Enter two gentlemen, Lambert and Serlsby, 1389with the Keeper. Come, frolic keeper of our liege's game,
9.21391Whose table spread hath ever venison
9.31392And jacks of wines to welcome passengers;
9.41393Know I am in love with jolly Margaret,
9.51394That over-shines our damsels as the moon
9.61395Darkeneth the brightest sparkles of the night.
9.71396In Laxfield here my land and living lies;
9.81397I'll make thy daughter jointer of it all,
9.91398So thou consent to give her to my wife,
9.101399And I can spend five hundred marks a year.
I am the landlord, keeper of thy holds;
9.121401By copy all thy living lies in me;
9.131402Laxfield did never see me raise my due.
9.141403I will enfeoff fair Margaret in all,
9.151404So she will take her to a lusty squire.
Now, courteous gentles, if the Keeper's girl
9.171406Hath pleased the liking fancy of you both,
9.181407And with her beauty hath subdued your thoughts,
9.191408'Tis doubtful to decide the question.
9.201409It joys me that such men of great esteem
9.211410Should lay their liking on this base estate,
9.221411And that her state should grow so fortunate
9.231412To be a wife to meaner men than you,
9.241413But sith such squires will stoop to keeper's fee,
9.251414I will, to avoid displeasure of you both,
9.261415Call Margaret forth, and she shall make her choice.
Content, Keeper, send her unto us.
9.281417Why, Serlsby, is thy wife so lately dead?
9.291418Are all thy loves so lightly passe}d over
9.301419As thou canst wed before the year be out?
I live not, Lambert, to content the dead,
9.321421Nor was I wedded but for life to her.
9.331422The grave ends and begins a married state.
Peggy, the lovely flower of all towns,
9.351425Suffolk's fair Helen and rich England's star,
9.361426Whose beauty tempered with her huswifery
9.371427Makes England talk of merry Fressingfield!
I cannot trick it up with poesies,
9.391429Nor paint my passions with comparisons,
9.401430Nor tell a tale of Phoebus and his loves,
9.411431But this believe me: Laxfield here is mine,
9.421432Of ancient rent seven hundred pounds a year,
9.431433And if thou canst but love a country squire,
9.441434I will enfeoff thee, Margaret, in all.
9.451435I cannot flatter. Try me, if thou please.
Brave neighboring squires, the stay of Suffolk's clime,
9.471437A keeper's daughter is too base in gree
9.481438To match with men accounted of such worth.
9.491439But, might I not displease, I would reply.
Say, Peggy, naught shall make us discontent.
Then, gentles, note that love hath little stay,
9.521442Nor can the flames that Venus sets on fire
9.531443Be kindled but by fancy's motion.
9.541444Then pardon, gentles, if a maid's reply
9.551445Be doubtful while I have debated with myself
9.561446Who or of whom love shall constrain me like.
Let it be me; and trust me, Margaret,
9.581448The meads environed with the silver streams,
9.591449Whose battling pastures fatt'neth all my flocks,
9.601450Yielding forth fleeces stapled with such wool
9.611451As Lempster cannot yield more finer stuff,
9.621452And forty kine with fair and burnished heads,
9.631453With strutting dugs that paggle to the ground,
9.641454Shall serve thy dairy if thou wed with me.
Let pass the country wealth as flocks and kine,
9.661456And lands that wave with Ceres's golden sheaves,
9.671457Filling my barns with plenty of the fields;
9.681458But, Peggy, if thou wed thyself to me
9.691459Thou shalt have garments of embroidered silk,
9.701460Lawns and rich networks for thy head-attire.
9.711461Costly shall be thy fair habiliments,
9.721462If thou wilt be but Lambert's loving wife.
Content you, gentles, you have proffered fair,
9.741464And more than fits a country maid's degree.
9.751465But give me leave to counsel me a time,
9.761466For fancy blooms not at the first assault.
9.771467Give me but ten days' respite and I will reply
9.781468Which or to whom myself affectionates.
Lambert, I tell thee thou art importunate.
9.801470Such beauty fits not such a base esquire.
9.811471It is for Serlsby to have Margaret.
Think'st thou with wealth to overreach me?
9.831473Serlsby, I scorn to brook thy country braves.
9.841474I dare thee, coward, to maintain this wrong
9.851475At dint of rapier single in the field.
I'll answer, Lambert, what I have avouched.--
9.871477Margaret, farewell. Another time shall serve.
I'll follow.-- Peggy, farewell to thyself;
9.891479Listen how well I'll answer for thy love.
How Fortune tempers lucky haps with frowns
9.911481And wrongs me with the sweets of my delight!
9.921482Love is my bliss, and love is now my bale.
9.931483Shall I be Helen in my froward fates,
9.941484As I am Helen in my matchless hue,
9.951485And set rich Suffolk with my face afire?
9.961486If lovely Lacy were but with his Peggy,
9.971487The cloudy darkness of his bitter frown
9.981488Would check the pride of these aspiring squires.
9.991489Before the term of ten days be expired,
9.1001490Whenas they look for answer of their loves,
9.1011491My lord will come to merry Fressingfield
9.1021492And end their fancies and their follies both;
9.1031493Till when, Peggy, be blithe and of good cheer.
Fair lovely damsel, which way leads this path?
9.1051497How might I post me unto Fressingfield?
9.1061498Which footpath leadeth to the Keeper's lodge?
Your way is ready and this path is right.
9.1081500Myself do dwell hereby in Fressingfield,
9.1091501And if the Keeper be the man you seek,
9.1101502I am his daughter. May I know the cause?
Lovely and once beloved of my lord--
9.1121504No marvel if his eye was lodged so low
9.1131505When brighter beauty is not in the heavens.--
9.1141506The Lincoln earl hath sent you letters here,
9.1151507And with them just an hundred pounds in gold.
9.1161508Sweet bonny wench, read them and make reply.
The scrolls that Jove sent Danae,
9.1181510Wrapped in rich closures of fine burnished gold,
9.1191511Were not more welcome than these lines to me.
9.1201512Tell me whilst that I do unrip the seals,
9.1211513Lives Lacy well? How fares my lovely lord?
Well, if that wealth may make men to live well.
The letter, and Margaret reads it.
‘The blooms of the almond tree grow in a night and vanish
9.1251517in a morn. The flies hemerae (fair Peggy) take life with
9.1261518the sun and die with the dew. Fancy, that slippeth in with a
9.1271519gaze, goeth out with a wink, and too timely loves have ever the
9.1281520shortest length. I write this as thy grief and my folly, who at
1521Fressingfield loved that which time hath taught me to be but mean
9.1291522dainties. Eyes are dissemblers and fancy is but queasy. Therefore
9.1301523know, Margaret, I have chosen a Spanish lady to be my wife,
9.1311524chief waiting woman to the Princess Eleanor, a lady fair
9.1321525and no less fair than thyself, honorable and wealthy. In that I
9.1331526forsake thee, I leave thee to thine own liking, and for thy dowry
9.1341527I have sent thee a hundred pounds and ever assure thee of my
9.1351528favor, which shall avail thee and thine much. Farewell.
9.1381531Fond Ate, doomer of bad-boding fates,
9.1391532That wraps proud Fortune in thy snaky locks,
9.1401533Did'st thou enchant my birthday with such stars
9.1411534As lightened mischief from their infancy?
9.1421535If heavens had vowed, if stars had made decree,
9.1431536To show on me their froward influence,
9.1441537If Lacy had but loved, heavens, hell, and all
9.1451538Could not have wronged the patience of my mind.
It grieves me, damsel, but the earl is forced
9.1471540To love the lady by the king's command.
The wealth combined within the English shelves,
9.1491542Europe's commander, nor the English king,
9.1501543Should not have moved the love of Peggy from her lord.
What answer shall I return to my lord?
First, for thou cam'st from Lacy whom I loved--
9.1531546Ah, give me leave to sigh at every thought!--
9.1541547Take thou, my friend, the hundred pound he sent,
9.1551548For Margaret's resolution craves no dower.
9.1561549The world shall be to her as vanity,
9.1571550Wealth, trash; love, hate; pleasure, despair;
9.1581551For I will straight to stately Framlingham,
9.1591552And in the abbey there be shorn a nun,
9.1601553And yield my loves and liberty to God.
9.1611554Fellow, I give thee this, not for the news,
9.1631556But for th'art Lacy's man, once Margaret's love.
What I have heard, what passions I have seen,
9.1651558I'll make report of them unto the earl.
Say that she joys his fancies be at rest,
9.1671560And prays that his misfortune may be hers!