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  • Title: Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (Quarto)
  • Editors: Christopher Hicklin, Christopher Matusiak

  • Copyright Queen's Men Editions. This text may be freely used for educational, non-profit purposes; for all other uses contact the Editor.
    Author: Robert Greene
    Editors: Christopher Hicklin, Christopher Matusiak
    Peer Reviewed

    Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (Quarto)

    The honourable historie of Frier Bacon.
    855To see if he will take this taske in hand.
    Clement. Stay what rumor is this, the towne is vp in a mu-
    tinie, what hurly burlie is this?

    Enter a Constable, with Raphe, Warren, Ermsbie
    and Miles.

    860Constable. Nay maisters if you were nere so good, you shall
    before the doctors to aunswer your misdemeanour.
    Burden. Whats the matter fellow?
    Constable. Marie sir, heres a companie of rufflers that drin-
    king in the Tauerne haue made a great braule, and almost kilde
    865the vintner.
    Miles. Salue doctor Burden, this lubberly lurden,
    Ill shapte and ill faced, disdaind and disgraced,
    What he tels vnto vobis, mentitur de nobis.
    Burden. Who is the maister and cheefe of this crew?
    870Miles. Ecce asinum mundi, fugura rotundi,
    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 Belwe-
    ther of this cõpany, these are my lords, and I the prince of Wales.
    875Clement. Are you Edward the kings sonne?
    Raphe. Sirra Miles, bring hither the tapster that drue the
    wine, and I warrant when they see how soundly I haue broke his
    head, theile say twas done by no lesse man than a prince.
    Mason. I cannot beleeue that this is the prince of Wales.
    880Warren. And why so sir?
    Mason. For they say the prince is a braue & a wise gentleman.
    VVar. Why and thinkest thou doctor that he is not so?
    Darst thou detract and derogat from him,
    Being so louely and so braue a youth.
    885Ermsbie. Whose face shining with many a sugred smile,
    Bewraies that he is bred of princely race.
    Miles. And yet maister doctor, to speake like a proctor,
    And tell vnto you, what is veriment and true,
    To cease of this quarrell, look but on his apparrell,
    Then