Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

RIDER

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)Rid. | Ri.
Words608
Characters3179
Typicality0.28 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA12140
BritDrama no.2367
ClusterCluster 18 — Chronicle statesmen & prelates

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

M. Venture, The first man in my wish What gentleman is that? I am his servant, look yet, we are friends An't shall appear, how ever things succeed That I have loved you, and you take My Council in ill partly. For my partly, I have Used no enchantment, philter, no devices That are unlawful, to direct the stream Of her affection, it flows naturally. For your anger I wear a sword, though I have no desire It should be guilty of defacing any Partly of your body, yet upon a just And noble provocation, wherein My Mistress love, and honour is engaged, I dare draw blood. I know you cannot But understand me, yet I say I love you, And with a generous breast, and in the confidence You will take it kindly, I return to that I promised you, good council, come leave off The prosecution. There will be less affront then to expect Till the last minute, and behold the victory Another's, you may guess, why I declare this? I am studious to preserve and honest friendship . For though it be my glory, to be adorned With trophies of her vanquished love. Would. That Diamond. That Ring I gave her. She wonot use me thus, she did receive it With all the circumstance of love. I'll to her again. Were it more rich Then that which Cleopatra gave to Anthony, With scorn I would return it. She shall be hanged in chains, ere I will keep it. Who would trust woman after this? Would would! you do but jest, she wonot fool You o'this fashion, look a little better, one may be Like and other. Would, would, I would it were, that we might laugh At one another, by this hand I will Forgive her, prithee tell me—would, would, would! By this Pearl, oh Rogue! How I do love her fort, be not dejected; A Ladies love is mortal, one of all Must wear the Garland, do not fool your self Beyond the cure of Bedlam. Let us take his Council, We can be but what we are. This other fellow Fairefeild has prevailed. What shall we do? Dee hear? Weel to her again, yowl Be ruled by me, and tell her what we think on her. If she would affect one of us, for my partly I am indifferent. She's a very Colt! Come tha'st said enough. Some testimony of your love, if it please you. Fare you well gentlewoman, by this light a devil, I'll follow my old game of horse-rasing. For shame lets go! No thank you Jack , would I had ten p ec S more On't. On the Irishman. You honour me, and shall Command me any service. Yet your confidence may deceive you, you will tide Against a Jockey, that has horsemanship. Not I, you shall excuse me, Nor would I win his money. The devils, my gold has burned this 12. months in my pock to, A little of his amongst, would scorch my thighs And make such tinder of my linings, that My breeches never after, would hold mon y, But let these pass; where Lacy and his Bride? The Nightingale? I would not herd one this year No 'tis to you. Despair for a Cuckoo. For shame be confident. I'll go it all, or any thing. Ladies, I kiss your hands. I'll hold your honour thirty pieces more. What among friends? my Lord if you'd speak to him. And excellent voice. I wish your sillabub were nectar Lady. Twenty pounds to fifteen. Come to Knightsbridge. Charon thy Oar is needless, save you gallants! And mine.

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.