long Lying alone they muse but in their beds How they might loose their long kept maiden heads This is the cause there is so many scapes For women that are wise will not lead Apes In hell I tel yee mother I say true Therefore come husband maiden head adew Exit Mis. Bar. Well lustie guts I meane to make ye stay And set some rubbes in your mindes smothest way Enter Philip Phi. Mother Mi. Ba. How now sirra where haue ye bin walking Phil. Ouer the meades halfe way to Milton mother To beare my friend Franke Goursey company Mi. Ba. Wher 's your blew coat your sword buckler sir Get you such like habite for a seruingman If you will waight vpon the brat of Goursey Phil. Mother that you are moou'd this makes me wonder When I departed I did leaue yee friends What vndigested iarre hath since betided Mi. Bar. Such as almost doth choake thy mother boy And stifles her with the conceit of it I am abusde my sonne by Gourseys wife Phil. By mistresse Goursey Mi. Bar. Mistresse flurt you foule strumpet Light aloue short heeles mistresse Goursey Call her againe and thou were better no Phil. O my deare more haue some patience Mis. Bar. I sir haue patience and see your father To rifle vp the treasure of my loue And play the spend-thrift vpon such an harlot This same will make me haue patience will it not Phili. This same is womens most impatience Yet mother I haue often heard ye say That you haue found my father temperate And euer free from such affections Mi. Bar. I till my too much loue did glut his thoughts And make him seek for chāge Phi. O change your minde My father beares more cordiall loue to you Mi. B. Thou liest thou liest for he loues Gourseys wife not me Phil. Now I sweare mother you are much too blame I durst be sworne he loues you as his soule Mi. Bar. Wilt thou be pampered by affection Will nature teach thee such vilde periurie Wilt thou be sworne I forlorne carelesse boy And if thou swearst I say he loues me not Phil. He loues ye but too well I sweare Vnlesse ye knew much better how to vse him Mi. Bar. Doth he so sir thou vnnaturall boy Too well sayest thou that word shall cost thee somwhat O' monstrous haue I brought thee vp to this Too well O vnkinde wicked and degenerate Hast thou the heart to say so of thy mother Well God will plague thee sort I warrant thee Out on thee villaine fie vpon thee wretch Out of my sight out of my sight I say Phil. This ayre is pleasant and doth please me well And here I will stay Mi. Bar. Wilt thou stubborne villaine Enter M. Bar. M. Bar. How now what 's the matter Mi. Bar. Thou setst thy sonne to scoffe and mocke at me I st not sufficient I am wrongd of thee But he must be an agent to abuse me Must I be subiect to my cradle too O God o God amēd it M. Bar. Why how now Phillip is this true my sonne Phil. Deare father she is much impatient Nere let that hand assist me in my need If I more said then that she thought amisse To thinke that you were so licentious giuen And thus much more when she inferd it more I swore an oath you lou'd her but too well In that as guiltie I do hold my selfe Now that I come to more considerate triall I know my fault I should haue borne with her Blame me for rashnesse then not for want of dutie M. Ba. I do absolue thee and come hether Phillip I haue writ a letter vnto master Goursey And I will tell thee the contents thereof But tell me first thinkst thou Franke Goursey loues thee Phil If that a man deuoted to a man Loyall religious in loues hallowed vowes If that a man that is soule laboursome To worke his owne thoughts to his friends delight May purchase good opinion with his friend Then I may say I haue done this so well That I may thinke Franke Goursey loues me well M. Ba. T is well and I am much deceiued in him And if he be not sober wise and valliant Phi. I hope my father takes me for thus wise I will not glew my selfe in loue to one That hath not some desert of vertue in him What ere you thinke of him beleeue me Father He will be answerable to your thoughts In any quallity commendable M. Bar. Thou chearst my hopes in him and in good faith Thoust made my loue complete vnto thy friend Phillip I loue him and I loue him so I could affoorde him a good wife I know Phi. Father a wife M. Bar. Phillip a wife Phil. I lay my life my sister M. Bar. I in good faith Phi. Then father he shall haue her he shall I sweare M. Bar. How canst thou say so knowing not his minde Phi All is one for that I will goe to him straight Father if you would seeke this seauen yeares day You could not finde a fitter match for her And he shall haue her I sweare he shall He were as good be hang'd as once deny her I saith I le to him M. Bar. Hairebraine hairebraine stay As yet we do not know his fathers minde Why what will master Goursey say my sonne If we should motion it without his knowledge Go to hee s a wise and discreet Gentleman And that respects from me all honest parts Nor shall he faile his expectation First I doe meane to make him priuy to it Phillip this letter is to that effect Phil. Father for Gods sake send it quickly then I le call your man what Hugh where 's Hugh there ho M, Bar. Phillip if this would prooue a match it were the only meanes that could be found to make thy mother frends with Mist. Gou Phil How a match I le warrant ye a match My sister 's faire Franke Goursie he is rich His dowry too will be sufficient Franke 's yong and youth is apt to loue And by my troth my sisters maiden head Standes like a game at tennis if the ball Hit into the hole or hazard farewell all Ma. Bar. How now where 's Hugh Phil. Why what doth this prouerbial with vs why where 's Hugh M. Bar. Peace peace Phil. Where 's Hugh I say M Bar. Be not so hasty Phillip Phil. Father let me alone I doe it but to make my selfe some sport This formall foole your man speakes naught but prouerbes And speake men what they can to him hee 'l answere With some time rotten sentence or olde saying Such spokes as the ancient of the parish vse With neighbour t is an olde prouerbe and a true Goose giblets are good meate old sacke better then new Then saies another neighbour that is true And when each man hath drunke his gallon round A penny pot for that 's the olde mans gallon Then doth he licke his lips and stroke his beard That 's glewed together with his slauering droppes Of
of good report I know thou knowst it Mi. Bar. She is not nor I know not but I know That thou dost loue her therefore thinkst her so Thou bearst with her because she beares with them Thou mayst be ashamed to stand in her defence She is a strumpet and thou art no honest man To stand in her defence against thy wife If I catch her in my walke now by Cockes bones I le scratch out both her eyes M. Bar. O God! Mi. Bar. Nay neuer say O God for the matter Thou art the cause thou badst her to my house Onely to bleare the eyes of Goursey didst not But I wil send him word I warrant thee And ere I sleepe to trust vpon it sir Exit M. Bar. Methinks this is a mighty fault in her I could be angry with her O if I be so I shall but put a Linke vnto a Torche And so giue greater light to see her fault I le rather smother it in melancholly Nay wisedome bids me shunne that passion Then I will studie for a remedy I haue a daughter now heauen inuocate She be not of like spirit as her mother 〈◊〉 shee l be a plague vnto her husband If that he be not patient and discreet For that I hold the ease of all such trouble Well well I would my daughter had a husband For I would see how she could demeane her selfe in that estate it may be ill enough And so God shall help me well remembred now Franke Goursey is his fathers some and heyre A youth that in my heart I haue good hope on My sences say a match my soule applaudes The motion O but his lands are great Hee will looke high why I will straine my selfe To make her dowry equall with his land Good faith and t were a match t would be a meanes To make their mothers friends I le call my daughter To see how shee s disposde to marriage Mall where are yee Enter Mall Mall Father heere I am M. Bar. Where is your mother Mal. I saw her not forsooth since you and she Went walking both together to the garden M. Ba. Dost thou heare me girle I must dispute with thee Mal. Father the question then must not be hard For I am very weake in argument M. Bar. Well this it is I say t is good to marry Mal. And this say I t is not good to marry M. Bar. Were it not good then all men would not marry But now they doe Mal. Marry not all but it is good to marry M. Bar. It is both good and bad how can this be Mal. Why it is good to them that marry well To them that marry ill no greater hell M. Bar. If thou mightst marry well wouldst thou agree Mall I cannot tell heauen must appoint for me M. Bar. Wench I am studying forthy good indeed Mall My hopes dutie wish your thoughts good speed M. Bar. But tell me wench hast thou a minde to marry Mall This question is too hard for bashfulnes And Father now ye pose my modestie I am a maide and when ye aske me thus I like a maide must blush looke pale and wan And then looke pale againe for we change colour As our thoughts change with true fac'd passion Of modest maidenhead I could adorne me And to your question make a sober cursie And with close clipt ciuility be silent Or els say no forsooth or I forsooth If I said no forsooth I lyed forsooth To lye vpon my selfe were deadly sinne Therefore I will speake truth and shame the diuell Father when first I heard you name a husband At that same very name my spirits quickned Dispaire before had kild them they were dead Because it was my hap so long to tarry I was perswaded I should neuer marry And sitting sowing thus vpon the ground I fell in traunce of meditation But comming to my selfe O Lord said I Shall it be so must I vnmarried dye And being angry Father farther said Now by saint Anne I will not dye a maide Good faith before I came to this ripe groath I did accuse the labouring time of sloath Me thought the yeere did run but slow about For I thought each yeare ten I was without Being foureteene and toward the other yeare Good Lord thought I fifteene will nere be heere For I haue heard my mother say that then Prittie maides were fit for handsome men Fifteene past sixeteene and seuenteene too What thought I will not this husband do Will no man marry me haue men forsworne Such beauty and such youth shall youth be worne As rich mens gownes more with age then vse Why then I' let restrained fansie loose And bad it gaze for pleasure then loue swore me To doe what ere my mother did before me Yet in good faith I was very loath But now it lyes in you to saue my oath If I shall haue a husband get him quickly For maides that weares Corke shooes may step awry M. Bar. Beleeue me wench I doe not apprehend thee But for this pleasant answere do commend thee I must confesse loue doth thee mighty wrong But I will see thee haue thy right ere long I know a young man whom I holde most fit To haue thee both for liuing and for wit I will goe write about it presently Exit Mall Good father do O God me thinkes I should Wife it as fine as any woman could I could carry a porte to he obayde Carry a maistering eye vpon my maide With minion do your businesse or I le make yee And to all house authoritie be take me O God would I were married be my troth But if I be not I sweare I le keepe my oath Ent. Mi. Ba. How now minion wher haue you bin gadding Mall Forsooth my father called me forth to him Mi. Bar. Your Father and what said he too ye I pray Mall Nothing forsooth Mi. Bar. Nothing that cannot be something he said Mall I something that as good as nothing was Mi. Bar. Come let me heare that somthing nothing then Mal. Nothing but of a husband for me mother Mi. Ba. A husband that was somthing but what husband Mall Nay faith I know not mother would I did Mis. Bar. I would ye did I faith are ye so hasty Mall Hasty mother why how olde am I Mas. Ba. Too yong to marry Mal. Nay by the masse ye lie Mother how olde were you when you did marry Mis. Ba. How olde so ere I was yet you shall tarry Mall. Then the worse for me hark Mother harke The Priest forgets that ere he was a Clarke When you were at my yeeres I le holde my life Your minde was to change maidenhead for wife Pardon me mother I am of your minde And by my troth I take it but by kinde Mis. Bar. Doe ye heare daughter you shal stay my leasure Mall Do you heare mother would you stay frō pleasure When ye haue minde to it go to there 's no wrong Like this to let maides lye alone so
not yet past for this is one of them But where 's my sister M. Bar. Why we cannot tell Phi. VVhere 's Francis M Gour. Neither saw we him Phi. VVhy this is fine VVhat neither he nor I nor she nor you Nor I nor she nor you and I will now Can meet could meet or nere I thinke shall meete Cal ye this woing no t is Christmas sport of Hob mā blind All blind all seek to catch all misse but who comes heere Enter Franke and his Boye Fra. O haue I catcht yee sir it was your dooing That made me haue this pritty daunce to night Had not you spoake my mother had not scard me But I will swinge ye for it Phil. Keepe the Kings peace Fran How art thou become a Constable VVhy Phillip where hast thou bin all this while Phi. Why where you were not but I pray wher 's my sister Fran. Why man I saw her not but I haue sought her as I should seeke Phil. A needle haue yee not Why you man are the needle that she seekes To worke withall well Francis do you heere You must not answere so that you haue sought her But haue yee found her faith and if you haue God giue yee ioy of that ye found with her Fra I saw her not how could I finde her M. Gou. Why could yee misse form Maister Barnses house vnto his Cunnyberry Fran. Whether I could or no father I did Phill. Father I did well Franke wilt thou beleeue me Thou dost not know how much this same doth greeue me Shall it be said thou mist so plaine away When as so faire a wenche did for thee stay Fra, Sownes man Phi. Sownes man and if thou hadst bin blinde The cunny-borow thou needst must finde I tell thee Francis had it bin my case And I had bin a woer in thy place I would haue laide my head vnto the ground And sented out my wenches way like a Hound I would haue crept vpon my knees all night And haue made the flint stones Linckes to giue me light Nay man I would Fran. Good Lord what you would doe Well we shall see one day how you can woe M. Gou. Come come we see that we haue all bin crost Therefore le ts go and seeke them we haue lost Exeunt Enter Mal. Am I alone doth not my mother come Her torch I see not which I well might see If any way she were comming toward me VVhy then belike shee s gone some other way And may she go till I bid her turne Farre shall her way be then and little faire For she hath hindered me of my good turne God send her wet and wearie ere the turne I had beene at Oxenford and to morrow Haue beene releast from all my maidens sorrow And tasted ioy had not my mother bin God I beseech thee make it her worst sinne How many maides this night lyes in their beds And dreame that they haue lost their maidenheads Such dreames such slumbers I had to enioyde If waking mallice had not them destroide A starued man with double death doth dye To haue the meate might saue him in his eye And may not haue it so am I tormented To starue for ioy I see yet am preuented VVell Franke although thou woedst and quickly wonne Yet shall my loue to thee be neuer done I le run through hedge and ditch through brakes briers To come to thee sole Lord of my desires Short woing is the best an houre not yeares For long debating loue is full of feares But hearke I heare one tread o wert my brother Or Franke or any man but not my mother S. Rap. O when will this same yeare of night haue end Long lookt for daies sunne when wilt thou ascend Let not this theese friend misty vale of night Incroach on day and shadow thy faire light Whilst thou com'st tardy from my Thetes bed Blushing foorth golden haire and glorious red O stay not long bright lanthorne of the day To light my mist way feete to my right way Mall It is a man his big voice tels me so Much am I not acquainted with it tho And yet mine eare sounds true distinguisher Boyes that I haue been more familiar With it then now I am well I doe iudge It is not enuies fellon not of grudge Therefore I le plead acquaintance hyer his guiding And buy of him some place of close abiding Till that my mothers mallice be expired And we may ioy in that is long desired whoses there Ra. Are ye a maide no question this is she My man doth misse faith since she lights on me I doe not meane till day to let her goe For what she is my mans loue I will know Harke ye mayde if mayde are ye so light That you can see to wander in the night Mal. Harke ye true man if true I tell you no I cannot see at all which way I goe Ra. Fayre mayde i st so say had ye nere a fall Mal Fayre man not so no I had none at all Ra. Could you not stumble on one man I pray Mal. No no such blocke till now came in my way Ra. Am I that blocke sweet tripe then fall and try Ma. The grounds too hard a feather-bed not I Ra. Why how and you had met with such a stumpe Mal. Why if he had been your height I meant to iumpe Ra. Are ye so nimble Mal. Nimble as a Doe Ra. Backt in a pye Mal. Of ye Ra. Good meate ye know Mal Ye hunt sometimes Ra. I do Mal. What take ye Ra. Deare Mall You 'l nere strike rascall Ra. Yes when ye art there Mal. Will ye strike me Ra. Yes will ye strike againe Mall No sir it fits not maides to fight with men Ra. I wonder wench how I thy name might know Mall Why you may finde it in the Christcrosse row Ra. Be my Schoolemistresse teach me how to spell it Mall No faith I care not greatly if I tell it My name is Marie Barnes Ra. How wench Mall Barnes Mal. The verie same Rap. Why this is strange Mal. I pray sir what 's youre name Raph. Why sir Raph Smith doth wonder wench at this Why what 's the cause thou art abroad so late Mal. What sir Raph Smith nay then I will disclose All the hole cause to him in him repose My hopes my loue God him I hope did send Our loues and both our mothers hates to end Gentle sir Raph if you my blush might see You then would say I am ashamed to be Found like a wandring stray by such a knight So farre from home at such a time of night But my excuse is good loue first by fate Is crost controuled and sundered by fell hate Franke Goursey is my loue and he loues me But both our mothers hate and disagree Our fathers like the match and wish it don And so it had had not our mothers come To Oxford we concluded both to go Going to meete they came we parted so