in The Conspiracy of Charles Duke of Byron — Chapman, George
Metadata
Play
The Conspiracy of Charles Duke of Byron
Author
Chapman, George
Year (catalogued)
1608
First performance
1608
Decade
1600s
Genre
History
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of the Queen's Revels
Speech prefix(es)
Labross.
Words
171
Characters
852
Typicality
0.33 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A18404.1
BritDrama no.
1575
Cluster
Cluster 21 — Old fathers & plain counsel
Important excerpts
No keyword-matching excerpt could be extracted (the cluster label doesn't share vocabulary with this character's speech).
Full speech
You're welcome friend: what would you? I'll herein do my best, in your desire; The man is raised out of a good descent, And nothing oulder then your self I think; Is it not you? My son, I see, that he whose end is cast In this set figure, is of Noble parts, And by his military valour raised, To princely honours; and may be a king, But that I see a Caput Algol here, That hinders it I fear. Forbear to ask me, son, You bid me speak, what fear bids me conceal. Yowl rather wish you had been ignorant, Then be instructed in a thing so ill. Will you not allow me To hold my peace? what less can I desire? If not, be pleased with my constrained speech. Then briefly this; the man hath lately done And Actium that will make him lose his head. Oh hold, for heavens sake hold. Pity my age, my Lord. I told truth, And could have flattered you. I knew you not.
Plot summary
Plot — The Conspiracy of Charles Duke of Byron
The Duke of Savoy comes to the court of Henry IV, angry with his Spanish allies over the relative dowries ===== PAGE 463 ===== 1608 paid to him and his brother-in-law, the Archduke Albert, and keen to resolve a territorial dispute with France; in particular, he has his eye on the good offices of the Duke of Biron. At present, Biron is in Flanders, one.of the French commissioners sent to witness the signing of a peace treaty with Archduke Albert. Eager to compromise his loyalty to the French crown, Albert’s men shower him with honours and flattery. When Biron returns to France, he listens sympathetically to the complaints of the court malcontent La Fin, and offers him an introduction to Savoy. What he doesn’t realize is that Savoy has put La Fin up to this: the object of the exercise is to arrange a meeting between Savoy and Biron, not Savoy and La Fin. Savoy sets up a mutual enmity between Biron and King Henry. He tells the King, who is already concerned about the honours showered on Biron in Flanders, about Biron’s reputation for supreme valour; this irritates Henry, who was himself the commander in the military engagements Savoy describes. Conversely, Savoy flatters Biron and makes him annoyed that the King undervalues his soldierly service. Henry sends Biron to England as an ambassador. Before he goes, Biron shows his horoscope to a magician, who finds indications in it that Biron has recently done something that will cost him his head. On Biron’s return from England, Savoy asks him to apply to King Henry for control of a citadel near the Franco-Savoyard border. The King refuses, and Biron takes offence: stressing his previous military services, he calls Henry an ingrate, but the King makes it worse by laughing at him. Planning violent reprisals, Biron draws his sword, but Henry talks him round and Biron makes his submission. Henry grants Savoy the disputed territory, and he leaves France.