QueenʼsMen Editions

About this text

  • 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.
    Yet Bacon cheere thee, drowne not in despaire,
    1885Sinnes haue their salues repentance can do much,
    Thinke mercie sits where Iustice holds her seate,
    And from those wounds those bloudie Iews did pierce
    Which by thy magicke oft did bleed a fresh,
    From thence for thee the dew of mercy drops,
    1890To wash the wrath of hie Iehouahs ire,
    And make thee as a new borne babe from sinne,
    Bungay Ile spend the remnant of my life
    In pure deuotion praying to my God,
    That he would saue what Bacon vainly lost. Exit.

    1895Enter Margret in Nuns apparrell, Keeper, her father,
    and their friend.

    Keep. Margret be not so headstrong in these vows,
    Oh burie not such beautie in a cell:
    That England hath held famous for the hue,
    1900Thy fathers haire like to the siluer bloomes:
    That beautifie the shrubs of Affrica
    Shall fall before the dated time of death,
    Thus to forgoe his louely Margret.
    Margret. A father when the hermonie of heauen,
    1905soundeth the measures of a liuely faith:
    The vaine Illusions of this flattering world,
    Seemes odious to the thoughts of Margret,
    I loued once, lord Lacie was my loue,
    And now I hate my selfe for that I lovd,
    1910And 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 beautie vsde for loue is vanitie,
    1915The world containes nought but alluring baites:
    Pride, flatterie, and inconstant thoughts,
    To shun the pricks of death I leaue the world,