''Love and Honour'' is a

Restoration Restoration is the act of restoring something to its original state and may refer to: * Conservation and restoration of cultural heritage ** Audio restoration ** Film restoration ** Image restoration ** Textile restoration * Restoration ecology ...

tragicomedy by English Renaissance theatre playwright

Sir William Davenant Sir William Davenant (baptised 3 March 1606 – 7 April 1668), also spelled D'Avenant, was an English poet and playwright. Along with Thomas Killigrew, Davenant was one of the rare figures in English Renaissance theatre whose career spanned bot ...

which was produced at his playhouse Lisle's Tennis Court in

Lincoln's Inn Fields Lincoln's Inn Fields is the largest public square in London. It was laid out in the 1630s under the initiative of the speculative builder and contractor William Newton, "the first in a long series of entrepreneurs who took a hand in develo ...

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

for a 12-day run in October 1661 and which featured Thomas Betterton as Prince Alvaro and Hester Davenport as Evandra. The work had previously been performed in 1633 as ''The Courage of Love'' (licensed 20 November 1634) by the King's Men at Blackfriars Theatre and had been renamed ''The Nonpareilles'', or ''The Matchless Maids'' (printed 1649) by Sir Henry Herbert, Master of the Revels, at Davenant's request, who was unhappy with the original title. Popular in its day, ''The Nonpareilles'' was revived by order of

Queen Henrietta Maria Henrietta Maria (french: link=no, Henriette Marie; 25 November 1609 – 10 September 1669) was Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland from her marriage to King Charles I on 13 June 1625 until Charles was executed on 30 January 1649. She was ...

, consort of

Charles I Charles I may refer to: Kings and emperors * Charlemagne (742–814), numbered Charles I in the lists of Holy Roman Emperors and French kings * Charles I of Anjou (1226–1285), also king of Albania, Jerusalem, Naples and Sicily * Charles I of ...

, in a performance at

Hampton Court Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chief ...

during the plague of 1636-37 when the theatres were closed. The play, in which one woman is willing to sacrifice herself to save a close female friend, was described as resembling the works of

Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

and, while set in

Savoy Savoy (; frp, Savouè ; french: Savoie ) is a cultural-historical region in the Western Alps. Situated on the cultural boundary between Occitania and Piedmont, the area extends from Lake Geneva in the north to the Dauphiné in the south. Savo ...

, had no historical basis. The work concerned the fictional Duke of Savoy and his son Prince Alvaro (the latter played by Thomas Betterton), who in the role was resplendent in the suit worn by Charles II at his Coronation earlier that year. Henry Harris played Prince Prospero and wore the Coronation suit of the

James, Duke of York James VII and II (14 October 1633 16 September 1701) was King of England and King of Ireland as James II, and King of Scotland as James VII from the death of his elder brother, Charles II, on 6 February 1685. He was deposed in the Glorious Re ...

, while Joseph Price, who played Leonell, son of the Duke of Parma, wore a suit provided by the

Earl of Oxford Earl of Oxford is a dormant title in the Peerage of England, first created for Aubrey de Vere by the Empress Matilda in 1141. His family was to hold the title for more than five and a half centuries, until the death of the 20th Earl in 1703. ...

.Performance of ''Love and Honour'' - The Diary of Samuel Pepys: Daily entries from the 17th century London diary
/ref>

Samuel Pepys Samuel Pepys (; 23 February 1633 – 26 May 1703) was an English diarist and naval administrator. He served as administrator of the Royal Navy and Member of Parliament and is most famous for the diary he kept for a decade. Pepys had no mariti ...

in his famous Diary recorded seeing ''Love and Honour'' three times in four days in October 1661, observing on the latter visit "and a very good play it is". The diarist

John Evelyn John Evelyn (31 October 162027 February 1706) was an English writer, landowner, gardener, courtier and minor government official, who is now best known as a diarist. He was a founding Fellow of the Royal Society. John Evelyn's diary, or memo ...

also attended a performance.

Synopsis

During an Italian war Evandra, the daughter of the Duke of Milan, is captured by Altesto, a soldier in the forces of Prospero, who has her imprisoned in his house. The

Duke of Savoy The titles of count, then of duke of Savoy are titles of nobility attached to the historical territory of Savoy. Since its creation, in the 11th century, the county was held by the House of Savoy. The County of Savoy was elevated to a Duchy of Sav ...

wishes to execute her in revenge for the death of his brother in battle against the Duke of Milan ten years before. Unbeknown to him, his brother is still alive having been captured by the Duke of Milan who holds him as a guest to prevent further wars. Alvaro, son of the Duke of Savoy, has a love for Evandra that is so strong that he can "march strong, through hideous gulfs, through numerous herds of angry lions". Alvaro orders his friend Prospero to hide Evandra in a cave at his house to protect her from the Duke, his father. Prospero comes to love her. In Prospero's house she finds a companion in Melora, the sister of Leonell; both are the children of the Duke of Parma and also are captives. Leonell also comes to love her. While the three men contest between themselves as to who will die for her (she has a price on her head), she locks two of her suitors in a cave and convinces the third, Leonell, to guard them while she hands herself in to the authorities. This causes a love/honour conflict for Leonell, who must decide whether to stay and guard his rivals or follow the object of his love. In the end honour triumphs and he stays on guard until Evandra has left. On their release Prospero wants to fight Leonell, but Alvaro reminds him that they all share a common bond through their love for Evandra and the three vow friendship. Melora, too, tries to save Evandra by claiming to be her and be executed in her place. Confused as to who is the real Evandra, the Duke decides to have them both executed. At Court two Ambassadors plead unsuccessfully for the lives of the two young women. There is an exchange of noble sentiments after which two of the love rivals stand aside, Evandra's father the Duke of Milan is revealed disguised as the First Ambassador while the Duke's supposedly dead brother turns up alive and well similarly disguised as the Second Ambassador, Alvaro marries Melora while Evandra marries Leonell.Howard S. Collins
''The Comedy of Sir William Davenant''
Mouton, The Hague * Paris (1967) - Google Books pg. 106
/ref>

Dramatis Personae (1661)

Thomas Betterton by Sir Godfrey Kneller, Bt

* The old Duke of Savoy - Thomas Lilliston Disguised like Embassadors: * His brother * the Duke of Millaine * Alvaro, Prince of Savoy - Thomas Betterton * Leonell, Prince of Parma - Joseph Price * Prospero, a young Count - Henry Harris * Caladine, an old Counsellor * Vasco, a Collonell *Altesto *Frivolo *Tristan Officers and Souldiers. *Evandra, Heire of Millaine - Hester Davenport *Melora Sister to Leonell *An old Widow *Lelia, her Maide *Boy *Musitians *Souldiers *Servants The Scaene Savoy.

References

External links

Text of ''Love and Honour'' - Early English Books database
{{DEFAULTSORT:Love and Honour 1633 plays 1649 plays 1661 plays English Renaissance plays Plays by William Davenant Restoration comedy Tragicomedy plays Henrietta Maria of France