Early Modern Drama · Character Archetypes

NODDLE

in The Rival Friends — Hausted, Peter

Metadata

PlayThe Rival Friends
AuthorHausted, Peter
Year (catalogued)1632
First performance1632
Decade1630s
GenreComedy
Play typeUniversity
Theaterbefore the Court;at University;
Speech prefix(es)Nodd. | Nod. | Noddle. | Nod
Words658
Characters3221
Typicality0.30 (cosine to cluster centroid)
TCP idA72254
BritDrama no.2364
ClusterCluster 23 — Gulls, fops & laughing-stocks

Important excerpts

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

Full speech

Let me alone, if I do not utterly confound him, let me never wear good suit of clothes more, I have not read the Arcadia for nothing. Sans compliment Mounsieur, J suis, vostre treshumble varlet. I have pist in some green pots in my days Sir. Noble Sir may I be so ambitious, as to desire my name, to be enrolled in the Catalogue of your well wishers. Is he so? Cousin? Yes I am much beholding to my Cousin; I might have been killed for him. Republi que ? Repuddingpy. By this light, a man is lit tle better then mad, that will keep company with such snow-heapes, such white-liverd, counterfied lackdawes—but all's one. I would I had else. Is he so indeed? I pray you tell me true Sir. 'sme! what shall I do? Mr. Loveall, nay good Sir, I do believe you, I know not which way to take. What if I go through the back door, and take horse? Do's he speak French Sir? Nay Sir I am not so well skilled in the language, as I could wish I were, for your sake, I can speak a little Sir, Ʋ n peu, Monseur, tellement quellement. My name is Nodale Empty Sir. I am your Servant. Troth Sir you have a very neat suit there, I am much taken with the proportion of your hose, it's a deep French Sir. I have a Satin suit to make shortly, and I would bestow, some twenty dozen of gold lace upon it, if I could but purchase the knowledge of such a Tailor as your's, I should think my self beholding to my Stars for it. Gods me! you have stained your cloak sir, how will you do? I doubt the Gentleman that lent you it will be angry. Yes sir, I have read Overburies Characters; he is a sil lie fellow in black, I take it. Nay for my partly sir, let him be as tall a man as he will, I do not care a for him, (do you see) for I do not mean to quarrel with him, only I make account to jeer him a little. Nay sir, I'll take your counsel, I'll go and fetch my ra pier I left within, and then let him do his worst. Ex. Nod. Lend me your hankercher, if you have one about you Cousin, mine ha not a dry place in it. Yes Sir a little wild blood, hold that Cousin, un peu Mounsieur. A whoreson cowardly slave, to strike a man ever one was aware of him, and to give one no time, to draw his rapier— Nothing by Hercules Sir, a scratch, a scratch, well I'll say nothing, but by this good blood, that runs— No Sir, I scorn it, I am not of that strain faith, and that he shall know, the sempiternal rascal. Any thing, good Sir, I beseech you, look the door goes, I protest twenty Sergeants could not have struck such a fear into me. And lives sweet Sir. Good Mr. Loveall are the officers gone? I've spoiled my clothes quite, would I had a brush; How now? wee're gulled. We are all gee ed I perceive it plain now. Nay but well I mean? Gods me! is he so? I'll not meddle with him then, I would have tickled him else. Pox on it, I made full account, to have had that next my self, how came he by it trow? I say Sir, that it is your best course, to take heed how you make a deed of gift of your self, for fear some of your friends suffer for it, for the Physiognomy of your boot, tells me, it was never made for you, I do not think but you bor rowed them. If I could get my raepier and a brush, [Redit in sce nam Loveall & Placenta with a cudgel.] I'de steal away.

Plot summary

Plot — The Rival Friends
With Placenta’s help, Constantina disguises herself as a boy and leaves her father’s house in search of her missing love, Cleopes; she leaves a former boy-actor in her place. The friends Neander and Lucius both love Pandora, but she cannot decide between them. Each asks old Lively to help him win her love, not for himself but for his friend. Favouring Lucius, Lively plans to arrange a bogus wedding that will remove Neander from the rivalry, leaving Pandora for Lucius, without being subsequently binding. The ‘boy’ whom Lively selects to pose as Neander’s bride is actually Constantina; but he allows the wedding to go ahead even after discovering her identity. Meanwhile Placenta advises Pandora to make her lovers jealous by pretending interest in someone else, so she woos the page Endymion. When she learns that Neander is married, and when Lucius claims to be a eunuch, she transfers her affections to Endymion in earnest. It emerges that Lucius has jilted Endymion’s sister Isabella, who subsequently disappeared. Constantina is brought in apparently dead, killed by Neander, and her brother Love-All recognizes her. In fact, she is only injured, and revives, calling for Cleopes. Neander admits that he is Cleopes: he had wooed her, but became more interested in Pandora, and feigned a voyage overseas; he then returned with a new identity to pursue Pandora. Love-All wants to know who was pretending to be his sister while Constantina has been out of the house; the ‘boy’ is brought in, and is recognized as the absent Isabella. Lucius agrees to marry her, waiving a dowry, and Pandora is allowed to marry Endymion. In one sub-plot, Lively’s house, a parsonage, will revert to the church upon his death. Pandora’s father, Justice Hook, has the living in his gift, and has promised it to whoever marries his other daughter, the deformed Ursely. Suitors flock to Hook’s house, but Lively intends to outlive them. While Hook is interviewing the candidates, Lively feigns death and names Hook his heir, but comes back to life when Hook rushes off to take possession of the property. Ursely herself wants to marry the misogynistic Anteros, and Anteros overhears Hook acceding to her wishes. To win the compliance of Anteros’ father Terpander, Hook surrenders a mortgage on his lands, which Anteros destroys. Placenta then reveals that the marriage cannot take place: Ursely is Anteros’ sister, given up at birth by her mother to simulate the results of a phantom pregnancy to Hook’s wife.…