Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

ABBOT

in The Grateful Servant (The Faithful Servant) — Shirley, James

Metadata

PlayThe Grateful Servant (The Faithful Servant)
AuthorShirley, James
Year (catalogued)1630
First performance1629
Decade1630s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Henrietta Maria's Men
TheaterPhoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Abb. | Abbot. | Abb, | Ab.
Words329
Characters1932
Typicality0.29 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA12138
BritDrama no.2287
ClusterCluster 19 — Grieving nobles & tragicomic sufferers

Important excerpts

Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 19 (piety, thalander, crimes, blessings, loathed, pretend…). Matches are highlighted.

ornament, but course, and rugged clothing Harrow your soft skins, these and many more Unkind austerities will much offend Your tender constitutions, yet consider. Many blessings crown This vnlon. O go not back, Prevent thus seasonably your real orment.

Full speech

Speak your desire. Yet ere you embark Think on your hard adventure, there is more To be examined, beside your end, And the reward of such and undertaking, You look on Heaven a far off, Like a Land skip, Whither wild thoughts, Like yours imperfect eye, Without examination of those ways, Oblique, and narrow are transported, but I'th walk, and try all of the difficulties That interpose, you tire Like inconsiderate, And weary Pilgrim's. They will startle Your resolutions, can your will, not used To any Law beside it self, permit The knowledge of severe, and positive limits? Submit to be controlled, employed sometime, In servile offices, against the greatness Of your high birth, and sufferance of nature? Can you, forgetting all youthful desires, And memory of the world's betraying pleasures, Check wanton heat, and consecrate your blood To Chastity, and holy solitude? Let me tell you, You must take heed, the ground of your resolve Be perfect, yet look back into the spring Of your desires, religious men should be Tapers, first lighted by a holy beam, Meteors may shine Like stars, but are not constant. Can you quit all the glories of your state, Resign your titles, and large wealth to live Poor and neglected, change high food and surfeits, For a continual fasting, your down beds For hard and humble lodging, your gilded roofs, And galleries for a melancholy Cell The pattern of a graven, where, stead of music To charm you into slumbers, to be waked With the sad chiming of the sacring bell; Your robes, whose curiosity hath tired Invention, and the silkworm to adorn you, Your blaze of jewels, that your pride hath worn To burn out envies eyes, must be no more Your ornament, but course, and rugged clothing Harrow your soft skins, these and many more Unkind austerities will much offend Your tender constitutions, yet consider. Many blessings crown This vnlon. O go not back, Prevent thus seasonably your real orment.

Plot summary

Plot — The Grateful Servant (The Faithful Servant)
PLOT The Duke of Savoy was to marry Leonora, Princess of Milan; but with the death of her father, the Milanese feared falling under the dominion of Savoy and have tried to force her to marry her uncle instead. Rather than go to war, the Duke redirects his amorous attentions to Cleona, who is Savoy-born and so poses none of the problems of language and obedience associated with a foreign wife. Cleona has just lost another lover, Foscari, who was reported dead on a journey. In fact, he has returned with a new page, Dulcino, whom he rescued from the banditti. He sends Dulcino with a letter announcing his return. Cleona at once loses all interest in the Duke; but when Foscari learns that he is the Duke’s rival in love, he decides to bow out: Dulcino is sent back to make a false confession that the letter was a forgery and that Foscari is dead after all, clearing the way for the Duke’s suit and Cleona’s advancement. The Duke, however, finds himself unaccountably attracted to Dulcino. Foscari intends to become a monk, taking Dulcino with him. Dulcino does not share this ambition: ‘he’ is really Leonora, who fled Milan to escape the forced marriage. The monk sent to negotiate Foscari’s admission to the abbey turns out to be the one who also helped her to abscond, Valentino, and he promises to arrange matters. Meanwhile the Duke learns that Foscari is alive, but promises to keep it from Cleona until after the monastic initiation ceremony, which they are both to witness. In the event, however, Valentino slips the Duke a paper identifying Leonora. That not only debars her from joining the abbey but also puts an end to any interest the Duke may have in marrying Cleona; which means that Foscari in turn no longer needs to take himself out of the Duke’s way. Both couples can pair off as originally intended. In the sub-plot, the Duke’s brother Lodwick neglects his wife, and plans to give himself grounds for divorce by procuring his associate Piero to commit adultery with her; this will leave him free to marry Cleona. He then aims to succeed to the dukedom by inducing his brother to enter religion. His former governor, Grimundo, persuades him that he is himself a secret debauchee, and offers to arrange a garden assignation for him. His date introduces herself as the devil in sexy human form, which somewhat dampens his ardour. He rushes back, to find with relief that Piero’s attempted seduction has been unsuccessful, and resolves to become a more dutiful husband — even…