Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

MELARNUS

in Love's Riddle — Cowley, Abraham

Metadata

PlayLove's Riddle
AuthorCowley, Abraham
Year (catalogued)1638
First performance1633
Decade1630s
GenrePastoral
Play typeBoys Nonprofessional/School; Unacted
Speech prefix(es)Mel. | Mel ▪
Words994
Characters5098
Typicality0.21 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA19479
BritDrama no.2452
ClusterCluster 11 — Tosspots & tavern railers

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Come no matter for that, you love my Daughter? By Pan ; but come, no matter for that; you my Hilace ? Come, no matter for that; I will vex my self, and vex him too, shall such and idle fellow as he strive ro entice away honest men's children? let him go feed his flocks; but alas! he has none to trouble him; would, would, would, yet he would marry my daughter. By Pan well said Girl; what a fool was I To suspect thee of loving him? but come It's no matter for that; when ever thou married I'll add ten sheep more to thy portion, For putting this one jest upon him. Come it's no matter for that; what I do, I do; I shall not needs your counsel. I have no mind to dance; but come no matter for that, rather then break the squares.— Come no matter for that, I have not danced so much this year. It's no matter for that, come away. Exeunt. Come, no matter for that: Yes, I could wish you were less eloquent, You have a vice called Poesy which much Displeaseth me, but no matter for that neither. Come, no matter for that, That's thrust upon me? I would feign see any man Thrust ought upon me; but's no matter for that, I will do that which I intend to do, And it's no matter for that neither, that's thrust upon me? What say I? it's no matter what I say, I'll speak to Aegon, if I speak to any, And not to you; but no matter for that; Hark you, will you leave all the means you have To this Palaemon? Pish, it's no matter for that, I'll hear him say so. But tell me now, good neighbour, what estate Do you intend to give him? And not the oxen too? The Horses too? I, I, what else; but it's no matter for that, I know Palaemon's and ingenious man, And love him therefore; But's no matter for that neither Well come, no matter for that; I do believe thee; Girl And would they have such sport with vexing me! But's no matter for that; I'll vex them for't. I know your fiery lover will be here strait, But I shall cool him; but come, no matter for that! Go get you in, for I do see them coming. Yes, very likely; would you have spoken with me? My promise? o! it's true, I said indeed I would go with you to day to fell some kine, Stay but a little, I'll be ready straight. It's no matter for that! who's there? Alupis? Give me thy hand in-faith, thou'rt a merry fellow, I have not seen thee here these many days, But now I think on't, it's no matter for that neither. O! then you'll go along with us, Faith do; for you will make us very merry. O no! you'll make you sport with vexing me, But mum; no matter for that neither: there I bobbed him privately, I think. Aside. Your son! goodlack! I thought, I swear, you had no other child Beside your Daughter Bellula. In troth it's well; but where is Bellula? Ready? what else? she's to be married presently: To a young shepherd, but's no matter for that. Hylace, Hylace, come forth, Here's some are come to dance at your wedding, And they're welcome. ( Enter Hylace. ) Is Damaetas come? Fie, how slow he is At such a time? but it's no matter for that; Well get you in, and prepare to welcome him. What, how now? what do you kiss her? ( Exit Hylace. ) If Damoetas were here, he would grow jealous, But it's a parting kiss, and so in manners She cannot deny it you; but it's no matter for that. What do you wonder at? Why do you think as soon as they are married, Damoetas such a fool, to let his wife Be kissed by every body? Would, would! What hath the husband then to do with's wife? Good: it's no matter for that though; he knows what. It's no matter for that, what I mean, I mean, Well, rest you merry gentlemen, I must in, And see my Daughters wedding, if you please To dance with us; Damaetas sure will thank ye; Pray bring your son and heir Palaemon with you, Bellula's cast away, would, would, would, would! And the poor fool Melarnus must be cheated, But it's no matter for that; how now Alupis? I thought you would have had most excellent sport With abusing poor Melarnus ? that same coxcomb, For he's a fool; but it's no matter for that, Aegon hath cheated him, Palaemon is Married to Hylace, and one Alupis Does nothing else but vex him, would, would, would! But it's no matter for that; farewell gentles, Or if yee'le come and dance, ye shall be welcome, Will you Palaemon? it's your Mistress wedding. I am a fool, a coxcomb, gulled on every side, No matter for that though; what I have done, I have done Would, would, would! Exit. Would, would, would! Come it's no matter for that; do you think To cheat me once again with your fine tricks? No matter for that neither. Would, would, would! Alas! she's married to Dametas. Of everything? Come it's no matter for that, I scarce believe you. Hylace What think you of Palaemon? can you love him? Has our consents, but it's no matter for that, If he do please you, speak, or now, or never. No matter for that, what you do, do quickly. Why take her then Palaemon ; she's yours for ever. And me. I, I, it's no matter for that, within this hour We will be ready, Aegon, pray be you so, Farewell my son in Law that shall be, But's no matter for that: Farewell all: Come Truga. Exeunt Melarnus and Truga.

Plot summary

Plot — Love's Riddle
Before the start of the action, Callidora was the victim of an attempted rape when she was alone in her absent parents’ house. Aphron, who was obsessed with her, broke into the house, but she hid in a corner and evaded him. Afraid of a second encounter, she borrowed a suit of her brother’s clothes and fled into the forest. Aphron went mad, and initially believed every woman he met to be Callidora. In the forest, the cross-dressed Callidora becomes ‘Callidorus’. She meets Alupis, a shepherd who sold his inheritance to see the city and came home penniless but with a witty devotion to pleasure. She takes him on as her man, and asks him to teach her indifference to love. She sets up home in the country, only to find that, seeming to be a beautiful youth, she attracts the amorous attentions of the local women, young and old. Palaemon is interested in marrying Hylace, but her father Melarnus refuses the match, thinking him too poor. But Hylace has only been leading him on, more interested in his gifts than himself. Alupis encourages him to turn the tables: she will come to heel if he treats her with masterful disdain; but when this doesn’t bring about her immediate devotion, he loses his nerve and tells her it was all a joke. Alupis decides to recruit her mother, the ancient but amorously inclined Truga, to support Palaemon’s suit. Though infatuated with ‘Callidorus’, Truga transfers her affections to Alupis when he speaks politely to her, and gives him a ring as a lover’s token. Alupis uses the ring to blackmail her: he will show it to her husband, as evidence of adultery, if she doesn’t ensure that Palaemon and Hylace are married before the end of the day. When he brings Palaemon to Truga’s cottage to arrange the wedding, Hylace eavesdrops on the meeting and decides to cross the plan. Palaemon and Alupis meet with Melarnus. The problem of Palaemon’s relative poverty is resolved when Aegon pretends to adopt him as his heir, disinheriting his daughter Bellula for her unseemly interest in ‘Callidorus’; so Melarnus accepts Palaemon, though he still has reservations about the young man’s habit of writing poetry. Before the wedding, however, he changes his mind and pretends that Hylace is to marry someone else—Hylace has had a word with him. Florellus, Callidora’s brother, returns home after five years’ travel, and goes to look for his missing sister. In the forest, he sees Bellula and falls for her; but she is more interested in ‘Callidorus’, and urges the…