in 1 Sir John Oldcastle — Munday, Anthony; Drayton, Michael; Wilson, Robert; Hathaway, Richard
Metadata
Play
1 Sir John Oldcastle
Author
Munday, Anthony; Drayton, Michael; Wilson, Robert; Hathaway, Richard
Year (catalogued)
1600
First performance
1599
Decade
1600s
Genre
History
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Admiral's (Nottingham's) Men
Speech prefix(es)
Iudge | Iudge.
Words
330
Characters
1786
Typicality
0.32 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A08469
BritDrama no.
1211
Cluster
Cluster 14 — Law & judgment
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 14 (madestee, welse, enormity, bench, peopill, worshipful…). Matches are highlighted.
Now M. Mayor, what gentleman is that, You bring with you, before us and the bench? We cry your honour mercy good my Lord, Wilt please you take your place, madame your ladyship, May here or where you will repose your self, Until this business
unbeseeming life. In hope thereof, together with the favour, My Lord of Winchester intreats for you, We are content you shall be proved. These other falsely here, accused, and brought In peril wrongfully, we in Like sort Do set at liberty, paying their fees. Your kindness merits praise sir Richard Lee, So let us hence. exeunt all
Full speech
Now M. Mayor, what gentleman is that, You bring with you, before us and the bench? We cry your honour mercy good my Lord, Wilt please you take your place, madame your ladyship, May here or where you will repose your self, Until this business now in hand be passed. With all our hearts: attend the Lady there. Call the prisoners to the bar: sir Richard Lee, What evidence can you bring against these people, To prove them guilty of the murder done? What answer you why law should not proceed, According to this evidence given in, To tax you with the penalty of death? Say we admit this answer to those articles, What made you in so private a dark nook, So far remote from any common path, As was the thick where the dead corpses was thrown? These are but ambages to driven of time, And linger Justice from her purposed end. But who are these? Patience sir Richard Lee, you shall have justice, And he the guerdon of his base desert, The fact is odious, therefore take him hence, And being hanged until the wretch be dead, His body after shall be hanged in chains, Near to the place, where he did act the murder. Go to, away with him, and now sir John, Although by you, this murder came to light, And therein you have well deserved, yet upright law, So will not have you be excused and quit, For you did rob the Irishman, by which You stand attained here of felony, Beside, you have been lewd, and many years Led a lascivious unbeseeming life. In hope thereof, together with the favour, My Lord of Winchester intreats for you, We are content you shall be proved. These other falsely here, accused, and brought In peril wrongfully, we in Like sort Do set at liberty, paying their fees. Your kindness merits praise sir Richard Lee, So let us hence. exeunt all but Lord Powesse and Oldcastle.
Plot summary
Plot — 1 Sir John Oldcastle
Despite a royal prohibition on disorder during the preparations for the invasion of France, Lords Herbert and Po·wys fall out over their religious differences, and brawl with their followers in the streets of Hereford;Herbert is wounded, and Powys flees, with orders given for his arrest. The Bishop of Rochester does his best to associate dissent and conspiracy with Sir John Oldcastle, but the King is not convinced. Powys takes refuge in Oldcastle's house, just before two orders arrive: one to attend at court, the other to answer charges before Rochester's ecclesiastical court; Oldcastle's servant Harpoole forces Rochester's summoner to eat his own summons, wax and all. The King advises Oldcastle to keep his religious views private: he can believe what he likes so long as he does not antagonize the bishops or encourage Protestant rebellion. In turn. Oldcastle intercedes for Powys, and the King signs his pardon. Rebellion is brewing in England. On the basis of a superior dynastic claim, the Earl of Cambridge intends to seize the throne with French support. Oldcastle is invited to join the plot, but he procures an incriminating document and takes it to court. Meanwhile, Protestant rebels muster their forces in London. The King plans to spy on them in disguise, but is robbed by the renegade priest Sir John; the priest gets him to promise to secure the King's pardon for robbery, and gives him half a coin as a token by which they can know one another again. On the night before the battle, the King. in his own person, plays dice with Sir John and wins back his stolen money, including the broken coin; as promised, he agrees to spare Sir John's life ifhe gives up his life of crime. The rebels are routed, but the prisoners falsely implicate Oldcastle. The charges collapse when it becomes clear that the rebels don't recognize him, and Oldcastle further demonstrates his loyalty with his evidence of the Cambridge conspiracy. The rebel leaders are executed, Cambridge exposed and arrested, and the King's faith in Oldcastle is restored. In the King's absence, Rochester has Oldcastle's property seized, and Oldcastle himself arrested for treason when he arrives home; his books are burnt when they are found to be in English. Rochester visits Oldcastle in prison in the hope that he may recant, but Oldcastle overpowers him and escapes in his clothes. On the run, he arrives with his wife in St Albans, but is forced to escape arrest by another illicit exchange of clothes.…