Peer Reviewed
- Edition: Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay
Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay (Quarto)
- Introduction
- Texts of this edition
- Contextual materials
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- The Famous History of Friar Bacon
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- Inventions or Devices Very Necessary for all Generals and Captains or Leaders of Men
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- A Book of Magic, with Instructions for Invoking Spirits
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- A Geometrical Practice named Pantometria
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- Autobiographical Tracts of Dr. John Dee
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- The Vanity of the Eye
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- The Comical History of Alphonsus King of Aragon
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1561Enter Frier Bacon drawing the courtaines with a white sticke,
1562 a booke in his hand, and a lampe lighted by him, and the
1563 brasen head and miles, whith weapons by him.
1564Bacon. Miles where are you?
1567Miles. Thinke you that the watching of the brazen head
1569that if all your deuills come I will not feare them an inch.
1572That with my Magick spels great Belcephon,
1573Hath left his lodge and kneeled at my cell,
1574The rafters of the earth rent from the poles,
1575And three-formd Luna hid her siluer looks,
1576Trembling vpon her concaue contenent,
1577When Bacon red vpon his Magick booke,
1579Poring vpon darke Hecats principles,
1581That by the inchaunting forces of the deuil,
1583And girt faire England with a wall of brasse,
1586If Argos livd and had his hundred eyes,
1587They could not ouerwatch Phobeters night,
1588Now Miles in thee rests Frier Bacons weale,
1589The honour and renowne of all his life,
1590Hangs in the watching of this brazen-head,
1591Therefore I charge thee by the immortall God
1593This night thou watch, for ere the morning star
1594Sends out his glorious glister on the north,
1595The head will speake, then Miles vpon thy life,
1596Wake me for then by Magick art Ile worke,
1597To end my seuen yeares taske with excellence,
1599Then farewell Bacons glory and his fame,
1600Draw closse the courtaines Miles now for thy life,
1603and tis no meruaile, for Bungay on the dayes, and he on the
1610good as a watch-man to wake me if I chaunce to slumber.
1611I thought goodman head, I would call you out of your memento,
Sit down and
knocke
your
head.
1613taske, take your browne bill in your hand, heeres some of your
1615The Head speakes.
1616Head. Time is.
1621well Ile watch you as narrowly as euer you were watcht, and Ile
1622play with you as the Nightingale with the Slowworme, Ile set a
1625rumble
1626Head. Time was.
1628well that can make your Head speake but two wordes at once,
1631lie while your arce ake and your Head speake no better: well I
1632will watch and walke vp and downe, and be a Perepatetian and a
1634pistols in hand Miles.
1635Heere the Head speakes and a lightning flasheth forth,
1636and a hand appeares that breaketh down the
1637Head with a hammer.
1641all Oxford is vp in armes, out of your bed and take a browne bill
1642in your hand, the latter day is come.
1644Bacon will make thee next himselfe in loue,
1645When spake the Head?
1648two wordes at a time.
1651it hath vttered but seuen wordes.
1652Bacon. As how.
1655and the third time with thunder and lightning, as in great choller,
1658My life, my fame, my glorie, all are past:
1659Bacon, the turrets of thy hope are ruind downe,
1661Thy Brazen-head lies broken through a slaue
1662That watcht, and would not when the Head did will,
1667The Brazen-head had vttered Aphorismes,
1668And England had been circled round with brasse,
1669But proud Astmeroth ruler of the North,
1670And Demegorgon maister of the fates,
1672Hell trembled at my deepe commanding spels,
1673Fiendes frownd to see a man their ouermatch,
1675But now the braues of Bacon hath an end,
1676Europes conceit of Bacon hath an end:
1678And villaine sith my glorie hath an end,
1679I will appoint thee fatall to some end,
1680Villaine auoid, get thee from Bacons sight:
1681Vagrant go rome and range about the world,
1682And perish as a vagabond on earth.
1685That direfull plagues and mischiefe fall on thee.
1687The more the fox is curst the better he fares: God be with you
1690motion.
1692Vntill they doe transport thee quicke to hell,
1693For Bacon shall haue neuer merrie day,