Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

SIR AMBROSE

in The Ball — Shirley, James

Metadata

PlayThe Ball
AuthorShirley, James
Year (catalogued)1639
First performance1632
Decade1630s
GenreComedy
Play typeAdult Professional
CompanyQueen Henrietta Maria's Men
TheaterPhoenix/Cockpit;Indoor Professional
Speech prefix(es)Am. | Ste.
Words664
Characters3462
Typicality0.38 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA18427
BritDrama no.2389
ClusterCluster 5 — Romantic leads (high style)

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

My Nymph of honour well, I joy to see thee. I have ambition To be her servant. Sir Marmaduke himself leans that way too. That would be no addition to Your blood. It pity that one drop Of your Heroic blood should fallen toth' ground, Who knows but all your cozen Lords may die. Then you are gulf of honour swallow all, May marry some Queen your self, and get Princes To furnish the barren parts of Christendom. 'Tis her servant, whats the matter? Solomon? Me? This is excellent. You look pleasant. Who I? the Coronel. Noble Coronel. From whence. Jack Freshwater, I'll not see him yet. How he's transformed? Nor I. He wonot know us. Next time weel not know him. It is my happiness To wait your service Lady. I die a Bachelor? I turn religious Knight, who has abused me? Howes this? In love with me. My leg is at your service to come over. Upwards. Leave that to finish waking! A licence, say no more. For my sake. Not much land. A head? I have one still. I am blessed. Lady I know your mind, when I see you next. Exit. 'Tis Mr Bostock, little does he think What I am going upon, I fear I shanot Contain my joys. Sir you must pardon, I cannot wait Upon you now, I would business of much consequence. We shall meet shortly. Your nose is wiped, hum, 'tis Sir. Marmaduke, I must salute him. As you see sir. Things so ticle me, I shall break out. My suit is cold there, Mr. Bostock carries The Lady clean before him. The Coronel jeers him. Hum, the very language she used to me. It does appear. Dam her then, till we think on something else, Lets all go back, and rail upon her. Dee hear, listen to me our shames are equal, Yet if we all discharge at once upon her, We shall but make canfusion, and perhaps Give her more cause to laugh, let us choose one, To curse her for us all. 'Tis no matter for that we do not come to be Welcome, neither will we be welcome, speak Mr. Bostock. He speaks for us all. I come to that. How, she a son? We are betrayed. Alive my Lord, yes yes, he's alive. No my Lord, He is very well, but it your kinsmans fortune. 'Tis truth we suffered A little, but the place protected him. We are answered, and take our leave my Lord. Your beauty hath the power To melt a Cithians bosom, those divine Beams would make soft the earth, when rugged Winter Hath sealed the cranies up with frost, your eye Will make the frigid region temperate, Should you but smile upon't: account it then No wonder if it turn my breast to ashes. Is't possible? Shall I presume, You will excuse the love I did present Your Ladyship? it was not from my heart, I hope you will conceive so. I am a shamed on't. Be you so too; I'll justify thou shalt Have cause. Sweet Lady, What thoughts make sad your brow? I have observed Your eyes shoot clearer light. Be for ever banished The imagination of what can happen To cloud so rare a beauty, you're in love. But thats no wonder, We all may love, but you have only power To conquer where you place affection, and triumph over your wishes. Is't e'ne so? I have undone my self with her already, Pardon me gentle Madam, I must leave you. With all my heart Sir. Marmaduke lets help To exercise the Ladies. 'Tis de way to make Cupid the boy no bastard. Adieu Mounsieur, now Madam with your favour, I must renew my suit. Yowl withdraw, I'll follow you. Madam your servants beg this favour from you. That since your resolutions will admit No change of hearts you will not publish how We would been jeered. Then you have crossed no Sea?

Plot summary

Plot — The Ball
Lord Rainbow is to hold a ball. Ladies practise their dancing, coached by Monsieur La Frisk, and engage in amours. Lucina has four suitors whom she teases with the prospect of marriage. She plans to see each of them in turn, but unknown to her, her servant Scutilla conceals one of them, Colonel Winfield, in her room, and he witnesses her scornful treatment of his rivals: Sir Marmaduke is mocked for his money-making schemes, Sir Ambrose for his baldness, and Bostock, who habitually boasts of his imagined kinship with noblemen, is told she will only marry a commoner—which induces him to suggest that he may be illegitimate, and therefore eligible after all. The Colonel takes a more masterful line with her at his meeting. He then suggests to the other insulted suitors that they go back and treat her with contempt. Bostock nominates himself the spokesman, and is duly rude to her, whereupon the Colonel steps in to defend her honour. She agrees to marry him, on condition that he proves himself to be a virgin; he infers another jeer on her part, and takes offence. She is in earnest, however. She tests the Colonel’s fidelity by telling him that he will be taking on her debts and children (both imaginary) and that he will have to live in the country; when he is undaunted, she accepts him. In another plot, before leaving on a journey to Venice, Freshwater sold his land and laid out money to be paid back fivefold on his safe return. When he gets back, the men who took his money seem reluctant to pay him. At the ball, he is asked to describe his travels, but does so with a suspicious lack of geographical knowledge. It turns out that he spent the summer in Gravesend awaiting a favourable wind. His debtors insist that he undertake the voyage before getting anything back. In the third plot, Lord Rainbow loves both Honoria and Rosamund, but cannot choose between them, so he asks them to decide between themselves which is worthier of him. They are annoyed to learn from the satirical Barker that this arrangement is common knowledge, and decide to get their own back by turning their affections to unlikely rivals. Barker is the first recipient of Honoria’s attention, and she encourages him to learn to dance. Sir Marmaduke and Sir Ambrose also pursue the ladies on the rebound from Lucina; they have some fun by repeatedly directing each knight to woo the other lady, back and forth. Honoria and Rosamund ask Rainbow to draw lots for them. He decides on a threesome and takes both…