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)
Stew. | Steward. | Ste.
Words
273
Characters
1408
Typicality
0.40 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A12548
BritDrama no.
1707
Cluster
Cluster 4 — Constant hearts & virtuous ladies
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
I know no cause except to take the air. Hold, and I'll tell your Honour. Know that his usual haunt is to the house Of the Lord Clynton, whither he is gone To see his Daughter, whom he does affect. As her life: Alleging, that the Contract made to you, Was by constraint to please her honoured Father: But he was precontracted, first made sure. And this I herd her speak, with pearled tears; Then Love, no passion ought to be more free, Nor any agreement Like that sympathy. And he promised to meet you in the Garden covertly. And this is the Ladies Page that lets him in. I have done and act will make me odious To all succeeding times, betrayed my friend: But here he comes, I'll stay and speak with him. Within my breast bath a revengeful sword, Lo, I oppose it to your greatest wrath: Yet if you saw the counsels of my heart, There you may read, it not I but fear That was the Author of your loves betraying; Your angry father threatened me with death, And I had no evasion but to tell it: But if your Lordship please to pardon me, I'll lay a plot to help you to your Love. Then wherefore serves repentance? Set down the place where I shall find your Honour, And if I bring not thither Floramell, At our next meeting take away my life. I'll be there ere long. I have done amiss, and will amend the wrong. Exeunt. Let's away. My Lord I will. Exeunt all. So, while he takes your place, we are for York house.
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…