in The Hector of Germany, or The Palsgrave, Prime Elector — Smith, William (?)
Metadata
Play
The Hector of Germany, or The Palsgrave, Prime Elector
Author
Smith, William (?)
Year (catalogued)
1615
First performance
1614
Decade
1610s
Genre
Pseudo-History
Play type
Private
Theater
Red Bull;Curtain;Outdoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)
Mentz. | Men. | Ment. | Me.
Words
321
Characters
1708
Typicality
0.41 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A12548
BritDrama no.
1707
Cluster
Cluster 8 — Martial kings & Roman gravity
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
Such thoughts becomes the Germane Emperor, Has courage to wage War with all the world. This is the Castle, shall we summon it? Then let them share Like fortune in his doom As they have done this happy day ith field. Rex Romanorum, & magnus Imperator Her Vive Caesar. And looks more Like a Jove then Like a man. Reme ̄ ber where you are amongst your foes Who by your discord may destroy us all. And this advantage of your variance Gives them the victory with easiness. If not for your own Honours and your lives, Forbear for ours. Theyle never be friends. We are a going. So, they are friends, they have fought away their anger. Send thither. They are hear, great Caesa . It hath prevailed as much. Because the matter does concern our selves Most mighty King of England, we have taken This Embassy in hand, not sent by Caesar, But from your Neighbour, the great King of France: Who by us first intreats, after enjoins You take good heed how you the Palsgrave aid, For that he says, and will maintain as, It were unjust now Caesar to depose, Who by his valour, if all Titles fail, Merits the honour of and Emperor. Here in England. It is most probable. Whose plot was this? Nor to be ta idem by any. Then now to counsel how we shall proceed In this most dangerous war against the Palsgrave, Who as I hear by firm intelligence. Means with his Fleet to touch the English Shore, And draw the valiant Edward to his partly. Yonder he stands, mounted upon the rock. Come Vandome, of our selves weel do the deed But he's descended of a Noble house. But be adjusted how you persuade him to it. Fortune was never steadfast unto any. But Like the Ocean that bounds in the Land, Both ebbs and flows according to the Moon.
Plot summary
Plot — The Hector of Germany, or The Palsgrave, Prime Elector
. Defeated in his attempt to seize power in Spain, Henry the Bastard attempts to get himself elected Holy Roman Emperor; he secures the support of three of the seven Electors, promising that Saxony will be the power behind his throne. But the other Electors, including the sickly Palsgrave, prefer the Duke of Savoy’s candidature, so the Bastard uses force: he defeats the opposing Electors in battle, imprisons two of them, and has himself crowned, then breaks his word and excludes Saxony from power. News of the ===== PAGE 311 ===== 1613 usurpation cures the Palsgrave, who prepares to mobilize an army. Spain is the theatre of war for their first confrontation. The Palsgrave is victorious, and the Bastard is captured, but rescued by Saxony. The warring potentates seek alliances against one another: the Palsgrave goes to England, the Bastard to France. The Palsgrave competes in an English tournament and is installed in the Order of the Garter. King John of France is reluctant to fight the English again (they have too good a track record of victory in France), and hopes to use diplomacy to secure Edward III’s neutrality. Refused the chance to conduct the mission, Saxony goes to England in disguise, but is identified by the Palsgrave, who dishonours him by pulling off a lock of his hair. Diplomacy fails, and Edward and the Palsgrave invade France, dispatching troops to free the imprisoned Electors. The Palsgrave defeats and kills Saxony in single combat. King John withdraws his support from the Bastard, and Savoy is formally crowned Emperor. In the sub-plot, Lord Fitzwaters is betrothed to Floramell, but discovers that she loves his son. He witnesses a secret assignation between the lovers in the garden of Lord Clinton, Floramell’s father. Clinton orders Young Fitzwaters off his land; Lord Fitzwaters goes further and banishes him from England. Floramell goes with him, leaving in her place a cross-dressed page, whom Lord Fitzwaters ‘marries’. The lovers are separated in a shipwreck: Floramell is washed up on the French coast and becomes a maid of honour at court; Young Fitzwaters is marooned on a barren rock and subsists on a fish diet until he is rescued by Saxony. King John is attracted to Floramell and offers to make way for her by having the Queen murdered. Floramell will not consent to adultery or murder, but agrees to give him a single kiss. Unfortunately this is witnessed by the Queen, who plans revenge and engages as her murderer an English newcomer to…