in The Dumb Knight — Markham, Gervase; Machin, Lewis
Metadata
Play
The Dumb Knight
Author
Markham, Gervase; Machin, Lewis
Year (catalogued)
1608
First performance
1608
Decade
1600s
Genre
Tragicomedy
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of the King's Revels
Speech prefix(es)
Pre. | Pres.
Words
447
Characters
2389
Typicality
0.40 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A06975
BritDrama no.
1563
Cluster
Cluster 0 — Clowns, beggars & street sellers
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Anon, anon sir. I can make no more haste then my teeth will give me leave. How master how, must I provide a good standing for you for my mistress? truly Master I think a marry bone pie, candied er ringoes, preserved dattes, or marmaladd of cantharides were much better harbingers, cock sparrows stewed, doves brains or swan's pizels are very provocative, roasted potatoes or boiled skerrets are your only lofty dishes, me thinks these should fit you better then I can do. And truly Master, I think a private chamber were better. Willing minds will make shift in a simple hold, close win dowes, strong locks, hard bed and sure posts, are your only orna ments. Well sir, I may go or so, but would my mistress take a standing of my preferment, I would so mount her, she should love strange things the better all her life after. Indeed mistress, if my master should break his arrow with foul shooting or so, I would be glad if mine might supply the whole. True sir, according to my kind, and to pleasure my kind Mistress. And your man sir, may lick your foul trencher. Yet I may deep my bred in the wool, Mistress Colloquintida. Now methinks my master is Like a horseleech, and these sum tors so many sick of the gout, that come to have him suck their blood: Oh t'is a mad world. Truly Mistress Collaquintida, you are and excellent piece of sweet gall. To your bed chamber mistress, or your privy lodging. Fondling, said he, since I have hemmed thee here, Within the circuit of this Ivory pale. I'll be a park, and thou shalt be my Dear: He is very busy in his study. Feed where thou wilt, in mountain or on dale. Stay a while he will come out anon. Graze on my lips, and when those mounts are dry, Stray lower where the pleasant fountains lie. Go thy way thou best book in the world. A book that never and Orators clarke in this kingdom but is be held unto; it is called maids philosophy, or Venus and Adonis: Look you gentlemen, I have diverse other pretty books. No he will come presently. Here fit thee down where never serpent hisses, And being set isle smother thee with kisses. His businesses yet are many, you must needs attend a while. I am ready sir, if you have Copiam verborum, I have Copiam rerum in a buckram bag here. Indeed they were stiff whilst they stood, but when they were down, they were Like men of a low world, a man might have wound their worst anger about his finger.
Plot summary
Plot — The Dumb Knight
The King of Cyprus, in love with the Queen of Sicily; lays siege to her city, but accepts the Queen’s proposal that they settle the affair with a trial by combat: the King and his champion Philocles versus the Duke of Epire and Lord Alfonso. Epire defeats the King but is bested in a play-off with Philocles; the Queen accepts the outcome and submits to the King’s love, but Epire swears to avenge his dishonour. Philocles woos Epire’s sister, Mariana, but gets the brush-off. Asked to set him a task to prove his love, she demands that he remain silent for a year; when he swears to do so, she is pleased not to have to listen to any more love-talk from him. His dumbness is taken to be a malady, which medicine fails to remedy. The King offers a reward for a successful cure ~ but those who try unsuccessfully will be executed. Mariana offers to achieve the cure, but Philocles will not speak at her command and she is duly sentenced to death. Philocles waits until the headsman is about to strike before speaking out. She is spared, but Philocles refuses to marry her until she demonstrates that she cares as much for him as he for her. Epire’s vindictive vexation grows. Epire suggests to the King that the Queen is having an affair with Philocles: he takes his opportunities to put the Queen into Philocles’ company, and arranges for the King to see them dancing and playing cards together. They are arrested and imprisoned, and parliament condemns them to death. Epire’s plan is to proclaim the Queen’s innocence after she has been executed, and then see the King deposed by an outraged populace. Mariana bribes Philocles’ jailer to allow her a visit. They swap garments: Philocles escapes posing as her, and she joins the Queen on the scaffold on the day of execution. Epire agrees to defend his accusation as the King’s champion in a trial by combat. Philocles comes forward to fight for the Queen, and defeats Epire, who admits malicious slander. The Queen forgives him, but only for Mariana’s sake. In the sub-plot, Lollia is unhappily married to the choleric orator Prate. Alfonso attempts to seduce her, using her neighbour as a go-between; Lollia agrees to receive him when her husband is next away. Lord Méchant has had his lands confiscated for abetting the Cypriot invasion; the King has sent him and others to Prate, but Prate neglects these cases in favour of the King’s own business. Méchant plans to avenge himself by cuckolding Prate, but finds that Alfonso has got there first.…