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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1388Enter two gentlemen, Lambert, and Serlby
1389with the keeper.
1390Lambert. Come frolicke keeper of our lieges game,
1392And Iacks of wines to welcome passengers,
1393Know I am in loue with iolly Margret,
1396In Laxfield heere my land and liuing lies,
1397Ile make thy daughter ioynter of it all,
1398So thou consent to giue her to my wife,
1401By coppie all thy liuing lies in me.
1403I will infeofe faire Margret in all,
1405Keeper. Now courteous gentls, if the Keepers girle,
1406Hath pleased the liking fancie of you both,
1407And with her beutie hath subdued your thoughts,
1408Tis doubtfull to decide the question.
1412To be a wife to meaner men than you.
1417Why Serlsby is thy wife so lately dead,
1419As thou canst wed before the yeare be out,
1420Serlsby. I liue not Lambert to content the dead,
1421Nor was I wedded but for life to her,
1422The graues ends and begins a maried state.
1423Enter Margret.
1430Nor tell a tall of Phebus and his loues,
1431But this beeleue me Laxfield here is mine,
1432Of auncient rent seuen hundred pounds a yeare,
1434I wil infeoffe thee Margret in all,
1437A Keepers daughters is too base in gree
1438To match with men accoumpted of such worth,
1443Be kindled but by fancies motion,
1444Then pardon gentils, if a maids reply
1445Be doubtful, while I haue debated with my selfe,
1452And fortie kine with faire and burnisht heads,
1453With strouting duggs that paggle to the ground,
1454Shall serue thy dary if thou wed with me.
1456And lands that waue with Ceres golden sheues
1458But peggie if thou wed thy selfe to me,
1460Lawnes and rich networks for thy head attyre
1462If thou wilt be but Lamberts louing wife.
1463Margret Content you gentles you haue profered faire,
1464And more than fits a countrie maids degree,
1465But giue me leaue to counsaile me a time,
1467Giue me but ten dayes respite and I will replye,
1469Serslby. Lambert I tell thee thou art importunate,
1471It is for Serlsby to haue Margret.
1473Serlsby, I scorne to brooke thy country braues
1474I dare thee Coward to maintaine this wrong,
1480Margeret. How Fortune tempers lucky happes with frowns,
1481And wrongs me with the sweets of my delight,
1482Loue is my blisse, and loue is now my bale,
1483Shall I be Hellen in my froward fates,
1484As I am Hellen in my matchles hue
1486If louely Lacie were but with his Peggy,
1487The cloudie darckenesse of his bitter frowne
1489Before the term of ten dayes be expired,
1490When as they looke for aunswere of their loues,
1492And end their fancies, and their follies both,
1493Til when Peggie be blith and of good cheere.
1494Enter a post with a letter and
1495a bag of gold.
1498which footpath leadeth to the keepers lodge?
1499Margeret Your way is ready and this path is right,
1501And if the keeper be the man you seeke,
1502I am his daughter may I kuow the cause?
1503Post Louely and once beloued of my lord,
1504No meruaile if his eye was lodgd so low,
1505when brighter bewtie is not in the heauens,
1506The Lincolne earle hath sent you letters here,
1507And with them, iust an hundred pounds in gold,
1508Sweete bonny wench read them and make reply.
1511Were not more welcome than these lines to me.
1513Liues Lacie well, how fares my louely Lord?
1514Post. Well, if that wealth may make men to liue well.
1515The letter, and Margret reads it.
THe bloomes of the Almond tree grow in a night, and vanish
1518the Sun, and die with the dew, fancie that slippeth in with a
1519gase, goeth out with a winke, and too timely loues, haue euer the
1524cheefe waighting woman to the Princesse Ellinour, a Lady faire,
1526forsake thee I leaue thee to thine own liking, and for thy dowrie
1529 Not thine nor his owne,
1530Edward Lacie.
1531Fond Atae doomer of bad boading fates,
1532That wrappes proud Fortune in thy snaky locks,
1534As lightned mischeefe from their infancie,
1535If heauens had vowd, if stars had made decree,
1537If Lacie had but lovd, heauens hell and all,
1538Could not haue wrongd the patience of my minde.
1540To loue the Lady, by the Kings commaund.
1542Europes commaunder nor the English King,
1543Should not haue moude the loue of Peggie from her Lord.
1546Ah giue me leaue to sigh at euery thought,
1547Take thou my freind the hundred pound he sent,
1548For Margrets resolution craues no dower,
1549The world shalbe to her as vanitie,
1552And in the abby there be shorne a Nun
1553And yeld my loues and libertie to God,
1554Fellow I giue thee this, not for the newes,
1555For those be hatefull vnto Margret,
1556But for thart Lacies man once Margrets loue.
1558Ile make report of them vnto the Earle. Exit Post
1560And praies that his misfortune may be hers. Exit