Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MAFFE

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)Maff.
Words360
Characters1866
Typicality0.44 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA18403
BritDrama no.1428
ClusterCluster 3 — Citizens, tradesfolk & neighbors

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Is your name D'Ambois? How? Sir, you're very hight. I serve the Monsieur; But in such place as gives me the Command Of all his other servants: And because His Graces pleasure is, to give your good A Pass through my Command; Methinks you might Use me with more good fashion. Monsieur Maffe. Pray do so, That you may use me better, For your self, By your no better outside, I would judge you To be a Poet; Have you given my Lord Some Pamphlet? Pamphlet sir, I say. Though he did not sir, I hope 'tis no bade office to ask reason, How that his grace gives me in charge, goes from me? Why very good sir; I pray then give me leave: If for no Pamphlet, May I not know what other merit in you, Makes his compunction willing to relieve you? That is strange. You're a poor soldier, are you? And have Commanded? I see the man: A hundred Crowns will make him Swagger, and drink healths to his highness bounty; And swear he could not be more bountiful. So ther's nine hundred Crowns, saft; here tall soldier, His grace hath sent you a whole hundred Crowns. What shall your subject be? A merry Fellow faith: It seems my Lord Will have him for his Jester; And believe it, Such men are now no fools, 'Tis a Knights place: If I (to save my Lord some Crowns) should urge him T'abate his Bounty, I should not be herd; I would to heaven I were and errant Ass, For then I should be sure to have the Ears Of these great men, where now their Jesters have them: 'Tis good to please him, yet I'll take no notice Of his preferment, but in policy Will still be graven and serious, lest he think I fear his wooden dagger: Here sir Ambo, A thousand Crowns I bring you from my Lord; Serve God, play the good husband, you may make This a good standing living, 'Tis a Bounty, His Highness might perhaps have bestowed better. What mean you sir? These Crowns are sown in blood, blood be their fruit.

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.