Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

GUISE

in Bussy D'Ambois

Metadata

PlayBussy D'Ambois
Year (catalogued)1607
First performance1607
Decade1600s
GenreHistory;Foreign History
Play typeBoys Professional;Professional
CompanyChildren of Paul's (second)
TheaterPaul's;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Guis. | Gui.
Words458
Characters2475
Typicality0.39 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA18403
BritDrama no.1428
ClusterCluster 23 — Gulls, fops & laughing-stocks

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

I Like not their Court form, it is too crestfalne, In all observance; making Semigods Of their great Nobles; and of their old Queen And ever-young, and most immortal Goddess. Come, follow me. Now stir the humour, and begin the brawl. Sir, know you me? I know not you: Whom do you serve? Go to Companion; Your Courtship's too saucy. Cease your Courtship, or by heaven I'll cut your throat. I'll doe't by this hand. So Sir, so. Leave your Courtship. Sirrah, I'll have you whipped out of the Court for this in solence. Remember, Poultron. No more. Neither is worth their envy. Oh piteous and horrid murder! Mort dieu, who would have pardoned such a murder? Where will you find such game as you would hawlke at? Come, you're a glorious Ruffian, and run proud Of the Kings headlong graces; hold your breath, Or by that poisoned vapour not the King Shall back your murderous valour against me. Th'art not nobly born, But bastard to the Cardinal of Ambois. I seal to that, and so the manly freedom That you so much profess, hereafter prove not A bold and glorious licence to deprave: To me his hand shall prove the Hermean rod His grace affects, in which submissive sign On this his sacred right hand, I lay mine. Y'ane stuck us up a very proper flag That takes more wind than we with all our sails. He must down, Upstarts should never perch too near a crown. No doubt of that: and 'tis and excellent point Of our devised investigation. You're engaged. I'll satisfy her expectation, as far as and uncle may. All quod you? 'tis enough I assure you, but tell me. Here's one: (I think) has swallowed a porcupine, she casts pricks from her tongue so. Farewell Medlar. And why then can you not disclose your thoughts? Think you he feigns my Lord? what hold you now? Do we malign your wife: or honour you? Go home my Lord, and force your wife to write Such loving stuff to D'Ambois as she used When she desired his presence. Yet stay a little: see she sends for you. Ahlas poor soul. Let me see my Lord. He that observes, but Like a worldly man, That which does oft succeed, and by th'euents Value's the worth of things; will think it true, That nature works at random joust with you: But with as much decorum she may make A thing that from the feet up to the throat Hath all the wondrous fabric man should have, And leave it headless for and absolute man, As give a whole man valour, virtue, learning, Without and end more excellent than those, On whom she no such worthy partly bestows.

Plot summary

Plot — Bussy D'Ambois
Monsieur is heir presumptive to the French crown: only his brother's life stands between him and the throne. He seeks to engage the services of the poor, discontented, and ambitious soldier Bussy D'Amboise, and sends Maffé to him with money. Maffé tries to fob off Bussy with a smaller sum, intending to pocket the difference; but Bussy takes offence and assaults Maffé. Monsieur introduces Bussy to court as an attendant on the King, but many courtiers regard him as an upstart, especially the Duke of Guise, who considers him inappropriately familiar with his Duchess. A fight breaks out between Bussy and a group of courtiers; only Bussy escapes alive, and Monsieur procures a royal pardon for him. Monsieur attempts to seduce Tamyra, but she is more interested in Bussy and engages her confessor, Friar Comolet, to act as go-between. While her husband, Montsoreau, is away overnight, she has an assignation with Bussy. Unbeknown to them, this is witnessed by Tamyra's maid, Pero, who tells Montsoreau what she has seen. Monsieur is jealous of Bussy's intimacy with Tamyra, but his higher plans take precedence - until Bussy declares that he will serve him in any way except by killing the King. Monsieur and Guise conspire to inform Montsoreau of Tamyra's adultery. In order to discover what they know and what they intend, Comolet conjures the spirit Behemoth, who is unable to procure the letter containing Guise's information, but declares that Tamyra is the greatest danger to Bussy and promises to tell more when invoked by him. At Guise's suggestion, Montsoreau tries to force Tamyra to write to Bussy inviting him to another assignation - which will, in reality, be a trap. He wounds and tortures her, and finally she writes the letter in her own blood. Comolet drops dead, and his ghost warns Bussy of violence to come. Bussy seeks further information from Behemoth,who tells him that the Friar is dead and Tamyra's letter will be fatal; but when Montsoreau delivers the letter disguised as Comolet, Bussy disbelieves the spirit and keeps his date with Tamyra. Most of the murderers are scared off by Comolet's ghost, but one remains, and Bussy kills him. Montsoreau returns with the assassins and Bussy is killed. Tamyra is ordered out of the house, her marriage to Montsoreau irretrievably broken.