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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1112Enter Henrie, Emperour, Castile, Ellinor, Van-
1113dermast, Bungay.
1116The mountaines full of fat and fallow deere,
1118The towne gorgeous with high built colledges,
1120Learned in searching principles of art,
1121What is thy iudgement, Iaquis Vandermast.
1122Vandermast. That lordly are the buildings of the towne,
1123Spatious the romes and full of pleasant walkes:
1124But for the doctors how that they be learned,
1125It may be meanly, for ought I can heere.
1127None red so deepe as Oxenford containes,
1128There are within our accademicke state,
1129Men that may lecture it in Germanie,
1132And I will vse thee as a royall king.
1135Vandermast. Before rich Europes worthies put thou forth
1138or Geomancie, be most predominant in magick.
1140Bungay. And I of Geomancie.
1142As Hermes, Melchie, and Pithagoras,
1147Exceed in bignesse as they doe in height.
1148Iudging the concaue circle of the sonne,
1149To hold the rest in his circomference,
1155Nor tell I of the concaue lattitudes,
1156Noting their essence nor their qualitie,
1157But of the spirites that Piromancie calles,
1158And of the vigour of the Geomanticke fiends,
1159I tell thee Germane magicke haunts the grounds,
1163That Hermes calleth Terrae filii.
1165That lightly passe as Heralts to beare newes,
1167Disseuer mountaines if they be but chargd,
1170Are dull and like the place where they remaine:
1171For when proud Lucipher fell from the heauens,
1173Retaind their locall essence as their faults,
1177But Lucifer and his proud hearted fiends,
1178Were throwne into the center of the earth,
1182For Iuglers, Witches, and vild sorcerers,
1183Whereas the Piromanticke gemij,
1184Are mightie, swift, and of farre reaching power,
1185But graunt that Geomancie hath most force,
1188Bungay. I will.
1191Vandermast. What wilt thou doe.
1193Wheron the fearefull dragon held his seate,
1194That watcht the garden cald Hesperides,
1195Subdued and wonne by conquering Hercules.
1196Vandermast. Well done.
1197Heere Bungay coniures and the tree appeares with
1198the dragon shooting fire.
1200Hath he not done a point of cunning skill.
1202Can doe as much as Bungay hath performd,
1204So will I raise him vp as when he liued,
1206And teare the branches peecemeale from the roote,
1207Hercules Prodie, Prodi Hercules.
1208Hercules appeares in his Lions skin.
1212As once thou didst to win the golden fruit.
1214Heere he begins to breake the branches.
1216The fiend appearing like great Hercules,
1217From pulling downe the branches of the tree,
1218Then art thou worrhy to be counted learned.
1219Bungay. I cannot.
1221Mightie commander of this English Ile,
1222Henrie come from the stout Plantagenets,
1223Bungay is learned enough to be a Frier.
1224But to compare with Iaquis Vandermast,
1226To find a man to match him in his art.
1227I haue giuen non-plus to the Paduans,
1228To them of Sien, Florence, and Belogna,
1229Reimes, Louain and faire Rotherdam,
1230Franckford, Lutrech and Orleance:
1231And now must Henrie if he do me right,
1232Crowne me with lawrell as they all haue done.
1233Enter Bacon.
1234Bacon. All haile to this roiall companie,
1237What hath the Germane acted more than thou,
1239Bacon. Men call me Bacon.
1242Betweene the circled arches of thy browes.
1243Henrie. Now Monarcks hath the Germain found his match.
1248For yet tell me, what hast thou done?
1250That Bongay mounted by his magicke spels.
1251Bacon. Set Hercules to worke.
1252Vander. Now Hercules, I charge thee to thy taske,
1253Pull off the golden branches from the roote.
1256Vandermast. By all the thrones and dominations,
1257Vertues, powers and mightie Herarchies,
1258I charge thee to obey to Vandermast.
1260And rules Asmenoth guider of the North:
1261Bindes me from yeelding vnto Vandermast.
1264That men held deuils in such obediant awe,
1265Bacon doth more than art or els I faile.
1267Bacon dispute with him, and trie his skill:
1270I come to haue your royalties to dine
1271With Frier Bacon heere in Brazennose,
1272And for this Germane troubles but the place
1274Ile send him to his Accademie hence,
1279Vanish the tree and thou away with him.
1280Exit the spirit with Vandermast and the Tree.
1285And made faire Oxford famous by thine art,
1287But tell me shall we dine with thee to day.
1289See where Prince Edward comes to welcome you:
1291Enter Edward, Lacie, Warren, Ermsbie.
1293How martiall is the figure of his face,
1294Yet louely and beset with Amorets.
1296Edward. At Framingham my Lord, to trie your buckes.
1298But hearing of these lordly Potentates
1299Landed, and prograst vp to Oxford towne,
1300I posted to giue entertaine to them,
1301Chiefe to the Almaine Monarke, next to him,
1302And ioynt with him, Castile and Saxonie,
1303Are welcome as they may be to the English Court.
1304Thus for the men, but see Venus appeares,
1305Or one that ouermatcheth Venus in her shape,
1306Sweete Ellinor, beauties high swelling pride,
1307Rich natures glorie, and her wealth at once:
1308Faire of all faires, welcome to Albion,
1309Welcome to me, and welcome to thine owne,
1312The marke that Ellinor did count her aime,
1313I likte thee fore I saw thee, now I loue,
1316And therefore so accept of Ellinor.
1317Castile. Feare not my Lord, this couple will agree,
1318If loue may creepe into their wanton eyes:
1319And therefore Edward I accept thee heere,
1322And glorie in these honors done to Ned,
1324And rest a true Plantagenet to all.
1325Enter Miles with a cloth and trenchers and salt.
1327nie and Spaine, in England and in Almaine: for all this frolicke
1329then looke for your broth.
1334an apple tree: tis no matter, their cheere shall not be great, and
1338Than for to couer courtly for a king.
1339Enter Miles with a messe of pottage and broth,
1340and after him Bacon.
1342twopeny chop before in my life: by your leaue, Nobile decus, for
1344messe of pottage.
1345Bacon. Lordings admire not if your cheere be this,
1346For we must keepe our Accademicke fare,
1347No riot where Philosophie doth raine,
1348And therefore Henrie place these Potentates,
1349And bid them fall vnto their frugall cates.
1355Tell me, and Fredericke will not greeue the long.
1356Henrie. By Henries honour and the royall faith
1357The English monarcke beareth to his friend:
1358I knew not of the friers feeble fare,
1359Nor am I pleasd he entertaines you thus.
1363Miles take away, and let it be thy dinner.
1366Bacon. I tell thee Monarch, all the Germane Peeres
1369As Bacon will present to Fredericke,
1371Shall be in honours greater than thy selfe:
1372And for thy cates rich Alexandria drugges,
1375Shall royallize the table of my king,
1376Wines richer than the Gyptian courtisan,
1377Quaft to Augustus kingly countermatch,
1380Persia downe her volga by Canows,
1382The Africke Dates mirabiles of Spaine,
1383Conserues, and Suckets from Tiberias,
1384Cates from Iudea choiser than the lampe
1386Shall bewtifie the board for Fredericke,
1387And therfore grudge not at a friers feast.