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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)

    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,
    And vow to meditate on heauenly blisse,
    To liue in Framingham a holy Nunne,
    1920Holy and pure in conscience and in deed:
    And for to wish all maides to learne of me,
    To seeke heauens ioy before earths vanitie.
    Friend. And will you then Margret be shorn a Nunne, and so
    leaue vs all.
    1925Margret. Now farewell world the engin of all woe,
    Farewell to friends and father, welcome Christ:
    Adew to daintie robes, this base attire
    Better befits an humble minde to God,
    Than all the shew of rich abilliments,
    1930Loue, oh Loue, and with fond Loue farewell,
    Sweet Lacie whom I loued once so deere,
    Euer be well, but neuer in my thoughts,
    Least I offend to thinke on Lacies loue:
    But euen to that as to the rest farewell.
    1935Enter Lacie, Warrain, Ermsbie, booted and spurd.
    Lacie. Come on my wags weere neere the keepers lodge,
    Heere haue I oft walkt in the watrie Meades,
    And chatted with my louely Margret.
    VVarraine. Sirha Ned, is not this the keeper.
    1940Lacie. Tis the same.
    Ermsbie. The old lecher hath gotton holy mutton to him
    a Nunne my lord.
    Lacie. Keeper how farest thou holla man, what cheere,
    How doth Peggie thy daughter and my loue.
    1945Keeper. Ah good my lord, oh wo is me for Pegge,
    See where she stands clad in her Nunnes attire,
    Readie for to be shorne in Framingham:
    She leaues the world because she left your loue,
    Oh good my lord perswade her if you can.
    1950Lacie. Why how now Margret, what a malecontent,
    A Nunne, what holy father taught you this,
    To taske your selfe to such a tedious life,
    As die a maid, twere iniurie to me.
    To smother vp such bewtie in a cell.
    1955Margret. Lord Lacie thinking of thy former misse,
    How fond the prime of wanton yeares were spent
    In loue, Oh fie vppon that fond conceite,
    Whose hap and essence hangeth in the eye,
    I leaue both loue and loues content at once,
    1960Betaking me to him that is true loue,
    And leauing all the world for loue of him.
    Lacie. Whence Peggie comes this Metamorphosis,
    What shorne a Nun, and I haue from the court,
    Posted with coursers to conuaie thee hence,
    1965To Windsore, where our Mariage shalbe kept,
    Thy wedding robes are in the tailors hands,
    Come Peggy leaue these peremptorie vowes.
    Margret. Did not my lord resigne his interest,
    And make diuorce twixt Margret and him?
    1970Lacy. Twas but to try sweete Peggies constancie,
    But will faire Margret leaue her loue and Lord?
    Margret. Is not heauens ioy before earths fading blisse,
    And life aboue sweeter than life in loue,
    Lacie. Why then Margret will be shorne a Nun,
    1975Marg. Margret hath made a vow which may not be reuokt.
    Warraine. We cannot stay my Lord, and if she be so strict,
    Our leisure graunts vs not to woo a fresh.
    Ermsby. Choose you faire damsell, yet the choise is yours,
    Either a solemne Nunnerie, or the court,
    1980God, or Lord Lacie, weich contents you best,
    To be a Nun, or els Lord Lacies wife.
    Lacie. A good motion, Peggie your answere must be short.
    Margret. The flesh is frayle, my Lord dothe know it well,
    That when he comes with his inchanting face,
    1985What so ere betyde I cannot say him nay,
    Off goes the habite of a maidens heart,
    And seeing Fortune will, faire Fremingham,
    And all the shew of holy Nuns farewell,
    Lacie for me, if he wilbe my lord.
    1990Lacie. Peggie thy Lord, thy loue, thy husband,
    Trust me, by truth of knighthood, that the King
    Staies for to marry matchles Ellinour,
    Vntil I bring thee richly to the court,
    That one day may both marry her and thee,
    1995How saist thou Keeper art thou glad of this?
    Keeper. As if the English King had giuen
    The parke and deere of Frisingfield to me.
    Erms. I pray thee my Lord of Sussex why art thou in a broune
    study?
    2000Warraine. To see the nature of women, that be they neuer so
    neare God, yet they loue to die in a mans armes.
    Lacie. What haue you fit for breakefast? we haue hied and
    posted all this night to Frisingfield.
    Margret. Butter and cheese and humbls of a Deere,
    2005Such as poore Keepers haue within their lodge.
    Lacie. And not a bottle of wine?
    Margret. Weele find one for my Lord.
    Lacie. Come Sussex lets in, we shall haue more, for she speaks
    least, to hold her promise sure. Exeunt.
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