in The Two Merry Milkmaids, or The Best Words Wear the Garland — Cumber, John (?)
Metadata
Play
The Two Merry Milkmaids, or The Best Words Wear the Garland
Author
Cumber, John (?)
Year (catalogued)
1620
First performance
1619
Decade
1620s
Genre
Comedy
Play type
Adult Professional
Company
Red Bull (Revels) Company (first)
Theater
before the Court;
Speech prefix(es)
Lod.
Words
312
Characters
1731
Typicality
0.37 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A17460
BritDrama no.
1896
Cluster
Cluster 23 — Gulls, fops & laughing-stocks
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 23 (rogues, crochet, shakbag, kicked, doister, tidle…). Matches are highlighted.
sort will prove ridiculous: For we shall have you down i'the Wine-cellar, Or at the Beer amongst the Guard carousing, And after, fallen to Cuffs; your Band and Doublet Torn from your Neck & Back, and your brave Breeches Stained with the variation of each soil. I know thou hast matter enough in thee, And parts sufficient to make
Full speech
Yes: but pray be silent, let's see the effect, I dare not own her yet. Yes my dread Sovereign; I beseech your pardon, The Wench I think is frantic. Now Sir, you are so died i'the Grape, & so deboisht With Tavern Quarrels, that here your carriage Amongst the inferior sort will prove ridiculous: For we shall have you down i'the Wine-cellar, Or at the Beer amongst the Guard carousing, And after, fallen to Cuffs; your Band and Doublet Torn from your Neck & Back, and your brave Breeches Stained with the variation of each soil. I know thou hast matter enough in thee, And parts sufficient to make a Courtier; But this same Drink, and Country Liberty, Ha spoiled thee irrecoverably. Why you must bend your self unto the Ladies. I mean, apply your self, converse with them, And still be tendering your service to them; They will look for't: Look you, here come Presidents; There's a young Lord now, a Knight follows him, Mark but how they endeavour in the business. A shrewd Boy: I thought, because my self Have been bred up a Soldier, and unfit, And ever was, to these Court Compliments; He, having not been exercised, would be so: I'll leave him now, and take no more charge of him. Pray give them great charge at the outward doors They admit none but such as are Courtiers, The Hall must not be pestered. Where's Ferdinand? Pray have a care those lights be not offensive unto the Ladies, they hang suspiciously, and let the hangings be removed. Here Madame you shall face the Duke and Duchess, it's the best place to see in all the Hall. Have a little patience, the Revels will begin immediately. Well said, thou dost more good with thy oaths then all they with their Truncheons. What means this Trumpet, Here is unexpected Sport.
Plot summary
Plot — The Two Merry Milkmaids, or The Best Words Wear the Garland
Bernard sneaks into his tutor Landoff’s study, reads his magic books, and attempts to conjure up the devil. The spirit who appears is in fact Landoff himself in disguise: he has been trying to. find out why his pupil is melancholy, and left his study door unlocked so that the prospect of magic might cause him to reveal the answer. It does: Bernard wants to go home because he has fallen for a local girl, Julia, but has not yet plucked up the courage to tel her. Dorilus tries to court the proud, ambitious Dorigen, but she has her sights set on becoming a duchess. On - hearing that the Duke is coming to the area, she and Julia dress up as milkmaids and go to see him. The Duke is attracted by Dorigen’s flirtatious manner, and he grants her a boon. She asks that he make her father an earl, and, once that is done, she points out that there is no impediment of rank preventing him from 1619 marrying her. He does so, but Dorilus persists in his attentions after the wedding. She promises to reciprocate if he fulfils an impossible task: to bring her a garland containing every species of flower, which will remain fresh so long as he is constant in his love. Landoff, still posing as a spirit, agrees to fetch him the blooms, and Dorilus gladly signs away his estate to Bernard by way of payment. Presented with the garland, Dorigen is disconcerted to realize that she will have to keep her side of the bargain. She confesses to the Duke, who seems unconcerned at the prospect of her adultery, but sets Raymond to spy on her. Dorilus refuses to press his claim on Dorigen, but Raymond reports that adultery has occurred: he has become infatuated with Julia and thinks his chances will be enhanced by the fall of Dorigen. Dorigen is imprisoned for treasonable adultery and her family expelled from the court; she is to be allowed no advocate to speak for her at her trial. Dorilus procures an invisibility ring from Landoff, supplied by a genuine spirit, and intervenes in the trial after Dorigen refuses to defend herself. The Duke accepts that his disembodied voice was sent by providence to exonerate an innocent woman, and Dorigen is freed. However, Raymond persuades him to change his mind, and Dorigen is taken back to prison. Dorilus loses the invisibility ring, but it is found by Frederick, Dorigen’s foolish brother, who puts it on and is surprised to find that everyone ignores him. He witnesses Raymond attempting to seduce Julia with the promise of Dorigen’s freedom; although she…