10

Soundeth the measures of a lively faith,
The vain illusions of this flattering world
Seem odious to the thoughts of Margaret.
I loved once, Lord Lacy was my love;
And now I hate myself for that I lov'd,
And doted more on him than on my God;
For this I scourge myself with sharp repents. 15
But now the touch of such aspiring sins
Tells me all love is lust but love of heavens ;
That beauty us'd for love is vanity:
The world contains naught but alluring baits,
Pride, flattery, and inconstant thoughts.
To shun the pricks of death, I leave the world,
And vow to meditate on heavenly bliss,
To live in Framlingham a holy nun,
Holy and pure in conscience and in deed;
And for to wish all maids to learn of me'
To seek heaven's joy before earth's vanity.
1 Fressingfield.

20

25

Friend. And will you, then, Margaret, be shorn a nun, and so leave us all?

Mar. Now farewell world, the engine of all woe!

Farewell to friends and father! Welcome
Christ!

Adieu to dainty robes! This base attire
Better befits an humble mind to God
Than all the show of rich habiliments.

Love O love! and, with fond love, farewell
Sweet Lacy, whom I loved once so dear!
Ever be well, but never in my thoughts,
Lest I offend to think on Lacy's love:

But even to that, as to the rest, farewell!

30

35

be a deacon, reader, nor schoolmaster, no, not the clerk of a parish. Some call me dunce; [15 another saith, my head is as full of Latin as an egg's full of oatmeal. Thus I am tormented, that the devil and Friar Bacon haunts me. - Good Lord, here's one of my master's devils! I'll go speak to him. What, Master Plu- [20 tus, how cheer you?

Dev. Dost thou know me ?

Miles. Know you, sir! Why, are not you one of my master's devils, that were wont to come to my master, Doctor Bacon, at Bra- [25 zen-nose?

Dev. Yes, marry, am I.

Miles. Good Lord, Master Plutus, I have seen you a thousand times at my master's, and yet I had never the manners to make you [30 drink. But, sir, I am glad to see how conformable you are to the statute. I warrant you, he's as yeomanly a man as you shall see: mark you, masters, here's a plain honest man, without welt or guard.2 But I pray you, sir, [35 do you come lately from hell?

Dev. Ay, marry: how then?

Miles. Faith, 't is a place I have desired long to see. Have you not good tippling-houses there? May not a man have a lusty fire there, a [40 pot of good ale, a pair of cards, a swinging piece of chalk, and a brown toast that will clap a white waistcoat on a cup of good drink? Dev. All this you may have there.

Miles. You are for me, friend, and I am for [48 you. But I pray you, may I not have an office there?

Dev. Yes, a thousand. What wouldst thou be? Miles. By my troth, sir, in a place where I may profit myself. I know hell is a hot place, [50 and men are marvellous dry, and much drink is spent there; I would be a tapster.

Dev. Thou shalt.

Miles. 'Tis well; but take heed it be not a trot but 't is no matter, I'll prevent it. Dev. What dost ?

Miles. Marry, friend, I put on my spurs; [70 for if I find your pace either a trot or else uneasy, I'll put you to a false gallop; I'll make you feel the benefit of my spurs. Dev. Get up upon my back.

MILES mounts on the Devil's back. Miles. O Lord, here's even a goodly mar- [ vel, when a man rides to hell on the devil's back! Exeunt, roaring.

And, for these favours, on his martial sword
He vows perpetual homage to yourselves,
Yielding these honours unto Elinor.

K. Hen. Gramercies, lordings; old Plantagenet,

That rules and sways the Albion diadem,
With tears discovers these conceived joys,
And vows requital, if his men-at-arms,
The wealth of England, or due honours done 10
To Elinor, may quite his favourites.
But all this while what say you to the dames
That shine like to the crystal lamps of heaven?

Emp. If but a third were added to these two,
They did surpass those gorgeous images
That gloried Ida with rich beauty's wealth.

15

Mar. 'Tis I, my lords, who humbly on my knee Must yield her orisons to mighty Jove For lifting up his handmaid to this state, Brought from her homely cottage to the court, 20 And grac'd with kings, princes, and emperors; To whom (next to the noble Lincoln Earl) I vow obedience, and such humble love As may a handmaid to such mighty men. P. Elin. Thou martial man that wears the Almain crown,

25

And you the western potentates of might,
The Albion princess, English Edward's wife,
Proud that the lovely star of Fressingfield,
Fair Margaret, Countess to the Lincoln Earl, 29
Attends on Elinor, gramercies, lord, for her,-
'Tis I give thanks for Margaret to you all,
And rest for her due bounden to yourselves.

K. Hen. Seeing the marriage is solémnized,
Let's march in triumph to the royal feast.
But why stands Friar Bacon here so mute?

1 The Court.

35

Bacon. Repentant for the follies of my youth, That magic's secret mysteries misled, And joyful that this royal marriage Portends such bliss unto this matchless realm. K. Hen. Why, Bacon,

40

What strange event shall happen to this land? Or what shall grow from Edward and his queen ?

Bacon. I find by deep prescience of mine art,
Which once I temp'red in my secret cell,
That here where Brute did build his Troyno-
vant,

From forth the royal garden of a king
Shall flourish out so rich and fair a bud 2
Whose brightness shall deface proud Phoebus
flower,

And over-shadow Albion with her leaves.
Till then Mars shall be master of the field,
But then the stormy threats of wars shall cease
The horse shall stamp as careless of the pike,
Drums shall be turn'd to timbrels of delight;
With wealthy favours plenty shall enrich
The strand that gladded wand'ring Brute t

see,

And peace from heaven shall harbour in thes leaves

That gorgeous beautifies this matchless flower
Apollo's heliotropion then shall stoop,

And Venus' hyacinth shall vail & her top;
Juno shall shut her gilliflowers up,

And Pallas' bay shall 'bash her brightest gree
Ceres' carnation, in consórt with those,
Shall stoop and wonder at Diana's rose.

K. Hen. This prophecy is mystical.
But, glorious commanders of Europa's love,
That make fair England like that wealthy is
Circled with Gihon and [swift]+ Euphrates,
In royalizing Henry's Albion

With presence of your princely mightiness,
Let's march: the tables all are spread,
And viands, such as England's wealth affords
Are ready set to furnish out the boards.
You shall have welcome, mighty potentates
It rests to furnish up this royal feast,
Only your hearts be frolic; for the time
Craves that we taste of naught but jouissance
Thus glories England over all the west.
Exeunt om

Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci

2 This prophecy refers, as usual, to Elizabeth.
3 Lower.
So Dyce. Qq. first.

[Enter] MYCETES, COSROE, MEANDER, THERIDAMAS, ORTYGIUS, CENEUS, [MENAPHON,] with others.

Myc. Brother Cosroe, I find myself aggriev'd, Yet insufficient to express the same, For it requires a great and thund'ring speech: Good brother, tell the cause unto my lords; I know you have a better wit than I.

Cos. Unhappy Persia, that in former age Hast been the seat of mighty conquerors, That, in their prowess and their policies, Have triumph'd over Afric and the bounds Of Europe, where the sun dares scarce appear 10 For freezing meteors and congealed cold, Now to be rul'd and governed by a man At whose birthday Cynthia with Saturn join'd, And Jove, the Sun, and Mercury denied To shed [their] influence in his fickle brain! Now Turks and Tartars shake their swords at thee,

Meaning to mangle all thy provinces.

15

Myc. Brother, I see your meaning well enough,

you

And through your planets I perceive
I am not wise enough to be a king;
But I refer me to my noblemen
That know my wit, and can be witnesses.
I might command you to be slain for this:
Meander, might I not?

think

20

Meand. Not for so small a fault, my sovereign lord.

25

Myc. I mean it not, but yet I know I might;
Yet live; yea, live, Mycetes wills it so.
Meander, thou, my faithful counsellor,
Declare the cause of my conceived grief,
Which is, God knows, about that Tamburlaine,
That, like a fox in midst of harvest time,
Doth prey upon my flocks of passengers;
And, as I hear, doth mean to pull my plumes:
Therefore 't is good and meet for to be wise.
Meand. Oft have I heard your majesty com-
plain

Of Tamburlaine, that sturdy Scythian thief,
That robs your merchants of Persepolis
Trading by land unto the Western Isles,
And in your confines with his lawless train
Daily commits incivil1 outrages,
Hoping (misled by dreaming prophecies)
To reign in Asia, and with barbarous arms

1 Uncivilized.

31

35

40

45

To make himself the monarch of the East;
But ere he march in Asia, or display
His vagrant ensign in the Persian fields,
Your grace hath taken order by Theridamas,
Charg'd with a thousand horse, to apprehend
And bring him captive to your highness' throne.
Myc. Full true thon speak'st, and like thyself,
my lord,

Whom I may term a Damon for thy love:
Therefore 't is best, if so it like you'all,
To send my thousand horse incontinent 1
To apprehend that paltry Scythian.
How like you this, my honourable lords?
Is it not a kingly resolution?

55

Cos. It cannot choose, because it comes from you.

Myc. Then hear thy charge, valiant Theridamas,

To hear the king thus threaten like himself! Cos. Ah, Menaphon, I pass not for his threats;

The plot is laid by Persian noblemen
And captains of the Median garrisons
To crown me Emperor of Asia;
But this it is that doth excruciate
The very substance of my vexed soul

110

114

119

To see our neighbours that were wont to quake
And tremble at the Persian monarch's name,
Now sit and laugh our regiment to scorn;
And that which might resolve me into tears,
Men from the farthest equinoctial line
Have swarm'd in troops into the Eastern India.
Lading their ships with gold and precious stones,
And made their spoils from all our provinces.
Men. This should entreat your highness to
rejoice,

Since Fortune gives you opportunity
To gain the title of a conqueror

12

By curing of this maimed empery.
Afric and Europe bordering on your land,
And continent to your dominions,
How easily may you, with a mighty host,
Pass into Græcia, as did Cyrus once,
And cause them to withdraw their forces home
Lest you subdue the pride of Christendom.

13

[Trumpet within Cos. But, Menaphon, what means thi trumpet's sound?

1

Men. Behold, my lord, Ortygius and the res Bringing the crown to make you Emperor ! Enter ORTYGIUS and CENEUS bearing a crow with others.

Orty. Magnificent and mighty Prince Cosro We, in the name of other Persian states And commons of this mighty monarchy, Present thee with th' imperial diadem.

Cen. The warlike soldiers and the gentleme

That heretofore have fill'd Persepolis
With Afric captains taken in the field,
Whose ransom made them march in coats