brown toast that will clap a white waistcoat on a cup of good drink?

DEV. All this you may have there.

MILES. You are for me, friend, and I am for you. But I pray you, may I not have an office there? DEV. Yes, a thousand: what wouldst thou be? MILES. By my troth, sir, in a place where I may profit myself. I know hell is a hot place, and men are marvellous dry, and much drink is spent there; I would be a tapster.

DEV. Thou shalt.

MILES. There's nothing lets me from going with you, but that 'tis a long journey, and I have never a horse.

DEV. Thou shalt ride on my back.

MILES. Now surely here's a courteous devil, that for to pleasure his friend, will not stick to make a jade of himself. But I pray you, goodman friend, let me move a question to you.

DEV. What's that?

MILES. I pray you, whether is your pace a trot or an amble?

DEV. An amble.

MILES. 'Tis well, but take heed it be not a trot: but 'tis no matter, I'll prevent it.

DEV. What dost?

MILES. Marry, friend, I put on my spurs; for if I find your pace either a trot, or else uneasy, I'll put you to a false gallop; I'll make you feel the benefit of my spurs.

DEV. Get up upon my back.

MILES. O Lord! here's even a goodly marvel, when a man rides to hell on the devil's back.

[Exeunt roaring.

Enter the EMPEROR with a pointless sword; next the KING OF CASTILE carrying a sword with a point; LACY carrying the globe; EDWARD; WARREN carrying a rod of gold, with a dove on it; ERMSBY with a crown and sceptre; the QUEEN,* with [MARGARET] the fair maid of Fressingfield on her left hand; HENRY, BACON, with other lords attending.

EDW. Great potentates, earth's miracles for state,
Think that prince Edward humbles at your feet,
And, for these favours, on his martial sword
He vows perpetual homage to yourselves,
Yielding these honours unto Elinor.

HEN. Gramercies, lordings; old Plantagenet,
That rules and sways the Albion diadem,
With tears discovers these conceived joys,
And vows requital, if his men at arms,
The wealth of England, or due honours done
To Elinor, may quite his favourites.

But all this while what say you to the dames,
That shine like to the crystal lamps of heaven?
EMP. If but a third were added to these two,
They did surpass those gorgeous images,
That gloried Ida with rich beauty's wealth.

MAR. 'Tis I, my lords, who humbly on my knee,
Must yield her orisons to mighty Jove,
For lifting up his handmaid to this state;
Brought from her homely cottage to the court,
And grac'd with kings, princes, and emperors,
To whom (next to the noble Lincoln earl)
I vow obedience, and such humble love,
As may a handmaid to such mighty men.
ELIN. Thou martial man, that wears the Almaine

[crown,

*the Queen] i. e. Elinor, now married to the Prince of Wales.

And you the western potentates of might,
The Albion princess, English Edward's wife,
Proud that the lovely star of Fressingfield,
Fair Margaret, countess to the Lincoln earl,
Attends on Elinor: gramercies, lord, for her,
'Tis I give thanks for Margaret to you all,
And rest for her due bounden to yourselves.
HEN. Seeing the marriage is solemniz'd,
Let's march in triumph to the royal feast.
But why stands friar Bacon here so mute?
BACON. Repentant for the follies of my youth,
That magic's secret mysteries misled,
And joyful that this royal marriage

Portends such bliss unto this matchless realm.
HEN. Why, Bacon,

What strange event shall happen to this land?
Or what shall grow from Edward and his queen?
BACON. I find* by deep prescience of mine art,
Which once I temper'd in my secret cell,

That here where Brute did build his Troynovant,
From forth the royal garden of a king,

Shall flourish out so rich and fair a bud,
Whose brightness shall deface proud Phoebus' flower,
And over-shadow Albion with her leaves.
Till then, Mars shall be master of the field,
But then the stormy threats of wars shall cease:
The horse shall stamp as careless of the pike,
Drums shall be turn'd to timbrels of delight;
With wealthy favours plenty shall enrich
The strond that gladded wandering Brute to see,
And
peace from heaven shall harbour in these leaves,
That gorgeous beautify + this matchless flower.
Apollo's heliotropion then shall stoop,

* I find, &c.] One of those compliments to Queen Elizabeth, often occurring at the conclusion of dramas acted during her life time.

+ beautify] The 4tos. " beautifies."

And Venus' hyacinth shall vail her top;
Juno shall shut her gilliflowers up,

And Pallas' bay shall 'bash her brightest green;
Ceres' carnation in consort with those,
Shall stoop and wonder at Diana's rose.
HEN. This prophecy is mystical.

But glorious commanders of Europa's love,
That make fair England like that wealthy isle,
Circled with Gihon, and first Euphrates,
In royalizing Henry's Albion

With presence of your princely mightiness,
Let's march: the tables all are spread,

And viands such as England's wealth affords,
Are ready set to furnish out the boards.
You shall have welcome, mighty potentates:
It rests to furnish up this royal feast,
Only your hearts be frolic; for the time
Craves that we taste of nought but jouissance.
Thus glories England over all the west.

[Exeunt omnes.

+ Greene's favourite motto: see the titles of his prose works, in the list appended to the account of his life.

215

The Famous Historie of Fryer Bacon on which Greene founded his drama has been already noticed in the Prefatory Essay to this work, and a specimen of it is now subjoined:

"How Fryer Bacon made a Brasen Head to speake, by the which hee would have walled England about with Brasse.

FRYER BACON reading one day of the many conquests of England, bethought himselfe how he might keepe it hereafter from the like conquests, and so make himselfe famous hereafter to all posterities. This (after great study) hee found could be no way so well done as one; which was to make a head of brasse, and if he could make this head to speake (and heare it when it speakes) then might hee be able to wall all England about with brasse. To this purpose hee got one Fryer Bungey to assist him, who was a great scholler and a magician, (but not to bee compared to Fryer Bacon) these two with great study and paines so framed a head of brasse, that in the inward parts thereof there was all things like as in a naturall mans head: this being done, they were as farre from perfection of the worke as they were before, for they knew not how to give those parts that they had made motion, without which it was impossible that it should speake: many bookes they read, but yet could not finde out any