly heated.

Plot summary

Plot — Midas
Offered anything he wishes by way of reward for entertaining Baéehus) KingiMidas seeks advice. Two of his lords suggest that he request love and empire respectively; the third proposes gold, which can buy both, so Midas asks that everything he touches should turn to gold. The gift proves to be an inconvenience, turning Midas’s food and even his beard to gold. (A BaBE steals the golden beard from the FSyalibarber, but the barber gets his own back by giving him toothache.) Regretting his folly and his imperialistic designs on other nations, Midas seeks a remedy from the oracle, and washes off the golden touch in a nearby river. On the way home, Midas goes hunting in the woods, gets lost, and encounters Ajpoll6 and Pan ‘The two gods are in dispute over which is the best musician; Midas is asked to judge, and, perversely, chooses Pan. Apollo gives him ass’s ears in reprisal, and he becomes reclusive while rumours spread; even the reeds whisper about his ears. Meanwhile his empire begins to disintegrate and he is unable to achieve his overriding objective, the conquest of Lesbos. Finally he seeks a remedy from the oracle of Apollo, and also proclaims that any further talk about his ass’s ears will cost the speaker his own. The pages inveigle Motto the barber into flouting the edict, and thereby force him to return the golden beard. Midas makes his obeisance at Apollo’s oracle, and is ordered to give up his imperial ambitions; in particular, his ears will only get longer if he continues to covet Lesbos. He agrees, and promises to make annual sacrifices at the oracle. The ass’s ears fall off, and the play ends with praise for Apollo.