and thine much Farewell Not thine nor his owne Edward Lacy Margret Fond Atae doomer of bad boasting fates That wraps proud Fortune in thy snaky locks Didst thou inchant my birth-day with such stars As lightned mischiefe from their infancy If heauens had vowd if stars had made decree To shew in me their froward influence If Lacy had but lou'd heauens hell and all Could not haue wrong'd the patience of my minde Poast It grieues me Damsell but the Earle is forst To loue the Lady by the Kings command Margret The wealth combinde within the English shelues Europes Commander nor the English King Should not haue mou'd the loue of Peggie from her Lord Poast What answere shall I returne to my Lord Margret First for thou camst from Lacy whom I lou'd Ah giue me leaue to sigh at euery thought Take thou my friend the hundred pound he sent For Margrets resolution craues no dower The world shall be to her as vanity Wealth trash loue hate pleasure despaire For I will straight to stately Fremingham And in the Abby there be shorne a Nun And yeeld my loues and liberty to God Fellow I giue thee this not for the newes For those be hatefull vnto Margret But for th' art Lacees man once Margrets loue Poast What I haue heard what passions I haue seene I le make report of them vnto the Earle Exit Poast Margret Say that she ioyes his fancies be at rest And prayes that his misfortunes may be hers Exit Enter Fryer Bacon drawing the courtaines with a white sticke a booke in his hand and a lampe lighted by him and the brazen head and Miles with weapons by him Bacon Miles where are you Miles Here sir Bacon How chance you tarry so long Miles Thinke you that the watching of the brazen head craues no furniture I warrant you sir I haue so armed my selfe that if all your deuils doe come I will not feare them an inch Bacon Miles thou knowst that I haue diued into hell And sought the darkest palaces of the Fiends That with my Magicke spels great Belzephon Hath left his lodge and kneeled at my cell The rafters of the earth rent from the poles And three-form'd Luna hid her siluer lookes Trembling vpon her concaue continent When Bacon read vpon his Magicke booke With seuen yeeres tossing Nigromanticke charmes Poring vpon darke Hecats principles I haue fram'd out a monstrous head of brasse That by th' inchanting forces of the Deuill Shall tell out strange and vncoth Aphorismes And girt faire England with a wall of brasse Bungay and I haue watcht these threescore dayes And now our vitall spirits craue some rest If Argos liu'd and had his hundred eyes They could not ouer-watch Phobeters night Now Miles in thee rests Fryers Bacons weale The honour and renowne of all his life Hangs in the watching of this brazen-head Therefore I charge thee by the immortall God That holds the soules of men within his fist This night thou watch for ere the morning starre Sends out his glorious glister on the North The head will speake then Miles vpon thy life Wake me for then by Magicke Art I le worke To end my seuen yeeres taske with excellence If that a winke but shut thy watchfull eye Then farewell Bacons glory and his fame Draw close the curtaines Miles now for thy life Be watchfull and Here he falleth asleepe Miles So I thought you would talke your selfe asleepe anon and 't is no maruell for Bungay on the dayes and hee on the nights haue watcht iust these ten and fifty dayes now this is the night and 't is my taske and no more Now Iesus blesse me what a goodly head it is a nose You talke of nos autem glorificare but here 's a nose that I warrant may be cal'd nos autem popelares for the people of the parish Well I am furnished with weapons now sir I will set me downe by a post and make it as good as a watch-man to wake me if I chance to slumber I thought goodman head I would call you out of your momento passion a God I haue almost broke my pate Vp Miles to your taske take your browne bill in your hand here 's some of your masters Hobgoblins abroad With this a great noise The Head speakes Head Time is Miles Time is Why Master Brazen-head haue you such a capitall nose and answer you with sillables Time is is this all my masters cunning to spend seuen yeeres studie about Time is Well sir it may be we shall haue some orations of it anon well I le watch you as narrowly as euer you were watcht and I le play with you as the Nightingale with the Slow-worme I le set a pricke against my brest now rest there Miles Lord haue mercy vpon me I haue almost kild my selfe vp Miles list how they rumble Head Time was Miles Well Frier Bacon you haue spent your seuen yeeres study well that can make your Head speake but two words at once Time was yea mary time was when my Master was a wise man but that was before he began to make the Brazen-head You shall lye while you arse ake and your Head speake no better well I will watch and walke vp and downe and be a Peripatetian and a Philosopher of Aristotles stampe What a fresh noyse Take thy Pistols in hand Miles Here the Head speakes and a lightning flasheth forth and a hand appeares that breaketh downe the Head with a hammer Head Time is past Miles Master master vp hell 's broken loose your head speakes and there 's such a thunder and lightning that I warrant all Oxford is vp in armes out of your bed take a browne bill in your hand the latter day is come Bacon Miles I come O passing warily watcht Bacon will make thee next himselfe in loue When spake the Head Miles When spake the Head did not you say that he should tell strange principles of Philosophy Why sir it speakes but two words at a time Bacon Why villaine hath it spoken oft Miles Oft I mary hath it thrice but in all those three times it hath vttered but seuen words Bacon As how Miles Mary sir the sirs time he said Time is as if Fabuis Commentator should haue pronounst a sentence he said Time was and the third time with thunder and lightning as in great choler he said Time is past Bacon T is past indeed A villaine time is past My life my fame my glory all are past Bacon the turrets of thy hope are ruin'd downe Thy seuen yeeres study lieth in the dust Thy Brazen-head lies broken through a slaue That watcht and would not when the Head did will What said the Head first Miles Euen Time is Bacon Villaine if thou hadst cald to Bacon then If thou hadst watcht and wakte the sleepy Fryer The Brazen-head had vttered Aphorismes And England had beene circled round with brasse But proud Astmeroth ruler of the North And Demegorgon master of the
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
that shall serue the turne maruellous well my Lord Ermsby And I my Lord will haue Pioners to vndermine the Towne that the very Gardens and Orchards be carryed away for your Summer walkes Miles And with scientia and great diligentia Will coniure and charme to keepe you from harme That vtrum horum mauis your very great nauis Like Bartlets ship from Oxford doe skip With Colledges and schooles full loaden with fooles Quid dices ad hoc worshipfull Domine Dawcocke Clement Why harebraind Courtiers are you drunke or mad To taunt vs vp with such scurrilitie Deeme you vs men of base and light esteeme To bring vs such a fop for Henries sonne Call out the Beadles and conuay them hence Straight to Bocardo let the Roisters lie Close clapt in bolts vntill their wits be tame Ermsby Why shall we to prison my Lord Raphe What saist Miles shall I honour the prison with my presence Miles No no out with your blades and hamper these Iades Haue a flurt and a crash now reuell dash And teach these Sacerdos that the Bocardos Like Pezzants and clues are meet for themselues Mason To the prison with them Constable Warren Well Doctors seeing I haue sported me With laughing at these mad and merry wagges Know that Prince Edward is at Brazen-nose And this attired like the Prince of Wales Is Raphe King Henries only loued foole I Earle of Essex and this Ermsby One of the priuie Chamber to the King Who while the Prince with Frier Bacon staies Haue reuel'd in Oxford as you see Mason My Lord pardon vs we knew not what you were But Courtiers may make greater scapes then these Wil t please your Honour dine with me to day Warren I will master Doctor and satisfie the Vintner for his hurt only I must desire you to imagine him all this fore-noone the Prince of Wales Mason I will sir Raphe And vpon that I will lead the way onely I will haue Miles goe before me because I haue heard Henry say that wisedome must goe before Maiestie Exeunt omnes Enter Prince Edward with his poinard in his hand Lacy and Margret Edward Lacie thou canst not shroud thy traitrous thoughts Nor couer as did Cassius all his wiles For Edward hath an eye that lookes as farre As Lincaeus from the shores of Grecia Did not I sit in Oxford by the Fryer And see thee court the maid of Fresingfield Sealing thy flattering fancies with a kisse Did not proud Bungay draw his portasse forth And ioyning hand in hand had married you If Frier Bacon had not strooke him dumbe And mounted him vpon a spirits backe That we might chat at Oxford with the Frier Traytor what answer'st Is not all this true Lacy. Truth all my Lord and thus I make reply At Harlstone Faire there courting for your Grace When as mine eye suruaid her curious shape And drew the beautious glory of her lookes To diue into the center of my heart Loue taught me that your Honour did but iest That Princes were in fancy but as men How that the louely maid of Fresingfield Was fitter to be Lacies wedded wife Then Concubine vnto the Prince of Wales Edward Iniurious Lacy did I loue thee more Then Alexander his Hephestion Did I vnfold the passions of my loue And locke them in the clozet of thy thoughts Wert thou to Edward second to himselfe Sole friend and partner of his secret loues And could a glaunce of fading beauty breake Th' inchained fetters of such priuat friends Base coward false and too effeminate To be corriuall with a Prince in thoughts From Oxford haue I posted since I dinde To quite a Traitor 'fore that Edward sleepe Margret 'T was I my Lord not Lacy stept awry For oft he sued and courted for your selfe And still woo'd for the Courtier all in greene But I whom fancy made but ouer-fond Pleaded my selfe with lookes as if lou'd I fed mine eye with gazing on his face And still bewitcht lou'd Lacie with my lookes My heart with sighes mine eyes pleaded with teares My face held pitty and content at once And more I could not cypher out by signes But that I lou'd Lord Lacy with my heart Then worthy Edward measure with thy minde If womens fauours will not force men fall If beauty and if darts of piercing loue Is not of force to bury thoughts of friends Edward I tell thee Peggie I will haue thy loues Edward or none shall conquer Margret In Frigats bottom'd with rich Sethin planks Topt with the lofty Firs of Libanon Stem'd and incast with burnisht Iuory And ouer-laid with plates of Persian wealth Like Thetis shalt thou wanton on the waues And draw the Dolphins to thy louely eyes To dance Lauoltas in the purple streames Sirens with harpes and siluer Psalteries Shall wait with musicke at thy Frigots stem And entertaine faire Margret with her layes England and Englands wealth shall wait on thee Brittaine shall bend vnto her Princes loue And doe due homage to thine Excellence If thou wilt be but Edwards Margret Margret Pardon my Lord if Ioues great Royalty Sent me such presents as to Danae If Phoebus tyed in Latonas webs Come courting from the beauty of his lodge The dulcet tunes of frolicke Mercurie Not all the wealth heauens treasury affords Should make me leaue Lord Lacy or his loue Edward I haue learn'd at Oxford then this point of schooles Ablata causa tollitur effectus Lacy the cause that Margret cannot loue Nor fixe her liking on the English Prince Take him away and then the effects will faile Villaine prepare thy selfe for I will bathe My poinard in the bosome of an Earle Lacie Rather then liue and misse faire Margrets loue Prince Edward stop not at the fatall doome But stab it home end both my loues and life Marg. Braue Prince of Wales honour'd for Royall deeds T were sinne to staine faire Venus courts with blood Loues conquest ends my Lord in courtesie Spare Lacy gentle Edward let me dye For so both you and he doe cease your loues Edward Lacie shall die as Traitor to his Lord Lacy. I haue deserued it Edward act it well Marg. What hopes the Prince to gaine by Lacies death Edward To end the loues 'twixt him and Margaret Marg. Why thinks King Henries son that Margrets loue Hangs in th' vncertaine ballance of proud Time That death shall make a discord of our thoughts No stab the Earle and 'fore the morning Sun Shall vaunt him thrice ouer the lofty East Margret will meet her Lacy in the heauens Lacy. If ought betides to louely Margret That wrongs or wrings her honour from content Europes rich wealth nor Englands Monarchie Should not allure Lacy to ouer-liue Then Edward short my life and end her loues Marg. Rid me and keepe a friend worth many loues Lacy. Nay Edward keepe a loue worth many friends Marg. And if thy mind be such as fame hath blaz'd Then Princely Edward let vs both abide The fatall resolution of thy rage
Banish thou fancie and imbrace reuenge And in one toombe knit both our carkases Whose hearts were linked in one perfect loue Edward Edward art thou that famous Prince of Wales Who at Damasco beat the Sarazens And broughtst home triumph on thy Lances point And shall thy plumes be puld by Venus downe Is 't princely to disseuer Louers loues Leaue Ned and make a vertue of this fault And further Peg and Lacy in their loues So in subduing fancies passion Conquering thy selfe thou get'st the richest spoile Lacy rise vp Faire Peggie here 's my hand The Prince of Wales hath conquered all his thoughts And all his loues he yeelds vnto the Earle Lacy enioy the maid of Fresingfield Make her thy Lincolne Countesse at the Church And Ned as he is true Plantagenet Will giue her to thee frankly for thy wife Lacy. Humbly I take her of my Soueraigne As if that Edward gaue me Englands right And rich't me with the Albion Diadem Margret And doth the English Prince meane true Will he vouchsafe to cease his former loues And yeeld the title of a Country maid Vnto Lord Lacy Edward I will faire Peggie as I am true Lord Margret Then Lordly Sir whose conquest is as great In conquering loue as Casars victories Margret as milde and humble in her thoughts As was Aspatia vnto Cyrus selfe Yeelds thanks and next Lord Lacy doth inshrine Edward the second secret in her heart Edward Gramercy Peggie now that vowes are past And that your loues are not to be reuolt Once Lacy friends againe come we will poast To Oxford for this day the King is there And brings for Edward Castile Ellinor Peggie I must goe see and view my wife I pray God I like her as I loued thee Beside Lord Lincolne we shall heare dispute Twixt Fryer Bacon and learned Vandermast Peggy we 'le leaue you for a weeke or two Margret As it please Lord Lacy but loues foolish looks Thinke footsteps miles and minutes to be houres Lacy. I le hasten Peggie to make short returne But please your Honour goe vnto the Lodge We shall haue Butter Cheese and Venison And yesterday I brought for Margret A lusty bottle of neat Clarret wine Thus can we feast and entertaine your Grace Edward 'T is cheere Lord Lacy for an Emperour If he respect the person and the place Come let vs in for I will all this night Ride poast vntill I come to Bacons cell Exeunt Enter Henry Emperour Castile Ellinor Vandermast Bungay Emperour Trust me Plantagenet these Oxford Schooles Are richly seated neere the Riuer side The mountaines full of fat and fallow Deere The battling pastures laid with Kine and Flocks The Towne gorgeous with high built Colledges And Schollers seemely in their graue attire Learned in searching the principles of Art What is thy iudgement Iaques Vandermast Vander. That Lordly are the buildings of the Towne Spatious the roomes and full of pleasant walkes But for the Doctors how that they be learned It may be meanely for ought I can heare Bungay I tell thee Germane Haspurge holds none such None read so deepe as Oxenford containes There are within our Academicke state Men that may lecture it in Germany To all the Doctors of your Belgicke Scholes Henry Stand to him Bungay charme this Vandermast And I will vse thee as a Royall King Vandermast Wherein darest thou dispute with me Bungay In what a Doctor and a Fryer can Vandermast Before rich Europes Worthies put thou forth The doubtfull question vnto Vandermast Bungay Let it be this Whether the spirits of Piromancy or Geomancy be most predominant in Magicke Vander. I say of Piromancy Bungay And I of Geomancy Vander. The Cabbalists that write of Magicke spels As Hermes Melchre and Pythagoras Affirme that 'mongst the quadruplicity Of elementall essence Terra is but thought To be a punctum squared to the rest And that the compasse of ascending elements Exceed in bignesse as they doe in height Iudging the concaue Circle of the Sunne To hold the rest in his Circumference If then as Hermes sayes the fire be great'st Purest and onely giueth shapes to spirits Then must these Demones that haunt that place Be euery way superiour to the rest Bungay I reason not of elementall shapes Nor tell I of the concaue latitudes Noting their essence nor their quality But of the spirits that Piromancy calls And of the vigour of the Geomanticke Fiends I tell thee Germane Magicke hants the grounds And those strange Negromanticke spels That worke such shewes and wondring in the world Are acted by those Geomanticke sprites That Hermes calleth Terrae filij The fierie spirits are but transparent shades That lightly passe as Heralds to beare newes But earthly Fiends cloz'd in the lowest deepe Disseuer mountaines if they be but char'd Being more grosse and massie in their power Vandermast Rather these earthly Geomantike spirits Are dull and like the place where they remaine For when proud Lucifer fell from the heauens The spirits and Angels that did sin with him Retain'd their locall essence as their faults All subiects vnder Lunas Continent The which offended lesse hang in the fire And second faults did rest within the aire But Lucifer and his proud-hearted fiends Were throwne into the Center of the earth Hauing lesse vnderstanding then the rest As hauing greater sinne and lesser grace Therefore such grosse and earthly spirits doe serue For Iuglers Witches and vild Sorcerers Whereas the Piromanticke Genij Are mighty swift and of farre reaching power But grant that Geomancie hath most force Bungay to please these mighty Potentates Proue by some instance what thy Art can doe Bungay I will Emper. Now English Harry here begins the game We shall see sport betweene these learned men Vandermast What wilt thou doe Bungay Shew thee the Tree leau'd with refined gold Whereon the fearefull Dragon held his seate That watcht the Garden cald Hesperides Subdued and wonne by conquering Hercules Vandermast Well done Here Bungay coniures and the Tree appeares with the Dragon shooting fire Henrie What say you Royall Lordlings to my Fryer Hath he not done a point of cunning skill Vander. Ech Scholler in the Negromanticke spels Can doe as much as Bungay hath perform'd But as Alemenas bastard rais'd this Tree So will I raise him vp as when he liued And cause him pull the Dragon from his seate And teare the branches piecemeale from the roote Hercules Prodi Prodi Hercules Hercules appeares in his Lyons skin Hercules Quis me vult Vandermast Ioues bastard sonne thou Libian Hercules Pull off the sprigs from off the Hesperian Tree As once thou didst to win the golden fruit Hercules Fiat Here he begins to breake the branches Vander. Now Bungay if thou canst by Magicke charme The Fiend appearing like great Hercules From pulling downe the branches of the Tree Then art thou worthy to be counted learned Bungay I cannot Vander. Cease Hercules vntill I giue thee charge Mighty Commander of this English I le Henrie come from
Fates Grudge that a mortall man should doe so much Hell trembled at my deepe commanding spels Fiends frownd to see a man their ouer-match Bacon might boast more then a man might boast But now the braues of Bacon haue an end Europes conceit of Bacon hath an end His seuen yeeres practice sorteth to ill end And villaine sith my glorie hath an end I will appoint thee fatall to some end Villaine auoid get thee from Bacons sight Vagrant goe rome and range about the world And perish as a vagabond on earth Miles Why then sir you forbid me your seruice Bacon My seruice villaine with a fatall curse That dire full plagues and mischiefe fall on thee Miles T is no matter I am against you with the old prouerb The more the Foxe is curst the better he fares God be with you sir I le take but a booke in my hand a wide sleeued gowne on my backe and a crowned cap on my head and see If I can want promotion Bacon Some fiend or ghost haunt on thy weary steps Vntill they doe transport thee quicke to hell For Bacon shall haue neuer merry day To lose the fame and honour of his Head Exit Enter Emperour Castile Henry Ellinor Edward Lacie Raphe Emper. Now louely Prince the Prince of Albions wealth How fares the Lady Ellinor and you What haue you courted and found Castile fit To answere England in equiuolence Wilt be a match twixt bonny Nell and thee Edward Should Paris enter in the courts of Greece And not lye fettered in faire Hellens lookes Or Phoebus scape those piercing amorits That Daphne glanced at his deitie Can Edward then sit by a flame and freeze Whose heat puts Hellen and faire Daphne downe Now Monarks aske the Lady if we gree Henry What Madam hath my sonne found grace or no Ellinor Seeing my Lord his louely counterfeit And hearing how his minde and shape agreed I come not troopt with all this warlike traine Doubting of loue but so affectionate As Edward hath in England what he wonne in Spaine Castile A match my Lord these wantons needs must loue Men must haue wiues and women must be wed Let 's haste the day to honour vp the rites Raphe Sirra Harry shall Ned marry Nell Henry I Raphe how then Raphe Mary Harry follow my counsell send for Fryer Bacon to marry them for hee le so coniure him and her with his Nigromancy that they shall loue together like Pigge Lambe whilest they liue Castile But hearst thou Raphe art thou content to haue Ellinor to thy Lady Raphe I so she will promise me two things Castile What 's that Raphe Raphe That she will neuer scold with Ned nor fight with me Sirra Harry I haue put her downe with a thing vnpossible Henry What 's that Raphe Raphe Why Harry didst thou euer see that a woman could both hold her tongue and her hands no but when egge-pyes grow on Apple-trees then will thy gray Mare proue a Bag-piper Emperour What sayes the Lord of Castile and the Earle of Lincolne that they are in such earnest and secret talke Castile I stand my Lord amazed at his talke How he discourseth of the constancy Of one surnam'd for beauties excellence The faire maid of Fresingfield Henry T is true my Lord t is wondrous for to heare Her beautie passing Marses Paramour Her virgins right as rich as Vestas was Lacy and Ned haue told me miracles Castile What sayes Lord Lacy shall she be his wife Lacy. Or else Lord Lacy is vnfit to liue May it please your Highnesse giue me leaue to poast To Fresingfield I le fetch the bonny girle And proue in true apparance at the Court What I haue vouched often with my tongue Henry Lacy goe to the Quiry of my Stable And take such Coursers as shall fit thy turne Hie thee to Fresingfield and bring home the Lasse And for her fame flies through the English coast If it may please the Lady Ellinor One day shall match your Excellence and her Ellinor We Castile Ladies are not very coy Your Highnesse may command a greater boone And glad were I to grace the Lincolne Earle With being partner of his marriage day Edward Gramercy Nell for I doe loue the Lord As he that 's second to my selfe in loue Raphe You loue her Madam Nell neuer beleeue him you though he sweares he loues you Ellinor Why Raphe Raphe Why his loue is like vnto a Tapsters glasse that is broken with euery tutch for he loued the faire maid of Fresingfield once out of all hoe nay Ned neuer winke vpon me I care not I Hen. Raphe tels all you shall haue a good Secretary of him But Lacy haste thee poast to Fresingfield For ere thou hast fitted all things for her state The solemne marriage day will be at hand Lacy. I goe my Lord Exit Lacy Emperour How shall we passe this day my Lord Henry To horse my Lord the day is passing faire Wee le flie the Partridge or goe rouze the Deere Follow my Lords you shall not want for sport Exeunt Enter Fryer Bacon with Fryer Bungay to his Cell Bungay What meanes the Fryer that frolickt it of late To sit as melancholy in his Cell As if he had neither lost nor wonne to day Bacon Ah Bungay my brazen-head is spoil'd My glory gone my seuen yeeres study lost The fame of Bacon bruted through the world Shall end and perish with this deepe disgrace Bungay Bacon hath built foundation on his fame So surely on the wings of true report With acting strange and vncoth miracles As this cannot infringe what he deserues Bacon Bungay sit downe for by prospectiue skill I find this day shall fall out ominous Some deadly act shall betide me ere I sleepe But what and wherein little can I gesse Bungay My minde is heauy whatsoere shall hap Enter two Schollers sonnes to Lambert and Serlsby Knocke Bacon Who 's that knockes Bungay Two Schollers that desire to speake with you Bac. Bid thē come in Now my youths what would you haue 1. Scholler Sir we are Suffolke men neighbouring friends Our fathers in their Countries lusty Squires Their lands adioyne in Crackfield mine doth dwell And his in Laxfield we are Colledge mates Sworne brothers as our fathers liue as friends Bacon To what end is all this 2. Scholler Hearing your worship kept within your Cell A glasse prospectiue wherein men might see What so their thoughts or hearts desire could wish We come to know how that our fathers fare Bacon My glasse is free for euery honest man Sit downe and you shall see ere long How or in what state your friendly fathers liue Meane while tell me your names Lambert Mine Lambert 3. Scholler And mine Serlsby Bacon Bungay I smell there will be a Tragedy Enter Lambert and Serlsby with Rapiers and Daggers Lambert Serlsby thou hast kept thine houre like a man Th' art worthy of the title of a Squire That durst for proofe of thy affection And
Wales I le giue Liuing and lands to strength thy Colledge state Warren Good Fryer helpe the Prince in this Raphe Why seruant Ned will not the Fryer doe it Were not my sword glued to my scabberd by coniuration I would cut off his head and make him doe it by force Miles In faith my Lord your manhood and your sword is all alike they are so fast coniured that we shall neuer see them Ermsby What Doctor in a dumpe tush helpe the Prince And thou shalt see how liberall he will proue Bacon Craue not such actions greater dumps then these I will my Lord straine out my magicke spels For this day comes the Earle of Fresingfield And fore that night shuts in the day with darke They 'le be betrothed each to other fast But come with me wee le to my study straight And in a glasse prospectiue I will shew What 's done this day in merry Fresingfield Edward Gramercies Bacon I will quite thy paine Bacon But send your traine my Lord into the Towne My scholler shall goe bring them to their Inne Meane while wee le see the knauery of the Earle Edward Warren leaue me and Ermsby take the foole Let him be master and goe reuell it Till I and Fryer Bacon talke a while Warren We will my Lord Raphe Faith Ned and I le Lord it out till thou commest I le be Prince of Wales ouer all the blacke pots in Oxford Exeunt Bacon and Edward gos into the study Bacon Now frolicke Edward welcome to my Cell Here tempers Fryer Bacon many toyes And holds this place his Consistory Court Wherein the deuils pleade homage to his words Within this glasse prospectiue thou shalt see This day what 's done in merry Fresingfield Tvvixt louely Peggie and the Lincolne Earle Edward Fryer thou gladst me now shall Edward trie How Lacy meaneth to his Soueraigne Lord Bacon Stand there and looke directly in the glasse Enter Margret and Fryer Bungay Bacon What sees my Lord Edward I see the Keepers louely lasse appeare As bright-sunne as the Paramour of Mars Onely attended by a iolly Fryer Bacon Sit still and keepe the cristall in your eye Margret But tell me Fryer Bungay is it true That this faire courteous Country Swaine Who sayes his father is a Farmer nye Can be Lord Lacy Earle of Lincolnshire Bungay Peggie 't is true 't is Lacy for my life Or else mine Art and cunning both doe faile Left by Prince Edward to procure his loues For he in greene that holpe to run your cheese Is sonne to Henry and the Prince of Wales Margret Be what he will his lure is but for lust But did Lord Lacie like poore Margret Or would he daine to wed a Countrie Lasse Fryer I would his humble hand-maid be And for great wealth quite him with courtesie Bungay Why Margret dost loue him Margret His personage like the pride of vaunting Troy Might well auouch to shadow Hellens cape His wit is quicke and ready in conceit As Greece affoorded in her chiefest prime Courteous ah Fryer full of pleasing smiles Trust me I loue too much to tell thee more Suffice to me he is Englands Paramour Bungay Hath not each eye that viewd thy pleasing face Surnamed thee faire mayd of Fresingfield Margret Yes Bungay and would God the louely Earle Had that in esse that so many sought Bungay Feare not the Fryer will not be behind To shew his cunning to entangle Loue Edward I thinke the Fryer courts the bonny wench Bacon me thinkes he is a lustie churle Bacon Now looke my Lord Enter Lacy Edwards Gogs wounds Bacon here comes Lacy Bacon Sit still my Lord and marke the Comedy Bungay Here 's Lacy Margret step aside a while Lacy. Daphne the Damsell that caught Phoebus fast And lockt him in the brightnesse of her lookes Was not so beautious in Apollo's eyes As is faire Margret to the Lincolne Earle Recant thee Lacy thou art put in trust Edward thy Soueraignes son hath chosen thee A secret friend to court her for himselfe And darest thou wrong thy Prince with trecherie Lacy Loue makes no exception of a friend Nor deemes it of a Prince but as a man Honour bids me controll him in his lust His wooing is not for to wed the girle But to intrap her and beguile the lasse Lacy thou louest then brooke not such abuse But wed her and abide thy Princes frowne For dye then see her liue disgrac'd Margret Come Fryer I will shake him from his dumpes How cheere you sir a penny for your thought Your early vp pray God it be the neere What' are come from Beckles in a morne so soone Lacy. Thus watchfull are such men as liue in loue Whose eyes brooke broken slumbers for their sleepe I tell thee Peggie since last Harlston faire My minde hath felt a heape of passions Margret A trusty man that court it for your friend Woo you still for the Courtier all in greene I maruell that he sues not for himselfe Lacy. Peggie I pleaded first to get your grace for him But when mine eyes suruaid your beautious lookes Loue like a wagge straight diued into my heart And there did shrine the Idea of your selfe Pittie me though I be a Farmers sonne And measure not my riches but my loue Margret You are very hasty for to garden well Seeds must haue time to sprout before they spring Loue ought to creepe as doth the dyals shade For timely ripe is rotten too too soone Bungay Deus hic roome for a merry Fryer What youth of Beckles with the Keepers Lasse 'T is well but tell me here you any newes Margret No Fryer what newes Bungay Heare you not how the Purseuants doe poast With Proclamations through each Country towne Lacy. For what gentle Fryer tell the newes Bungay Dwelst thou in Beckles hear'st not these newes Lacy the Earle of Lincolne is late fled From Windsor Court disguised like a Swaine And lurkes about the Country here vnknowne Henry suspects him of some treachery And therefore doth proclaime in euery way That who can take the Lincolne Earle shall haue Paid in the Exchequer twenty thousand Crownes Lacy. The Earle of Lincolne Fryer thou art mad It was some other thou mistakest the man The Earle of Lincolne why it cannot be Margret Yes very well my Lord for you are he The Keepers daughter tooke you prisoner Lord Lacy yeeld I le be your gailor once Edward How familiar they be Bacon Bacon Sit still and marke the sequell of their loues Lacie Then am I double prisoner to thy selfe Peggie I yeeld but are these newes in iest Margret In iest with you but earnest vnto me For why these wrongs doe wring me at the heart Ah how these Earles and Noble-men of birth Flatter and faine to forge poore womens ill Lacie Beleeue me Lasse I am the Lincolne Earle I not deny but tyred thus in rags I liued disguisd to win faire Peggies loue Margret What loue is there where wedding ends not
Augustus Kingly countermatch Shal be carrowst in English Henries feasts Candy shall yeeld the richest of her canes Persia downe her Volga by Canows Send downe the secrets of her spicerie The Africke Dates mirabiles of Spaine Conserues and Suckets from Tiberias Cates from Iudea choiser then the lampe That fiered Rome with sparkes of gluttony Shall beautifie the boord for Fredericke And therefore grudge not at a Fryers feast Enter two Gentlemen Lambert and Serlsby with the Keeper Lambert Come frolicke Keeper of our Lieges game Whose table spred hath euer Venison And iacks of wine to welcome passengers Know I am in loue with iolly Margret That ouer-shines our Damsels as the Moone Darkneth the brightest sparkles of the night In Laxfield here my land and liuing lies I le make thy daughter ioynter of it all So thou consent to giue her to my wife And I can spend fiue hundred markes a yeere Serlsby I am the Lands-lord Keeper of thy holds By coppy all thy liuing lies in me Laxfield did neuer see me raise my due I will infeoffe Margret in all So she will take her to a lusty Squire Keeper Now courteous Gentles if the Keepers girle Hath pleas'd the liking fancy of you both And with her beauty hath subdued your thoughts 'T is doubtfull to decide the question It ioyes me that such men of great esteeme Should lay their liking on this base estate And that her state should grow so fortunate To be a wife to meaner men then you But sith such Squires will stoope to Keepers fee I will t' auoyd displeasure of you both Call Margret forth and she shall make her choise Exit Lambert Content Keeper send her vnto vs Why Serlsby is thy wife so lately dead Are all thy loues so lightly passed ouer As thou canst wed before the yeere be out Serlsby I liue not Lambert to content the dead Nor was I wedded but for life to her The graue ends and begins a married state Enter Margret Lambert Peggie the louely flowers of all townes Suffolks faire Hellen and rich Englands star Whose beauty tempered with her huswifrie Makes England talke of merry Fresingfield Serlsby I cannot tricke it vp with poesies Nor paint my passions with comparisons Nor tell a tale of Phoebus and his loues But this beleeue me Laxfield here is mine Of ancient rent seuen hundred pounds a yeere And if thou canst but loue a Country Squire I will infeoffe thee Margret in all I cannot flatter trie me if thou please Mar. Braue neighb'ring Squires the stay of Suffolks clime A Keepers daughter is too base in gree To match with men accounted of such worth But might I not displease I would reply Lambert Say Peggie nought shall make vs discontent Margret Then Gentiles note that loue hath little stay Nor can the flames that Venus sets on fire Be kindled but by fancies motion Then pardon Gentiles if a maids reply Be doubtfull while I haue debated with my selfe Who or of whom Ioue shall constraine me like Serlsby Let it be me and trust me Margret The meads inuironed with siluer streames Whose battling pastures fatten all my flockes Yeelding forth fleeces stapled with such wooll As Lempster cannot yeeld more finer stuffe And forty kine with faire and burnisht heads With strouting dugs that paggle to the ground Shall serue thy dary if thou wed with me Lambert Let passe the Country wealth as flocks and kine And lands that waue with Ceres golden sheaues Filling my barnes with plenty of the fields But Peggie if thou wed thy selfe to me Thou shalt haue garments of imbrodred silke Lawnes and rich net-works for thy head attire Costly shall be thy faire habilliments If thou wilt be but Lamberts louing wife Margret Content you Gentles you haue proffered faire And more then fits a Country maids degree But giue me leaue to counsaile me a time For fancie bloomes not at the first assault Giue me but ten dayes respit and I will reply Which or to whom my selfe affectionates Serlsby Lambert I tell thee thou art importunate Such beauty fits not such a base Esquire It is for Serlsby to haue Margret Lamb. Thinkst thou with wealth to ouer-reach me Serlsby I scorne to brooke thy Country braues I dare thee Coward to maintaine this wrong At dint of Rapier single in the field Serlsby I le answere Lambert what I haue auoucht Margret farewell another time shall serue Exit Serlsby Lambert I le follow Peggie farewell to thy selfe Listen how well I le answer for thy loue Exit Lambert Margret How Fortune tempers lucky happes with frownes And wrongs me with the sweets of my delight Loue is my blisse and loue is now my bale Shall I be Hellen in my forward fates As I am Hellen in my matchlesse hue And set rich Suffolke with my face a fire If louely Lacy were but with his Peggie The cloudy darkenesse of his bitter frowne Would checke the pride of these aspiring Squires Before the terme of ten dayes be expired When as they looke for answer of their loues My Lord will come to merry Fresingfield And end their fancies and their follies both Till when Peggie be blithe and of good cheere Enter a Poast with a letter and a bag of gold Poast Faire louely Damsell which way leads this path How might I poast me vnto Fresingfield Which footpath leadeth to the Keepers Lodge Margret Your way is ready and this path is right My selfe doe dwell hereby in Fresingfield And if the Keeper be the man you seeke I am his daughter may I know the cause Poast Louely and once beloued of my Lord No maruell if his eye was lodg'd so low When brighter beauty is not in the heauens The Lincolne Earle hath sent you Letters here And with them iust an hundred pounds in gold Sweet bonny wench read them and make reply Margret The scrowles that loue sent Danaë Wrapt in rich closures of fine burnisht gold Were not more welcome then these lines to me Tell me whilst that I doe vnrip the scales Liues Lacy well how fares my louely Lord Poast Well if that wealth may make men to liue well The letter and Margret reades it THe bloomes of the Almond tree grow in a night vanish in a morne the flies Haemerae faire Peggie take life with the Sunne and die with the dew fancy that slippeth in with a gaze goeth out with a winke and too timely loues haue euer the shortest length I write this as thy greife and my folly who at Fresingfield lou'd that which time hath taught me to be but meane dainties eyes are dissemblers and fancie is but queasie therefore know Margret I haue chosen a Spanish Lady to be my wife chiefe wayting-woman to the Princesse Ellinor a Lady faire and no lesse faire then thy selfe honorable and wealthy in that I forsake thee I leaue thee to thine owne liking and for thy dowry I haue sent thee an hundred pounds euer assure thee of my fauour which shall auaile thee