Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SILENA

in Mother Bombie — Lyly, John

Metadata

PlayMother Bombie
AuthorLyly, John
Year (catalogued)1594
First performance1591
Decade1590s
GenreComedy
Play typeBoys Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (first)
Speech prefix(es)Sil. | Si. | Sile. | Sil: | Silena: | Silena. | Sir.
Words514
Characters2462
Typicality0.24 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA06622
BritDrama no.826
ClusterCluster 1 — Wives, widows & intimate counsel

Important excerpts

No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).

Full speech

My father boards me already, therefore I care not if your name were Geoffrey. I thank you that you would call. Much. I faith sir no, and so tell your master. The better for you sir, heres my hand, whats a clock. Because you should see my teeth. I had thought to ask you. You needs not be so crusty, you are not so hard backed. One that would be a maid. They say you are a witch. Well, though this furniture make me a sullen dame, yet I hope in mine own I am no saint. I cannot help you at this time, I pray you come again to morrow. But what are you for a man? me thinks you look as pleases God. And all my father's plate is made of Crimosin velvet. Wisely you have picked a raison out of a frail of figs. Saving a reverence thats a lie, my clothes are better, my father borrowed these. You may command and go without. I cry you mercy I have killed your cushion. I shall be eighteen next bearbaiting. Father are you sneaking behind, I pray you what must I do next? Truly his talk is very personable. You may take your pleasure of my tongue, for it is no men wife. I had as lief have one of clouts. I thank you for mine old cap. Come brother, me thinks its better than it was, I should have been but a bald bride, I'll eat as much pie as if I had be married. Aha, are you there with your bears. In your to there hose. you are well seen in carnes dirt, your father was a poulter, would, would, would. I had as lief you should tell them it snowd. I'll know first who was his father. Because I did, and I am here because I am. Why look how he looks. Must he lie with me? What do you think I'll be cosened of my father, me thinks I should not, Mother Bombie told me my father knew me not, my mother boar me not, falsely bred, truly begotten, a bots on Mother Bomby. Thats none of our vpseckings. My name is Silena I care not who know it, so I do not: my father keeps me close, so he does, and now I have stolen out, so I have, to go to old Mother Bombie to know my fortune, so I will, for I have as fair a face as ever trodden on shoo sole, and as free a foot as ever looked with two eyes. Then tell me some thing. I had thought to have asked you. Who would have thought it? I thank you for nothing, because I un derstand nothing: though you be as old as you are, yet am I as young as I am, and because that I am so fair, therefore are you so fowl, & so farewell frost, my fortune nought me cost. I cry you mercy I took you for a joined stool. I am none of that sect.

Plot summary

Plot — Mother Bombie
Menmiphio and Stellig each has a fool for his only child, — a son and a daughter respectively, but both have managed to conceal the fact from the neighbours. Each plans to marry his offspring to the other’s without disclosing the heir’s mental debility, and each tasks his servant to make the arrangements. Meanwhile, @amidiliis and [ivid are in love with one another, but their parents disapprove, wanting them to marry wealth instead: Candius is made to woo Stellio’s daughter Sil@mla, and Livia is intended for Memphio’s son Al@GiiS] The four fathers’ boy servants conspire to frustrate these various . marital plans, and go off to drink at the tavern. Candius meets Silena as she sneaks out to hear her fortune, and offers to read her palm. He is momentarily struck by her beauty, but quickly discovers that she is an idiot, a legitimate impediment to marriage. Mother Bomibié tells Silena’s fortune in cryptic terms: she is not the child of her parents. The fortune teller is also consulted by the siblings M@eStiiS and Sérénaj] who have developed an incestuous passion for one another; Mother Bombie tells them that they shall be married and each will displace a fool. The boys arrange for Candius and Livia to swap apparel with the two idiots, and they are married in disguise, with their own fathers as witnesses. Accius and Silena court one another in disguise, but their marriage prospects take a turn for the worse after each father identifies the other’s child as a fool. DE@Rilio is arrested for failing to feed a horse he hired; the other boys enter a bond to pay off his creditor, but then get the hackneyman, sergeant, and scrivener drunk, and pay for the wine by pawning the sergeant’s mace. Early the next morning, three fiddlers, advised of the wedding, struggle to identify the right house to serenade. Prisils and Spérantus discover that Candius ===== PAGE 465 ===== 1589 and Livia are married. The four servants confess their part in the affair, and the four fathers are content: Prisius and Sperantus accept the fait accompli, and Memphio and Stellio are willing to marry the fools to one another after all. Wi€inid intervenes to prevent an incestuous marriage: eighteen years ago, she swapped them for her own children, counterfeiting their distinctive birthmarks; the true heirs of Memphio and Stellio are Maestius and Serena. Mother Bombie has Predicted everything accurately. Nobody is to be punished or left dissatisfied: Vicinia is pardoned, the hackneyman paid, and the…