Had not your troops come marching as they did,
I would have stopt your passage unto London :
But now I'll fly to secret policy.

KEN. What dost thou murmur, George?
GEO. Marry this, my lord; I muse
If thou be Henry Momford, Kendal's earl,
That thou wilt do poor George-a-Greene this wrong,
Ever to match me with a troop of men.

KEN. Why dost thou strike me then?

GEO. Why, my lord, measure me but by yourself; Had you a man had serv'd you long,

And heard your foe misuse you behind your back,
And would not draw his sword in your defence,
You would cashier him. Much more,

King Edward is my king and before I'll hear him
So wronged, I'll die within this place,
And maintain good whatsoever I have said.
And, if I speak not reason in this case,
What I have said I'll maintain in this place.
BON. A pardon, my lord, for this Pinner;
For trust me, he speaketh like a man of worth.
KEN. Well, George,

Wilt thou leave Wakefield, and wend with me;
I'll freely put up all and pardon thee.

GEO. Ay, my lord, considering me one thing, You will leave these arms and follow your good king. KEN. Why, George, I rise not against king Edward, But for the poor that is opprest by wrong;

And, if king Edward will redress the same,
I will not offer him disparagement,

But otherwise, and so let this suffice.

Thou hear'st the reason why I rise in arms:

Now, wilt thou leave Wakefield, and wend with me,
I'll make thee captain of a hardy band,

And, when I have my will, dub thee a knight.
GEO. Why, my lord, have you any hope to win?

KEN. Why, there is a prophecy doth say, That king James and I shall meet at London, And make the king vail bonnet to us both. [reason. GEO. If this were true, my lord, this were a mighty KEN. Why, it is a miraculous prophecy, and cannot fail.

GEO. Well, my lord, you have almost turned me. Jenkin, come hither.

JEN. Sir.

GEO. Go your ways home, sir,

And drive me those three horses home unto my house, And pour them down a bushel of good oats.

JEN. Well, I will.-Must I give these scurvy horses

oats?

[Exit.

GEO. Will it please you to command your train

aside?

KEN. Stand aside.

[Exeunt the train.

GEO. Now list to me:

Here in a wood, not far from hence,

There dwells an old man in a cave alone,

That can foretel what fortunes shall befall you,
For he is greatly skilful in magic art.
Go you three to him early in the morning,
And question him: if he says good,

Why then, my lord, I am the foremost man;
We will march up with your camp to London.
KEN. George, thou honourest me in this:

But where shall we find him out?

*

GEO. My man shall conduct you to the place; But, good my lord,+ tell me true what the wise man saith.

KEN. That will I, as I am earl of Kendal.

GEO. Why then, to honour George-a-Greene the Vouchsafe a piece of beef at my poor house; [more, *honourest] Qy. "humourest."

t lord] The 4to. "lords."

You shall have wafer cakes your fill,

A piece of beef hung up since Martlemas :*
If that like you not, take what you bring for me.
KEN. Gramercies, George.

[Exeunt omnes.

Enter George-a-Greene's boy WILY, disguised like a woman, to Master Grime's.

WILY. O, what is love! it is some mighty power, Else could it never conquer George-a-Greene. Here dwells a churl that keeps away his love : I know the worst, and if I be espied,

'Tis but a beating; and if I by this means Can get fair Bettris forth her father's door, It is enough.

Venus, for me, of all the gods alone,†

Be aiding to my wily enterprize.

[He knocks at the door.

Enter GRIME.

GRIME. How now! who knocks there? what would you have?

From whence came you? where do you dwell? WILY. I am, forsooth, a sempster's maid hard-by, That hath brought work home to your daughter.

GRIME. Nay, are you not some crafty quean, That comes from George-a-Greene, that rascal, With some letters to my daughter?

I will have you search'd.

WILY. Alas! sir, it is Hebrew unto me, To tell me of George-a-Greene, or any other.

Search me, good sir, and if

you

find a letter

About me, let me have the punishment that is due.

* Martlemas] A corrupt form of " Martinmas.”

+ Venus, for me, of all the gods alone] The 4to.;

Reed printed;

"Venus for me, and all goes alone."

"Venus be for me and she alone."

GRIME. Why are you muffled? I like you the

worse for that.

face;

WILY. I am not, sir, asham'd to shew my
Yet loth I am my cheeks should take the air:
Not that I am chary of my beauty's hue,
But that I am troubled with the tooth-ache sore.

GRIME. A pretty wench, of smiling countenance !
Old men can like, although they cannot love;
Ay, and love, though not so brief as young men can.
Well, go in, my wench, and speak with my daughter.
[Exit Wily.

I wonder much at the earl of Kendal,
Being a mighty man, as still he is,
Yet for to be a traitor to his king,
Is more than God or man will well allow.
But what a fool am I to talk of him?
My mind is more here of the pretty lass:
Had she brought some forty pounds to town,
I could be content to make her my wife:
Yet I have heard it in a proverb said,
He that is old, and marries with a lass,
Lies but at home, and proves himself an ass.

Enter BETTRIS in Wily's apparel to Grime. How now, my wench, how is't? what, not a word? Alas, poor soul, the tooth-ache plagues her sore. Well, my wench,

Here is an angel for to buy thee pins,

And I pray thee use mine house;

[Exit.

BET. O blessed love, and blessed fortune both!

The oftener, the more welcome: farewell.

But, Bettris, stand not here to talk of love,

But hie thee straight unto thy George-a-Greene.
Never went roe-buck swifter on the downs,
Than I will trip it till I see my George.

[Exit.

Enter the EARL OF KENDAL, LORD BONFIELD, SIR GILBERT ARMSTRONG, and JENKIN the Clown.

KEN. Come, away, Jenkin.

JEN. Come, here is his house. Where be you, ho? GEO. [within] Who knocks there?

KEN. Here are two or three poor men, father,

Would speak with you.

[me forth.

GEO. [within] Pray, give your man leave to lead KEN. Go, Jenkin, fetch him forth.

JEN. Come, old man.

Enter GEORGE-A-GREENE disguised.

KEN. Father,

Here are three poor men come to question thee
A word in secret, that concerns their lives.

GEO. Say on, my sons.

KEN. Father, I am sure you hear the news, how that The earl of Kendal wars against the king. Now, father, we three are gentlemen by birth, But younger brethren that want revenues, And for the hope we have to be preferr'd, If that we knew that we shall win, We will march with him: if not,

We will not march a foot to London more. Therefore, good father, tell us what shall happen, Whether the king or the earl of Kendal shall win. GEO. The king, my son.

KEN. Art thou sure of that?

GEO. Ay, as sure as thou art Henry Momford, The one lord Bonfield, the other sir Gilbert.

KEN. Why, this is wondrous, being blind of sight, His deep perceivance + should be such to know us. are] The 4to. "is."

† perceivance] The 4to. "perseuerance."