for thy mistresse fauour prize thy blood Thou knowst what words did passe at Fresingfield Such shamelesse braues as manhood cannot brooke I for I skorne to beare such pearcing taunts Prepare thee Serlsby one of vs will die Serlsby Thou seest I single thee the field And what I spake I le maintaine with my sword Stand on thy guard I cannot scold it out And if thou kill me thinke I haue a sonne That liues in Oxford in the Brodgates hall Who will reuenge his fathers blood with blood Lambert And Serlsby I haue there a lusty boy That dares at weapon buckle with thy sonne And liues in Brodgates too as well as thine But draw thy Rapier for wee le haue a bout Bacon Now lusty yonkers looke within the glasse And tell me if you can discerne your sires 1. Schol. Serlsby t is hard thy father offers wrong To combat with my father in the field 2. Schol. Lambert thou liest my fathers is the abuse And thou shalt finde it if my father haue harme Bungay How goes it sirs 1. Schol. Our fathers are in combat hard by Fresingfield Bacon Sit still my friends and see the euent Lambert Why standst thou Serlsby doubtst thou of thy life A veny man faire Margret craues so much Serlsby Then this for her 1. Scholler Ah well thrust 2. Scholler But marke the ward Lambert Oh I am slaine Serlsby And I Lord haue mercy on me 1. Scholler My father slaine Serlsby ward that The two Schollers stab one another 2. Scholler And so is mine Lambert I le quite thee well Bungay O strange stratagem Bacon See Fryer where the fathers both lye dead Bacon thy magicke doth effect this massacre This glasse prospectiue worketh many woes And therefore seeing these lusty Brutes These friendly youths did perish by thine Art End all thy magicke and thine Art at once The poniard that did end the fatall liues Shall breake the cause efficiat of their woes So fade the glasse and end with it the showes That Nigromancy did infuse the christall with He breakes the glasse Bung. What meanes learned Bacon thus to breake his glasse Bacon I tell thee Bungay it repents me sore That euer Bacon meddled in this Art The houres I haue spent in Piromanticke spels The fearefull tossing in the latest night Of papers full of Nigromanticke charmes Coniuring and adiuring Deuils and Fiends With Stole and Albe and strange Pentaganon The wresting of the holy Name of God As Sother Eloim and Adonai Alpha Manoth and Tetragrammaton With praying to the fiue-fold powers of heauen Are instances that Bacon must be damn'd For vsing Deuils to counteruaile his God Yet Bacon cheere thee drowne not in despaire Sinnes haue their salues repentance can doe much Thinke mercy sits where Iustice holds her seate And from those wounds those bloody Iewes did pierce Which by thy magicke oft did bleed afresh From thence for thee the dew of mercy drops To wash the wrath of hie Iehouahs ire And make thee as a new-borne babe from sinne Bungay I le spend the remnant of my life In pure deuotion praying to my God That he would saue what Bacon vainly lost Exit Enter Margret in Nuns apparell Keeper her father and their friend Keeper Margret be not so head-strong in these vowes Oh bury not such beauty in a Cell That England hath held famous for the hue Thy fathers haire like to the siluer bloomes That beautifies the shrubs of Affrica Shall fall before the dated time of death Thus to forgoe his louely Margret Margret A father when the harmony of heauen Soundeth the measures of a liuely faith The vaine Illusions of this flattering world Seeme odious to the thoughts of Margret I loued once Lord Lacy was my loue And now I hate my selfe for that I lou'd And doated more on him than on my God For this I scourge my selfe with sharpe repents But now the touch of such aspiring sinnes Tels me all loue is lust but loue of heauens That beauty vsde for loue is vanity The world containes nought but alluring baites Pride flattery and inconstant thoughts To shun the pricks of death I leaue the world And vow to meditate on heauenly blisse To liue in Fremingham a holy Nunne Holy and pure in conscience and in deed And for to wish all maides to learne of me To seeke heauens ioy before earths vanity Friend And will you then Margret be shorne a Nunne and so leaue vs all Margret Now farewell world the engin of all woe Farewell to friends and father welcome Christ Adieu to dainty robes this base attire Better befits an humble minde to God Then all the shew of rich habilliments Loue oh Loue and with fond Loue farewell Sweet Lacy whom I loued once so deare Euer be well but neuer in my thoughts Lest I offend to thinke on Lacies loue But euen to that as to the rest farewell Enter Lacy Warrain Ermsby booted and spurd Lacy. Come on my wags we 're neere the Keepers Lodge Here haue I oft walkt in the watry Meades And chatted with my louely Margret Warraine Sirra Ned is not this the Keeper Lacy. T is the same Ermsby The old lecher hath gotten holy mutton to him a Nunne my Lord Lacy. Keeper how farest thou holla man what cheere How doth Peggie thy daughter and my loue Keeper Ah good my Lord oh woe is me for Pegge See where she stands clad in her Nunnes attire Ready for to be shorne in Fremigham She leaues the world because she left your loue Oh good my Lord perswade her if you can Lacy. Why how now Margret what a malecontent A Nunne what holy father taught you this To taske your selfe to such a tedious life As dye a maid 't were iniury to me To smother vp such beauty in a Cell Margret Lord Lacy thinking of thy forme misse How fond the prime of wanton yeeres were spent In loue Oh fie vpon that fond conceite Whose hap and essence hangeth in the eye I leaue both loue and loues content at once Betaking me to him that is true loue And leauing all the world for loue of him Lacy. Whence Peggie comes this Metamorphosis What shorne a Nunne and I haue from the Court Poasted with coursers to conuay thee hence To Windsore where our marriage shall be kept Thy wedding robes are in the Taylors hands Come Peggie leaue these peremptory vowes Margret Did not my Lord resigne his interest And make diuorce twixt Margret and him Lacy. 'T was but to trye sweet Peggies constancy But will faire Margret leaue her loue and Lord Margret Is not heauens ioy before earths fading blisse And life aboue sweeter then life in loue Lacy. Why then Margret will be shorne a Nun Marg. Margret hath made a vow which may not be reuokt Warraine We cannot stay my Lord and if she be so strict Our leisure graunts vs not to woo afresh Ermsby Choose you faire Damsell yet the choise is yours Either a solemne Nunnery or the Court God or Lord
thence Espie her loues and who she liketh best Coat him and court her to controle the clowne Say that the Courtier tyred all in greene That helpt her handsomly to run her cheese And fild her fathers lodge with venison Commends him and sends fairings to her selfe Buy something worthy of her parentage Not worth her beauty for Lacie then the Faire Affords no Iewell fitting for the mayd And when thou talkest of me note if she blush Oh then she loues but if her cheekes waxe pale Disdaine it is Lacie send how she fares And spare no time nor cost to win her loues Lacie I will my Lord so execute this charge As if that Lacie were in loue with her Edward Send letters speedily to Oxford of the newes Raphe And sirra Lacie buy me a thousand thousand million of fine bells Lacie What wilt thou doe with them Raphe Raphe Mary euery time that Ned sighs for the Keepers daughter I le tye a bell about him so within three or foure dayes I will send word to his father Harry that his sonne and my master Ned is become Loues Morris dance Edward Well Lacie looke with care vnto thy charge And I will haste to Oxford to the Fryer That he by Art and thou by secret gifts Maist make me Lord of merry Fresingfield Lacie God send your Honour your hearts desire Exeunt Enter Fryer Bacon with Miles his poore scholer with bookes vnder his arme with them Burden Mason Clement three Doctors Bacon Miles where are you Miles Hic sum doctissime reuerendissime Doctor Bacon Attulisti nos libros meos de Necromantia Miles Ecce quam bonum quam incundum habitare libros in vnum Bacon Now Masters of our Academick State That rule in Oxford Vice-roies in your place Whose heads containe Maps of the liberall Arts Spending your time in depth of learned skill Why flocke you thus to Bacons secret Cell A Fryer newly stalde in Brazennose Say what 's your minde that I may make reply Burden Bacon we heare that song we haue suspect That thou art read in Magicks mystery In Piromancy to diuine by flames To tell by Hadromaticke ebbes and tides By Aeromancy to discouer doubts To plaine out questions as Apollo did Bacon Well Master Burden what of all this Miles Mary sir he doth but fulfill by rehearsing of these names the Fable of the Fox the Grapes that which is aboue vs pertaines nothing to vs Burden I tell thee Bacon Oxford makes report Nay England and the Court of Henry sayes Th art making of a brazen head by Art Which shall vnfold strange doubts and Aphorismes And read a Lecture in Philosophy And by the helpe of Deuils and ghastly fiends Thou meanst ere many yeeres or dayes be past To compasse England with a wall of brasse Bacon And what of this Miles What of this Master why he doth speake mystically for he knowes if your skill faile to make a brazen head yet Mother Waters strong Ale will fit his turne to make him haue a copper nose Clement Bacon we come not greeuing at thy skill But ioying that our Academy yeelds A man suppos'd the wonder of the world For if thy cunning worke these miracles England and Europe shall admire thy fame And Oxford shall in characters of brasse And statues such as were built vp in Rome Eternize Fryer Bacon for his Art Mason Then gentle Fryer tell vs thy intent Bacon Seeing you come as friends vnto the Fryer Resolue you Doctors Bacon can by bookes Make storming Boreas thunder from his caue And dimme faire Luna to a darke Eclipse The great Arch-ruler potentate of hell Trembles when Bacon bids him or his fiends Bow to the force of his Pentageron What Art can worke the frolicke Fryer knowes And therefore will I turne my Magicke bookes And straine out Nigromancie to the deepe I haue contriu'd and fram'd a head of brasse I made Belcephon hammer out the stuffe And that by Art shall read Philosophy And I will strengthen England by my skill That if ten Caesars liu'd and raign'd in Rome With all the Legions Europe doth containe They should not touch a grasse of English ground The worke that Ninus reard at Babylon The brazen walls fram'd by Semiramis Carued out like to the portall of the Sunne Shall not be such as rings the English strond From Douer to the market place of Rye Burden Is this possible Miles I le bring ye two or three witnesses Burden What be those Miles Marry sir three or foure as honest Deuils and good companions as any be in hell Mason No doubt but Magicke may doe much in this For he that reads but Mathematicke rules Shall finde conclusions that auaile to worke Wonders that passe the common sence of men Burden But Bacon roues a bow beyond his reach And tels of more then Magicke can performe Thinking to get a fame by fooleries Haue I not past as farre in state of schooles And read of many secrets yet to thinke That heads of brasse can vtter any voyce Or more to tell of deepe Philosophy This is a Fable Aesope had forgot Bacon Burden thou wrongst me in detracting thus Bacon loues not to stuffe himselfe with lyes But tell me fore these Doctors if thou dare Of certaine questions I shall moue to thee Burden I will aske what thou can Miles Mary sir hee 'le straight bee on your pick packe to know whether the feminine or the masculine gender be most worthy Bacon Were you not yesterday Master Burden at Henly vpon Themes Burden I was what then Bacon What booke studyed you thereon all night Burden i none at all I read not there a line Bacon Then Doctors Fryer Bacons Art knowes nought Clement What say you to this Master Burden doth hee not touch you Burden I passe not of his friuolous speeches Miles Nay Master Burden my master ere hee hath done with you will turne you from a Doctor to a dunce and shake you so small that he will leaue you no more learning in you then is in Balams Asse Bacon Masters for that learned Burdens skill is deepe And sore he doubts of Bacons Cabalisme I le shew you why he haunts to Henly oft Not Doctors for to taste the fragrant aire But there to spend the night in Alcumy To multiply with secret spels of Art Thus priuat steales he learning from vs all To proue my saying true I le shew you straight The booke he keepes at Henly for himselfe Miles Nay now my master goes to coniuration take heede Bacon Masters stand still feare not I le shewe you but his booke Here hee coniures Per omnes deos infernales Belcephon Enter a woman with a shoulder of mutton on a spit and a Deuid Miles Oh master cease your coniuration or you spoile all for her 's a she deuill come with a shoulder of mutton on a spit you haue marde the deuils supper but no doubt he thinkes our Colledge fare is slender and so hath sent
you his cooke with a shoulder of mutton to make it exceed Hostesse Oh where am I or what 's become of me Bacon What art thou Hostesse Hostesse at Henly mistresse of the Bell Bacon How camest thou here Hostesse As I was in the kitchen mongst the maids Spitting the meate against supper for my guesse A motion moued me to looke forth of dore No sooner had I pryed into the yard But straight a whirlewind hoisted me from thence And mounted me aloft vnto the cloudes As in a trance I thought nor feared nought Nor know I where or whither I was tane Nor where I am nor what these persons be Bacon No know you not master Burden Hostesse Oh yes good sir he is my daily guest What master Burden 't was but yesternight That you and I at Henly plaid at cardes Burden I know not what we did a poxe of all coniuring Fryers Clement Now iolly Fryer tell vs is this the booke that Burden is so carefull to looke on Bacon It is but Burden tell me now Thinkest thou that Bacons Nicromanticke skill Cannot performe his head and wall of brasse When he can fetch thine hostesse in such poste Miles I le warrant you Master if Master Burden could coniure as well as you he would haue his booke euery night from Henly to study on at Oxford Mason Burden what are you mated by this frolicke Fryer Looke how he droops his guilty conscience Driues him to bash and makes his hostesse blush Bacon Well Mistris for I will not haue you mist You shall to Henly to cheere vp your guests Fore supper ginne Burden bid her adew Say farewell to your hostesse fore she goes Sirra away and set her safe at home Hostesse Master Burden when shall we see you at Henly Exeunt Hostesse and the Deuill Burden The Deuill take thee and Henly too Miles Master shall I make a good motion Bacon What 's that Miles Mary sir now that my hostesse is gone to prouide supper coniure another spirit and send Doctor Burden flying after Bacon Thus Rulers of our Academicke State You haue seene the Fryer frame his Art by proofe And as the Colledge called Brazen-nose Is vnder him and he the Master there So surely shall this head of brasse be fram'd And yeeld forth strange and vncoth Aphorismes And Hell and Heccate shall faile the Fryer But I will circle England round with brasse Miles So be it nunc semper Amen Exeunt omnes Enter Margaret the faire mayd of Fresingfield with Thomas and Ione and other clownes Lacie disguised in Country apparell Thomas By my troth Margret here 's a wether is able to make a man call his father whorson if this wether hold we shall haue hay good chape and butter and cheese at Harlston will beare no price Margret Thomas maids when they come to see the faire Count not to make a cope for dearth of hay When we haue turn'd our butter to the salt And set our cheese vpon the rackes Then let our fathers prise it as they please We Countrie sluts of merry Fresingfield Come to buy needlesse noughts to make vs fine And looke that young-men should be francke this day And court vs with such fairings as they can Phoebus is blithe and frolicke lookes from heauen As when he courted louely Semele Swearing the Pedlers shall haue empty packs If that faire weather may make chapmen buy Lacie But louely Peggy Semele is dead And therefore Phoebus from his Palace pries And seeing such a sweet and seemely saint Shewes all his glory for to court your selfe Margret This is a fairing gentle sir indeed To sooth me vp with such smooth flatterie But learne of me your scoffe 's to broad before Well Ione our beauties must abide their iests We serue the turne in iolly Fresingfield Ione Margret a Farmers daughter for a Farmers sonne I warrant you the meanest of vs both Shall haue a mate to leade vs from the Church But Thomas what 's the newes what in a dumpe Giue me your hand we are neere a Pedlers shop Out with your purse we must haue fairings now Thomas Faith Ione and shall I le bestow a fairing on you and then we will to the Tauern and snap off a pint of wine or two All this while Lacie whispers Margret in the eare Margret Whence are you sir of Suffolke for your tearmes are finer then the common sort of men Lacy. Faith louely girle I am of Beckles by Your neighbour not aboue six miles from hence A Farmers sonne that neuer was so quaint But that he could doe courtesie to such Dames But trust me Margret I am sent in charge From him that reueld in your fathers house And fild his Lodge with cheere and venison Tyred in greene he sent you this rich purse His token that he helpt you run your cheese And in the milkehouse chatted with your selfe Margret To me you forget your selfe Lacy. Women are often weake in memory Margret Oh pardon sir I call to minde the man T were little manners to refuse his gift And yet I hope he sends it not for loue For we haue little leisure to debate of that Ione What Margret blush not maides must haue their loues Thomas Nay by the masse she lookes pale as if she were angrie Richard Sirra are you of Beckles I pray how doth goodman Cob my father bought a horse of him I le tell you Margret a were good to be a Gentlemans iade for of all things the foule hilding could not abide a dung-cart Margret How different is this Farmer from the rest That earst as yet hath pleas'd my wandring sight His words are witty quickened with a smile His courtesie gentle smelling of the Court Facill and debonaire in all his deeds Proportion'd as was Paris when in gray He courted Aenon in the vale by Troy Great Lords haue come and pleaded for my loue Who but the Keepers Lasse of Fresingfield And yet me thinkes this Farmers ioylly sonne Passeth the proudest that hath pleas'd mine eye But Peg disclose not that thou art in loue And shew as yet no signe of loue to him Although thou well wouldst wish him for thy loue Keepe that to thee till time doth serue thy turne To shew the griefe wherein they heart doth burne Come Ione and Thomas shall we to the Faire You Beckles man will not forsake vs now Lacy. Not whilst I may haue such quaint girles as you Margret Well if you chance to come by Fresingfield Make but a step into the Keepers Lodge And such poore fare as Woodmen can affoord Butter and cheese creame and fat venizon You shall haue store and welcome therewithall Lacy. Gramarcies Peggie looke for me ere long Exeunt omnes Enter Henry the third the Emperour the King of Castile Elinor his daughter Iaques Vandermast a Germane Henry Great men of Europe Monarkes of the West Ring'd with the walls of old Oceanus Whose lofty surges like the battlements That compast high built Babell