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
loue Lacie I meant faire girle to make thee Lacies wife Margret I little thinke that Earles will stoop so low Lacie Say shall I make thee Countesse ere I sleepe Margret Handmaid vnto the Earle so please himselfe A wife in name but seruant in obedience Lacie The Lincolne Countesse for it shall be so I le plight the bands and seale it with a kisse Edward Gogs wounds Bacon they kisse I le stab them Bacon Oh hold your hands my Lord it is the glasse Edward Coller to see the traitors gree so well Made me thinke the shadowes substances Bacon 'T were a long Poinard my Lord to reach betweene Oxford and Fresingfield but sit still and see more Bungay Well Lord of Lincolne if your loues be knit And that your tongues and thoughts doe both agree To auoid insuing iarres I le hamper vp the match I le take my Portace forth and wed you here Then goe to bed and seale vp your desires Lacie Fryer content Peggie how like you this Margret What likes my Lord is pleasing vnto me Bungay Then hand-fast hand and I will to my booke Bacon What sees my Lord now Edward Bacon I see the Louers hand in hand The Fryer ready with his Portace there To wed them both then am I quite vndone Bacon helpe now if ere thy magicke seru'd Bacon helpe now if ere thy magicke seru'd Helpe Bacon stop the marriage now If Deuils or Nigromancie may suffice And I will giue thee fortie thousand Crownes Bacon Feare not my Lord I le stop the iolly Frier For mumbling vp his orisons this day Lacy. Why speak'st not Bungay Frier to thy booke Bungay is mute crying Hud hud. Margret How lookest thou Frier as a man distraught Reft of thy sences Bungay shew by signes If thou be dumbe what passion holdeth thee Lacy. He 's dumbe indeed Bacon hath with his Deuils Inchanted him or else some strange disease Or Apoplexie hath possest his lungs But Peggie what he cannot with his booke We 'le twixt vs both vnite it vp in heart Margret Else let me die my Lord a miscreant Edward Why stands Frier Bacon so amaz'd Bacon I haue struk him dumb my Lord if your honor please I le fetch this Bungay straightway from Fresingfield And he shall dine with vs is Oxford here Edward Bacon doe that and thou contentest me Lacy. Of courtesie Margret let vs lead the Frier Vnto thy fathers lodge to comfort him With broths to bring him from this haplesse trance Margret Or else my Lord we were passing vnkinde To leaue the Frier so in his distresse Enter a Deuill and carry Bungay on his backe Margret O helpe my Lord a Deuill a Deuill my Lord Looke how he carries Bungay on his backe Let 's hence for Bacons spirits be abroad Exeunt Edward Bacon I laugh to see the iolly Fryer Mounted vpon the Deuill and how the Earle Flees with his bonny lasse for feare Assoone as Bungay is at Brazen-nose I will in poast hie me to Fresingfield And quite these wrongs on Lacy ere it be long Bacon So be it my Lord but let vs to our dinner For ere we haue taken our repast awhile We shall haue Bungay brought to Brazen-nose Exeunt Enter three Doctors Burden Mason Clement Mason Now that we are gathered in the Regent house It fits vs talke about the long repaire For he troop't with all the Westerne Kings That lye alongst the Dansick Seas by East North by the clime of frostie Germany The Almaine Monarke and the Scocon Duke Castile and louely Ellinor with him Haue in their iests resolued for Oxford Towne Burden We must lay plots for stately Tragedies Strange Comicke showes such as proud Rossius Vaunted before the Romane Emperours Clement To welcome all the Westerne Potentates But more the King by letters hath fore-told That Fredericke the Almaine Emperour Hath brought with him a Germane of esteeme Whose surname is Don Iaques Vandermast Skilfull in Magicke and those secret arts Mason Then must we all make sute vnto the Fryer To Frier Bacon that he vouch this taske And vndertake to counteruaile in skill The Germane else there 's none in Oxford can Match and dispute with learned Vandermast Burden Bacon if he will hold the German play We 'le teach him what an English Frier can doe The Deuill I thinke dare not dispute with him Clement Indeed mas Doctor he pleasured you In that he brought your hostesse with her spit From Henly posting vnto Brazen-nose Burden A vengeance on the Frier for his paines But leauing that let 's to Bacon straight To see if he will take this taske in hand Clement Stay what rumour is this The towne is vp in a mutiny what hurly burly is this Enter a Constable with Raphe Warren Ermsby and Miles Constable Nay masters if you were ne'r so good you shall before the Doctors to answer your misdemeanour Burden What 's the matter fellow Constable Mary sir here 's a company of Rufflers that drinking in the Tauerne haue made a great brawle and almost kild the Vintner Miles Salue Doctor Burden this lubberly Lurden Ill shapt and ill faced disdain'd and disgraced What he tels vnto vobis mentitur de nobis Burden Who is the master and chiefe of this crue Miles Ecce asinum mundi figura retundi Neat sheat and fine as briske as a cup of wine Burden What are you Raphe I am father Doctor as a man would say the Belweather of this company these are my Lords and I the Prince of Wales Clement Are you Edward the Kings sonne Raphe Sirra Miles bring hither the Tapster that drew the wine I warrant when they see how soundly I haue broke his head thei 'le say 't was done by no lesse man then a Prince Mason I cannot beleeue that this is the Prince of Wales Warren And why so sir Mason For they say the Prince is a braue a wise Gentleman Warren Why and thinkest thou Doctor that he is not so Dar'st thou detract and derogate from him Being so louely and so braue a Youth Ermsby Whose face shining with many a sugred smile Bewrayes that he is bred of princely race Miles And yet master Doctor to speake like a Proctor And tell vnto you what is veriment and true To cease off this quarrell looke but on his apparell Then marke but my talis he is great Prince of Walis The cheefe of our gregis and filius Regis Then ware what is done for he is Henries white sonne Raphe Doctors whose doting night-caps are not capable of my ingenious dignity know that I am Edward Plantagenet whom if you displease will make a ship that shall hold all your Colleges and so carry away the Niniuersity with a faire wind to the Bankeside in Southwarke how saist thou Ned Warraine shall I not doe it Warren Yes my good Lord and if it please your Lordship I will gather vp all your old pantophles and with the corke make you a Pinnis of fiue hundred tunne
Lacy which contents you best To be a Nun or else Lord Lacies wife Lacy. A good motion Peggie your answere must be short Marg. The flesh is frayle my Lord doth know it well That when he comes with his inchanting face Whatsoere betide I cannot say him nay Off goes the habit of a maidens heart And seeing fortune will faire Fremingham And all the shew of holy Nuns farewell Lacy for me if he will be my Lord Lacy. Peggie thy Lord thy loue thy husband Trust me by truth of Knighthood that the King Stayes for to marry matchlesse Ellinor Vntill I bring thee richly to the Court That one day may both marry her and thee How saist thou Keeper art thou glad of this Keeper As if the English King had giuen The Parke and Deere of Fresingfield to me Ermesby I pray thee my Lord of Sussex why art thou in a browne study Warraine To see the nature of women that be they neuer so neere God yet they loue to dye in a mans armes Lacy. What haue you fit for breakefast we haue hied and poasted all this night to Fresingfield Margret Butter and cheese and humbles of a Deere Such as poore Keepers haue within their Lodge Lacy. And not a bottle of wine Margret Wee le find one for my Lord Lacy. Come Sussex let 's in wee shall haue more for shee speakes least to hold her promise sure Exeunt Enter a Deuill to seeke Miles Deuill How restlesse are the ghosts of hellish sprites When euery Charmer with his Magicke spels Cals vs from nine-fold trenched Phlegiton To scud and ouer-scoure the earth in poast Vpon the speedy wings of swiftest winds Now Bacon hath raisd me from the darkest deepe To search about the world for Miles his man For Miles and to torment his lazy bones For carelesse watching of his brazen-head See where he comes Oh he is mine Enter Miles with a gowne and a corner cap Miles A Scholler quoth you mary sir I would I had been made a bottle-maker when I was made a scholler for I can get neither to be a Deacon Reader nor Schoole-master no not the Clarke of a Parish some call me dunce another saith my head is as full of Latine as an eg 's full of oate-meale thus I am tormented that the Deuill and Frier Bacon haunts me Good Lord here 's one of my masters Deuils I le goe speake to him what master Plutus how cheere you Deuill Doost thou know me Miles Know you sir why are not you one of my masters Deuils that were wont to come to my master Doctor Bacon at Brazen-nose Deuill Yes mary am I Miles Good Lord M. Plutus I haue seene you a thousand times at my masters and yet I had neuer the manners to make you drinke but sir I am glad to see how conformable you are to the state I warrant you he 's as yeomanly a man as you shall see marke you masters here 's a plain honest man without welt or gard but I pray you sir doe you come lately from hell Deuill I mary how then Miles Faith t is a place I haue desired long to see haue you not good tippling houses there may not a man haue a lusty fire there a pot of good Ale a paire of cardes a swinging peece of chalke and a browne toast that will clap a white wastcoat on a cup of good drinke Deuill All this you may haue there Miles You are for me friend and I am for you but I pray you may I not haue an office there Deuill Yes a thousand what wouldst thou be Miles By my troth sir in a place where I may profit my selfe I know hell is a hot place and men are maruellous dry and much drinke is spent there I would be a Tapster Deuill Thou shalt Miles There 's nothing lets me from going with you but that t is a long iourney and I haue neuer a horse Deuill Thou shalt ride on my backe Miles Now surely here 's a courteous deuill that for to pleasure his friend will not sticke to make a Iade of himselfe but I pray you goodman friend let me moue a question to you Deuill What 's that Miles I pray you whether is your pace a trot or an amble Deuill An amble Miles T is well but take heed it be not a trot But t is no matter I le preuent it Deuill What doest Miles Mary friend I put on my spurs for if I find your pace either a trot or else vneasie I le put you to a false gallop I le make you feele the benefit of my spurs Deuill Get vp vpon my backe Miles Oh Lord here 's euen a goodly maruell when a man rides to hell on the Deuils backe Exeunt roaring Enter the Emperour with a pointlesse sword next the King of Castile carrying a sword with a point Lacy carrying the Globe Edward Warraine carrying a rod of gold with a Doue on it Ermsby with a Crowne and Scepter the Queene with the faire maide of Fresingfield on her left hand Henry Bacon with other Lords attending Edward Great Potentates earths miracles for state Thinke that Prince Edward humbles at your feet And for these fauours on his martiall sword He vowes perpetuall homage to your selues Yeelding these honours vnto Ellinour Henrie Gramercies Lordings old Plantagenet That rules and swayes the Albion Diademe With teares discouers these conceiued ioyes And vowes requitall if his men at armes The wealth of England or due honours done To Ellinor may quite his Fauorites But all this while what say you to the Dames That shine like to the christall lampes of heauen Emperour If but a third were added to these two They did surpasse those gorgeous Images That gloried Ida with rich beauties wealth Margret T is I my Lords who humbly on my knee Must yeeld her horisons to mighty Ioue For lifting vp his handmaide to this state Brought from her homely cottage to the Court And graste with Kings Princes and Emperours To whom next to the noble Lincolne Earle I vow obedience and such humble loue As may a handmaid to such mighty men Ellinor Thou martiall man that weares the Almaine Crown And you the Westerne Potentates of might The Albian Princesse English Edwards wife Proud that the louely star of Fresingfield Faire Margret Countesse to the Lincolne Earle Attends on Ellinour gramercies Lord for her T is I giue thankes for Margret to you all And rest for her due bounden to your selues Henrie Seeing the marriage is solemnized Let 's march in triumph to the Royall feast But why stands Fryer Bacon here so mute Bacon Repentant for the follies of my youth That Magicks secret mysteries misled And ioyfull that this Royall marriage Portends such blisse vnto this matchlesse Realme Hen. Why Bacon what strange euent shall happē to this Lād Or what shall grow from Edward and his Queene Bacon I find by deepe praescience of mine Art Which once I tempred in my secret Cell That here where Brute did build his Troynouant From forth the Royall Garden of a King Shall flourish out so rich and faire a bud Whose brightnesse shall deface proud Phoebus flowre And ouer-shadow Albion with her leaues Till then Mars shall be master of the field But then the stormy threats of wars shall cease The horse shall stampe as carelesse of the pike Drums shall be turn'd to timbrels of delight With wealthy fauours plenty shall enrich The strond that gladded wandring Brute to see And peace from heauen shall harbour in these leaues That gorgeous beautifies this matchlesse flower Apollos Hellitropian then shall stoope And Ʋenus hyacinth shall vaile her top Iuno shall shut her Gilliflowers vp And Pallas Bay shall bash her brightest greene Ceres carnation in confort with those Shall stoope and wonder at Diana's Rose Henrie This Prophesie is mysticall But glorious Commanders of Europa's loue That makes faire England like that wealthy Ile Circled with Gihen and first Euphrates In Royallizing Henries Albion With presence of your princely mightinesse Let 's march the tables all are spred And viandes such as Englands wealth affords Are ready set to furnish out the bords You shall haue welcome mighty Potentates It rests to furnish vp this Royall Feast Only your hearts be frolicke for the time Craues that we taste of nought but iouysance Thus glories England ouer all the West Exeunt omnes Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit vtile dulci. FINIS
in with Towres Welcome my Lords welcome braue westerne Kings To Englands shore whose promontory cleeues Shewes Albion is another little world Welcome sayes English Henry to you all Chiefly vnto the louely Eleonor Who darde for Edwards sake cut through the seas And venture as Agenors Damsell through the deepe To get the loue of Henries wanton son Castile Englands rich Monarke braue Plantagenet The Pyren mounts swelling aboue the clouds That ward the wealthy Castile in with walls Could not detaine the beautious Eleanor But hearing of the same of Edwards youth She darde to brooke Neptunus haughty pride And bide the brunt of froward Eolus Then may faire England welcome her the more Elinor After that English Henry by his Lords Had sent Prince Edwards louely counterfeit A present to the Castile Elinor The comly pourtrait of so braue a man The vertuous fame discoursed of his deeds Edwards couragious resolution Done at the holy Land fore Damas walls Led both mine eye and thoughts in equall links To like so of the English Monarchs sonne That I attempted perils for his sake Emperour Where is the Prince my Lord Henrie He posted downe not long since from the Court To Suffolke side to merry Fremingham To sport himselfe amongst my fallow Deere From thence by packets sent to Hampton house We heare the Prince is ridden with his Lords To Oxford in the Academy there To heare dispute amongst the learned men But we will send forth letters for my sonne To will him come from Oxford to the Court Emp. Nay rather Henry let vs as we be Ride for to visit Oxford with our traine Faine would I see your Vniuersities And what learned men your Academy yeelds From Haspurg haue I brought a learned Clerke To hold dispute with English Orators This Doctor surnam'd Iaques Vandermast A Germane borne past into Padua To Florence and to faire Bolonia To Paris Rheims and stately Orleans And talking there with men of Art put downe The chiefest of them all in Aphorismes In Magicke and the Mathematike rules Now let vs Henry trie him in your Schooles Henry He shall my Lord this motion likes me well Wee le progresse straight to Oxford with our traines And see what men our Academy brings And wonder Vandermast welcome to me In Oxford shalt thou finde a iolly Fryer Cald Fryer Bacon Englands only flowre Set him but Non-plus in his magicke spels And make him yeeld in Mathematicke rules And for thy glory I will bind thy browes Not with a Poets Garland made of Bayes But with a Coronet of choicest gold Whilst then we sit to Oxford with our troupes Le ts in and banquet in our English Court Exit Enter Raphe Simnell in Edwards apparell Edward Warren Ermsby disguised Raphe Where be these vagabond knaues that they attend no better on their master Edward If it please your Honour we are ready at an inch Raphe Sirra Ned I le haue no more poste-horse to ride on I le haue another fetch Ermsby I pray you how is that my Lord Raphe Mary sir I le send to the Ile of Eely for foure or fiue dozen of Geese and I le haue them tide sixe and sixe together with whip-cord Now vpon their backs will I haue a faire field bed with a Canopy and so when it is my pleasure I le flee into what place I please this will be easie Warren Your honour hath said well but shall we to Brazen-nose Colledge before we pull off our bootes Ermsby Warren well motioned we will to the Fryer Before we reuell it within the towne Raphe see you keepe your countenance like a Prince Raphe Wherefore haue I such a company of cutting knaues to wait vpon me but to keepe defend my countenance against all mine enemies haue you not good swords and bucklers Enter Bacon and Miles Ermsby Stay who comes here Warren Some Scholer and we 'le aske him where Fryer Bacon is Bacon Why thou arrant dunce shall I neuer make thee good scholer doth not all the Towne crie out and say Fryer Bacons subsiser is the greatest block-head in all Oxford why thou canst not speake one word of true Latine Miles No sir yes what is this else Ego sum tuiu homo I am your man I warrant you sir as good Tullies phrase as any is in Oxford Bacon Come sirra what part of speech is Ego Miles Ego that is I mary nomen substantiuo Bacon How proue you that Miles Why sir let him proue himselfe and a will I can be heard felt and vnderstood Bacon Oh grosse dunce Here beate him Edward Come let vs breake off this dispute between these two Sirra where is Brazen-nose Colledge Miles Not farre from Copper-smiths hall Edward What doest thou mocke me Miles Nor I sir but what would you at Brazen-nose Ermsby Mary we would speake with Fryer Bacon Miles Whose men be you Ermsby Mary scholler here 's our master Raphe Sirra I am the master of these good-fellowes maist thou not know me to be a Lord by my reparrell Miles Then here 's good game for the hawke for here 's the master foole and a couie of Cockscombes one wise man I think would spring you all Edward Gogs wounds Warren kill him Warren Why Ned I thinke the deuill be in my sheath I cannot get out my dagger Ermsby Nor I mine Swones Ned I thinke I am bewitcht Miles A company of Scabbes the proudest of you all draw your weapon if he can See how boldly I speake now my master is by Edward I striue in vaine but if my sword be shut And coniured fast by magicke in my sheath Villaine here is my fist Strike him a boxe on the eare Miles Oh I beseech you coniure his hand too that he may not lift his armes to his head for he is light-finger'd Raphe Ned strike him I le warrant thee by mine honour Bacon What meanes the English Prince to wrong my man Edward To whom speakest thou Bacon To thee Edward Who art thou Bacon Could you not iudge when all your swords grew fast That Fryer Bacon was not farre from hence Edward King Henries sonne and Prince of Wales Thy foole disguis'd cannot conceale thy selfe I know both Ermsby and the Sussex Earle Else Fryer Bacon had but little skill Thou comest in poast from merry Fresingfield Fast fancied to the Keepers bonny Lasse To craue some succour of the iolly Fryer And Lacy Earle of Lincolne hast thou left To treat faire Margret to allow thy loues But friends are men and Loue can baffle Lords The Earle both wooes and courts her for himselfe Warren Ned this is strange the Fryer knoweth all Ermsby Apollo could not vtter more then this Edward I stand amazed to heare this iolly Fryer Tell euen the very secrets of my thoughts But learned Bacon since thou knowest the cause Why I did poast so fast from Fresingfield Helpe Fryer at a pinch that I may haue The loue of louely Margret to my selfe And as I am true Prince of
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
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