Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

LACY

in Hyde Park — Shirley, James

Metadata

PlayHyde Park
AuthorShirley, James
Year (catalogued)1637
First performance1632
Decade1630s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Henrietta Maria's Men
TheaterPhoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Lacy, | La. | Lac.
Words695
Characters3632
Typicality0.22 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA12140
BritDrama no.2367
ClusterCluster 24 — Gods, cupids & celestial agents

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

The cause depends. Yes, but no Wife. But I resolve— She says, I know not what she says, but I must taken another course, and yet she is— What if she should Renew the bound of her devotion For seven years more. Idem make, A voyage to Cassan ra's Temple first, And marry a deformed Maid, yet I must Confess she gives me a fair respect. I know not what to think, or is sh not the worse for the coy Lady that lives with her. Such a malicious piece, (I mean to love) 'tis pity any plac But a cold Nunnery should be troubled with her; If all maids were but her disciples, we Should have no generation, and the world For want of Children in few years undone by't: Here's one can tell you more, is not that Jarvis The Widow's servant. I must leave you, I am sent for, Without more ceremony, gentlemen my service-far well. How you endear your servant. That pity— My nimble Lady I would business, we Will have a Dialogue another time. Peeps! whose that? faith you shall dance. Your tongue does walk our language, and your fe to Shall do as we do, take away his Cloak And Sword, by this hand you shall dance Monsieure No pardon moi! Take me no takes, come choose your irk For dance you shall. I would sworn. No remedy, heres a Lady longes for one vagari Fill a boul of Sack, and then to the Canaries. You shall shake your heals. Play excuse me, yes any thing you'll call for. Prithee stay, weel to Hide Park togeth r! Comes, would tother wherle, lustily boys! You are for the foot m n. What gentlewoman's that? Master Fairefeild. O Sir you are very well met here. It is not so much worth. I could not choose but laugh. Yes Sir horse and foot. And Irish and and English footman? Just before you, I must have a bet! Thou shalt have a whole choir of Nightingales. They say 'tis lucky, when it is the first Bird that salutes our ear. Observe the first note always Cuckoo? Is this the Nightingale? Are not we married, I wood not have been a bachelor to have herd it. I wait upon thee, hark still would would would. And as we walk, Jack Venture thou shalt sing, The song thou mad st ot'h horses. Of all the running horses. A Ravishing tone. Venture had the start and keeps it. With all my heart. Dost hear. Hold, I will! Th'art a brave fellow, come your ways. Good my Lord lets have one pass. Th'ast done but Like a gentleman, thy hand I'll love thee while I live. No, no disturbance. My Lord let me obtain, yowl honour m To night. I was taken by a Turkish Pirate, and detained many years A prisoner in and Island, where I had died his Captive, Had not a worthy Merchant thence redeemed & furnished me, Blessed delivery. My Lord you honour us. Thou art welcome too Frank Tryer. But where's my new acquaintance? And other couple. My Lord you meet but a course ntertainem nt, How chance the music speaks not, shall us dance? O for some Willow garlands. This is excellent, nay nay Gentlemen You must obey the Ceremony. Mine! What does he mean? For thy sake I'll do any thing, what now? My new acquaintance, where's thy beard? Here, take thy toy again. You tell me wonders Lady; is this gentleman Your Husband? Can. How her husband my Lord? This turn was above all expectation And full of wonder, I congratulate Your happiness. M. Bonavent, a my Conscience 'tis he! Did fortune owe me this? I was not ripe for such a blessing, take her, And with and honest heart I wish you joys, Welcome to life again, I see a providence In this, and I obey it. Leave that To my care Lady, and let him pre ume, Whom you intend to bless with such a gift, Seal on your lips the assurance of his heart, I have more wings then Mercury, expect Your servant in three minutes.

Plot summary

Plot — Hyde Park
In one plot, Carol has three suitors and, claiming to be averse to marriage, torments them all. Venture gives her a chain of pearl, and she gives it to his rival, Richer. Richer gives her a diamond ring, and she gives that to Venture. She agrees to grant a request from the third suitor, Fairfield, on condition that he is not asking her to love him, marry him, or have sex with him. In fact, he asks her not to love him, and not to desire his company. They try to avoid one another on a visit to Hyde Park, but she becomes jealous on seeing him with his sister, sends for him, and sparks fly. Venture writes her a letter threatening suicide on account of unrequited love. She forges Fairfield’s signature on it, confronts him with it, and offers marriage to save his life. He denies the letter, refuses marriage, and proposes to castrate himself instead. Finally they admit that they love one another, and become engaged. In a second plot, Trier is courting Julietta, but leaves her alone with the roué Lord Bonvile, who promptly tries to court her. His advances continue in Hyde Park, and she continues to resist them, hoping to convert him from loose living. Her admonitions begin to take effect, and Bonvile reflects critically on his way of life. Trier admits that he used Bonvile as a way of testing her chastity. Disgusted, she discomfits him by demanding corresponding proofs of his fitness to be her husband. She is more willing to entertain a newly modest proposal from Bonvile. In a third plot, Bonavent the merchant has not returned from a sea voyage, and now is presumed dead: he asked his wife to wait seven years for him, and his time is up. She agrees to marry Lacy, her suitor. After the wedding, her husband arrives in disguise and witnesses the celebrations. In Hyde Park, he picks a fight with Lacy, then privately tells his wife who he really is and what happened to him: his return was delayed by pirates, and he has only now been rescued from captivity. Later, he hands out willow garlands to the four disappointed lovers, Venture, Richer, Trier, and Lacy, and reveals his identity, thereby invalidating Lacy’s marriage.