QueenʼsMen Editions

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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.
    Her front is beauties table where she paints,
    The glories of her gorgious excellence:
    Her teeth are shelues of pretious Margarites,
    Richly enclosed with ruddie curroll cleues.
    65Tush Lacie, she is beauties ouermatch,
    If thou suruaist her curious imagerie.
    Lacie. I grant my lord the damsell is as faire,
    As simple Suffolks homely towns can yeeld:
    But in the court be quainter dames than she,
    70Whose faces are enricht with honours taint,
    Whose bewties stand vpon the stage of fame,
    And vaunt their trophies in the courts of loue.
    Edw. Ah Ned, but hadst thou watcht her as my self,
    And seene the secret bewties of the maid,
    75Their courtly coinesse were but foolery.
    Ermsbie. Why how watcht you her my lord?
    Edward. When as she swept like Venus through the house,
    And in her shape fast foulded vp my thoughtes:
    Into the Milkhouse went I with the maid,
    80And there amongst the cream-boles she did shine,
    As Pallace, mongst her Princely huswiferie:
    She turnd her smocke ouer her Lilly armes,
    And diued them into milke to run her cheese:
    But whiter than the milke her christall skin,
    85Checked with lines of Azur made her blush,
    That art or nature durst bring for compare,
    Ermsbie if thou hadst seene as I did note it well,
    How bewtie plaid the huswife, how this girle
    Like Lucrece laid her fingers to the worke,
    90Thou wouldest with Tarquine hazard Roome and all
    To win the louely mayd of Fresingfield.
    Raphe. Sirha Ned, wouldst faine haue her?
    Edward. I Raphe.
    Raphe. Why Ned I haue laid the plot in my head thou
    95shalt haue her alreadie.
    Edward. Ile giue thee a new coat and learne me that.
    Raphe.