Blackfriars;Globe;Indoor Professional;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)
Count. | Countrym.
Words
195
Characters
971
Typicality
0.32 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A07238
BritDrama no.
2333
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
I would look on thy sweet face. Zwaine, though I am a zwaine, I have a heart yet, As ready to do service for my liege, As any Princox Peacock of you all. Zookers had I one of you zingle with this twig, I would so veeze you. By my granams ghost It's a wholesome zaying, our vicar could not mend it In the pulpit on a Sunday. Zu e? I would laugh at that. Let the court beg from thee. What the poor country gives: I bring a present To thy good grace, which I can call mine own, And look not Like these gay folk for a return, Of what they venture. Have I giuent you? would, Zee here a dainty Apple, Presents the Apple. Of mine own grafting, zweete, and zownde I assure thee. I would zee the Emperor, why should you Courtiers Scorn a poor Countryman we zweat at the Plough To will your mouths, you and you curs might starve el . We prune the orchards, and you cranch he fruit; Yet still you are snarling at us. I will weary heaven With my prayers for your Majesty. Exit Count.
Plot summary
Plot — The Emperor of the East
Paulinus agrees to introduce Athenais at court: she wants to petition the virtuous Protectress Pulcheria after being cheated of her inheritance by her brothers. Pulcheria adopts her as a handmaiden and arranges for her to be converted to Christianity; she also catches-the eye of the Emperor, Theodosius. Urged by his eunuchs, Theodosius declares that his minority is at an end, and takes the reins of power from Pulcheria. She encouragés him to marry, but when he refuses the two diplomatic offers which are under consideration, she presents a third option: Athenais, whom he had been thinking of all along. The eunuchs suspect a stratagem to enable Puicheria to hang onte power by proxy. Theodosius disregards their warnings and insists on marrying as soon as Athenais has been baptised, which also entails her taking 2 new name, Eudoxia. He celebrates the wedding with extravagant largesse. Pulcheria asks the new Empress to use her influence to discourage her husband from prodigality, but Eudoxia contemptuously refuses. Theodosius grants Pulcheria a boon, and he seals it without troubling to find out what it contains. [t turns out to be a deed of gift, conferring ownership of Eudoxia. Pulcheria uses this to teach them beth a lesson, Eudoxia about pride and Theedosius about the dangers of being unwisely bountiful; she then destroys the deed and gives Theodosius back his wife. A countryman presents Theodosius with the gitt of a splendid apple. He in turn sends it to Eudoxia, whe in turn sends it to Paulinus, who is ill. Paulinus decides that only one man is worthy to eat so fine a truit: the Emperor. On receiving the apple back again, Theodosius suspects that Eudoxia and Paulinus are lovers. When questioned. Eudoxia swears that she has eaten the apple, whereupon Theodosius produces it intact. Feeling confirmed in his suspicions, he orders Philanax to have Paulinus killed. Pulcheria argues that Eudoxia is innecent. and Theodosius worries that he might have ordered an uniust execution. He visits the penitent Eudoxia disguised ss a friar, and hears her confession - but it is a confession of perjury, not adultery. It also emerges thal Paulinus was secretly a eunuch, unable to be a woman's lover even if he wanted to. Fortunately Philanax disobeyed his orders and kept Paulinus alive, so no harm has been done. and mutual forgiveness can be the order of the day.