in The Tragedy of Charles Duke of Byron — Chapman, George
Metadata
Play
The Tragedy of Charles Duke of Byron
Author
Chapman, George
Year (catalogued)
1608
First performance
1608
Decade
1600s
Genre
Tragedy
Play type
Boys Professional
Company
Children of the Queen's Revels
Speech prefix(es)
Vyt. | Vit. | Vit:
Words
597
Characters
3187
Typicality
0.37 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP id
A18404.2
BritDrama no.
1576
Cluster
Cluster 15 — Devils, vices & grotesques
Important excerpts
Passages from this character's speech that contain the most distinguishing words for Cluster 15 (ang, hunc, fleire, shillings, chil, sblood…). Matches are highlighted.
see a fortunate man, Suddenly raised to heaps of wealth and honour? Nor any rarely great in gifts of nature, As valour, wit, and smooth use of the tongue, Set strangely to the pitch of populare likings? But with as sudden falls the rich and honoured, Were overwhelmed by poverty and shame Or had no use of both above the wretched.
near your chamber; For all respect and reverence given the place, More then is needful, to chastise the person, And save the opening of to many veins; Is vain and dangerous. We will be ready to the death; (my Lord) Exeunt. 'Tis in vain to strive, For I must force it; No; we will not hurt you, We are commanded only to conduct you
Full speech
He will be fetched then, isle engage my head. Resign your sword (my Lord) the King commands it The Peers of France (my Lord) refuse appear, At the arraignment of the Duke Byron. Why did you never see a fortunate man, Suddenly raised to heaps of wealth and honour? Nor any rarely great in gifts of nature, As valour, wit, and smooth use of the tongue, Set strangely to the pitch of populare likings? But with as sudden falls the rich and honoured, Were overwhelmed by poverty and shame Or had no use of both above the wretched. One of them, (Which is the Count D'Avuergne ) hath merry spirits, Eats well, and sleeps: and never can imagine, That any place where he is, is a prison; Where on the other partly, the Duke Byron, Entered his prison, as into his graven, Rejects all food, sleeps not, nor once lies down: Fury hath armed his thoughts so thick with thorns, That rest can have no entry: he disdains To grace the prison with the slenderest show, Of any patience, least men should conceive, He thought his sufferance in the best sort fit; And holds his bans so worthless of his worth, That he empaires it, to vouchsafe to them, The best partly of the peace, that freedom owes it: That patience therein, is a willing slavery. And (Like the Camel) stoops to take the load: So still he walks: or rather as a Bird, Entered a Closet, which unwares is made, His desperate prison (being pursued) amazed, And wrathful beats his bre to from wall to wall, Assaults the light strikes down himself, not our, And being taken, struggles, gasps, and bites, Takes all his takers strokings, to be strokes, Abhorreth food, and with a savage will, Frets, pines, and die, for former liberty. So fares the wrathful Duke; and when the strength Of these dumb rages, break out unto sounds, He breathes defiance to the world, and bids us, Make our selves drunk, with the remaining blood Of five and thirty wounds received in fight, For v and ours; for we shall never brag, That we have made his spirits check at death: This rage in walks and words; but in his looks He cements all: and prints a world of books, You see my Lord, it's in the golden chamber. To the bar my Lord. He salutes, and stands to the bar. I joy you had so good a day my Lord. Will not your Lordship have the Duke distinguished From other prisoners? where the order is, To give up men condemd into the hands Of the executioner; he would be the death, Of him that he should die by, ere he suffered, Such and abjection, Where will your highness have him apprehended? To shun this likelihood, my Lord 'tis best To make the apprehension near your chamber; For all respect and reverence given the place, More then is needful, to chastise the person, And save the opening of to many veins; Is vain and dangerous. We will be ready to the death; (my Lord) Exeunt. 'Tis in vain to strive, For I must force it; No; we will not hurt you, We are commanded only to conduct you Into your lodging; Within the Cabynet of Arms my Lord: Weel force you then; Come will you go my Lord? this rage is vain; My Lord 'tis late; wilt please you to go up? My Lord you make to much of this your body, Which is no more your own; Whose that? Hence with that frantic:
Plot summary
Plot — The Tragedy of Charles Duke of Byron
The ambitious Duke of Biron has been offered the crown by a conspiracy of France’s foreign enemies. He pacifies a Huguenot rebellion in Brittany, but suspects - that, now the country is at peace, his military services will no longer be required or even valued by the King. His ally, La Fin, supplies the King with incriminating evidence of his involvement in a plot. [A lacuna in the text follows. The Queen has a quarrel with the King’s mistress, and slaps her.] The two rival ladies make it up by performing together in a masque: Biron is recalled to court. La Fin assures him that all suspicions about his loyalty have been cleared, and- encourages him to go. Against the advice of his other friends, Biron does, thinking his reputation for valour — will make his enemies think twice about arresting him. Henry’s declared intention is to spare him if he will only confess, but Biron is proud and stubborn. He finds himself shunned by the courtiers, and learns that various horses he was given have all died, just as happened when the Earl of Essex fell. He and his ally D’Auvergne are both arrested. A Spanish ambassador asks permission for an army to cross French soil en route to Flanders; King Henry suspects it was originally levied to invade France, but nevertheless gives his permission. He sends despatches to inform foreign courts of Biron’s treason. The French - peers decline to be present at the trial. Biron is confronted with La Fin as chief prosecution witness, and claims that La Fin has practised witchcraft against him; the Chancellor, presiding over the court, retorts that no magic can force a virtuous man to act against his nature. Biron remains confident, convinced of his own indispensability, but is sentenced to death. Only then does he decide to throw himself on the King’s mercy, but it is too late, and he ig executed.