Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

HARPER

in Edward the First — Peele, George

Metadata

PlayEdward the First
AuthorPeele, George
Year (catalogued)1593
First performance1591
Decade1590s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyUnknown
Speech prefix(es)Harper. | Harp.
Words327
Characters1728
Typicality0.23 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA09224
BritDrama no.881
ClusterCluster 7 — Pedants, satyrs & Latin wit

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Friar, friar, a Prophet verily, For great Lluellens love, Sent from above, to bring him victory. The Weathercock (my lord) was your fa there, who by foul weather of waire, was driven to take Sanctuary in Saint Mary's at Carnarvon, where he begat young ones on your mother in to e belfrey, videlicet. your wor ship, and your brother David When legs shall loose their length, Returning weary home. from out the holy land: A Well man shall be king, And govern merry England. In the year of our lord God 1272, shall spring from the loins of Brutus. oh e whose wives name being the perfect end of his ground, all continued ̄ summate the peace betwixt England and Wales, and be advanced to ride through Cheapside with a crown on his head, and thats meant by your lordship, for your wives name being Ellen, and your own Lluellan, bears the perfect end of your own name: so must it needs be, that for a time Ellen flee from Lluellen, ye being betrothed in heart each to others, must needs be advanced to be highest of your kin. The Star that twinkled at thy birth, Good brother mine hath marred thy mirth, And o'de said awe Eart must to earth, Next year will be a piteous de that, Of Hemp I dare lay a penny: TO is year is angde so many. David hold still your clack. Least your heals make your ne crack. When the weathercock of Carmarthen steeple Shall engender young ones in the belferie, And a herd of Goats leave their pasture, To be clothed in silver: Then shall Brutus be born a new, And Uva es record their ancient hew, Ask Friar David if this be not true. The Goats that leave the pasture to be cloa worser in silver, are the silver Goats your men wore on their sleeves. Ambo, boy, you are too light witted, As I am light minded.

Plot summary

Plot — Edward the First
Edwardilongshanks returns from the crusades to find that in his absence both his father and his son have 1591 died, and that he is now King of England. He makes provision to house his wounded veterans, and all the nobility contribute handsomely. His @W@8n asks him to defer the coronation to give her time to send to Spain for the latest fashions. MEW was planning to take advantage of Edward’s absence to secure his power in Wales. A Welshliprophet encourages him with the assertion that he will mount higher than all his kin. Now he intends reprisals against Edward for the detention of his betrothed wife, DA@VMEI@HGr, daughter of an English rebel. His brother DaWid, a spy in the English court, proposes getting himself captured by the Welsh in order to create a pretext for an exchange of prisoners. The plan goes awry when the Welsh soldiers agree to make peace with the English, on condition that Edward does not impose direct rule from England. Llewelyn and his entourage pose as Robin Hood, and waylay passers-by in the forest. M@riimiér, who loves Lady Eleanor, goes to Wales and joins in the masquerade by assuming the identity of the potter from the Robin Hood story; but this means he gets a thrashing. To comply with the Welsh demand for a Welsh-born prince, Edward summons the pregnant Queen to Wales, where she gives birth to a son: Edward, Prince of Wales. The loyal Welsh present the child with a frieze mantle, but the Queen takes offence at the homespun fabric. Edward promises her a boon, and she demands that the English men should cut their long hair and beards, and that the English women’s breasts should be likewise amputated; Edward is forced to consent, but the Queen is displeased that he insists on being the first to go under the barber, and withdraws her request when he proposes that she should likewise undergo the first mastectomy. Prince Edward is christened and the Queen’s daughter, J6am, married to the BarllshiGlowcester. The nine lords of Scotland are unable to agree which of them should be king, so they approach Edward to adjudicate. He crowns JOHHMBalliG], who endows an Oxford college in gratitude, but later asserts Scotland’s independence from England. In Wales, Edward is set upon by Llewelyn and his crew of outlaws, who demand half his money. Instead he proposes single combat, winner take all. Llewelyn is beaten, but Edward spares his life in order to save Mortimer. He then goes to deal with the Scottish insurrection, leaving Mortimer to mop up…