in The Vow Breaker, or The Fair Maid of Clifton — Sampson, William
Metadata
Play
The Vow Breaker, or The Fair Maid of Clifton
Author
Sampson, William
Year (catalogued)
1636
First performance
1625
Decade
1630s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Nonprofessional (?)
Speech prefix(es)
Cros. | Cro.
Words
275
Characters
1590
Typicality
0.45 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A11435
BritDrama no.
2260
Cluster
Cluster 6 — Battlefield messengers & soldiers
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 6 (armies, fleece, pestle, wonted, pikes, thundering…). Matches are highlighted.
your honours forces, From the read Brays to Edinburgh Castle, The rest on entervew he will impart. Such entertainment, as the war affords The Drum the Fiffe, the thundering Cannon, The shrill Trumpets, and all warlike Cymbals, Such Music as in wars Soldiers measure Bestow on him; come he in war or peace He shall be welcome? William
Full speech
This my Lord. Making for Edinburgh to the Queen, Nine hundred shot, and five hundred Corslets, Came forth of Leith, under the conduct Of Mortigue, and Doysells their Colonels. We wished them peaceably return to Leith Since contrary to all Laws of Arms They now had issud? Mortïgue replied They on their Master's ground resolved stood And from their mistress would not budge a foot For any English breathing. Arm, arm, arm, regardless of true honour Your message is defied, and facing the van Discharged a thousand shot, the Crag, and Chapel They make a refuge against our great Artillery Monlucke, Bishop of Valens, Newly anchored in the haven of Inskeith, Desires safe convoy by your honours forces, From the read Brays to Edinburgh Castle, The rest on entervew he will impart. Such entertainment, as the war affords The Drum the Fiffe, the thundering Cannon, The shrill Trumpets, and all warlike Cymbals, Such Music as in wars Soldiers measure Bestow on him; come he in war or peace He shall be welcome? William Cecil the Queens Secretary, Wotton Dean of Canterbury, and York, With sir Ralph Sadler joint Commissioners, Commands thee John Lord Gray of Wilton, Now General of her Majesties forces, To make immediate repair to Edinburgh, And present lay by all hostility, From this hour until seven a Clock at night. Will he be drunk? And excellent quality! Me thinks he should hang himself for the jest sake. Admirable! Ther's wonder in that, Io! How that we Soldiers, had true pay, And cloth, and vit'les every day, And never a Captain ran away, and is not that a wonder? I shall my Lord.
Plot summary
Plot — The Vow Breaker, or The Fair Maid of Clifton
Though Young Bateman is betrothed to Anne Boot and loved by her, her father reneges on the ===== PAGE 347 ===== 1628 arrangement. Meanwhile, war looms: England enters an alliance with a federation of Scottish lords hostile to the French Queen Regent of Scotland, and troops are being recruited to march north. Bateman joins up, hoping that his absence will make Old Boot’s heart grow fonder, and Anne vows to love only him; but her father puts pressure on her to marry German, and, seduced by his wealth, she agrees. The French are vanquished, and Bateman distinguishes himself in battle; but he is troubled by dreams about Anne, and returns home on the day of her wedding, just missing the ceremony. German goes away on a long business trip, leaving Anne in her father’s house. Old Bateman sues Boot for breach of the pre-contract; Young Bateman hangs himself outside Anne’s door, and his ghost haunts Anne, invisible to the rest of her family. Anne gives birth to a baby girl. While the women around her sleep, she sees the ghost and runs out of the house; following her footsteps in the snow, the household find her drowned in the river. The two bereaved fathers, Boot and Bateman, commiserate together. In Scotland, Sir Gervase Clifton insults the Queen Regent by drawing an unfavourable comparison with Queen Elizabeth, and captures Martigues in a single combat, but releases him with honour. Joshua the Puritan intends to hang his cat for Sabbath-breaking - she killed a mouse on Sunday - but the cat is saved by the arrival of a French ambassador. The English attack Leith, and Clifton captures a French colonel’s armour. Hostilities are ended by diplomatic means, and Scotland is to be demilitarized. The English and French lords feast together, and Joshua gets drunk. The English troops return south to meet the Queen at Nottingham; the common soldiers plan to put on a play for her, but decide on a morris dance instead. She meets the civic authorities and rewards her military commanders.