Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

CHALLENER

in The Fair Maid of Bristol — Anonymous

Metadata

PlayThe Fair Maid of Bristol
AuthorAnonymous
Year (catalogued)1605
First performance1604
Decade1600s
GenreTragicomedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyKing's Men
Theaterbefore the Court;
Speech prefix(es)Chal. | Chal | Cham. | Cham | Cha. | cha.
Words851
Characters4346
Typicality0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA16900
BritDrama no.1417
ClusterCluster 9 — Boon companions & bluff banter

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

COme Vallen. lets to Sir God-fries house, I know there will be reveling to night This is his birth day: and he welcomes all, Fair Anabell his daughter is my love, There shalt thou see the Idol of my thought, Fair Bristols miror and my hearts delight. Thou art and enemy to women still, I prithee what does best agree with thee. I love to see my hounda as well as Thee, My horse, my fa on, and healths when time serves, But above all my mistress I prefer, She is the Fuel that does heat my blood, And therefore Vallenger, for my sake go and see, the gallants will be here to night, For by the Drum the Maskers are at hand. How dost thou Like my love now Vallenger. Does Bristol yield her fellow, prithee speak, What means my friend in such a humour go, I'll know the cause before I leave him so, Vallinger thou art a traitor to thy friend. Why dost thou love the faint I do adore. I loved her first, when thou didst love di dame. For swear to name her el e thou art my foe. Prepare Thee Vallener it is decreed. For Anabell, or thou or I must bleed? Good master Chambers, your welcome Sir to London, how far our friends at Bristo Mal. chambers, Indeed I dare wear that I have some friends There, but among all, how does young Vallenger? Even he. How shall he live in one will die for him, Well Vallenger, I thou have such a friend: Thou art happy, but I mean to see the end. Nay here is one will die for Vallenger. Nay here is one, that for the love he bears, to Anabell, but not to him, will die for vallenger. This kind contryssion of young vallenger, More joys my heart, then rest to travelers, Live long together, and may never fate, this new joined league of marriage separate. Sir I have owned it, and I wish I may Make ati Actium or your good regard, And loving care that you have had oh me, So plea e you Sir to know your daughters mind, Which way her maiden thoughts are most inclined, M. Challener, all well, your friends at Bristo, Would be glad to see you. Oh the man you hurt. 'Tis as I tell you Sir, But master Challener I am in ome hast, And pleases you soon to come and sup with me, I'll tell you then the matter more at large. Exceeding well, he is at Sir God-freys house, And is on thur day next to be espou ed, To beauteous Anabell the old knights daughter. Is't possible? Then this I bow before your Majesty, That Vallenger corrupted me by gold, to poison Anabel, and Sentloe to. Oh how I grieve to see her brinish tears, Water the Crimson roses of her cheeks. Thus lust makes young men's missery her law. Tell me but what thou art, rash youngman, that dares enter into this place before me: humannity does teach thee thou ever shouldst Give place unto thine elders, in all asaies, how rude then and unmannerly art thou, To forget this common courtesy, that parents teach their children every hour. A man the executioner of his with e, Is so unhuman that a mortal eye Would even be bloodshed to behold the same, There over dread king let me die or both, But to de end oh scandelus and act: And as or Thee, I hate Thee Vallenger, And could be well content withal my heart, To be thy death's man or thou hatest me, Besides, yet Valenger consider this, Having a with e oh fair as Anabell, Beloved of me thy foe, and oh entirely, That I do offer up my li e for hers, Should mercy pardon now what law does threaten, Thou must immagin if that we too live, I still should go about to murder Thee, To enjoy thy with e, whom I oh much do love, there over beg of the king that only I may die, to save her honour, and thy in amy. Fair Anabell married to Vallenger, The news does run Like ice through all my veins, Is Anabell married to Vallenger? A aithles woman, trothles, and unkind, Wone with a word oh labour, lost Like wind. Oh I could rend my flesh, and teace my hair, Married to Vallenger, what to my oe? By heaven if all my wealth were in the eam, And I le to De prate, uckerles, and bore, It would not half oh much have galled my heart, As this am news, this atall deadliness. No none Like her, but I will straight from hence, With my own per onage I will di pence? I prithee Jaques get me a Doctors weed, For unto Bristol will we with all speed, There will we ée the Bridegroom and that Bride, Get straight post horses, for this night isle ride, And presently get me a Doctors tire, Till I am at Bristol, each partly is one fire.

Plot summary

Plot — The Fair Maid of Bristol
Chaloner, who expects to marry Sir Godfrey Umphreville’s daughter Annabel, takes his friend Vallenger to Sir Godfrey’s birthday party. Vallenger falls for Annabel himself, and a violent quarrel with Chaloner ensues; Vallenger is wounded, and Chaloner is disgraced in Sir Godfrey’s eyes. Annabel needs little persuasion to transfer her affections to Vallenger, and they become engaged. On hearing this, Chaloner returns to Bristol from London, disguised as an Italian doctor. Sentloe lives a hedonistic life with Florence, a courtesan, and ignores the moralistic advice of his friend Herbert. To demonstrate his friendship, Herbert follows the couple to Bristol and, taking the alias Blunt, gets himself hired as a servant by Sentloe. They attend Vallenger’s wedding, and, despite the occasion, Vallenger is smitten with Florence, and asks the Italian doctor to poison Sentloe and Annabel. In the meantime he meets with Florence, who admits that her true interest in Sentloe is limited to the contents of his purse. When Florence admires Annabel’s clothes, Vallenger gives them to her, leaving Annabel in her underwear. Florence asks Blunt to murder Sentloe. Outraged by his behaviour, Vallenger’s father turns him out, but Florence refuses to take him in. Blunt tells her that Sentloe is dead - too late, as Vallenger is no longer an eligible suitor, and Florence wishes the murder undone. In reality, Blunt has only given Sentloe a sleeping potion; but, ordered by Florence to frame Vallenger, he finds Sentloe and Vallenger asleep near one another, bloodies Vallenger’s sword, and calls for the authorities. The despairing Vallenger sees the accusation as a good way of committing suicide, and makes a false confession. Blunt pretends Sentloe is an old friend and claims his body for burial. ===== PAGE 72 ===== The King arrives at Bristol, and hears Vallenger’s case. Blunt asks for the sentence to be deferred, and lays information against Florence. Faced with the evidence of the purse with which she paid Blunt, she realizes. the game is up, but tries to drag Blunt down with her. Vallenger, Florence, and Blunt are all sentenced to death, but the King grants the concession that Vallenger may be spared if another man will die in his place. Sentloe disguises himself as a friar to visit the prisoners, but finds Florence unrepentant. At the execution, Annabel and Chaloner both offer themselves in exchange for Vallenger; though Annabel has disguised herself as a man, she is identified, and…