Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SEELY

in Thomas Lord Cromwell — S., W.

Metadata

PlayThomas Lord Cromwell
AuthorS., W.
Year (catalogued)1602
First performance1600
Decade1600s
GenreHistory
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyLord Chamberlain's (Hunsdon's) Men
Speech prefix(es)Seely. | Seelie.
Words203
Characters941
Typicality0.38 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA11265
BritDrama no.1290
ClusterCluster 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

Come Joan, come, lets see what heel do for us now? Iwis we have done for him, when many a time and often he might have gone a hungry to bed. Well Joan heel come this way: and by Gods dickers isle tell him roundly of it, and if he were ten Lords: a shall know that I had not my Cheese and my Bacon for no thing. I we shall have now three flappes with a Fox tail: but I faith isle gibber a joint, but isle tell him his own: stay who comes here, Oh stand up here he comes, stand up. I we are kicked away now, we come for our own, the time hath been he would a looked more friend lie upon us: And you Hodge, we know you well enough though you are so fine. I by the body of me dost thou, would thou wouldst pay me, good four pound it is, I have a the post at home. Art not changed, art old Tom still, Now God bless the good Lord Tom: Home Joan home, isle dine with my Lord Tom to day, And thou shalt come next week, Fetch my Cow, home Joan, home.

Plot summary

Plot — Thomas Lord Cromwell
So devoted is young Thomas Cromwell to his studies thathe tries to stop his father's workmen from making a noise. Old Cromwell is concerned at his ambitious son's lavishness with money: he seems not to understand the economic realities of life. He is making a living by working as a copyist, but accepts a job as a secretary in Antwerp. Banister owes Friskiball £1,ooo. Bagot has him arrested in Friskiball's name, and hardens the creditor's heart by telling him that Banister has enough money to pay his debts, if he were willing to do so. Frisk.iball relents after Mistress Banister pleads for her husband, and defers the debt until the couple have become prosperous; but the vindictive Bagot buys Banister's debts in order to oppress him. Banister flees to Antwerp, but Bagot pursues and arrests him. Cromwell agref!S to help the Banisters, and speaks to Bagot; but fails to move pity in him. Bagot negotiates with the Governor of Antwerp over some jewels, w:hich turn out to be stolen. Bagot is arrested and sent back to England; Banister is released, and awarded his confi.s.cated property. Cromwell goes to Florence with his servant Hodge, but they are robbed of their clothes. Following Italian custom, they set up bills describing their misfortune, and the anglophile Friskiball gives them money. They travel on to Bologna to relieve the Earl of Bedford, who is trapped in a house surrounded by French troops. Cromwell rescues the Earl posing as a Neapolitan hired by the French to abduct him: Hodge and Bedford exchange clothing, and Hodge is arrested in the Earl's place, but released after news arrives that Bedford is safe in Mantua. Declining the invitation to join the Ead's retinue, Cromwell completes his European tour with a trip to Spain, then returns to England, where he enters the household of Sir Thomas Hales. Im.pressed by Cromwell, Cardinal Wolsey appoints him his solicitor. After Wolsey dies, accused of treason, Croli;lwell surrenders his papers for the King's perusal. A grateful Bedford introduces him to the King; he is knighted and showered with public offices, and sets about reforming the church by confiscating ecclesiastical property. Despite his elevation, he acknowledges the lowly people he knew in his youth and pays the debts he accrued then. Meanwhile Friskiball returns to London in poverty: his debtors have defaulted, and Bagot has been hanged; only Banister acknowledges him. He waits on Cromwell, who remembers him from Florence and repays his…